When I worked in the pet store years ago, I would tell the customer what they needed to know and didn't recommend a lot of this stuff. I think in the long run, we had a bigger and better customer base because they trusted us than compared to our competitors. I think you're doing right, Nick.
I once set up a ten gallon tank for the kids next door. After it cycled, I gave their parents a list of acceptable fish for this tank/beginning aquarists (small tetras, guppies, etc.) They came home from the LFS with some veil fin angelfish and bala sharks. In a ten gallon. I called the store and chewed the guy out. I mean, he's basically killing future business by guaranteeing that these kids will fail.
Thank you so much for your honesty. I started watching another RU-vidr because of the beautiful aquascapes he did using low cost items. But now he has sponsors that’s all we hear about. Keep your honesty and integrity it’s what we all love about you and your site.
I've loved your channel from the beginning.Your commitment to remaining a no bs fish keeper is refreshing.That Australian humility and integrity shines through.Cheers from Canada!
I am in my eighties and just setting up a community tank after 53 years since I last had aquariums and I am amazed at the amount of 'goodies' we are expected to buy. I was a member of an aquarium society in Uk in 1959 and had around 15-20 tanks. Like a lot of members I was breeding fish, showing fish and selling them. It was pretty normal to fill a tank with tap water, provide a heater, pump/air stone, and filter and around 2 or 3 days time add fish. Change some of the water every week, replacing it with more tap water. (it is quite likely that the tap water back then was much less 'polluted' with chemicals !) About the only plants available were amazon swords and a floating weed that I can't remember the name of. We had never heard of ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, water chemistry cycling and so on. It all seemed to work well at the time. I am of course using all this stuff now and we will see how it goes. Progress or just money making? (Standing by for an ear bashing)
Enjoy your fish! Agreed on commercial market after more money! I use rocks from my property and wood also! Have had a 55 gallon going for 10 years and let the plants, fish and water critters do their natural eco system and have thoroughly enjoyed the natural look of the fish world. Don't overstress it it's loads of fun and very calming! God bless YOU my friend!🕇🙌
Thanks for the perspective. Pretty cool that those chemicals weren't known in the hobby as recent as 50 years ago. I'd wager the additives in the modern water do play a large role in your ability to make a natural environment back then.
My first tank was around 1961. We either boiled the water, or let it sit overnight to get rid of the chlorine, and that’s it. We used an under gravel filter with about 1 1/2 inches of gravel and gravel vac often. No chemicals. Overstocked 20 gal. Worked well. Don’t know why it is so hard now.
The nitrogen cycle is important to understand but isn't some hard rule like some people pretend that you have to cycle the tank for a month without fish. In fact, my wife and I have two tanks right now, I setup the 30 liter for her work desk a few months before we got the other. It's been 20 years since I was in the hobby (when I was in my late teens) but I remember most of the stuff and did a little more detailed research to supplement since I've been out of it for 20 years. Then I got a 150 liter for our living room, literally filled it up treated the water, 2 hours later added plants and an hour after that dumped in a liter of "established" water from her aquarium. Next day loaded it up with 11 juvenile parrots and T-Bar cichlids. No issues, 2 filters and air pump going and I'll probably remove one of the filters after a few weeks. Just making sure it's all smooth in the beginning 🙂
Thanks for this. Of course, it's all depending on what's your goal, priorities, and budget: but definitely agree that lots of things in this hobby can be found cheaper, just not branded as such.
