I “Fixed” This Aquarium Kit (and Almost Killed My Fish) 

*What kind of fish do you think my daughter should get for this 15-gallon tank? Must be colorful and kid-friendly.*

I know you said you don't like diy and it's too late now, but when you were talking about how expensive cube aquariums are, it reminded me of a recent SerpaDesign video. He walks you through how to make your own aquarium out of IKEA glass shelves (it's already cut so you don't have to worry about cutting glass). It involves just siliconing the sides together - don't know if this would be less or more frustrating than what you went through, but a 2 pack of 13x15" glass is $17. So you'd be spending around $40 for just the glass. Anywho, glad everything is well with Sunstreaker. Mystery snails are so silly. I didn't know they could right themselves. Whenever I see mine upside down, I usually turn them over. The kids love watching them go all the way up to the top then drop down.

I love that you posted this video. To many people would be scared to admit that they might have messed up. However, I think we need more videos like this sometimes. We all have our scary moments, so knowing others go through the same is refreshing. It's a learning lesson for everyone. Thank you for sharing your experience, it will help many people. BTW, we have a fluval 5 gallon spec, never occurred to me to remove the filter compartment, genius

Hey Irene, glad to hear you were able to get the Flex up and running. Believe it or not, the safest way to get all of the silicone and mesh removed would have been 70% alcohol, a hair dryer, a couple of sharp new razor blades, and some elbow grease. The thread was a smart move, but if you were to heat up the silicone with a hair dryer or a glue gun for a couple of seconds, it would've reactivated the stickiness of the silicone and the razor blade would've scraped it off no problem. As a bonus, alcohol is an aquarium safe product so you would've saved yourself some stress. As for fish ideas, there are a couple of "glo" species that you could use that would be fun in your daughter's tank. At 15 gallons it would look nicer to have a larger shoal/school of danios, for example, than a smaller school of tiger barbs or the skirt tetras. I've even seen glo Corys sometimes at the big box retailers, if you want a clean up crew.

Love the tank but If you were going to remove the filter compartment I think you would have saved more money buying a low iron glass tank itself then purchasing this kit

honestly I absolutely love the Flex, its one of the few actually good kits.

Ngl this story has like everything in for it a crazy story. 1: The aww factor (the snail and the kid receiving her first aquarium kit) 2: The headache factor (the sheer labor to modify the tank) 3: Horror and subsequent relief (The goo gone and the charcoal) 4: Humor (The absolute cascade of problems and fixes occuring in rapid succession). Overall 11/10 this made my day

Actually out of everything in these kits (such as the weak light), I love the "mini sump" compartment the most, as it hides all technology (Pump, filter, Co2, heater, etc. can be placed out of view) and leaves space for really good filtration, such as an entire third for sponges, another third for media (well over 1kg), and the last third where the pump is for other tech. Removing it means spending at least $70 extra for equivalent levels of filtration (like a small cannister filter or the hugest HOB ever), and then having exposed tech just as in any other aquarium. Honestly considering part of the Flex's pricetag comes from the included sump, discarding it seems wasteful instead of buying an alternative. Of course for a last-minute store stock only purchase the DIY is more than justified :-) But for others who buy online and don't like the "wasted" space of the sump, well, look for standard alternatives instead of the Flex - would be my recommendation.

these kits are great as is, you can add or change the media if you want but most people get a very healthy tank from this design! it’s the people who modify that always end up with issues. i love my flex!

Thank you a million times over for sharing this. I love when people share what works, as well as what didn't work so well. It's all helpful to someone like me that's still trying to learn. Glad Sunstreaker is okay. Looking forward to seeing what other critters he'll be living with.

Proof that even if you have been in the Hobbie for years you still learn so much. Good luck! Thank you for showing your triumphs and struggles alike!

There's a great Aqueon 14 gal cube that Petco sells, currently for $50. It comes with a glass lid and pad for underneath.

I love the fluval flex. I have three 15 gallons and three 32 gallons. The filter sponge they give you holds up. I have had the 3 years. My only issue was one of the motors in a 15 gallon quit working and I had to replace.

