A low-poly illustration of a child in a dark room looking up at a large planted aquarium

Everything you need to know to start.

From cycling your first tank to mastering SPS coral chemistry, clear, practical guides written for aquarists at every level.

Fundamentals8 min read

The Nitrogen Cycle Explained

Ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. The nitrogen cycle is the single most important thing a new aquarist can learn. Without it, no tank is safe for fish.

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Design11 min

Hardscape Before Everything

Rocks and wood define the skeleton of any aquascape. Learn the odd-number rule, the golden ratio, and why you should arrange hardscape in a dry tank first.

Plants11 min

CO₂ for Planted Tanks

Pressurised CO₂ can transform plant growth, but unstable delivery causes more trouble than a modest target. Set up, measure, and tune it safely.

Fundamentals10 min

How to Cycle a New Tank

A new filter has almost no useful bacterial capacity. Build that colony before livestock arrives, then prove it can process waste before stocking.

Equipment11 min

Understanding Aquascape Lighting

Aquarium lights sell watts, lumens, spectrum, and dramatic colours. Plants mainly care about usable light reaching their leaves, delivered consistently without excess.

Styles13 min

The Dutch Aquascape

Streets, contrast and disciplined trimming. Without them, a tank full of good plants reads as one green blur. Learn how Dutch style turns density into structure.

Styles13 min

Iwagumi Principles

A few stones, a low carpet, open water. With so little in the tank, weak composition cannot hide. Learn the hierarchy, direction and burial that make it convincing.

Saltwater18 min

Reef Tank Chemistry 101

Alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium form the triad of reef chemistry. SPS coral consume these elements rapidly. Learn to balance the big three.

Plants15 min

Managing Algae in Planted Tanks

Green spot, black beard, hair algae, diatoms. Every algae type has a cause and a cure. Understand the imbalance before reaching for chemicals.

The Aquascaper Studio editor with a 90 by 45 by 45 cm tank of driftwood, plants and fish, and the tanks, hardscape, planting, tools and fish steps down the left — The editorShape the whole tank

The live view: the finished aquarium lit on a wooden cabinet in a dark room at night, with a city window, a floor lamp and a desk in front of it — The live viewWatch it run in the room

Ready to put theory into practice?

Open the builder and try what you have read. Pour and sculpt the substrate, place stone, wood and plants, and get a feel for the layout.

Open the builder