I yet recall the smell. It wasnt the fresh, earthy scent of a healthy river. It was the perfume of failure. Actually, it was the smell of rotting organic thing and $400 going down the drain. If you are reading this, you are probably standing in tummy of a glass box, dreaming of a flourishing underwater paradise. I was there too. I thought I had it every figured out. I had the fancy LED lights. I had the designer calculate substrate for aquarium. But I made a colossal mistake. I ignored the science. My biggest regret was trusting my gut instead of an Aquarium Stocking Calculator.

Lets be real for a second. Weve every heard the "one inch of fish per gallon" rule. It sounds simple. It sounds logical. It is then definite garbage. That find is the explanation my first high-tech aquascape turned into a murky graveyard. I thought my 20-gallon tank could handle twenty one-inch fish. I was wrong. I didnt account for bioload, surface area, or the territorial needs of my livestock. I was blinded by the colors at the local fish store.

I walked into the shop taking into consideration a pocket full of cash and zero humility. I bought a assistant professor of Neon Tetras, a pair of Dwarf Gouramis, and a beautiful, expensive Blue Phantom Pleco. I figured, "Hey, they're little now, itll be fine." I didn't use an online stocking tool.