Care guides
Care guides by species
Plain-language housing, diet, health, lifespan and beginner tips. Nothing here replaces an exotics vet.
Hedgehogs
Small mammals
Ferret
Playful, curious carnivores that need a meat diet, lots of supervised play and a ferret-proofed home.
Rabbit
Intelligent, social grazers that need space, unlimited hay and a gentle routine.
Guinea pig
Chatty, gentle herd animals that must live in pairs or groups and need daily vitamin C.
Chinchilla
Soft, acrobatic and long-lived — but they overheat easily and need dust baths, not water.
Hamster
Solitary burrowers that need far more floor space and deeper bedding than most shop cages give.
Fancy rat
Clever, affectionate and trainable — rats bond strongly with people and with each other.
Degu
Busy, social diurnal rodents with one hard rule: no sugar.
Gerbil
Low-odour desert diggers that thrive in deep bedding and same-sex pairs.
Short-tailed opossum
Small, solitary, nocturnal marsupials that eat a high-protein insect and pellet diet.
Lesser hedgehog tenrec
Hedgehog-like insectivores from Madagascar that need warmth and may go torpid in cool months.
Jerboa (lesser Egyptian)
Hopping desert rodents that need deep sand, a wide enclosure and a quiet, dim room.
Multimammate mouse
Social, fast-breeding mice kept in groups with a seed and protein diet.
Mara (Patagonian cavy)
Grazing diet, big outdoor runs and bonded pairs.
Greater grison
Carnivore diet, scent glands and escape-proof housing.
Sugar gliders
Birds
Parrots and common pet birds
Budgies, cockatiels, conures, lovebirds, large parrots, finches and canaries — flock animals that need space, variety and daily attention.
Parrotlet (Pacific)
Tiny, bold parrots that need daily handling, a pellet base and plenty of toys.
Eclectus parrot
Gentle parrots with a high-fibre, produce-heavy diet; avoid rich seed mixes.
Senegal parrot
Quieter medium parrots that bond closely and need daily out-of-cage time.
Zebra finch
Hardy flock finches kept in pairs or groups in a long flight cage.
Diamond dove
Small, calm doves that feed on the floor and do well in pairs.
Turaco (red-crested)
Fruit-eating aviary birds that need a large planted flight and soft-bill diet.
Toucan (toco)
Large soft-bills needing a big aviary and a low-iron fruit diet to prevent iron storage disease.
Fish
Betta
Bold, colourful labyrinth fish that need a heated, filtered tank — not a bowl.
Freshwater community fish
Guppies, tetras, cichlids, goldfish and friends — success is all about a cycled tank and compatible stocking.
Reef and saltwater tanks
Stunning and rewarding, but saltwater demands patience, testing and stable chemistry.
Cardinal tetra
Soft, warm-water schooling fish — keep 8+ in a mature planted tank.
Bristlenose pleco
Small algae-grazing catfish that need driftwood and sinking veg wafers.
Kuhli loach
Shy, eel-like bottom dwellers; keep 6+ on soft sand with hiding spots.
Clown loach
Grow to 12 in and live in groups — plan for a 125+ gallon tank.
Discus
Warm, soft-water cichlids that need pristine water and frequent water changes.
Oscar
Large, personable cichlids needing a 75+ gallon tank and heavy filtration.
Blue tang (regal)
Active reef fish that need a long, mature saltwater tank and ich-careful quarantine.
Yellow tang
Algae-grazing reef fish needing swimming room and daily seaweed.
Seahorse (spotted)
Slow feeders needing a calm, species-only tank and frozen mysis several times a day.
Mandarin fish
Copepod-eaters for mature reef tanks only — most starve in new systems.
Tiger barb
Freshwater. Semi-aggressive fin-nipper; keep in groups of 6+ and away from long-finned fish.
Cherry barb
Freshwater. Peaceful; keep in groups of 6+.
