Accessories

A reliable water test kit. Before fish health, before plants, before livestock — you need to measure ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH to verify the tank has cycled and stays stable. Liquid test kits are more accurate and cost-effective long-term than strip tests.

Usually no — a filter that breaks the water surface provides enough gas exchange. An air pump becomes useful in heavily-stocked tanks, hot summer weather (when oxygen dissolves less), quarantine tanks, or when running sponge filters in fry tanks.

Never replace all media at once — that destroys your biological filtration and restarts the cycle. Rinse mechanical media (sponges, floss) in old tank water every 2–4 weeks, and replace individual pieces one at a time. Biological media like ceramic rings rarely need replacing.

UK water often contains chloramine (not just chlorine), so choose a dechlorinator rated for both — Seachem Prime, Tetra AquaSafe and API Stress Coat all handle UK supply. Dose at every water change before adding water to the tank.

Yes for any tropical or marine tank. Size at roughly 1W per litre — a 100L tank wants a 100W heater. Pick one with a built-in thermostat and guard, and consider two smaller heaters on a shared controller for fail-safe redundancy on larger tanks.