WELCOME TO AQUARIUM STORE DEPOT

Your best source for everything aquatics

We're featured on

Starting your first aquarium?

Getting started has never been easier

Featured posts

Koi vs Goldfish

KOI VS GOLDFISH – WHAT IS BEST FOR YOUR PONDS (7 Differences)

Have you ever been to fishing exhibitions? If you have, chances are that you have had a hard time distinguishing between Koi and Goldfish amid fish galore.

And that’s not just you! Anyone can confuse the two breeds because of their uncanny resemblance. Even though Koi and goldfish look so much alike, they are actually two completely different varieties with distinctive characteristics.

In this article, I’ll put my years of experience to use and show you some of the obvious differences between Koi fish and goldfish that should help you identify the two easily.

Read More »
Best Place To Buy Fish Online

What’s The Best Place To Buy Fish Online? Here’s My Top 15

Looking for the best place to buy fish online? I get this asked to me a lot and it brings back memories when I started out in the saltwater tank hobby back in the early 90s. Back then you just went to the local fish store to get your fish, live plants, and corals. I remember there was a store called Flying Fish Express and me trying to myself how crazy this is that you can get a fish shipped to you overnight.

Read More »
Best Canister Filter Reviews

11 Best Canister Filters Of 2024 [Tested & Reviewed]

For those hobbyists getting serious about aquarium keeping, high quality filtration is top of mind for keeping the best fish only and planted tank systems. While hang on back power filters have their place in community community setups, there are setups with heavier demands like planted and predator tanks that require a high end filtration solution. This is where canister filters come in.

Read More »
Freshwater Shrimp Tank

How to Set up a Freshwater Shrimp Tank: The Ultimate Guide

Shrimp tanks are getting very popular these days. Shrimp with their small size, active nature, and appealing personality have increased in popularity especially with nano or smaller tanks. Shrimp tanks have some special considerations though to be successful. They can be intimating at first because they can be more delicate than fish and require a bit more planning then first.

Read More »
Best Driftwood for Aquariums

The 9 Best Driftwood For Aquariums For 2024 – Reviewed

Driftwood in an Aquarium can look stunning and offer lot of options for designing your aquarium. They can make some really amazing aquascapes, especially heavily planted ones. We need to be careful in our driftwood selection process though. 

Today’s post discusses the best driftwood for aquariums. Much like the best aquarium rocks post earlier, driftwood is not as simple as picking it out of of your local pond or aquarium. Driftwood if not selected or prepped properly can have disastrous results in your aquarium.

Read More »
Gold Fish Tank

Goldfish Tank – Your Guide To Successful Goldfish Care

The Goldfish is one of the most popular fish in our aquarium hobby. It may even have been the first fish you had when you first got introduced to aquariums. You may have even come across this article thinking about setting up a Goldfish tank for the first time or for a loved one. They really are an amazing fish that are also easily misunderstood. Because they are usually a first-time fish, a number of us enter into Goldfish care and keeping with little knowledge on what is needed to have them thrive.

Read More »
Best LED Lighting For Reef Tanks

The 12 Best LED Lighting For Reef Tanks Of 2024 – Tested And Reviewed

LED lighting systems are the rage these days for Reef Tanks. It makes a lot of sense why. The best LED lighting systems will have a lot of user friendly features like timers, ramp up and ramp down features, the ability to adjust spectrum, and multiple mount options. The main attraction for LED though, is the power savings features. LEDs are a lot more energy efficient than traditional T5s and metal halides.

In today’s post, I’m going to go through the best LED lighting for Reef Tanks. I will break what these systems are best for, what they are good and not good at, and offer our recommended picks. The end goal is to provide the necessary information you need to make an informed decision as to what is the best LED lighting system for you. Let’s get started!

Read More »

Bubble Tip Anemone Care Guide (Have Success with BTAs)

Many of us got interested in saltwater fish by seeing clownfish and anemones. It is a very common desire to eventually want to pair your clown with an anemone. While a captive raised clownfish is a easy to care for fish, an anemone is considered a more difficult to keep invertebrate. They require stability, a high amount of light, and good flow. I’m writing this guide because I get asked a lot from clients how they can keep an anemone. I’m going to focus today on the easiest to keep anemone that a clownfish will host – the bubble tip anemone.

Read More »

About Aquarium store depot

Who are we?

Our Philosophy

Aquarium Store Depot was established by fellow aquarist, Mark, to simplify the hobby. 

As a regular shopper on other aquarium e-stores, he often grew frustrated at the overwhelming selection of products and the general nature of seeing companies trying to sell the latest and greatest tech (toys) to the industry. 

At Aquarium Store Depot, we seek to change that by offering a limited selection of products vetted out by our creator’s experience as a fellow fish enthusiast. 

We only sell what works, brands we trust, and products we know will make a difference to you

Our mission is to simplify the aquarium hobby so the beginner can thrive.

Aquarium

About The Site Owner

Thank you for visiting my site. My name is Mark Valderrama and I have been involved in the aquarium community since I was 11 starting out with a saltwater tank (yes, I went for the hard stuff first).

Yes, I am a real person. I’m not some fake AI image or persona that you may see from other aquarium blogs. I go to trade shows and have known aquarium influencers like MetroKat and Robert Lupton for years. 

Back when I started in the 90s, there wasn’t a lot of information out there on the internet and your local fish store or other hobbyist was all you have. I started this site originally as a way to put my notes down as many aquarists over the years asked me for advise. It’s growth organically over the years and I feel blessed to have this opportunity to share my insights with you.

Mark Valderrama

Are you looking for a new tank?

Head over to the shop to see our selections

Curious about what we have to offer?

Check out our latest posts

Fish Tank Filter Not Working

Fish Tank Filter Not Working? Here’s Why…

Aquarium filters are essential in this hobby, so when they stop working, you can expect some problems! But what should you do if your filter malfunctions? Well, don’t rush off to buy a new one too soon because there’s a good chance you can fix it yourself!

Read More »
Feeder Fish

Feeder Fish – What Types And Should You Use Them?

You might’ve seen a big tank full of cheap goldfish or guppies at your local pet store. These fish aren’t meant to be bought for regular aquarium stocking–though some hobbyists like to rescue them! Instead, these are feeder fish that can be given as a fun treat for bigger fish, amphibians, and invertebrates. As we’ll see, not all feeder fish are the same.

Read More »
Zebra Danio Tank Mates

Zebra Danio Tank Mates – 21 Great Choices (With Pictures)

Zebra danios are one of the easiest fish to keep in the freshwater aquarium hobby, but they’re a little more limited by suitable tank mates than other species. These are fast-moving, active schooling fish that need cooler water temperatures. Not every species of tropical fish can withstand such activity or water parameters.

Read More »

all aquarium animals deserve a fulfilled life

which is why we only recommend the best

Previous
Next

looking for more?

we also cover other animals!

want to get first access to our content?

then sign up to receive notifications