Awesome video Nick! As a beginner, I dodged basically all of these, but recently I've decided to take fish keeping and aquariums to the next level and creating more higher tech tanks, but that's after about 4 years of keeping fish (not very long, but for me it is lol), and my latest aquascape was 20l and spent $500 on it. I definitely recommend all these tips for beginners, and if you want, you can spend more as you get more sucked in to the hobby. I also recently bought Quick Start, never believed in it myself, and when I use it and stock fish straight away, I always let the tank run for a week with some cycled media as well. I'm also trying to approach aquascaping in a cheap way, by growing more demanding plants with low budget lighting, fertiliser and keeping fish with just little internal filters. This was a great video, and glad you're letting beginners on the truth! The message was very clear and spot on! Keep it up man! 👍
@@THATfishguywithfish you could be right for some people that start with the hopes in having a good looking aquarium? But I think it is really easy for the kids and beginners to be I'm a store for cat , dog or bird etc. & the light bulb is going off for the next pet to get? Obviously it is not a good idea for the impulsive and or nagging kid who has the best intentions and the Parents will be the ones not breathing through the nose while carrying the $100 10 gallon starter kit that should say on the package THIS AQUARIUM IS REALLY SMALL AND NOT RECOMMENDED FOR BEGINNERS!@!! Of all the best top 10 / 8 things to stop buying IMO , it's the small & medium sizes and 5 gallons or less they might as well get home and just do the right thing ( the humane thing ) put it next to the driveway or close to the street w/ FREE
Hi Nick, I'm setting up my first aquarium in over 25 years and what your saying is absolutely true. A little bit of patience and creativity will reward any hobbyist with a beautiful, thriving, and rewarding aquarium. And, ultimately, for me, less time spent on aquarium maintenance is more time enjoying my aquarium. Thanks for the reminders and good luck in all your endeavors!
Not a "bummer video" at all. You are helping folks new to the hobby not make the same mistakes that you (and I) made by learning the hard way. Your list is spot on.
I'm sure that for you, running a fish room with multiple tanks with the sole intention of breeding fish as a business, air driven sponge filters are great. They are very efficient and particularly cost efficient. The problem is that they are ugly, take up a lot of room in the tank and they are noisy. Yes, they trap waste but the moment you disturb them to clean them they drop half of their detritus back into the water. These things are of no concern in your circumstances. I run a large canister filter on my display tank and I wouldn't swap it. It's virtually noiseless which is important if it's located in your living room, it removes particulate from the water column so the tank water is clear and it only needs servicing every 2-3 months. I just turn it off and disconnect the pipes; nothing trapped in the filter goes back into the water column. The only things in the tank are the inlet and outlet pipes, they are black and almost invisible.
Same here, but we have glass pipes, they are really necessary if you have see trough tank for both sides xD The only downside i've seen is that "stupid" but beautiful snails get sucked out of their housing and die if they cover the inlet..
Just means you don't know how to set up a sponge filter. Don't feel bad most hobbyists don't. Build a light diffuser cage, three sides front left right silicone it to the bottom use decor to hide the cage. put the sponge filter in the cage at the top of the outlet for the sponge filter add a 45 degree, or ninety degree PVC plumbing attachment with its top just above the surface of the tank. this allows the air in the column to separate from the water silently and allows you to direct the waterflow where you like. to clean the sponge filter and not drop waste everywhere just place a Ziplock bag in the cage feed it under the filter until the filter is inside the bag then lift it out, everything stays in the bag. Most hobbyists don't do this but it hides the filter, allows fry to hide from adults, cuts filter change time by half, and can be used even in tanks veiwable from all sides if you build a a back wall on the cage.
@@carlosvillanueva8530 Yes, the plastic bag over the sponge filter to avoid a crap cloud works well. Learned it from the Aquarium Co-op channel. There's lots of other useful tips about sponge filters on there.
I agree, most youtubers run fish room/work in fish stores and are numb to the noise, my family members are not lol. Not to mention i rather spend 30 mins every 5-6 months instead of 5-10min every week cleaning. All filters get the job done, its about finding what works for your situation. Also sponge filters and HOB are about the same price for one tank, sponge get cheaper at 2+, forgot about having to buy the air pump, and newbie probably aren't buying bigger then they need to start, if they do its even louder
Sponge filters definitely have a place in the hobby and I use them in smaller tanks and love them. But good luck using those on a 6 foot cichlid tank or a salt water tank. What aquarists in general need to do is know your fish and its needs and then plan accordingly. Some fish can get by just fine with Sponge filters and minimal maintenance, where other fish require fast moving water and over filtration because of their requirements. Enjoy the videos. Keep up to good work.
From a functional perspective, there's nothing a canister can do that multiple sponge filters can't, the main downside is just having to look at them in the tank.