Zebra danio
Freshwater. Peaceful, very active; keep in groups of 6+.
White cloud mountain minnow
Freshwater. Peaceful; keep in groups of 6+.
Harlequin rasbora
Freshwater. Peaceful schooling fish; keep 8+.
Otocinclus
Freshwater. Peaceful; keep in groups of 6+.
German blue ram
Freshwater. Peaceful dwarf cichlid; needs very clean, soft water.
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
Freshwater. Peaceful but territorial when breeding.
Kribensis
Freshwater. Mostly peaceful; territorial when breeding.
Electric yellow lab
Freshwater. Mildly aggressive mbuna; keep with other African cichlids.
Convict cichlid
Freshwater. Aggressive, especially when breeding — they breed readily.
Blood parrot cichlid
Freshwater. Generally peaceful.
Jack Dempsey
Freshwater. Aggressive; keep alone or with large, sturdy fish.
Senegal bichir
Freshwater. Peaceful but eats any fish that fits in its mouth; escape artist.
Ropefish
Freshwater. Peaceful; eats very small fish; escape artist.
Pea puffer
Freshwater. Nippy; best kept in a species-only tank.
African butterflyfish
Freshwater. Peaceful but eats tiny fish; strong jumper.
Yoyo loach
Freshwater. Peaceful but boisterous; keep 5+.
Hillstream loach
Freshwater. Peaceful.
Pictus catfish
Freshwater. Peaceful but eats small fish; keep in groups.
Glass catfish
Freshwater. Peaceful and shy; keep 6+.
Pearl gourami
Freshwater. Peaceful.
Honey gourami
Freshwater. Peaceful and shy.
Coral beauty angelfish
Marine. Semi-aggressive; may nip corals.
Firefish goby
Marine. Peaceful and shy; strong jumper.
Royal gramma
Marine. Peaceful; keep one per tank unless large.
Banggai cardinalfish
Marine. Peaceful; choose captive-bred (wild stock is endangered).
Green chromis
Marine. Peaceful schooling fish.
Tank inverts
Permit species
Restricted or permit-only in many states. Check your state before buying.
Skunk
Descented pet skunks can be affectionate companions, but they are illegal or permit-only in much of the US.
Fennec fox
Tiny desert foxes with big ears and bigger energy — loud, fast, and restricted in many states.
Raccoon
Intelligent and destructive — raccoons are one of the most restricted and demanding exotic pets.
Prairie dog (black-tailed)
Very social burrowing rodents that need a companion, a hay-based diet and room to dig. Restricted in several states.
Kangaroo rat (desert)
Solitary desert rodents that need dry sand for bathing. Native species are protected or permit-only in many states.
Gambian pouched rat
Large, intelligent rats. Federal import rules apply and several states ban them.
African pygmy porcupine
Quill-bearing rodents needing chew-proof housing and a browse-heavy diet. Permit-only in many states.
Kinkajou
Nocturnal, fruit-eating climbers that need tall housing and a late-night keeper. Banned or permit-only in many states.
Coati (South American)
Strong, clever omnivores that need large secure enclosures and lots of enrichment. Restricted in many states.
Genet
Agile nocturnal carnivores needing a meat-based diet and tall climbing space. Permit-only in many states.
Marmoset (common)
Primates with complex social, diet and UVB needs. Banned or heavily permitted in most states.
Squirrel monkey
Troop-living primates needing a group, large housing and specialist vet care. Banned or permit-only in most states.
Capybara
The largest rodent: needs a companion, grazing space and a swimming pool. Restricted in several states.
Meerkat
Highly social insectivores that need a group, digging substrate and warmth. Permit-only in many states.
Getting started
Small mammal basics
An overview across small mammals.
Bird care basics
An overview for new bird keepers.
Quail care basics
Housing, feed, lighting and incubation.
Fish tank basics
Cycling and water parameters.
Finding a breeder
How to vet a breeder before you buy.
Sexing guide
Tell males from females across species.