@BenOchart like all things information is king, most of we crazies have a good understanding and it is repetitive. But i bet we all will agree that insight and experience should always be watched. New and old you bring a little bit of both in. Not to mention you seem to have some new projects and different fish that is always a treat.
Great advice..using seeded filter media and adding stability has worked every time for me. All my tanks are very lightly stocked so nitrate is negligible with weekly water changes.
Using old filter media is like magic. I haven’t lost a fish yet when using old media to cycle a new tank. But it is hard when you’re setting up your first one. Good tips!
That's awesome. If you have any farms around you, occasionally re-test because I heard there can be runoff from neighboring farms into well water systems.
Thanks Ben for the refresher on beneficial bacteria, just lost three of my fish, was slacking off from my water changers because of my work schedule !!!
This is awesome! Informative, easy to understand, great delivery. Thanks! In the early 2000’s I ran across a ‘recipe’ for a fishless cycle using household bottled ammonia. I’ve used it several times for new Oscar set ups with 100% success. Basically you stick on one of those Seachem ammonia color wheel indicators inside the aquarium facing out. Add x number of cap fulls of non-scented pure ammonia and add liquid bacteria. Using the ammonia indicators and doing routine water changes it takes 3-4 weeks or so. I volunteered at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and was surprised to learned they employed similar methods when they began stocking their brand new exhibits in 2005-6. Love your videos! Keep ‘em coming!
Fritz sells a turbo starter and I think it's basically ammonia. Ammonia is actually fish keepers friend ... if used correctly.. Thanks for watching and commenting.
That was great, Ben. You really broke it down and explained it to where people can understand. Great job! Yes, seeded media is the best way. Amazing when you can do that and have a tank instantly cycled. I’ve also done it the traditional way with prime and stability which takes some time anyways the video was great, really 😊
Great advice Ben, made a few mistakes over the years and agree with everything you've said. The seeded sponge to start off a bacterial colony in a filter works like magic!
Me 2 when I cycled my first tank I used it and still use it to this day even with cycled filters and media when I upgraded my tank from a 29 to 40 breeder ❤
Another issue with new fish like just happened to me is you buy new fish and some dont make it due to either fish was very weak and or the stress on getting them out of the stores tanks then bagged up then transporting them home acclimated then in just a matter of hours you one or 2 dead fish. This for sure happens even when water parms are fine
It’s a part of the hobby, unfortunately. We are taking fish out of their habitats and putting them in our man made ones. If you do your best to keep the water parameters healthy for them, don’t beat yourself up.
Expensive media to complete the cycle is a misnomer for some reason. Use a plenum to create a buffer between the bottom of the glass and the substrate. 1 inch is good. Use well rinsed Oil Dry and a flourite media as a base layer. Then use whatever substrate you want to on top after that. 3 to 4 inches total is sufficient to create the environment to complete the cycle. May take 30-45 days for the anoxic bacteria to establish. No problem and inexpensive.
Bennie greetings, what are the dimensions of your africanncichlid aquarium? I remember it is 7 foot long, but what is the height and the deph of this aquarium? Thanks in advance
There are several videos on RU-vid where the fish keeper claimed a drop in nitrates to zero after using a large amount of Biohome in something like a sump. I had great results with biohome in an aquarium I used to have when I lived in California.
Yes. They are doing well. I might be missing a couple rummy's and/or a rasbora, but the big boys, the big ACs are all doing well in their small QT divided tanks.
There can be several things going on. Too much phosphates? Too much nitrates? Over feeding? Start with doubling up the number of water changes. Give it a month and see if it makes a difference. You can also add phosphate pads and feed a little less. There there are real plants. If you can keep plants, load up your aquarium with plants and they will out-compete for the nutrients and starve the brown algae. Last, you can look into Algae Scrubbers. They grow algae in a controlled manner and allow you to then harvest and feed the algae to your fish, like plecos, and it uses up the nutrients, a lot like having a lot of plants would do. Good luck. It gets frustrating but keep at it and you'll eventually beat it. Here's a link with algae scrubber info: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Rj3j8H4tOu0.html
I tried to have fish, as a hobby, but my fish kept dying, I had goldfish, then moved to Ciclids, they would survive for like 4 days,. not eating and die. Water tests were all perfect, but they would just die, after like 4 months I just stopped.
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