I have dove down a rabbit hole lately with your videos among the other big names, and you have been my favorite one thus far. Complete honesty and genuine love for the hobby. This video, when you mention chemicals and how you care more about honesty than the sponsorships cemented me as a fan. That level of passion for the hobby and not money grabs is what sells me. Thank you for your genuine personality and love of fish. If I ever visit Australia, your shop is, for sure, a place on my list.
Well done Nick. Brilliant video. You may not endear yourself to sponsorships,, but will definitely increase your subscribers with your honesty and integrity. Common sense and patience is all that is needed. Newbies should remember when visiting fish stores that profit will always come first.
After 30 years away from the hobby I've just bought a 42 gallon tank. It had a built in filter which I've removed due to your advice about filters and guppy fry. I'm going with an undergravel and a sponge filter. A 42 gallon tank might seem a little large for guppies but I intend on a few small corys and a bristlenose too!
I have a low-tech aquarium by necessity. Because I live in a pretty remote area. Just soil from my backyard, some sand from the beach, a ton of plants (some native), rocks and driftwood I picked up from the side of the road, a sponge and canister filter, and that's it. I even fill up with chlorinated water from the tap, and just use water conditioner. I used to be jealous of the fancy setups I see online until it dawned on me that I was doing just fine. Apart from some early disasters with crypts overrunning my first scape, I've never had any major problems. So thank goodness I started out like this. I've read a lot of forum posts of people obsessing over nitrates, nitrites, pH, kH, individual mineral levels, various fertilizers, and so on, and having all the fancy equipment and bottles of chemicals for measuring and adjusting them, and it just baffles me. It's all so unnecessarily complicated. Granted, I live in the tropics so the conditions here are already ideal, but still. It seems to me they're just see-sawing the conditions from one end to the other with all that micromanagement.
I appreciate you being honest instead of craving for some sponsorships. And I agree with almost everything you said. - I personally would use sponge filters only for breeding / grow out / quarantine tanks. I am a filter sump fanboy 🤷🏻♂️
Thank you- you are so right about all of it! Sponge filters are so so easy, plus the don't break and leak on the floor as I have had HOB's and a canister do.
Thank you for always being honest, straightforward and informative with your videos about such things.. i really appreciate it. I hope your business prospers in no time... Take care..
Definitely agree with you. When i first started, i was one of those who would go for the brands or high priced items, because i thought they had better quality or smth like that. But now I know that a lot of the things you need for aquarium to work and your fish to be happy and healthy don’t cost all that much. Unless you’re into aquascaping and the aesthetics, cheaper and the ‘lowtech’ items are the better route. I had a walstad tank that don’t cost too much and is thriving, and next to it is another tank i set up with high tech gears and isn’t doing very well.
I love the honest opinions, but 2 points though. Quickstart, when you don't have an existing tank to share media from, is awesome. This idea of "taking it slow" doesn't exist for someone just starting into the hobby. Sure, if you've been doing it for a while, no problem. Also, about 3 weeks into my first tank, I wanted to move a fish out very quickly and Quickstart gave me the confidence to do that. Secondly, your opinion on lighting is probably true for breeding or fish-only tanks, but for a planted tank I think good lighting is important. I went with an old hydroponics light I had lying around, but I can see the plants growing much faster under that in the main tank than those plants in the sump under a cheap LED light - same system, so same nutrients in the water.
Nice to see someone a bit more chill about the hobby. I only got into it about a year ago and most of the online stuff (looking at you reddit) is INTENSE. Basically makes you feel like you need a chemistry degree to keep any kind of tank and if you do the slightest thing "wrong" you get crucified lol. Got a new subscriber here just for being chill.
Great video nick, glad you pointed out the many elephants in the room, had to be said by someone. I’m surprised you mentioned to boil the wood and rocks. When i was a kid, I’m over 60 now, that was what i was told to do when setting up first big aquarium: get a big pot and boil the wood and gravel and sand, anything you suspect needs a good disinfecting. The wood stopped leaching in a few days and never again. I still do it, like when i re-use my gravel and rocks from a decommissioned aquarium. I also found cheap filter media from pillow cases and other stuffed toys etc., back then i had to improvise. You made a great point here, you can buy readily available materials or find alternatives with some effort.