Note to self: do not use goo gone on fish tanks lol I really enjoy your scientific approach to solving problems in your tanks. This is why I love this hobby so much, it's more than just keeping fish, it's a never ending science experiment!

Irene I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm willing to bet that you aren't going to be getting a sponsorship anytime soon from Fluval.🤣

Omg!! This video as nerve wrecking as it was was also quite beneficial to watch. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, and hope all is clear from here on out with that tank. It was admirable to see you in a worried "what do I do" situation and get through it. I appreciate the transparency I've noticed from so many of the channels I've subbed to and always say You Guys are the reason I'm able to keep my fish alive. I've made it a point to google and RU-vid everything before asking for help because you can get so many mixed answers from people guessing, or it worked for them so it must work for all attitude. Trial and error tend to be my best friend. *I've never thought about removing that crazy built in on the one small tank that has it. I THANK YOU for the brave tutorial. * as per hubby, I grew up using lighter fluid to remove stickers and lables, my mom always said to be cautious not to splash and to wash my hand well after so yes it works. I don't think I'd trust it in a tank. I find having things soak in dish soap then just using my dish sponge works on multiple surfaces including glass(not that ive soaked adhesive on a tank). Great video, I'm sure you were so stressed as a hobbyist and mom trying to do something for your baby. 🥰

I love how upfront and honest you always are in your videos. I have totally poisoned the water and substrate in 2 tanks years ago pretty much the same way. Used nail polish remover to remove excess silicone smudge, then used regular bath bar soap to scrub down the aquarium and just rinsed it out one time. Who knew regular soap left a long term residue 15 years ago, lol. Oh, it's funny now, but I couldn't figure out for the longest time why I couldn't keep anything alive in these two tanks. Finally, I asked a really experienced fish keeper, who asked how I set the tank of from day one, told him everything, he said. Tear them both down, then let them sit for a day with a 50% vinegar and water fill up. That vinegar will break down any soap residue left. Then rinse really well 4-5 times fill and rinse. Then restart from scratch with substrate and decor. Don't beat yourself up, we have what we think are good ideas, and we live and learn. Good job and happy Mr mystery snail is still thriving. 👍❤️👍

You completely destroyed that tank at the beginning 😂😅😢 I actually love those tanks! Sad face😅😱🤯😫👏🏻😆

I personally love the Fluval Aquarium 'kits'...I put a 15 gallon Flex in my girlfriend's classroom, I have a 2.6 gallon Spec in my house and am looking to get their new 'Betta' Aquarium...when you live far away from any decent fish store these are really helpful.

I think it's silly that you did all this. You specifically show the petco site when showing the cost of the fluval. Well petco also has many many plain cube options which are similar to the empty aqueon tanks you prefer and they are also regularly on sale. Why pay so much to destroy a nice tank when you could have paid less and gotten exactly what you wanted.

I'm glad you shared, but I think the lesson here is that the fluval flex is too good of a small kit to disassemble. You can add heating and extra filtration - out of the way, and you don't have to disturb the tank to get at the sponge which just pulls up, wrings out and pops back in. The pump is included and hidden too. The hood and light are already included too. Perfect for a kid. The only drawback to that tank, is that the pump adds heat, so it might not be a good tank for cold water shrimp/fish.

The flex is a fine tank that very few people have had trouble and this includes the sump area. If your daughter was happy with the tank as is then the extra work doesn't seem worth it especially since you turned a $180 tank into a $50 tank. Some people just have to be in control.

That was SO entertaining and I can totally relate! Nothing worse than thinking you accidentally poisoned your aquarium! I'm glad Sunstreaker is okay!

To each his or her own, but in my opinion the biggest mistake you made was to remove the back and not use much of what you paid good money for. I have the same aquarium (also in black), and I have found the filter and water flow system to be very effective. I added a heater in the right side of the rear compartment. You are right that the compartment reduces the effective swimming space from 15 to 12 gallons, But adding a sponge filter and heater would also reduce the effective swimming space; maybe almost as much. I can see your point about the pattern at the top of the glass, and this you removed easily by mechanical means. In terms of fish to stuck, I have cardinal tetras (4) in mine along with Endler livebearers (2) and a betta. They all get along fine and are great contrast in with live plants. I also have one mystery and one nerite snail. Previously I also had 4 otocinclus and they were doing fine, until they weren’t and died off. I may have had two many scavengers in the aquarium.

