Finn just leveled up — personalized health insights for your tank, a new community feed, on-demand species requests, and stocking history you can edit.
Shoal & Stem is the freshwater aquarium journal hobbyists actually use.
Whether you're keeping your first betta or running a high‑tech planted scape, Shoal & Stem helps you stay on top of your tanks — without spreadsheets.
SNAP, SCORE, AND LOG YOUR TANKS
• Scan test kits with your camera. The AI reads your parameter pads in seconds — pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, GH/KH, phosphate, even copper and iron — so you're not typing numbers by hand.
• Score your tank's health. Get an at‑a‑glance number across factors like stocking, water quality, equipment, maintenance, plant cover, and ecosystem maturity.
• Track water changes. Log volumes, get reminders, and see how consistent you've been.
• Photo journal. Document your scape over time with notes and dated photos — snap a full‑tank shot straight from the camera, and rotate any shot with a tap.
• Archive retired tanks. Break down a scape without losing it — archived tanks keep their full journal, photos, and history.
ASK FINN ANYTHING
Finn is your AI aquascaping companion — versed in aquarium care, plant biology, fish compatibility, water chemistry, and aquascaping technique. Finn looks at your real water readings — now including copper and iron, so it can flag copper that's risky for shrimp and snails — and answers anything from "why is my plant melting?" to "what fish can I add to my 20 gallon?"
PLAN YOUR STOCKING
The Stocking Calculator tells you if your tank is overstocked. Pick species, check compatibility, get a balanced bioload number, factor in your water‑change routine, and let Finn weigh in on your plan.
CONNECT WITH OTHER SCAPERS
• Browse community tanks and see each keeper's fish, shrimp, and plants up close
• Inspire (heart) tanks you love
• Comment, follow, and chat
• Forum for deep‑dive aquascaping discussions
WHAT'S FREE
Everything. The app is free with unlimited tanks. No subscription. No paywall on core features.
PRIVACY‑FIRST
We don't sell your data, share with advertisers, or run third‑party analytics SDKs. See our privacy policy at shoalandstem.com/privacy.
Questions? Email hello@shoalandstem.com or visit shoalandstem.com.
I'm new to aquarium keeping and saw an ad for this app on Reddit. The only reason I decided to get it was because I noticed that there were no in-app purchases or subscriptions or anything like that, it's 100% free! I've been using it for a few days and honestly I really hope it takes off. The online marketplace is currently empty (I think because the app is so new), but I think it would be a really cool place for buyers and sellers of aquarium stuff to connect. It has a nice UI, places to put photos of your tank and creatures, and you can check out other people's tanks along with their parameters and stock so you can see how they are doing. I have high hopes for this app and I really hope it does well.
Great Tool
Shark liv
Very helpful to track the life of your aquarium and its changes. Super handy to have all the information in one spot. Love how in depth it is when giving tank specs. My one suggestion is that the species that can be added to your tank is very limited. Especially if you are a seasoned keeper who has less usual stock. I wish there was a function to manually write in and add species that aren’t in the drop down menu.
This update puts Finn — your aquarium sidekick — front and center, plus a lot you've asked for.
Smarter Finn
• Personalized tank-health summaries — Finn reads your own logs and tells you what's really going on, not a one-size-fits-all line.
• Just tell Finn what you did — "did a 25% water change," "lost a tetra" — and he logs it for you, no forms.
• New Updates inbox — announcements and notes from Finn, all in one place.
• Rate Finn's answers with a thumbs up or down so they keep getting sharper.
Stocking you control
• Edit a fish's stocking history — fix a "died" that should've been "rehomed," or undo your most recent entry.
• Tap any history entry to jump straight to that species.
• Remove a logged water change right from the schedule.
Discover and community
• A new Discover feed — fresh tanks, journal highlights, and what the community is up to.
• Public profiles, plus followers and following.
• Can't find a species? Request it and we'll add it — and the catalogue just grew by a lot.
Polish
• Smoother camera and faster photo uploads.
• Dozens of small refinements throughout.
A lot of this came straight from your suggestions — keep them coming.
Version 1.0.10
The developer, Shoal and Stem, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
Location
Contact Info
User Content
Identifiers
Usage Data
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Shoal and Stem LLC
Size
57.1 MB
Category
Lifestyle
Compatibility
Requires iOS 15.1 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 15.1 or later.
iPod touch Requires iOS 15.1 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 12.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.