Tank Builder
Get a complete shopping list for your aquarium in 30 seconds. No guesswork — every pick comes with a reason.
Configure your tank
New here? Start from an example
Your tank kit
Aqueon 10 Gallon Glass Aquarium
The 10-gallon is the most forgiving starter size — cheap, stable, and easy to find.
Buy on AmazonHygger Aquarium Double Sponge Filter (Small)
Shrimp-safe filtration with no intake tube to suck in babies; gentle flow bettas love.
Buy on AmazonEheim Jager 50W Heater
Accurate German-made heater with a reliable thermostat for small tanks.
Buy on AmazonNICREW Clip-On Nano Aquarium Light
Clean, bright light for nano tanks that keeps low-light plants and moss happy.
Buy on AmazonCaribSea Super Naturals Aquarium Sand
Inert, pH-neutral substrate — safe for any livestock and easy to clean.
Buy on AmazonSeachem Prime Water Conditioner
The gold standard dechlorinator — also detoxifies ammonia and nitrite during cycling.
Buy on AmazonAPI Freshwater Master Test Kit
Liquid tests for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate — essential for cycling and ongoing care.
Buy on AmazonJava Moss (Portion)
Shrimp graze the biofilm it grows and babies hide in it — a shrimp-tank staple.
Buy on AmazonHikari Tropical Shrimp Cuisine
Balanced sinking food formulated for dwarf shrimp; won't foul the water.
Buy on AmazonPro tips
- •Always use a sponge filter (or a pre-filter sponge) — bare intake tubes suck in baby shrimp.
- •Add Indian almond leaves: they release beneficial tannins and grow the biofilm shrimp graze on.
- •Never use copper-based medications or fertilizers — copper is lethal to shrimp.
Prices are estimates and update live as you change options. The final price is always shown on Amazon.
How it works
- 1
Tell us about your tank
Pick a size, a rough budget, what you want to keep, and your experience level.
- 2
We match the gear
A rules engine cross-references your inputs against every product — no AI guesswork.
- 3
Shop with confidence
Every pick comes with a reason and a direct Amazon link. Buy all of it or just the bits you need.
Methodology & sources
How picks are matched. A rules engine — not AI guesswork — filters every product by tank size, livestock, and experience, then applies standard fishkeeping heuristics: heaters at roughly 3–5 watts per gallon, shrimp-safe sponge filtration (no intake to suck in babies), filtration and lighting scaled to volume, and price tiers matched to your budget.
What’s grounded vs. what’s our estimate. The sizing rules above are long-standing hobby consensus. Listed prices are our own estimates and can drift — the live price is always the one shown on Amazon at checkout. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, but picks are chosen for your tank, not our payout (see our affiliate disclosure).
Not a replacement for the basics. Cycle the tank before adding livestock, test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and stock slowly. No calculator overrides what your test kit tells you about your own water.
This is a planning tool maintained by the aquanerd Editorial team — it is not reviewed by a named ichthyologist, and the numbers are deliberately conservative estimates rather than measured values. For authoritative, species-level care parameters, cross-check trusted references: Seriously Fish, AqAdvisor.