Thank you for gifting us with your experience. I found your channel when I got my first Blue Dreams and I'm just flying through your videos. This old lady appreciates your honesty and I enjoy watching your adventures.
I think what you're putting up here is really good and informational. When I started out years ago, i spent so much on equipment because I was told to do so, I was taught the wrong way of cycling tank. I spent so much on bottled bacteria and filtration. I lost so many of my fishes because the tank just wasn't cycled or ready or the filter was a pain to maintain. After all this experiences I stick to basics and simple steps and lots of patience and now I have a well established 6ft tank for my Asian Arowana that I've had for 4 years now. It's my base tank for seeding my media for other tanks. You have insipred me to setup a shrimp tank and currently working on seeding for that tank. Great content you have and its really honest. Great job!
Great advice Nick! when I was breeding fish I only ever used sponge filters in my tanks and I always had my spares sitting in my ponds so they were ready to go, none of my ponds have ever had filters unless they had a water feature, I have had a heap of people ask me this, if you have a pond just fill it with plants and substrate and be patient it will look after it self, I didn't even use chlorine neutraliser, I'd top up my biggest tanks and then wait for a couple of day and use the large tanks to do a water change and then just top it up again, there are ways around things, it's pointless for a beginner to spend a heap of money if their just starting out, spend more money when you find out if you like it.
The city in Texas I had recently moved to uses chloramine occasionally. I asked for a water analysis that showed no ammonia so I used time and sodium thiosulfate for chlorine..Did a water change; most fish died in the 55 gal.Peckoltias, best LF deep super red BN I've ever seen, dwarf cichlids. Pair of platys survived and went in livebearer tub Now I use Safe to be safe.
Sponge filters are great if you have a glass box with just water and fish in it. If you want a nicer setup with live plants and substrate they probably won't cut it by themselves. They aren't good for mechanical filtration and don't circulate water very well.
Having live plants would be a better reason to have less filtration lol. And ask you need is an airstone on the opposite side of the tank running off the same pump and don’t over feed
My favorite thing about the api aquarium salt is that it doesn’t effect the ph. I’m assuming the rock salt from the store has metallic impurities which I don’t want to test out on my mystery snails.
I get pickling salt, which is just pure salt. I can add about 2 tbsp per gallon before my regular ramshorns start dying. Not sure about the PH though. If you dont use much, then probably not a big spend.
In the uk we get ripped off massively with aquarium products. In America for example they will have deals on fx6 filters for double digits sometimes whereas in the uk we still have to pay $260 and that’s on everything we don’t get discounted products or deals and always have to pay full price
True. I agree with what you say. There is absolutely no need for all the expensive stuff unless you really want them and are ready to spend that much. 👍
Finally!! I've never cycled my tanks with chemicals. You add a few fish and lots of plants, then add a few more fish. It cycles itself 👏👏👏👏👏 Never lost a fish doing it this way.
I was lucky to have mum's koi tank with a canister filter going so I just flogged a piece of foam 😂.A sponge filter for little tanks is fine but as soon as you get to a large aquarium you need to step it up.I love the Led flood lights I run 30w over my tank the water shimmer is awesome.
Disagree. Still don't need a canister filter. you'd be better served running a sump and sump pump and saving the money on the larger tanks and the cleaning hassle of a canister filter for the same if not better result. Sponge filters ain't gonna cut it on a tank above a 55g, totally agree there, but you still don't need those canister filters and their breaking parts and procedures to break down and get working again. My sump I've never had to shut off for anything, I've replaced the pump once after 10 years, and just remove the floss and replace a few times a year, it's a one minute job. Otherwise it's just clean out the prefilter sponge (takes longer than the filter floss) . I'll be honest I ran though HOBS, RO sand bed filters, and canister filters, a sump is by far the cheapest and easiest to maintain.
Look at what we do in reef tanks, you could add a sump to your setup and do all your filtration/dosing/bioballs there, more room in all your tanks and more over all water volume.
Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙏 wish I'd known this a lot earlier 😂 but soooo grateful to know it now! 🤯 life changing! Because so many of these things I'm thinking I need to do but can't afford it .... and now I know how to do the same things but not branded ❣
Been a while since I regularly watched fish videos. After 3-4 years they all start to look the same. Liked this video. I remember watching a few videos from this channel a few years ago. Much progress. I would add to the list of 8 and say that non-standard, combination "lids with lights" are also a waste of money. A glass top is nice and depending on what you want and what you're keeping a cover is optional. For some people a heater is optional, and to the extent that you may need the heater, having a thermometer (at least for spot checks) is highly recommended. On a side note, when talking about beneficial bacteria, it must work as public aquariums use them and release 10's of thousands of dollars of fish in new setups. However, as a beginner taking it slow is key, and if you're doing a planted tank (my preference for sure) planting first and then stocking 3-4 weeks later (test parameters, populate slowly, step by step) is the way to go. If you do it right it can be years before your first fish dies from age. Also, once you have one tank started, there's not reason not to have pre-cycled media ready whenever you get ready for another tank. Even then, its good to take it slow with the next tank if you can. Plant first. Move slowly afterwards.
There are a couple of benefits to planting first. The new plants will have some loose bio material that decomposes and provides a steady source to start the cycle. Moreover, once the plants are growing well they work in tandem to accomplish the same purpose as filtration/water changes. As for new setups, less light in the beginning, more light once the plants are well established is very useful. This may just be me, but I also like to throw in a few snails into fairly new tanks before the fish arrive. Once again a steady source of nitrogen for the cycle plus a cleaning crew that needs no other food than the bacteria formed on the surfaces.
great vid. You mention the LED flood lights ? I'm looking for these and not sure which ones to get? Are yours purchased online or through Bunnings? Was thinking the 6500K day light ones are what might be best for plants? or it doesn't matter?
I think SOME beginner packages are worth it.. I got a 55 gallon top fin aquarium with everything, filter, adjustable heater, thermometer, net. And it was only $150
I too bought a top fin beginner kit mine is just a 20 gallon though and haven’t had any problems yet as I have only had it for 7wks. Spent a lot of money on useless chemicals though 😩
You're absolutely right about the sponge filters, and aside from being cheaper, they're also more energy-efficient. I replaced 2 4 watt internal filters with 1 4.5 watt airpump, driving both tanks. So I think the more tanks you have, the better sponge-filters are in that regard.
There are some problems with sponge filters. They take up space and look ugly in the tank. It can be more messy when cleaning them vs a canister you can clean in the bathroom. Canister filters hold much more filter-material, and needs less frequent cleaning. They also make a lot of noise from the bubbling. The noise can be lowered by using a powerhead though. Basically - There are many good reasons to use external filters, even though sponge filters can work really well if you don't overstock and keep an eye on them.
@@Steves_fish ive only been in the hobby a few months and have 4 tanks already. 2 of them use the filters but ive removed the media and use activated carbon to reduce the smell from the guppies. i have a really strong sense of smell and even though my friends couldnt smell it, i could. so now there packed full of activated carbon and they make the water nice and clean while removing any small odors that may exist. i even put activated carbon in the sponge filter air pump. makes a massive difference while doing both jobs. just a prefrence but the only thing ive had to clean so far is the sponge that was in one of the hang on back filters. and i had to clean it twice. the sponge the fish go up to pick off the food and same for the shrimp. less wasted food, it all collects there and the maintenance has been much simpler imo
@@MalawisLilleKanal Yes, I'd never put a sponge filter in my living room tank out of aesthetic reasons. In my fish room I have all my tanks running on sponge filters. The bigger the tank, the bigger the sponge filter obviously as looks don't matter there.
@@MalawisLilleKanal Must admit I don't have experience with canisters (yet), and I do see the benefit of them, one problem I see with them when it concerns multiple tanks (especially when you're breeding), is that when a disease hits one tank, it hits all of them. You're right that sponge filters can be messy to clean, and so are other internal filters, and that they are somewhat noisy, so when your tank is in the living or bedroom, they aren't exactly attractive... ;) When it comes to looks, I hide them with plants, but not everyone wants a planted tank ofcourse. So indeed: there are reasons for both, and it's good that we have options. I'm glad I switched over, and my shrimp also love them, and I guess it also depends on the amount of flow you need. Definitly not saying other filters are bad, there wouldn't be a market for them otherwise... :)
I've been watching your videos for a while but after this one I finally subscribed. Even if I don't fully agree with you, the fact that you keep it real and give your honest opinion makes your channel one of the few worth watching amongst the sea of sell outs on youtube. In regards to fish food, many contain mostly fillers such as cereals and fish meal (and let's just say it's probably not from the best sources), I would like to avoid those. Do you have any specific recommendations?
