Trying to get decent photos of small, and often quick moving aquatic animals can be a challenge. One piece of equipment that makes photographing these aquatic animals much easier is the squeeze tank.
side view - Water is placed in the 'V' shaped pocket formed by the glass. After adding the water, it's best to let the squeeze tank sit for a while to allow any air bubbles to dissipate. Use just enough water to allow the animal to breath yet keep the level low enough to restrict movement.
front view - Photos are taken here. For lighting, subdued natural light works well but almost any lighting positioned directly above the subject works.
Lighting for the below photo was a flash aimed at a low, light colored ceiling and bounced on to the subject. The subject, a glass fish is sandwiched between the two sheets of glass that make the 'V' shaped pocket.
To give squeeze tank photos a more natural look the bottom of the squeeze tank can be lined with small pebbles or other natural substrate. The photo below is of a spotted salamander larvae.
Also, it's easy to create a natural looking background by simply placing objects behind the squeeze tank. The background rocks in the photo below are completely dry.
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Another background technique is to place the fish in the squeeze tank and use part its aquarium as the background
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A simple black background gives this mole salamander larvae a "text book" type look
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