Building Utopia: 8ft Planted Aquarium (FINAL) 

👇👇MD MERCH CLICK HERE👇👇: ENDLER MERCH: md-fish-tanks.creator-spring.com/listing/buy-endlers Utopia is FINISHED!!! Well, I've still got some specific fish I want in but its running very well and looks amazing. Hope you enjoy. TANK: www.ndaquatics.co.uk/ HARDSCAPE: www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/ LIGHTING: aquadistri.com/store-locator-2/ PLANTS AQUAFLEUR: aquadistri.com/store-locator-2/ Equipment (all links affiliate): LED FLOODLIGHTS: US amzn.to/3m3cEz9 UK amzn.to/3orIdRv GOOD BUDGET LIGHT:: US amzn.to/2MDfjk1 UK amzn.to/3iYlfQQ SMALL HANG ON BACK FILTER: US amzn.to/2Mw63OO UK amzn.to/39rx3b5 NANO INTERNAL FILTER: US amzn.to/3oxGBWm UK CANISTER FILTER: US amzn.to/3iNeVtW UK amzn.to/2Fo774a GOOSENECK CLIP ON LAMP: (similar as product is now discontinued) US amzn.to/2IlwLVA UK amzn.to/2LNat13 MINI WATER PUMP: US amzn.to/2oAmf5y UK amzn.to/2mjHDez TANKS: US amzn.to/2SOocHG UK amzn.to/2SPA24i STRIP LED LIGHT: US (similar) amzn.to/2SNgbm7 UK amzn.to/2Fn9aW1 ASTA LED LIGHT: US amzn.to/3k9EmpY UK amzn.to/3p5XUPY AQUARIUM RACKING: Shelving: US amzn.to/2SrYZ5k UK amzn.to/2GFWKJ2 AIRPUMP (FILTER SYSTEM): US amzn.to/31z8FA9 UK amzn.to/37GIoUa FILTER SPONGES: US amzn.to/3dQLUfM UK amzn.to/3dS2k7K MEDIA BAGS: US amzn.to/34Kaf2N UK amzn.to/3lAj3z1 STAINLESS LILY PIPES: US amzn.to/2FqHpvR UK amzn.to/2RlfrnC BOWL AQUARIUMS: US amzn.to/2M4FwFO UK: amzn.to/2Vx73CL API® products Subscribe to API on RU-vid: ru-vid.com USA consumers purchase API products on Amazon: www.amazon.com/stores/page/2193F555-CE5F-4A6B-BDC4-F315CB7F175D?channel=MDTanks UK consumers purchase API products on Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/25663644-6C8C-432C-9E6A-0A85082C3E3C AQUARIAN® products Follow AQUARIAN on RU-vid: ru-vid.com/show-UCNxaNWKoWr_ztSgXgPj9r8A Purchase AQUARIAN products here: aquarian.co.uk/where-to-buy/ AWESOME MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITY ru-vid.com/show-UC3uQXzXSPspf2LoGdtYGiHwjoin

I would love a live static camera of just the shot from your couch where everything was dark and all we could see was the tank with maybe just some background music. That would be such an amazing escape. I'd just leave that on and never stop watching.

Lid on is the right choice on this one! Looking forward to seeing this in a few months.

What a stunning tank! I would love to see a video with calming music with hours of just watching your fish tanks. let us chill with you. Beautiful job and what a great video.

A school of silver hatchetfish would look awesome in that tank. That tank is awesome I want one like it in my living room!!! Nice work

glass cats are always a nice addition, hatchett fish too ...... lazer cory's and amanos are fun as well LOOKS EPIC

I have some feature fish suggestions! A pair of pearl gourami to cover top to mid portion and 3x pairs of German blue rams to cover bottom to mid. Pearl gouramis are definitely an understated but gorgeous fish especially in a planted aquarium and quite peaceful as well.

To be honest, at first i was a bit worried about the tank being filled with a lot of empty spaces but i'm incredibly impressed of your plant choices and aquascaping skills ! Congrats on this amazing build !

