Mark Valderrama

Mark is the founder of Aquarium Store Depot. He started in the aquarium hobby at the age of 11 and along the way worked at local fish stores. He has kept freshwater tanks, ponds, and reef tanks for over 25 years. His site was created to share his knowledge and unique teaching style on a larger scale. He has worked on making aquarium and pond keeping approachable. Mark has been featured in two books about aquarium keeping - both best sellers on Amazon. Each year, he continues to help his readers and clients with knowledge, professional builds, and troubleshooting. He maintains the content of this site with a strong Editorial Process and provides a practical and real-life review process on all products reviewed and tested.
Honest Blogging about Aquarium Keeping.
Pond Fish

Pond Fish – 7 Great Choices (With Pictures)

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Building the pond from scratch is a fun process, especially when it comes to choosing the best pond fish. There are a variety of fish species that can thrive in ponds, ranging from exotic koi fish to pond fish that look like sharks!

However, while choosing your pond fish, it’s vital to determine whether the fish would adapt to to the conditions of your area’s climate during winter. That’s because many aquarium fish are tropical and rarely do well in ponds, and vice versa. Other pond fish also get large and may not be suited for smaller ponds.

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Shubunkin Goldfish

Shubunkin Goldfish: A Complete Guide To the PerFect Goldfish

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Do you have a pond in your backyard? Or maybe, you just love goldfish and want to learn more about them! Either way, this blog post is for you! With beautiful colorful spots and long, flowing fins, the Shubunkin Goldfish is a pretty addition to your aquarium or pond. They have lively personalities, are social with other fish, and are easy to care for as well.

This guide will give you all the information you need to know about caring for these fish including feeding requirements, tank size requirements, compatibility with other types of fish, and more!

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Marine Velvet

Marine Velvet – Surviving and Preventing A Tank Terror

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Have you come to this post wondering if your fish has Marine Velvet? I feel your pain if you have. In my over 25 years of experience, Marine Velvet is the most common disease tank crasher in the hobby. It strikes fast, kills fast, and most people aren’t prepared for it. It’s the one disease I fear the most in my saltwater aquarium. In fact, it is labeled one of the deadly three in my how to quarantine saltwater fish post.

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Types Of Koi

The 11 Most Popular Types Of Koi For Your Pond

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Did you know there are over a hundred varieties of Koi fish? Yes, it’s crazy the variety of Koi you can get for your pond. Koi fish is a name known to many that need no introduction. However, selecting the that fit your garden can lead to some serious buyer’s anxiety.

And in this article, I’ll walk you through 11 most popular types of Koi fish that add life to your gardens and their distinct characteristics.

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Koi vs Goldfish

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

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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.

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Best Place To Buy Fish Online

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

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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.

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Reef Tanks Setup

Reef Tanks Setup – 7 Quick Must Knows For Success

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Did you come to this post wanting to learn about proper reef tanks setup? If so, you are in for a treat today. I’m going to use my 25 years in saltwater tank keeping experience to guide you through everything you need to get yourself started on the right foot. I’ve been involved in saltwater tanks since I was 11 and throughout my experience I have setup various saltwater fish only and reef tanks.

The biggest issue when it comes to reef tanks is there are so many opinions on what is best. I founded this site with the goal of simplifying the hobby so the beginner than thrive. That is my mission to this day because I still see that reef tanks are intimating for many. Let’s first start off with an overview then go into the details

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Best Aquarium Dosing Pump

Best Aquarium Dosing Pump (2024 reviews) – 7 To Automate Your Tank!

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Looking for the best aquarium dosing pump? It is common to have a lot of buyer anxiety when it comes to buying one. After all, you just graduated into the next level of reefing when you start considering a dosing pump. It is the gateway to advanced reef tanks like LPS and SPS dominated tanks and getting into coral fragging.

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Best Flight Cage

Best Flight Cage – 7 for your feathered friends (2024 Reviews)

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The joy of having a bird is ethereal. Bird owners love and adore their feathered pets so much that they spend thousands of bucks on them, feed them, play with them, make them swing and sing to their fullest. However, one thing that novice bird keepers usually lag behind is investing in a quality flight cage for their feathery friends.

Bird cages come in a variety of colors, sizes, models, and shapes. However, the best flight cage is the one that suffices your pet friends’ needs and fits exactly to their size.

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Best Bird Playground

Best Bird Playground – 7 Your Birds will Love (2024 Reviews)

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Imagine being in the same room all day, every day? Sounds exhausting, right?

That’s exactly the life of your feathered friend without a reasonable bird playground!

Bird play gyms allow your pet to play independently in their pen without your assistance, improving their overall mental and physical health. But how do you determine the best bird playground that works for you and your avian friend?

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