You shouldn't have to do that much work on a tank that cost that much $$$, that price is crazytown! I'm glad Sunstreaker is OK.

Great vid! I think we all appreciate the honesty and candor you bring to your vids about aquarium mishaps or frustrations. I can relate to having such a strong attachment to a snail - I'd be so upset if something happened to them. Cheers!

I love that you name most of your pets after transformers

Awesome tank with awesome adjustments! I enjoy watching your videos because they always teach me so much and are very entertaining! Keep up the great work!😄😄

THANK YOU for this AMAZING video. It’s reassuring to hear from others who have made mistakes and feel terrible about them. Thank you for your honesty. 😊 not many are willing to talk about mistakes but sometimes that’s the best way to learn!!!!!!!!!

I have to say I cringed a lot at this whole video having recently purchased the same tank 😂 First I was able to save fifty dollars off that price buying it online also I had some of the same misgivings about giving up the space in the back etc. but I’m happy to not see any equipment, not have to mess around with a background and it’s a good system. Really shouldn’t have done all that before setting the tank up and seeing how you liked it first before doing all that.

I actually have 2 of the 15s and one of the 9s. Theyve been up and running for years now. I dont use the filter material that comes with. I do kinda diy that. The 9 is a planted shrimp tank. I use a cut sponge to wedge against the inside of tge intake compartment to keep shrimplets out. Works fantastic. One of my 15s, is my main Corydora breeding tank. I stick the eggs in that pre filter compartment. The flow to the filter, in that empty compartment is perfect for the eggs. The tiny bits of food that end up on the very bottom, is perfect for newly hatched fry. Once big enough, i take them out and put them in the growout. Once hatched, i havent lost a baby yet! On a side note, i got both my 15s for waaaay less than $189. Still overpriced? Yes! But i have a total of 9 aquariums of all kinds. Including a 60 gallon axolotl tank. I adore your vids a bunch!

Colorful and kid friendly ... I believe that is part of the Websters definition of guppies Not only will she have an easy and beautiful selection of fish, but she can get the thrill of a first breeding experience with 0 effort. As always, I enjoyed your video. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing this, Irene. I learned something about DIY on aquarium kit especially on getting rid of that filter kit divider silicon!

Sounds like it was a success, Irene. You solved the problem. Could it have been avoided, possibly. But give yourself credit to jumping to action.

Awesome video, wish I saw it before setting up my Fluval 9 gallon, didn't think to remove the back part to give more space for the fish, now I know, thank you!

I'm glad you managed to react fast and save sunstreaker's life. I wish i saw this video earlier because i made a similar fatal mistake where i failed to remove all traces of aquarium medicine and it costed me my entire rabbit snail family because i thought they will be fine and recover after a few hours. I was so angry with myself that day.

Thanks for sharing this video. It’s important to get this info out there.

Hi Irene! I love your videos. I definitely have more aquariums than I would otherwise have due to your inspirational talks! (Not sure if that’s good or bad...) I use Dawn, Goo Gone, whatever I want in a fish tank, but when I rinse it, I turn the tank on its side at the edge of the sink and use a sprayer to spray the water out. This way the water flows directly out and the phosphates don’t get to go back in there and mix around again. Rinse, rinse, rinse. Hope this helps!

Why buy a tank to deconstruct it? Just order a tank online that you want, it makes no sense whatsoever. Plus these tanks run fairly well with the sump

I have a 9 gallon flex with 3 pea puffers and I love it. No mods. Had it for 3 years.

Great video! Thanks for sharing your mistakes and the lessons you learned. Thoroughly washing the tank was great of you to point out! I have one tip with razors on glass, you always want it to be wet. Razors on dry glass is a big no-no and asking for scratches or other friction problems. The silicon and dots may have come off easy with just the addition of water. If that doesn't work try applying oil or dawn mixed with water then using the 2" razor blade.

