Welcome To Scales And Fins
If you are new to the hobby, or thinking about taking your first steps, we provide you with the basic information such as choosing you pet and the equipment necessary to ensure that you both have an enjoyable time together.
The site is not designed to be a comprehensive resource, consider it as a launching pad where you can quickly learn the basics and be confident enough to read further and ask the right questions!
Scales And Fins has also been created as a FREE resource to be used by Aquatic and Reptile outlets. The pages are ideal to be printed and answer the basic questions that we have all asked at the beginning of our journey in reptile and aquatic keeping. If there are topics that you would like to be added, then feel free to contact us with suggestions.
To make it all easy we have split the site into easy to navigate sections. Either click on the coloured tabs on the left, or use the drop down menus to jump straight to a subject.
Please do take time to visit our sponsor's section without whom this site would not have been possible, this includes some cool pictures that are free to use! If you have found Scales and Fins useful tell your friends and remember to call back as we are regularly adding new sections.
Reptile Care
The Basics
This section introduces you to the basics of reptile keeping. It includes such topics as is a reptile the pet for you, setting up a simple vivarium and also a glossary of terms.It explains the importance of light and heat, including thermal gradients. This knowledge is fundamental to creating the ideal environment. more...
Reptile Equipment
One source of confusion for the novice is the vast range of equipment available and the choices that have to be made such as which vivarium and systems are the most suitable.Here we examine the most common pieces of equipment that you will come across and explain their usage. more...
Reptile Feeding
Like all living beings reptiles need to eat, but their dietary requirements are quite different from most other animals kept in captivity.Nowadays there are a lot of foodstuffs readily available, but care must be taken to ensure that you maximize your reptile's nutritional intake. more...
Reptile Care Sheet
With the growth of the hobby many species of reptile are now being kept, many require specialist knowledge to be kept successfully whereas others are better for the beginner.You can use this section to find out the basic care requirements from commonly kept species and decide which is best for you. more...
Aquatic Care
The Basics
Here we introduce you to the basics of keeping aquatics. We cover such topics as setting up a simple aquarium and provide you with a glossary of terms.We also explore the different types of aquarium set up that you could create including coldwater, tropical and marine tropical. more...
Equipment
If you visit your local aquatic supplier, you will see shelves full of a wide range of equipment. For the beginner this can be quite daunting.In this section we look at the major pieces of equipment that you will need to understand, we also look at such issues as what substrate to use and tank decoration. more...
Feeding
Feeding your fish is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the hobby and in no way should be seen as a chore.There are many specially formulated foods now available each designed for a specific purpose. We look at these and also the live foods that you can use. more...
Aquatic Care Sheet
There are now a vast array of species of fish being kept in aquaria, many of these require very specialist care, so you must be careful in your selection.We have a collection of care sheets for what are considered less demanding species, that are suitable for the beginner or intermediate hobbyist. more...