Troubleshooting guides

Ranked fix guides for algae, cloudy water, and plant stress — start with the symptom you see.

Fish Gasping in a CO₂ Planted Tank

Aquarium Snail Infestation: Cut the Food

Cherry Shrimp Losing Color: Fix the Fade

Cherry Shrimp Dying After Water Change

Fin Rot Treatment: Stop the Melting Edges

Ich in a Planted Tank: Shrimp-Safe Fix Order

Too Much Light in a Planted Tank: Algae & Melts

CO₂ Aquarium Leak Check: Find the Hiss

CO₂ Drop Checker Color Meaning: Read It Right

Aquarium Heater Stuck On: Emergency Steps

Aquarium Filter Flow Too Strong: Calm It Down

Aquarium Filter Not Cycling: Fix Order

White Cloudy Bacterial Bloom: Diagnose & Wait (Mostly)

Aquarium pH Crash Overnight: Causes & Buffer

High Nitrates in a Planted Tank: Fixes That Stick

Aquarium Nitrite Spike During Cycle: Fix Order

Red Aquarium Plants Turning Green

Stem Plants Leggy / Losing Lower Leaves

Carpet Plants Melting or Not Spreading

Aquarium Plant Root Rot in Aquasoil

Stunted Growth in a Planted Tank: Checklist

Aquarium Algae ID Chart: BBA vs Hair vs Staghorn (+ more)

Green Water Bloom: Light vs Nutrients Fix

Staghorn Algae: Causes & Fix Order

Cladophora / Blanket Weed: Identify & Remove

Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) Emergency Fix

Hair Algae in a Planted Tank: Causes + Fix Order

New Tank Syndrome: Symptoms, Timeline & Survival Fix

Aquarium Ammonia Spike: Test & Crash-Course Fix

Smelly Aquarium Water Checklist (Rotten Eggs & More)

Cryptocoryne Melt: Normal Adaptation vs Real Problem

Pinholes in Aquarium Plant Leaves: K vs Other Causes

Yellowing Aquarium Plant Leaves — Deficiency Decision Tree

Why Aquarium Plants Melt After Planting — Fix Order

Cloudy Aquarium Water After Setup — Diagnose & Fix

Brown Diatoms in a New Tank — Timeline + Fix

Green Dust Algae on Glass — Wipe or Wait?

Green Spot Algae on Glass & Leaves — Fix Guide

Black Beard Algae: Causes Ranked + Fix Order