Every Guide, In One Place
Care guides, biotopes, aquascaping, and practical how-tos — everything ECAAC has put together for South African aquarists, gathered into a single library. Pick a card to dive in.
Care & Maintenance Guides
Care Guide
Species & Care Guides
Detailed care requirements for popular fish species in the South African hobby — water parameters, diet, tankmates and more.
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Care Guide
Aquatic Plant Care Guide
Light, nutrient and placement guidance for popular aquarium plants, from easy beginner species to more demanding carpeting plants.
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How-To
Live Food Culturing
Cost-effective, easy home cultures for vinegar eels, microworms, daphnia, mosquito larvae and bloodworms.
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Beginner Guide
The Nitrogen Cycle
A beginner-friendly, visual explanation of how to cycle a new aquarium safely before adding fish.
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Troubleshooting
Algae Identification & Control
Identify common algae types by sight, understand the cause, and treat outbreaks with a clear step-by-step plan.
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Beginner Guide
Water Quality & SA Tap Water
pH, hardness, chloramine, ammonia, nitrate — and what comes out of South African municipal taps, region by region.
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Troubleshooting
Fish Disease Identification & Treatment
Identify Ich, velvet, fin rot, dropsy, flukes and more by sight — with causes, SA-available treatments, and quarantine protocol.
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Equipment Guide
Aquarium Filter Types Explained
Sponge, HOB, canister, internal, sump — what each does, when to use it, how to layer media, and how to clean without crashing the cycle.
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Beginner Guide
Nano Aquarium Setup Guide
Equipment, cycling, and realistic stocking for tanks under 40L — plus why shrimp are often the smarter nano choice.
Read the guideAquascaping
Aquascaping Guide
Aquascaping 101
Layout styles, CO2 and plant science, hardscape materials, and the history of the craft — with a South African hobby lens.
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Craft Guide
Iwagumi Aquascaping
Stone roles and selection, golden ratio rock placement, and low-tech vs high-tech approaches to the minimalist Japanese stone style.
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Livestock Guide
Top Freshwater Fish for Aquascapes
Nano schoolers, mid-water showpieces, and the algae-eating cleanup crew — plus stocking rules and species to avoid.
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Craft Guide
CO2 Systems Explained
Pressurised vs DIY yeast CO2, regulators, bubble counters, and drop checker colours — demystified for planted tanks.
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Craft Guide
Aquascaping Substrates Compared
Aqua soil vs sand vs gravel vs the soil-under-sand method — substrate choice, pH/KH effects, and popular brands.
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Craft Guide
Aquascape Lighting Guide
PAR, spectrum, photoperiod, and matching light intensity to CO2 and nutrients for a balanced planted tank.
Read the guideAquariums & Specialty Tanks
Freshwater
Blackwater Aquariums
The Amazon's tea-dark Rio Negro — fish, plants, and the tannin-stained water chemistry that defines it.
Explore Blackwater Aquariums
Freshwater
Lake Tanganyika Aquariums
Africa's ancient rift lake — rock and sand-dwelling cichlids, hard alkaline water, and remarkable natural history.
Explore Lake Tanganyika
Saltwater
Saltwater Reef Aquarium
A coral reef in miniature — fish, corals and invertebrates, water chemistry, and the growing SA marine hobby.
Explore Saltwater Reef Aquariums
Terrarium
Tropical Bioactive Vivarium
A self-cleaning rainforest floor in miniature — plants, clean-up crew, and the living ecosystem that powers it.
Explore Terrarium
Freshwater
Lake Malawi Aquariums
Africa's rift lake jewel — mbuna and haplochromine cichlids, explosive colour, and fierce rocky-shore territories.
Explore Lake Malawi
Freshwater
South American Dwarf Cichlids
Apistogramma and relatives — tiny, colourful, pair-bonding cichlids for a heavily planted, tannin-stained tank.
Explore Dwarf Cichlids
Freshwater
Southeast Asian Biotope
Peat swamp forest and fast hillstream habitats — Betta, Rasbora, and the extraordinary hillstream loaches.
Explore Southeast Asia
Freshwater
African Killifish
Nothobranchius, Aphyosemion and Fundulopanchax — annual and non-annual life cycles, drought-proof eggs, and breeding basics.
Explore Killifish
Freshwater
West African River Aquariums
Brightly coloured fish, true aquatic plants and soft tannin-stained water — a field-guide look at the West African river biotope.
Explore West Africa
Freshwater
Medaka — Japanese Rice Fish
Japan's hardy, endlessly variable rice paddy fish — hundreds of colour strains, outdoor tub culture, and easy breeding.
Explore Medaka
Freshwater
Freshwater Shrimp Keeping
Neocaridina and Caridina — colour genetics, breeding, water parameters and setup for a dedicated shrimp tank.
Explore Shrimp Keeping
Freshwater
Invertebrates for Freshwater Tanks
Snails, crayfish and crabs — compatibility, water parameters and setup for freshwater invertebrates.
Explore Invertebrates
Freshwater
Betta Fish Care
Tail types, temperament, tank setup and water parameters — a complete Betta splendens care guide.
Explore Betta CareNo guides match your search. Try a different term, or clear the search.
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