Care Guides

Practical material for keeping fish and reptiles — the kind you actually use before and after buying. Every number in these guides traces to a checkable source; where we could not find a solid figure, we say so instead of inventing one.

PET TOWN

Aquatics

Fish Compatibility

What actually decides compatibility, and why a "peaceful" label isn't a guarantee.

The Nitrogen Cycle

What the nitrogen cycle is, how long it takes, and which numbers actually count as safe.

Choosing a Filter

A filter's three jobs, which type fits your tank, and how to size it.

Starting a New Tank

The setup order that works, treating the water, and bringing the first fish home safely.

Quarantine for New Fish

Why quarantine matters, how long it should run, and how to set up a quarantine tank.

Water Parameters

What each parameter means, and why most of them have no single right number.

PET TOWN

Reptiles

UVB Lighting

Why reptiles need UVB, what Ferguson zones are, and when to replace a bulb.

Heating a Terrarium

Heater types, why a thermostat matters, and the difference between basking and ambient temperature.

Humidity

Why humidity needs differ so much by species, and how to actually control it.

Choosing a Substrate

Which substrates suit which setups, and why the sand question stays disputed.

The Thermal Gradient

What a thermal gradient is, real numbers for contrasting species, and how to measure it.