Aquarium Answers exists to help fishkeepers make better decisions for the animals in their care. This page explains the standards guides published here are held to, how content is researched and kept current, and how to tell us when we have got something wrong.
We publish this policy because aquarium advice has real consequences. A weak recommendation does not just waste money — it can cost a fish its life, or undo months of patient work on a tank. Readers deserve to know how the information they are acting on was put together.
Our Editorial Principles
Four principles govern what gets published here.
Accuracy. We present information that reflects widely accepted aquarium best practices, and we avoid unsupported claims and misleading advice. Where the hobby genuinely disagrees, we say so rather than pretending there is one settled answer.
Clarity. Aquarium care can feel overwhelming, especially at the start. We explain complex topics — biological filtration, water chemistry, stocking density — in straightforward language, without watering down what actually matters.
Practical value. Every guide is built to solve a real aquarium problem with advice you can act on. We would rather explain one method properly than list ten superficially.
Continuous improvement. Fishkeeping knowledge evolves. So does our content. When better information becomes available, guides here are updated to reflect it.
Quality comes before quantity. We publish a guide when it is genuinely ready to help someone, not to fill a schedule.
How Our Guides Are Researched
Whenever appropriate, we review reputable aquarium literature, manufacturer documentation, scientific resources and widely accepted fishkeeping best practices before publishing new content — rather than assembling a guide from memory or hearsay.
The material we rely on includes:
- Established aquarium literature and reference works
- Manufacturer documentation for equipment and products — specifications, instructions and safety guidance
- Published scientific and veterinary resources, where they exist for the topic
- Widely accepted, long-standing fishkeeping best practices
Where a manufacturer's instructions and common hobby practice disagree, we aim to give you both and explain the trade-off instead of quietly picking a side.
What We Will Not Publish
Standards are easier to judge by what they rule out. We avoid:
- Claims we cannot support from a reputable source
- A single forum post or one hobbyist's anecdote presented as established fact
- Advice we cannot explain the reasoning behind — if we cannot tell you why, we do not tell you to do it
- Specific medication dosing or treatment protocols for a sick animal, which belong with a qualified aquatic veterinarian who can actually examine the fish
- Absolute promises about outcomes, when every aquarium is a different system
Why We Explain the Reasoning
Rather than only telling readers what to do, we explain why it matters. Water quality, biological filtration, species compatibility, nutrition and maintenance all interact, and a hobbyist who understands the reasoning can adapt it to their own tank. A hobbyist who only has a checklist cannot.
Because every aquarium is unique — different stocking, water source, equipment and history — an approach that works well in one setup may be wrong for another. We recognise that more than one successful approach may exist, and where several approaches succeed we explain the alternatives and the conditions each one suits.
Corrections
We would genuinely rather be corrected than be wrong.
If you find a factual error, outdated guidance, a broken link, or a recommendation that does not hold up, please tell us through our contact page. It helps to include the guide's title and the specific passage.
When a report reaches us, we check it against our sources. If we got it wrong, we correct the guide. Corrections are not treated as a nuisance; they are part of how the site stays worth reading.
Keeping Guides Current
Aquarium care continues to evolve as new research, equipment and practices arrive. Guides are reviewed and improved over time — in particular when we learn something has changed, when a product's documentation is revised, or when a reader reports a problem.
We do not claim every guide reflects the newest development in the hobby at every moment. We do take seriously what we find and what you report.
Equipment and Product Coverage
When we discuss aquarium equipment or products, the goal is balanced educational information that helps you decide for yourself — including whether you need the product at all.
Our editorial judgement is not for sale. Commercial arrangements do not buy a recommendation, and no commercial relationship changes what a guide says. How advertising and affiliate links are handled on this site is set out on our affiliate disclosure page.
Fish Health Content
Guides covering fish disease, parasites and water-quality emergencies are educational. They are not veterinary diagnosis or treatment, and they are not a substitute for professional care.
Our content can help you recognise a problem, stabilise the tank, and understand what is likely happening. It cannot examine your fish. When an animal is seriously ill, injured or showing symptoms you cannot explain, please consult a qualified aquatic veterinarian or an experienced aquatic animal health professional. Our aquarium emergency guide covers the first steps and when to escalate, and the limits of our health content are set out in our disclaimer.
Responsible Fishkeeping
Our editorial choices are guided by the welfare of the animals involved. We favour advice that supports proper cycling, appropriate stocking levels, species compatibility, stable water parameters, balanced nutrition and routine maintenance — even when a shortcut would be more popular. We will not recommend a practice we consider harmful to the animals because it is convenient or widely done.
What We Cover
Aquarium Answers is being built as a knowledge base covering aquarium care, fish species, aquatic plants, equipment, aquascaping, pond care, shrimp and snails, and saltwater aquariums — from a first tank through to more advanced setups. The standards on this page apply to guides as they are published.
Questions About This Policy
If anything here is unclear, or you would like to know how a particular guide was researched, ask us through our contact page. You can also read more about the site on our about page, and review our privacy policy and terms and conditions.