Fishkeeping.io publishes freshwater aquarium guides for beginners. One person writes and edits the site, so “we” throughout this page means that editor and anyone brought in by name to review a specific piece. This policy sets out how articles are made, what we will and will not claim, and how we fix mistakes. If the site ever breaks one of these rules, treat it as a bug and tell us through the contact page.
How an article gets published
Every article starts as a real beginner question, usually one we have seen asked in forums, local fish store conversations, or search results that return thin answers. From there the steps are the same each time:
- We outline the article around the exact question, decide the numbers and thresholds a reader needs, and list the sources we will check.
- We draft it, then verify every figure against a named source or against a tank we run.
- We edit for accuracy first and plain language second, cutting anything we cannot support.
- We add internal links to related guides and the cluster’s main article, so a reader can go deeper without searching again.
- We set the title, meta description, and publish date, then publish.
Nothing goes live because it is finished on a schedule. If a claim cannot be backed up in time, the article waits.
What counts as a source
A source is a place a reader could check the same fact and find it holds up. For us that means university extension pages, peer-reviewed work on fish biology and nitrification, species databases such as FishBase and Seriously Fish, and manufacturer instructions for the specific product being discussed. Forum threads and other blogs can point us toward a question, but they do not count as the source that supports a claim.
The standing rule: any statement about fish health, medication, or water chemistry carries a named source the reader can follow. A dosing figure, a safe temperature range, a treatment for a disease, a claim that a parameter is dangerous at a certain level, all of these name where the number comes from. If we cannot source a claim, we describe what is known in plain terms and say what is still uncertain, rather than state a number we cannot stand behind.
What we test, and what we cannot
Some things we can check in our own tanks, and we do: how a filter sounds and moves water, whether a plant survives low light over weeks, how long a tank takes to cycle under normal room conditions, whether a maintenance routine is realistic to keep up. When we write from firsthand experience, we say so, and we describe the tank and conditions so the result means something.
Some things we cannot test, and we will not pretend otherwise. We do not infect fish to photograph a disease. We do not overdose medications to show what harm looks like. We do not keep every species we write about. When an article covers a fish or a situation we have not handled directly, we say that in the article and lean entirely on cited sources. We never invent test results, reader stories, or “in our testing” claims. The site is new and has no long testing history to draw on, and we would rather admit that than fake it.
How often we review and update
Aquarium advice ages. Products change, and our own understanding improves. We review every published article at least once every 12 months, and sooner when a reader flags a problem or when better sourcing appears. A review can mean a small correction, a full rewrite, or no change if the guide still holds.
Each article shows a “Last updated” date drawn from the actual last edit, not a date we bump to look fresh. If the date says the piece was updated, the content genuinely changed. When a change is significant, such as a corrected dosing figure or a reversed recommendation, we note what changed near the top or bottom of the article so a returning reader can see it.
How corrections work
We get things wrong sometimes, and fixing that fast matters more than saving face. If you spot an error, tell us through the contact page with the article and what you believe is wrong. We read every message.
When a report is valid, we correct the article within 7 days and add a short correction note on the page stating what was wrong and what it now says. For a small typo we simply fix it. For anything that changed the meaning or the advice, the note stays on the page so the record is honest. We do not quietly rewrite a mistake and pretend it was never there.
Affiliate links and advertising
The site sells nothing today and takes no sponsored placements. Product neutrality is the point of the whole site, so we protect it directly.
If we ever add display advertising or affiliate links, these rules hold: no product recommendation is influenced by whether we earn from it, ad content is kept separate from editorial content and labeled, and we name a specific product only when a beginner genuinely needs the reference, such as a water test kit or a dechlorinator. We will disclose any affiliate relationship plainly on the page where it applies. We refuse paid reviews, paid rankings, and any arrangement that ties a recommendation to a payment. If a company cannot live with an honest verdict, we do not take their money.
What we will not do
- We do not give medication dosing beyond the label instructions for that product. If the label and a cited source disagree, we say so and tell you to follow the label.
- We do not diagnose a sick fish from a written description alone. We can explain what a set of symptoms commonly points to and what to rule out, and we will tell you when a problem needs a vet or an aquatic specialist.
- We do not give advice on species or techniques we have not kept or used without saying so. If we are writing from sources rather than experience, that is stated in the piece.
Who to contact
General questions, corrections, and source requests go through the contact page. You can read more about who runs the site on the About page. We aim to reply within 3 to 5 business days. If your fish is in an emergency right now, do not wait on a message: do a water change, test your parameters, and contact a local aquatic vet or an experienced keeper.