OMG, I can't stand when people treat Dawn like it's some kind of magic. You know what Dawn has over the vast majority of other dish soap? It's a very short list, so I'll tell you. 1. An incredible marketing department. 2. Extra surfactants which don't make the product work better, but trick people into thinking it does. Those extra surfactants also make it significantly harder to rinse off than other dish soaps while not working the slightest bit better. That's it. That's the whole list. It's just dish soap, everybody can calm tf down about it any time.

If I use dish soap on something, I rinse/scrub it next with regular white vinegar, then rinse/scrub with conditioned water, and dry if needed with a paper towel. You may also have used Barkeeper’s Friend to scrub off the residue, then the dish soap, vinegar, conditioned water steps. BKF is a wonderful product if you’ve never used it.

Very nice adjustments and I've learned a few new things after watching this video.

New tank looks great! Can't wait to see how this goes

I did the same to my flex 57 (black). You just need a box cutter blade and a tool that you can put it in to act like a scraper. No chemicals needed to completely remove it

Great video on what not to do when setting up a aquarium… alot easier and so much less hassle to just get the correct equipment in the first place

@Girl Talks Fish You should try reducing the airflow on that treasure chest. It is supposed to close fully and stay closed until it fills with enough air bubbles to open and than re-close for 5-10 seconds

The filter got weaker and weaker overtime. I had to buy a new one. I’ve been wanting to remove the compartments but didn’t want to damage it. Luckily, I came across your video. Thank you for so much.

Girl how did this happen?? Ever since I started watching you I've been religiously disinfecting my gravel vac, aqua scape tools and new tanks with only hot water and vinegar. You taught me this!

I have a 5 gallon Biorb or something like that, I have it in my kitchen. It's a fishbowl made of acrylic. It has an integrated sponge-filter with bio stones that it's easy to tweak and quick to change for cleaning, if you have more than one. I like the pretty lights it comes with, I just try not to get them wet. My betta Raspberry lives quite happily there.

Well just for the record "Dawn" is used by gardeners to get rid of snails and other pests in the garden. I'm not so sure because they use it to clean crude oil off birds and seals that makes it safe for fish. I can absolutely understand using the GooGone but not so much the best choice. I would have tried, like Hubby, using naphtha [lighter fluid], acetone [finger nail polish remover], after warming the sticker with a hair dryer or vegetable oil along with a razor, non scratch pad, and believe it or not one of those stainless steel curly Q scrubbers , with a gentle touch, will not scratch glass. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ~ Sun Tzu, The Art of War Meaning you have to have an understanding of materials your working with or against.

U honestly should have just left the filter alone. That tank has excellent filtration

Nice setup! I picked up a Flex for my nephews first tank. It's a really nice kit as is. Sometimes us adults like to overdo projects when it comes to our kids especially if it's a hobby we also partake in. I've found keeping it simple and easy while focusing on the experience is far more enjoyable! 😊

I have two of these 15 gallon tanks with different families of tetras in them and I like them very much. I’d love to set up saltwater tank. I agree with you about the kits tho. I would like to start over.

I think you're awesome and love your videos. Very easy and simple to understand. If I need to research something in the aquarium hobby, you have always been one of my go-to sources to check out. All that said, I was in complete shock when you said you only rinsed the tank out once! Totally blew my mind! I've had 20 gallon hospital tanks or extra plants, rocks, etc., that I store in my closet that will occasionally bring out to use as needed. Even then, I put the tank in my bath tub and run hot water on it for a good 30 minutes and scrub it down! The same if I reuse rocks, wood or plant decorations. I think if you had thoroughly rinsed the tank several times and let warm water run into it for an extended period of time, you would have been fine. Lesson learned I guess! You ended up having to do so much more work just trying to save some time.