BUDDY... Mate, you are a Bloody Legend Bloke 🤘🤩👌 I Really Do Appreciate HONESTY!!! And you seem to Always be STRAIGHT UP 👍👍👍 I hope to actually meet you some day.
Absolutely agree with you on all of these mate. It’s funny that we have to buy all the crappy ones before we find the gold that is actually good for our tank
A good tip for food would be frozen peas. Just cook some with a clove of garlic in the water to give the peas the a garlic flavor. Don't ask me why, but fish love garlic :)
Used sponge to jump start a cycle. You can also use some plants like horn wort, guppy grass, or water wisteria. The goal is to control the nitrogen compounds.
I agree sponge filters are great they clean the water well and make it crystal clear.. I do like my canister filters though especially for my big cichlids that crap alot and having that media backup. I'm coming to Brisbane from nz next week do you have a shop open?
Thanks dude. Im about a year old in the hobby. You’re right.. I doesn’t take much to keep fish happy. There is a monster of a market aimed at taking advantage of novices .. but because most aquatic shop owners started as a hobby but, end up having to overcharge or upsell to keep the rent paid.. it really kills a lot of the essence of the craft.. Thanks for having the balls to say what you feel is right.. I agree with everything you said and learned how to save money. Great video and I hope you get sponsored by people like you who love fish keeping and love helping fish keepers too
My son wanted to get his brother an aquarium for Christmas, and my initial response was that it would be a ton of work and money. I think that's because I didn't know any of this stuff (I knew next to nothing, really). I thought all of this stuff was necessary, or essential even, and I had so little interest in taking on that level of complexity and overhead to keep a bucket of water with some fish from dying. I ended up researching because one, I thought it was a really creative and thoughtful gift. Two, I love to learn things. I don't think it's too negative to put this stuff out here because had I known it, I would have gotten into the hobby sooner-I wish I found content like this earlier on. Really, I thought it was so much more money and time than it is, and the rewards are much greater than expected as well. That information is hard to find if you aren't explicitly looking for it. Generally, the content you find is people trying to convince you that you do need this stuff. This might sound controversial but in regards to food... I stopped buying it. I went with a Walstad-style aquarium, and it seems to generate a lot of food for the fish. We don't have any big ones (the largest is a 2" cory, I think), and the fish-to-tank ratio is pretty low by most people's standards. It's 10G for 8 chilli rasboras, 6 cherry shrimp, 5 snails, and 3 corys (2 of which are even smaller than 2"). I'll drop in small bugs, occasionally culture some daphnia, scoop mosquito larvae from standing water if I find them, drop in white worms from our worm composter, etc every week or so. The tank absolutely thrives. I've left the house for days at first, then weeks at a time eventually and came home to clear water, happy fish, lush plants, and no troubles at all. As far as clear water goes, I haven't replaced the water at all in months; I only top it up. There's no algae on the glass or anything. One of the filtering mechanisms we use is terrestrial plants. I keep them in baskets along the back edge of the tank, and the shrimp seem to love the root systems. They comb through them all the time. Anyway, all of this was basically free. It's beautiful, low maintenance, extremely rewarding, and so cool to learn more about. If you want a very specific kind of aquarium, you might need to pay for specifics. If you're content to let nature do its thing, you can spend very little to establish an incredible tank very quickly. Thanks for this! There were some things I wasn't aware of yet, and otherwise it's really nice to be reassured by someone who knows better.
best way to start a new aquarium is get a bucket, go to someone who has a fish take some of their water and wash out the filter in there, get all that stuff from the filter in there. put that in your new tank with a couple fish and you are good.
