Straight answers about tank cameras
What actually works through aquarium glass, why night vision is the wrong feature to look for, and what a camera needs in order to record around the clock without a subscription.
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Setup
Where Should You Mount a Camera on a Fish Tank?
Mount a fish tank camera on the outside of the front glass, above the waterline, lens flat on clean dry glass, at the height of your fish's main zone.
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Comparison
Best Camera to Watch a Fish Tank While You’re Away: 7 Compared
To watch a fish tank while away, pick a camera that records to microSD with no plan, sits flush on the glass and skips infrared: 7 cameras compared.
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Before you buy
What microSD Card Do You Need for 24/7 Tank Camera Recording?
A tank camera recording 24/7 needs only a Class 10 or U1 microSD card, 128 GB or smaller: both guarantee 10 MB/s sustained writes, more than 2K needs.
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Buying guide
A Beginner’s Guide to Remote Fish Tank Monitoring
Remote fish tank monitoring needs a camera on the outer glass, Wi-Fi at the tank, a free app and an outlet - plus a microSD card if you want recordings.
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Before you buy
Do You Need Night Vision on an Aquarium Camera?
An aquarium camera doesn't need night vision: its IR LEDs reflect off the glass into the lens, and 940 nm over 850 nm hides the glow, not the glare.
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Before you buy
Watching Your Reptile While You’re Away: What a Terrarium Camera Can and Can’t Tell You
A terrarium camera shows basking, feeding and movement while you're away, but measures no temperature, humidity or UVB, so it can't replace a thermostat.
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Setup
How to Film a Planted Tank Without Glare
To film a planted tank without glare, mount the lens flush on clean outer glass, keep the tank brighter than the room and skip infrared night vision.
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Buying guide
Do You Need a Subscription for an Aquarium Camera?
An aquarium camera needs no subscription if it records to microSD; a cloud-only camera stops recording the day you stop paying, so check what turns off.
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Comparison
Aquarium Camera vs. a Regular Indoor Wi-Fi Camera
An indoor Wi-Fi camera works for occasional aquarium checks, but it can't mount flush, its infrared glares off the glass and motion alerts never stop.
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Before you buy
Can You Put a Camera Inside a Fish Tank?
Only sealed inspection cameras go inside a fish tank, not home Wi-Fi cameras; to watch the tank all day, mount a camera flush against the outer glass.