# Guides

> All guides.

URL: https://gulfcoastaquatics.locuspilot.com/guide/

- [Acclimating New Corals — The Dip and Drip Method](/guide/acclimating-new-corals-dip-drip/) — Why every new coral gets dipped before it touches your tank, plus the drip acclimation that protects against parameter shock.
- [Acclimating Saltwater Fish — The Drip Method](/guide/acclimating-saltwater-fish-drip/) — Step-by-step drip acclimation for marine fish. Why it matters, the gear, and the 60 to 90 minute timeline.
- [Setting Up an African Cichlid Tank — Water Chemistry & Aquascape](/guide/african-cichlid-tank-setup/) — Tank size, hard alkaline water chemistry, crushed coral substrate, rockwork strategy, and stocking. The full African Mbuna setup playbook.
- [African vs South American Cichlids](/guide/african-vs-south-american-cichlids/) — Two completely different cichlid worlds. Water chemistry, behavior, decor and cost compared.
- [Choosing the Right Aquarium Filter for Your Tank Size](/guide/aquarium-filter-sizing/) — GPH targets, HOB vs canister, and the brands we'd run on freshwater and saltwater builds.
- [Heater Wattage by Tank Size](/guide/aquarium-heater-wattage/) — The 5 watts per gallon rule, plus the brand picks and Florida-specific notes.
- [Aquarium Lighting Basics — Freshwater vs Reef](/guide/aquarium-lighting-basics/) — Watts per gallon is dead. Here's how to think about modern aquarium lighting for fish, plants, and corals.
- [Beginner Saltwater Fish — What Works in Your First Tank](/guide/beginner-saltwater-fish-first-tank/) — Six hardy saltwater species for a first FOWLR or reef tank, plus the species to absolutely skip until year two.
- [Best Beginner Cichlids — Peaceful Options](/guide/best-beginner-cichlids-peaceful/) — If you want cichlid personality without Mbuna aggression, these six species belong on your shortlist.
- [Best Beginner Freshwater Fish for Sarasota Families](/guide/best-beginner-freshwater-fish-sarasota-families/) — Eight first-tank-friendly species for a Sarasota family aquarium, what works, what to skip, and the 20-gallon kit to start with.
- [Best Beginner Soft Corals for New Reef Tanks](/guide/best-beginner-soft-corals/) — Eight forgiving soft corals to start your reef. Zoanthids, mushrooms, leathers, and the easy LPS that follows.
- [Tank Mates That Work With Bettas](/guide/betta-tank-mates/) — Six species that genuinely work in a 10+ gallon planted betta tank, and the species to never, ever pair with a male betta.
- [Common Betta Diseases — Fin Rot, Ich, Dropsy](/guide/common-betta-diseases/) — ID, root cause, and treatment for the four diseases most likely to affect your betta. Plus the prevention rules that beat all of them.
- [Common Coral Pests and Diseases — RTN, STN, Flatworms](/guide/common-coral-pests-diseases/) — Acro red bugs, monti-eating nudibranchs, flatworms, and the tissue-necrosis events that wipe out colonies. Identification and treatment.
- [Common Freshwater Fish Diseases — Ich, Fin Rot, Velvet](/guide/common-freshwater-fish-diseases/) — Visual ID, root causes, and the meds we'd reach for. Ich, fin rot, velvet, dropsy. Free in-store water testing in Sarasota.
- [Common Saltwater Fish Diseases — Ich, Velvet, Flukes](/guide/common-saltwater-fish-diseases/) — Visual ID, treatment with copper or hyposalinity, and the prevention rules that save reef tanks.
- [Tropical Community Fish vs Cichlids — Which Is Right for You](/guide/community-fish-vs-cichlids/) — Behavior, water chemistry, equipment, and time commitment compared. Choosing between peaceful community and a cichlid biotope.
- [Coral Lighting Requirements — PAR, Kessil, AI, Current USA](/guide/coral-lighting-requirements-par/) — PAR targets by coral type, fixture options, and how to actually light your reef without overspending or underbuilding.
- [Cycling a Saltwater Aquarium](/guide/cycling-saltwater-aquarium/) — Live rock, dry rock, bottled bacteria. The 4 to 8 week timeline, what to test, and when you're ready for fish.
- [Cycling Your First Freshwater Tank](/guide/cycling-your-first-freshwater-tank/) — Fishless vs fish-in cycling, the 4-6 week timeline, daily testing, and how to know when your first fish can go in.
- [FOWLR vs Reef Tank — Which Setup Is Right for You](/guide/fowlr-vs-reef-tank/) — Cost, equipment, livestock, and maintenance compared. Why most reefers start FOWLR and graduate.
- [Freshwater vs Saltwater — Which Is Right for Your Sarasota Home](/guide/freshwater-vs-saltwater-aquarium/) — Cost, time, complexity, and visual payoff compared. Honest answer: for most people, start freshwater.
- [Why Goldfish Need Much Bigger Tanks Than You Think](/guide/goldfish-tank-size-myth/) — The 1-gallon-per-inch rule is a lie. Real goldfish tank-size requirements, by species and lifespan.
- [The Gulf Coast Quarantine Protocol — Why We Wait 2 Weeks](/guide/gulf-coast-quarantine-protocol/) — Our prophylactic 2-week QT process for every fish. The meds, the parameters, the daily observation routine, and why it matters for reef tank survival.
- [How to Choose Compatible Community Fish](/guide/how-to-choose-compatible-community-fish/) — Aggression, water-parameter overlap, size, and tank-region rules, the 5 compatibility checks we run before selling community fish.
- [Koi vs Goldfish for Sarasota Ponds](/guide/koi-vs-goldfish-pond/) — Cost, growth, hardiness and maintenance compared. What stocks a Sarasota outdoor pond best.
- [Minimum Tank Size for a Healthy Betta](/guide/minimum-tank-size-betta/) — Why 1-gallon bowls fail, why 5 gallons is the floor, and what the betta actually needs in that 5 gallons.
- [The Nitrogen Cycle Explained for Beginners](/guide/nitrogen-cycle-explained-beginners/) — Ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, the bacteria that drive it, and why every troubleshooting talk in our shop starts here.
- [How Much Does a Reef Tank Cost in Florida?](/guide/reef-tank-cost-florida/) — Real first-year totals for nano, small, medium and large reef tanks. Equipment, livestock, and ongoing costs broken out.
- [Saltwater Fish Compatibility — What NOT to Mix](/guide/saltwater-fish-compatibility/) — Tangs, angels, damsels, wrasses, gobies. Six aggression rules that decide whether your saltwater stocking plan will work.
- [Required Water Parameters for Healthy SPS](/guide/sps-coral-water-parameters/) — The seven parameters every SPS reefer tracks, target ranges, and what swings actually do to Acropora and Montipora.
- [SPS vs LPS vs Soft Corals — Which to Start With](/guide/sps-vs-lps-vs-soft-corals/) — Difficulty, lighting, parameters, and visual style compared across the three coral families.