Affiliate Disclosure & Editorial Policy

BeginnerAquascape.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

This means that when you click on product links on this website and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you — the price you pay is exactly the same whether you use my link or not.

These affiliate earnings help me cover the costs of running this website, including:

• Web hosting and domain fees
• Photography and video equipment
• New aquarium products to test and review
• The time spent researching and writing guides

My recommendations are never influenced by affiliate partnerships. Here's my commitment to you:

1. I only recommend products I've personally used — or would confidently buy myself based on extensive research and community feedback.
2. I include negative feedback — if a product has downsides, I'll tell you. No product is perfect.
3. I recommend alternatives — including budget options and products that may not have affiliate programs but are still great choices.
4. I disclose when I haven't personally tested something — and rely on community consensus from trusted sources like r/PlantedTank.

I've been keeping planted tanks since 2019. Over the years, I've:

• Set up and maintained 10+ tanks ranging from 2.5 to 40 gallons
• Tested dozens of lights, filters, substrates, and fertilizers
• Made plenty of expensive mistakes (so you don't have to)
• Learned from failures as much as successes

When I recommend a product, it's because:

• I've used it myself for at least 3+ months, OR
• It has overwhelming positive reviews from the planted tank community, OR
• It's a well-known industry standard (like ADA Amazonia soil)