Im old school so i prefer a lid. As you said, it frames it. Your tank looks a thousand times better with the lid, im sure some will disagree but not me ! Maybe give some thought to penguin tetras as they look amazing shoaling together with their black lateral line veering off to the lower tail fin. The optical illusion and their swimming style makes them look like the "sink and draw" method of a fishing lure ! (ooh ooh ooh , red eyed tetras aswell) !!!

Rummynose tetras would have been PERFECT in this. Their tight schooling would have been gorgeous; I'm never getting many tetra species because they simply don't shoal closely, they do their own thing. It's why I love rummies so much.

School boy error on the FX6. You've got to mod the filter with more and better media for a tank that size also get yourself some sponge pre filters otherwise there's alot more maintenance when running large size tanks with that much organics. Look up Pondgurus pimp my filter series for FX6. With the additional UV light filter you've added, a little more mechanical filtration would help keep things sweet.

Tbh, big shout out to you an all the hobbiest that do real planted tanks like this because it takes real dedication, and upkeep. Your videos are great!

So close to a million subscribers. We are so proud of you MD all the hard work and dedication you show us through your channel is crazy

Haven't seen Gourami on the channel in a while. You could get a nice variety of medium sized ones in there. Pearls and moonlights would look great.

Big CO2 tanks are easy to find, just ask your local pub. In my case i go to the propane store down the road and switch out tanks. $40 (US) for a fresh tank, replace it once a year for my 55 gallon tank. Dont let those pressurized tanks scare you, they are just as safe as the yeast tanks.

Go with Congo tetras! They get long, glistening iridescent fins and they school well I think they’d look great in the tank

I know it sounds mad but the fish look like they are really enjoying the tank, they are much less frantic and swimming more calmly. Its stunning 😊

The hazy look is caused by a large amount of infusoria that’s eating the heterotrophic bacteria. It’s basically an all you can eat buffet. The bacteria they are eating actually consumes organic materials and converts them into ammonia. It takes a lot longer for the autotrophic bacteria to reproduce, but it catches up eventually. That bacteria is what consumes the chemical waste from the heterotrophic bacteria. As you surely know all the bacteria eventually settles onto surfaces and filter media❤

Wow, wow, wow! This tank is flippin’ gorgeous! I could sit and watch it with my morning coffee all morning! Love it!

I love the effect of having loads of little fish in a large tank. It is truly serene. ❤

You should make a blind tetra tank with a cave in the bottom of the tank for them :) would be awesome

When you put in the rest of the fish you need to think perspective. Coming in the front door you will immediately see the tank but you need half a dozen large fish that are visible from that distance. Getting closer then you need a few medium size fish that become 'visible'. When you get close to the tank is when the smaller fish become the focal point and the viewer starts to look at sections of the tank rather than the whole vista. The tank does look amazing.

Crank that co2 to the max to start off! Awesome work, MD!

Taking two dirty sponge filters and attaching them to your canister filter inlets would work to seed the media in the canisters with beneficial bacteria. Just sprinkling food in the tank is not very effective. You can cycle new tanks using ammonia, but only BEFORE adding fish. However, you have all those great dirty sponge filters already there - use them and protect your fish in the new tank.

Definitely my favorite of all your tanks and my dream tank

for this size tank I would highly suggest buying an in-line diffuser for your co2 system. You just hook it up to your inlet pipe and the filter can spread the bubbles better, and also the bubbles are much smaller, they mix better with the water. It's not just more efficient, but much cleaner in terms of looks too

Fantastic aquarium. A permanent 24/7 live stream looking down the length of this aquarium would be great to go to anytime.