Man I really appreciate your honesty I am a new subscriber and also newish to the hobby. I am 59 yrs old and had a tank as a kid, back then we new nothing of water ammonia and nitrite and such. I bought a tank recently and done a little research on setting up my tank and man! I was quickly confused as to what chemicals to use. Long story short, I found that most was a waste of money. Wished I would have seen this video 8 wks ago 😆 looking forward to more honest and informative videos keep up the good work 😉
I agree with a lot of these. Also with seeding, you CAN if you know someone woth a healthy tank, ask em for a handfull of gravel, pit it in a stocking and put it in your filter. Fish in cycling is fine if you do it slowly
Agreed. Good old school way of thinking. We live in a strange time of extremes, people nowadays becoming instant fish keepers, just buying, investing, googling, that light, that food, that company, that filter... Maaaan. Actually, it's simple: You need to provide certain temperature, enough water, good nitrogen cycle, good food and comfort environment for fish. Like you said, fish doesn't know what is written on a box. Most of success comes from experience, not from equipment, but people complicate everything because they want instant results.
Good Video! Fair enough, sponge filters are fine and cheep! But they are loud! External filtrations are invisible plus low noise, so for my living room, this is the only option I can think of. 🙂
I agree with your opinions sir. everything you're saying makes absolute sense. I have gone this route also, especially when it comes to drift wood, and hard scape. Filtration I have done the same also. Bigger tanks I have done a modified sponge filter also. I can tell you personally I respect a person that has a straightforward opinion, also that is not bought and paid for.
For a 152cm tank what do you recommend for filtration? Planted tank. Looking at going with pearl gourami , cherry barb, bala shark and some type of loach
So on the filter point not only are many filters unessary but also over prices. Though i mainly use canisters due to my tank setups i have wanted to get a sponge filter, not one local aquarium store in my area carries them. On the subject of lighting i have test some led lights like yours but my plants die back. But i definitely agree do bot waste money on name brand lights. Finally in regards to food and chemicals, i used to feed on some low to mid grade foods and got ok results. But when i was doing trout the hikari food made all the difference in the colors so some high end foods are worth it but they need to be dedicated brands. Like the high end tetra foods, yeah thats a waste of money. As for water chemicals most begginers won't need them but i had a tank once that use natural substrate and i did water change after water change and the silt would just leach back into the water. That was after i washed it to the best of my ability, water clarifier really helped but ultimately didn't solve the problem and i had to replace all that substrate.
I agree with the sponge filter.i do think I need the water conditioner.i use it every time I do water change..good luck with your new venture it's looking really good.all the best from the UK..
hey nick u r doing the right thing!!! can u please tell me why everybody is always saying to add bottled bacteria after a water change!!! i do not understand the need for it thank u
I've come to hate canister filters. I've used Eheim, Fluval, etc -- all the majors. Never again. They WILL fail, and usually at the most inopportune time. I run extremely stable, low-mainenance tanks, and I use sponge filters and undergravel filters, which in my experience is the easiest setup to keep long term. I'm not running a huge fish room, nor trying to breed tons of fish, so my tanks are heavily planted with deep substrates, the plants grow lushly and the sponge filters just blend into the background. Cycling a new tank -- I just clean one of my sponge filters running in an established tank and seed the new tank and filter with that mulm-y, bacteria-rich water. Depending on the size of the tank, it settles in really fast. I do think lights vary wildly in quality, though, and I pay for the sort I trust. Mostly I want them waterproof.
I like this video. After you been in the hobby for a little bit you learn ways to cut back on the cost. Like all my substrate, either gravel or sand comes from the hardware store.
Your so right bro! i watched so many videos on breeding and keeping fish and all the Bullshizzle they say! these are big youtubers aswel .... as i learnt more as the time went on! i used to start aquariums with just a sponge filter and fish and tap water that was 24 /48 hours old and i used to breed guppies mainly but aslong as i did water changes every week the system so so clean and clear and it was easily kept clean when i turned the hang on back filter on for 10 minutes every few days .... because it ended up pooling all the dirt into one so i could just turkey baster it all out in 30 seconds .... plus it gave the fish a little exercise to swin into a little current! keep doing what your doing bro i see you growing! i've not made a video for over a year i think and still getting 1k hours watched for my videos because i studied my fish and learnt how to breed and keep them now i learn others for free!
