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Learn how to safely handle your aquatic life to avoid toxin & bacterial exposure. Find aquatic life care supplies at your neighborhood Petco pet care center.
Updated on October 23rd, 2025

Tanks with live plants can be excellent additions to your home, bringing a touch of nature indoors. Learn how to take care of aquatic plants.
Updated on November 6th, 2025
Learn how to care for semi-aggressive fish, recommended diet & aquarium setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
We can help you navigate your way through all the types of lights in fish tanks and determine which type is best for your aquarium.
Updated on June 19th, 2026

Small, AKA “Nano” tanks have grown in popularity over the past couple years and continue to gain momentum. Find out if a mini aquarium is right for you.
Updated on July 17th, 2026
The width will limit the tank size. The largest tank would be a 25 gallon tank. If you choose this size, make sure the stand can support upwards of 300lbs. That is what the tank will weigh once filled and set up.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Thanks for your question about Smaug, and thanks for the photo as well! I think that you have a good start to your set up, and that we can tweak a few items. First, your lighting situation appears adequate - I see a UVB light (please change this bulb every 4-6 months), a basking light, and a ceramic heat bulb. I would ensure that your temperatures are appropriate for this species, and that you are monitoring them using digital thermometers (I think that you see both a digital and analog thermometers currently) at the level of Smaug. Analog thermometers are inaccurate, so I don't recommend using them (also, they are high up on the sides of the enclosure, so they wouldn't be giving an accurate temperature read for Smaug). For the cage furniture that you have, I like that you have places for Smaug to climb and hide. However, I would recommend having a hide on both the warm side of the enclosure and the cool side so that Smaug has choices. Same for the climbing structures. I may have missed a food and water dish in the enclosure - I would recommend that both of these be shallow, and be large enough for Smaug's entire body to fit within them. I cannot tell what type of shavings that you have on the bottom of the enclosure, but the only wood shavings that I recommend are aspen shavings. If they are pine, these can be irritating to the respiratory system. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
It is very difficult to get a good biotope in a just 1 foot long tank unless it is a few feet high. You will not be able to keep fish in it, only invertebrates, maybe a few shrimp or sea anemones. It is much harder to keep the water healthy in a small tank,and the appliances needed for running a salt water aquarium cost pretty much the same (if available) as appliances for a larger tank. I suggest you join a club of salt water aquarists who will be able to start you off perfectly. Your local fish/pet shop should be able to point you to a club.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Thanks for reaching out, the rule of thumb is 1" of fish per 3 gallons, but smaller tanks are very difficult to keep stable, and saltwater fish are easily stressed by environmental fluctuations (salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen). Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Gold fish can make great fish but they can live up to 25 years and require a large tank that may need to be upgraded if they grow too large. Do get at least 2 fish. Here are some links which may help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.aqueon.com/information/care-sheets/goldfish https://www.hartz.com/how-to-introduce-new-fish-into-your-aquarium-tank/ I hope this helps and congrats on your new pets!
Updated on September 24th, 2025