I think the tank and idea is brilliant, and lid on for sure, the framing reminds me of the big exhibits by takashi amano, and the utopia idea kinda also, the big scape with lots of schooling fish. Personally i would go with less kinds of tetra and then bigger numbers of the same, i think that would promote the schooling behavior more,. Some apistos could do nice for a centerpiece maybe? :)

And than a few fish species but huge schools. Like 50 rummi noses, 100+ neon or kardinals. 50 hatches fish 40 khuli loaches. Just to name a few

Colombian tetras will get huge in that tank. Bleeding heart tetras are also really pretty as they get bigger in big tanks

Der Riesenpott ist wirklich super schön geworden! 👍Mit dem Fischbesatz solltest du trotzdem nicht übertreiben und nicht zu viele verschiedene Arten einsetzen. Ausnahme sind natürlich deine Skalare, denn die gehören in dieses Traumaquarium! 😉

Absolutely stunning!! I think a good school of Pygmy Corys would be phenomenal

this is exactly the tank and style and stocking that i was inspired by for my tank. I set mine up MD style and it's my favorite place in the house! watching that end of the video was the first deep breath I've had all day. absolutly stunning work, super professional from concept to final product. always a joy to see.

Looking good! I'd like to see some platinum or red pencil fish for the topswim area, and I think a small group of glass catfish would be nice too. also some loaches for the bottom- I got a group of panther loaches recently that I'm very pleased with- if you can find those they'd be perfect :)

Definitely looks better with the lid on

Not gonna lie it’s so pretty almost bringing me to tears 🥹

It’s beautiful and relaxing, I would put some Angels in, but they are a favourite of mine ! And some underwater filming in there would be amazing !

By Far the BEST!!!! Setup I have seen from you, absolutely stunning mate!!! WOW:) And kudos for getting it finished while being sick, good effort :) Keep up the good work bro!!

Such an absolutely STUNNING scape, with the most anticlimactic fish lol. Surely there has to be something a little prettier and more impactful fish wise for an 8 foot tank with a dream scape. Great job anyways :) Hate the fish, love the scape. Something to aspire to in my display.

This is incredible. What a scape. And definitely better with the lid. Congratulations, MD. Just beautiful.

I think some hatchetfish would be epic in this tank to take up the top part!

I’m glad I found your channel. I’m almost finished setting up my tank. I’m getting ideas and encouragement from your videos, thanks

Congratulations MD. Can see how exited and proud you are of this one and so you should be. It’s absolutely amazing. Congratulations on an amazing tank and a fantastic channel.

Great video as always! I have a suggestion once the tank is fully finished you should set up a static shot for like 12 hours and upload the whole video no edit maybe with some music so we can sit back and enjoy the tank also.

Wow!! Absolutely amazing build. So peaceful to watch

I think the lid just frames it perfectly. It looks like you're watching Fish TV. It is a beautiful tank.

Just stunning - what an incredible build - it has been fascinating to follow. Really well done and thanks for all the advice you give which has been really helpful to me returning to the hobby after 30 years. So much has changed!

i wish my 6ft tank looked that nice. Well done MD, and keep up the incredible work!!

A large group of hatchet fish would be pretty cool for the top section

Tank build is wild. You might want to move that co2 check valve from the inside of the tank to the outside. If you have a leak at that barb inside the tank on the co2 side of the valve you could drain the tank down to that level

This truly is a dream tank 😀 I'm so happy for you. Thank you for the clips at the rnd, so relaxing! I could watch a compilation of your scapes over music for hours. Great job👏👏

That would look amazing with discus

Just Beautiful!! I could sit and watch this all day.

well done

Get well soon! We love the tank it is looking spectacular 🙌

Love it bud. Wish I had a studio big enough or even a room big enough.

thank you for sharing. and taking us on this journey.

Wow honestly absolutely amazing MD you totally smashed it with this build video

Great work with this set up , enjoyed the series so far . Loving how much bigger the tank is, so many fish!!!

Absolutely stunning tank MD, well done.

Loving the vibe, MD! Grats on the fish family finally going in! Been enjoying the entire start to finish series. Grab a gopro and sink it for us for an inner tank tour! Keep it up, love watching, as always! 😊

An absolute testament for your all learning and skills put onto one awesome huge stunning display I love ❤️ I look forward every week to your videos 👏👏👏👏👏👏

WOW! This tank is just gorgeous. Great job MD!

I can't be the only one who wishes he would set up some 24/7 streams of one of his tanks with some chill music in the background, and maybe change which tank he streams every couple/few days.