I just watched your video on the Fluval flex and I thought I might offer some advice on getting the silicone residue off , I use a glass polish made for glass stove tops and then rinse rinse rinse works for me😊

I love my Fluval Flex 9 gallon, but yes I did upgrade it. Double sponge filtration 4 times the amount of ceramic bio media and double the light. I dislike seeing the filter, heater, etc. so the overflow is no issue for me.

You probably could have just used caulk remover to clean it off. Just remember to keep it away from your husband.

Anything is great when getting kids involved. Have a species only skirted tetra tank (50 gallon) which includes skirted glo tetras because my daughter loved the colors. They actually fit right in. I like them tbh. Have a 16 gallon fluval vista tank kit. Not nearly as popular as the fluval flex but anyone looking for a kit. It’s a great size for nano fish and or a betta. The light grows low to medium light plants wonderfully (only issue is no built in timer). Has everything needed to get started. Aquaclear hob filter. You won’t regret it.

So glad sunstreaker is okay! Is he named after the transformer? Cus if he is that is SO cool!!

Oh WoW, you went through a lot to get your square tank looking to the way you wanted. You're such a wonderful mom, to do all that for your kids! I checked prices around the fish stores & found one fish store had fairly cheap square tanks, but I had to order it, since I wanted two square tanks. They came in 1½ wks, only had to rinse & then set it up. I'd have your kids choose from your list of fish that'll be acceptable for that tank size. It'll be their tank & the fish that they'll see everyday. 🧒🏻👧🏻🐠

Hi Irene! In the Philippines, I could get aquariums custom-made at window makers, since they have glass and silicone and tools like glass cutters, so lot of them also make aquariums. I guess it's because aquariums like Aqueon and Fluval are sooo expensive in our currency. Even the Chinese brands are pricier compared to those made at the window/glass shops, where I can get a standard 20 gallon (with rim) for less than $10. Being in a developing country has resulted in a strong DIY culture among many aquarists. I think as long as you have the correct thickness of glass and make sure that the silicone used is aquarium-safe, then it will be fine.

So I actually like to recommend the starter kits (in the saltwater side of things more often) for beginners just because it takes a lot of the guessing work out and you can still make those upgrades as you decide you want to invest more into it. (Mainly the lights as the stocks are typically trash but can grow some beginner corals to get you started.) my first little reef tank was the biocube 32 and I still have it running to this day! My only complaint is again that stock lighting.

I love fluval flex and I've had a lot of fun finding all kinds of mods people come up with. I think for a beginner it helped me learn a lot! And as I learn more I keep modding it

Wow, I am halfway through your video and when you said go gone my mouth hit the floor. I was like “OH NO”. I have to keep watching to see how this ends 😮😮😮😮. Whew, glad there was a happy ending 😇.

That sounds like something I would do!!! I'm not good at DIY! Although, I have done it and then had to redo things. It worked out in the end. I'm glad Sunstreaker is doing well. I'm looking forward to seeing which fish your daughter has in her aquarium. 🌹❤ Gina Hetlage

I'd suggest going to local shops for these before big-box shops and comparing prices to anybody in the hobby. Got a Fluval flex back somewhere in 2020 from my local shop for $120. Not on sale either. It's now $130 due to inflation, while the Petco/PetSmart tanks are still $190 (up from $160).

Hi Irene, oh so glad you figured out a solution in time to save your snail. But you could have bought a nice rimless frameless cube from Aqua Rocks located in Commerce City as well as Aquatic Dog in Eastern Denver. As for friendly fish, mollies and platys are good.

I love that you care about the animals. I would definitely be on that diy....I have a 5gal kit tank that I hacked for my Betta fish. It has a similar space in the back like your fluval. I'm thinking seriously about pulling that filter part out like you did. I currently have it full of Bio-balls and course foam. I like that it hides the heater....but I can definitely see more space is better... LOL 🤣😆🤣

lol I love the drama of it all, glad the snail is okay! omg, I remember when you had 1200 subs... look at you now! wow!

