Weeks 1–2 · Setup
Tank, filter, substrate and starting the cycle.
The programs, in detail
Four programs of 8 to 12 weeks, run on your own water tests and your own tank.
Program 01 · The month that matters
Cycling & chemistry
We cycle your tank together, with daily tests logged and read week by week. Then the chemistry that matters — ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, hardness and pH — measured with a liquid test kit rather than strips, and interpreted against what you actually keep.
Weeks 3–5 · The cycle
Ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, tracked daily.
Weeks 6–7 · Parameters
Your tap water, and what it suits.
Week 8 · First fish
Added slowly, once the numbers hold.
Weeks 1–2 · Your water
What your tap parameters suit naturally.
Weeks 3–4 · The list
Compatibility, adult size and numbers.
Weeks 5–6 · Quarantine
A simple setup, and why it's worth it.
Weeks 7–8 · Adding slowly
Stocking over weeks, not in one trip.
Program 02 · Fewer fish, better tank
Stocking sensibly
Most stocking problems come from buying by appearance. We plan a stocking list around adult sizes, temperament and your water, get schooling species in proper numbers, and set up a simple quarantine routine — which prevents the disease outbreaks that wipe out established tanks.
Program 03 · Read the tank
Algae & problems
Algae is a symptom, usually of light and nutrients out of balance. We identify the type, fix the cause rather than dosing chemicals, and work through cloudy water, flashing, clamped fins and other early signs. Medication is a vet's territory; we focus on water quality, which solves most of it.
Weeks 1–2 · Algae
Identifying types and their causes.
Weeks 3–4 · Balance
Light, nutrients and plant competition.
Weeks 5–6 · Behavior
What flashing, gasping and hiding indicate.
Weeks 7–8 · Response
Water changes first, chemicals rarely.
Weeks 1–3 · Foundations
Substrate, light levels and plant selection.
Weeks 4–6 · Growth
Fertilizer, nutrients and patience.
Weeks 7–8 · Trimming
Keeping plants healthy and in scale.
Weeks 9–10 · Layout
Composition, and a tank that reads well.
Program 04 · Plants that grow
Planted tanks
Low-tech planted tanks are stable, cheap and beautiful, and they out-compete algae. We choose plants that suit your light, sort out substrate and a simple fertilizer routine, and cover trimming and layout so the tank looks composed rather than overgrown.
Tank not behaving?
Twenty minutes on your test results and what to change. Free.