Tomas Ehrlich 
Why is my pleco chasing other bottom-dwelling fish? The short answer is almost always territorial behavior. Plecos stake out caves, driftwood, and feeding areas along the bottom of the tank, and they will chase cory catfish, kuhli loaches, and otocinclus that wander into their chosen zone. Stress, overcrowding, feeding competition, and breeding instincts make the … Read more
If you have ever looked into your aquarium and spotted a long, white, stringy trail hanging from your fish, your stomach probably dropped. I have kept fish for years and I still remember the first time I saw it on my Betta – I spent the next 48 hours convinced I had a parasite outbreak … Read more
I get it. There is nothing more frustrating than watching your fish die one at a time with no visible symptoms, and not understanding why. I have been there myself, staring at a tank where the water looks crystal clear, the parameters test perfectly, and yet another healthy-looking fish turns up dead the next morning. … Read more
If you have noticed tiny bubbles sticking to fish and aquarium glass in your tank, you are seeing one of the most common sights in fishkeeping. Most of the time, those tiny bubbles are simply dissolved gases, especially oxygen, that have come out of solution and attached to surfaces. I have kept planted and community … Read more
Fish lying on the bottom after a water change is almost always a stress response. The most common causes are sudden temperature shifts, chlorine or chloramine in tap water, and pH swings between old and new water. In most cases, fish recover within 2 to 4 hours once water parameters stabilize, though severe shock can … Read more
Seeing your fish swimming sideways but still eating is confusing, and I remember the exact moment it happened to my goldfish. The fish was listing hard to one side, bumping into plants, yet still swimming up for flakes like nothing was wrong. If you are seeing the same thing right now, here is the single … Read more
When I first noticed my betta zooming across the tank and shoving himself against the driftwood, I panicked. Was he hurt? Was the filter too strong? Was something wrong with my fish darting around the tank and rubbing on objects that I had missed? After years of fishkeeping and a few scares, I can tell … Read more