I enjoyed watching this because its super relatable. I was ofc cringing the whole time just knowing the potential for toxins being left in there and killing a bunch of fish, but im also the type of person to try and diy and then do research when im a little too far to backtrack and just have to see if i can fix what ive already done XD

Oh my goodness! I totally get myself into these kinds of predicaments ! I once tried to hack a Fluval 5 gallon (can’t remember the name) because the pump compartment was so small I couldn’t get my hands in there to service it. I decided to just take out that dumb acrylic wall. Except i didn’t realize that as I was tugging on the silicone that also provided structural support to the outside walls. All was well until months later I discovered a slow leak had destroyed my entire cabinet😢

I have one tank that has the plastic thingy comes with it. I keep wondering if I can actually get it out. But heck yeah after seeing your video, Im definitely taking that thing out when I have a chance to.

I have a marineland portrait tank that I removed the filter box from and most of the silicone came out well enough but it took a lot of elbow grease and vinegar to get the reside off. It was very annoying. I think the bigger lesson here is to always rinse more than you think you need to. I try to avoid using bleach but I have before and I've always rinsed an insane amount of times letting things dry completely in between.

Awesome build!

I'm happy for that in the end it all worked out 😃

Black out tint to hide the silicone residue or magic eraser. Works wonders 😊

Good to know, thanks for sharing!

hello, one of my goldfish is only laying on the substrate, not moving until i come to the tank, could u explain how to fix it? My other 2 goldfish are fine

Doh! Petco has a 14 gallon cube on sale for $50 I was just looking at it. its the Aqueon farmeless.

Another possible way to deal with the silicone residue if you ever had to again for any reason could be to put one of those printed aquarium backgrounds on the back wall of the tank or paint the outside back wall black.

I really like how you modded that flex, I never cared for that honeycomb stuff looks

I have this same tank and I messed it up by creating some scratches. Is there any way to fix this?

Do you have or know of where I could find videos on cleaning planted tanks. How do you vacume a tank with botanicals(dark water).

I recently bought this for my first tank. Actually I do really like it, but I have moved on to help my friend set up a more traditional tank assembling all the components ourselves. Two big sponge filters, etc :).

Wow! Quite the ordeal. Make sure you show this to gamer girl when she gets older so she knows how much her parents love her (not that she doesn't already, I am sure). Kudos to mom for making it happen. Blessings, Joe.

Sunstreaker definetly deserves a Onip or some treat. good job on the purigen and carbon! Viva gamer girl and Gamer wife

Thank you for sharing this incident with us. I dislike those aquarium kits for the same reasons, never thought about altering them though! LOL

thank you always amazing videos and knowledge

I tried a DIY fluval mod after RU-vid convinced me it was easy! No chemicals though and some silicone remained. But something still happened and my beta just wasn't healthy. I wanted to experiment with different filtration, etc. But didn't want to harm anything in the process.

What brand do you recommend for a 5 gallon tank for a Betta fish??

im not a fan of HOB Filters. And the lights that most kits come with are terrible. The Fluval Flex is an amazing starter for anyone getting into planted nano aquariums. Medium to low light plants do great with out CO2, but with CO2 i was ablet to grow a full carpet of monte carlo. For a 15g Cube i treat it as a 10g nano tank.

I had that tank for my betta ”Blubbie”. It even grew low light plants pretty well. The only mods I did was add more biological filter media

Good lessons on what not to do or how to get lucky!

What a great tip with the thread. I thrifted a 3 gallon tank that has that fake wall, too and I have been trying to think of ways to take it out. I was afraid to take my Dremmel to it, fearing I would damage the glass. Mine also has neon pink and purple silicone in the corners, which I hadn't really noticed when I bought the tank. But now they ANNOY me. Do you have any tips in how to remove THAT silicone? I am assuming I'd have to reapply clear silicone to make sure the tank stays water tight.

I wonder if a stripping agent would get that off. Like use the citrust stripper and then try to scrape it. Though you normally have to heat it I don't recommend heating acrylic .Then you'd probably have to soak it and dry it to get rid of the chemical residue.

Love your videos keep posting

I've been battling not getting the aqueon 14 gallon cube it's 50 when the dollar per gallon at petco might want to look into that.

I would have tried melamine foam sponge on the silicone, those thing are like magic.