I found that if you hook a water pump up to your sponge filter so it blows water down into the sponge and it works very very well better than any filter ive ever had. also need something to keep up surface aggitated so the water surface doesn't get nasty. I use an 80gph pump hooked up to a sponge but a 50gph would have worked good.
I like your video and it was great that you really keep it simple. No aquarium salt and no additional bacteria. That is actually blew my mind! Have you tried some species like sulawesi shrimps? Even if you haven't. Would you like to share some of your opinion or idea?
Whats your opinion on a say 2 liter external filter? I'm not a fan of going with a internal filter as it makes cleaning more messy for the living room. The external ones i can just pull the folter element and rinse and drain the water in it into a bucket. I am planning to set up a high plant cold water aquarium as energy costs are insane atm and my room temp is 18c and heating 350 liters to 24c would cost me a fortune.
I appreciate your honesty and you are entitled to your opinions 😊 If people don't agree, they can just do what they need for their situation. There are so many options and different ways to make this hobby work for anyone who is a part of it.
There was nothing negative about it mate only the bleeps You gave your honest opinion and Knowledge of the fish Hobby And alot of great insight Of what to buy and not Thank you It helped out alot For i only use sponge filters And was kinda of really wondering if they worked Before i used nothing Just live plants And what your opinion on Leaf zone Promote aquarium plant growth I dont see any difference If i use it or not Cause i tend to forget To use it But Again Thank You And still waiting for the Beta fry and Trash can Neocaridina UPDATE
Haha, that’s what I thought you definitely will piss people off haha! Anyway great video Nick keep up the work. I’m excited to see the next Vlog of building your fish room / shop!
As much as I appreciate your insight, I think for people with just one nice aquarium in their living room, some things mentioned do not apply. An external canister filter is much quieter than an air driven filter, and inlet and outlet can be hidden quite good. A variety of plants and the color of the fish are much more important, so a good light and good food are important. And as you only have one tank, you don't have any old filter medium or tank water and any help in starting the tank is appreciated. And if you already spent that amount of money, getting salt with "aquarium" printed on the box doesn't matter that much any more.
Agreed on most things, but coming from mostly reef tanks I'd opt for reef-grade salt like reef crystals (cheap end) or personally I use fritz rpm for my tanks (all saltwater currently). For FW it's not super imperative to have fancy salt but these mixes tend to be really well balanced in an array of trace elements which wouldn't be found in table salt (yes, more expensive but it'll last literally forever if you're not mixing batches of saltwater, and could buy smaller portions off a local reefer) :) Elsewise seachem prime and ammonia alert badges are my go-to for a brand new setup (or one without biomedia) if we're waiting on a cycle (or for new fry between waterchanges). Great video, totally agreed on a k.i.s.s. approach.
That was NOT a negative video on the contrary ! It was VERY positive (to me anyways). I only have 2 tanks (a 200L and a 20L). Both have sponge filters in both. I have submerged pumps but it's more to stir the surface more than anything else. The lighting I have is just white/blue/red leds and are probably more expensive that they should have been (but now that it's done, I'm not going to throw them away !). Food I kind of buy a bunch of different mid prized fish food and give them a mix of all of that (it's more about the texture, the bite size, the sink rate.. rather than the composition - it's from a reputable brand (starts with a T, ends with an A) so I'm sure it's all fine. It costs me about 30€ a month (but I watch them all day long while I work so it's worth it !). Now my 200L has lots of fish ! Started 6 month ago with 8 guppies and 10 corys. Now, I stopped counting at 200 guppys and 40 corys - and plenty of room to spare (I use the 20L tank as a "staging area"). So I'm a Happy camper with no special crazy stuff (no CO2 thing.. no special chemicals.. just basic filtration.. ) I spend maybe just a bit too much on the food - I'll probably make myself an artemia factory at some point - but it's more for the fun of it - and the little fishies go crazy when comes candy time ! I'm probably going to get myself another tank soon - (100L, 200L, 300L maybe...) and I was thinking the same : I'll just get a tank.. Just the tank, basic lighting, a little bit of sponge filter, seed it with stuff from the other tanks.. and go with that - slowly !