What a tank! It's fab! I agree (for what it's worth - it's your tank after all!) that there are probably enough small fish in there now, and it just needs a few larger ones. Whatever you decide, the finished tank will be amazing, like all your tanks are!

Thanks for the vid MD. We look forward to seeing you're videos🥳

A masterpiece in my opinion. By far the best tank ive seen on youtube (i am partial to aquascaped big tanks with smaller fish).

I miss my old fresh water tank. I've waited a year and finally emptied it for salt water tank conversion. Right now is just water cycling 😂. Great job !

I think it looks fantastic. Feature fish.... I can't tell but it looks like the fish in there would all be suitable tank mates for a Betta, along with a few Honey Gourami

Endlers would be a great addition, I've got a 4ft with endlers, harlequins, a few cory varieties and some cherry shrimp and while the endlers do look a little chaotic at times, they are always a pleasure to watch. They behave so interestingly both with the other fish in the tank and whenever I'm around, they are the first fish that I could really sense are a "pet" and are interested in what I'm doing around the tank.

The tank is beautiful and great environment for your fish to explore. I am inspired. I want to set up a tank with living plants now. Great job ❤

Always wanted a huge tank with loads of diff tetras. Awesome

I look forward to seeing the progression of this tank, it looks amazing already!

I love the idea of a giant tank for just a whole bunch of small fish my dream tank has always been an 8 ft with a pair of lion fish but hugely reconsidering now

Absolutely stunning tank! You’ve done a great job on this, it’s a show stopper.

I think it’d be really cool to have a beta or two in a big tank like this because there’s so much room that even if they are showing aggression into the other fish, they can’t catch up to him and they can’t keep up with the schooling

I definitely would sit and watch this tank for hours.

I couldn't find the threadfin rainbow ❤ Great Channel! This was a fantastic series! Thanks MD 😊

Hey tank looks amazing, a few bigger fish in there will complete it. I don't think you should have got a fluval filter, they are terrible for breaking down and loosing their power over time. Should have got eheim. Also the fluval media is terrible. Should get eheim substratepro, that's one of the best media you can get, houses so much bacteria.

I have no words that is just perfect

Great job. Looks awesome. I'll be watching your updates. I like that you're putting smaller fish in there and not some monsters. Nice peaceful community tank is the best and most relaxing to watch in my opinion.

Looks nice! I propose a nice school of marble hatchetfish

What an amazing tank!! I could sit and watch it for hours.

That is up there with one of the best tanks I've ever seen loves these kids from the start to this!!! Absolutely quality work as awesome md 🙌

Wow, it looks absolutely stunning!

Congo tetras could be a good centerpiecie schoaling fish, loving the tank already 😍

Good morning MD!

Love this tank. Doing something similar with a 75g soon. Want lots of small fish and plants.

I love it! Large tanks with schools are some of my favourite.

Absolutely stunning! I would get zero work done. I’d be constantly stopping and staring. Looking forward to seeing the tank grow in!

Absolutely epic set up. You’ve worked hard in this one and it’s paid off. Awesome. Hope you’re feeling better now.

Omg, gorgeous!!! So glad ur doing tetras. Phantoms are a favorite of mine, plus they put on a show all the time. This is my dream tank.

thank you so much for presenting us this amazing creation! just loved it 😍

FINALLY! This is so awesome! Been waiting for this since you first talked about it!

Love the tank, thanks for the fish only section at the end!

This is the best landscaping ever I see in my life

MD your making us all so jealous 😊 the tank really looks stunning, I have a 5ft (100gallon) and also use cO2 and the fx6, I found the round inner sponges they give with the fx6 are not that good alone, I use the fluval quick-clear and quick-clean pads with it and the results are fantastic, keep up the great work and living the dream💪🏻🥰

That’s amazing and huge 😮 thank you for the video you have given me ideas on how to set up now thanks again Karen from Australia 🇦🇺

Looks amazing and something you can watch for hours on end.i personally really like the Asian rummy nose the blue under them lights will just be amazing.great episode pal 💪❤️💪💪

Hatchet fish at the top would look awesome.