You bought a nice pot of aquatic plants. You put it in your tank. It looked great. Two weeks later, you turn on the aquarium light and see them: The Invaders. Tiny, round snails crawling on the glass. First there were 5. Now there are 50. These are usually Bladder Snails or Pond Snails. They […]
The Silent Hitman: How to Clear Pest Snails Without Chemicals Read More »
It is the standard beginner mistake. You buy a tank. You buy some Goldfish or Guppies. Then, the shop uncle tells you: “You need a cleaner fish. Take this black one. Only RM3.” You take home the Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus). In Malaysia, we affectionately call them “Ikan Bandaraya” (The City Council Fish) because they
Stop Buying “Bandaraya” Fish! (And What to Get Instead) Read More »
You buy 5 beautiful Guppies. You have a filter. You have plants. You feed them premium pellets. But within a week, their fins look clamped shut. They stay in one spot, shaking and wiggling but not moving forward. Then, they die. You test the water: Ammonia is 0. Nitrite is 0. You are confused. “My
The “Hard Water” Secret: Why Your Guppies Keep Dying (And How Crushed Coral Saves Them) Read More »
Tourists come to Penang for two reasons: Char Koay Teow and Asam Laksa. But if you ask a serious fish hobbyist from Germany, USA, or Japan why they are flying to Penang, the answer is different. They are here to buy Discus. For decades, Penang has been the global capital of Discus breeding. The strains
Penang Discus: Why the “King of the Aquarium” Rules the World (and Your Wallet) Read More »
If you grew up in a Malaysian kampung or semi-urban area, you know the drill. You grab a plastic bottle, you trek to the nearest sawah padi (rice field) or an overgrown longkang (drain), and you hunt for “Ikan Laga.” Back then, they were free toys. Today, they are high-end collectibles. While pet shops are
The Return of the “Longkang” Betta Read More »
I know what you did. You went on Shopee or Lazada, you saw a packet of “Magic Aquarium Carpet Seeds” for RM2, and you bought them. Now they are rotting, and your tank smells like a swamp. Stop. Real aquascaping is not about magic seeds. It is also not about spending RM2,000 on a CO2
The “Unkillable” Plants: How to Aquascape Without CO2 or Chillers Read More »
Most fish swim away from danger. Channa don’t. They launch. If you’ve kept Channa long enough, you’ve probably heard at least one horror story— a sudden thud in the night, a lid slightly open, and a powerful fish lying on the floor the next morning. This isn’t bad luck. This is instinct. Channa jumping is
The Flying Fish: Why Channa Jump Read More »
Introduction So, you want a Channa. You’ve seen the videos on TikTok. You’ve seen the flaring fins, the blue colors, and the way they smash food. You are ready to buy one. Wait. Buying a Channa is not like buying a Guppy. If you buy the wrong Guppy, you lose RM10. If you buy the
The Channa Roadmap: From Zero to Your First “Monster” Read More »
You feed your fish. Your fish poop. The poop turns into algae. You scrape the glass. Repeat. It’s the endless cycle of fishkeeping. But what if you could hire someone to do the cleaning for you? Enter the Cleanup Crew. In Malaysia, we are lucky. We have access to some of the best freshwater shrimp
The Cleanup Crew: Why Your Tank Needs Shrimp and Snails Read More »
A calm path from curiosity to confident keeper This roadmap is designed for people who: feel drawn to Channa but are overwhelmed by warnings, horror stories, and macho advice want to do things properly, not aggressively STAGE 0 — Before You Buy Anything Mindset First Goal: Decide if Channa is really for you. You must
The Channa Beginner Roadmap Read More »
