*SECRET* TO MY PLANT SUCCESS?? WATER TEST RESULTS || MD FISH TANKS 

JOIN THE BEHIND THE SCENES CLUB: ru-vid.com/show-UC3uQXzXSPspf2LoGdtYGiHwjoin --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lot's of you have always asked what my water parameters are....so here you go. I've tested everything available with the equipment in this JBL test kit. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/md_fishtanks/ For business enquiries: sivadcram@gmail.com Amazing TANKS from: www.aquariums4life.co.uk/ All my plants are from Tropica: www.tropica.com All my hardscape is from Aquarium Gardens: www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/ Items i use regularly: Tropica Aquasoil: US: amzn.to/2JSU4qe UK: amzn.to/34GQsjp Tropica Substrate Powder: UK: amzn.to/2JROmVT Tropica Ferts Premium: amzn.to/2CaTakS Tropica Ferts Specialised: amzn.to/2WLgOxV Tropica Nutrition Capsules: UK amzn.to/36xqMau US amzn.to/2JQSfKp Opti White Nano Tank & Light: amzn.to/2pwuy3h You can buy the bowls i use here: Amazon UK: amzn.to/2Vx73CL Amazon.com: amzn.to/2M4FwFO Gooseneck Clip on lamp (similar as product is now discontinued) Amazon UK amzn.to/2LNat13 Amazon. com amzn.to/2IlwLVA Mini Water Pump: Amazon UK amzn.to/2mjHDez Amazon. com amzn.to/2oAmf5y LED FLoodlights: Amazon UK amzn.to/31KQwgQ Amazon. com amzn.to/359rp9J #plantedtank #aquascape #mdfishtanks PATREON: if you want to support future builds or possible help fund a bigger studio to make more videos, then you can here: www.patreon.com/mdfishtanks

"...make sure you buy a lot of plants, make sure you're enjoying your fish tanks..." 💯 That's the real secret not your water. 😉

I took a 5 year break from planted tanks but I'm making my way back in. I discovered your channel over the weekend and had to stop binge watching your videos for a second to leave a comment. 1. I can't believe all the awesome content on youtube like yours. This didn't exist a few years ago and I love to see new people trying planted tanks. 2. When you start trying to pronounce the Latin plant names and then end in gibberish I laugh out loud EVERY time and 3. How in the world have I NEVER figured out that placing some paper towels in the bottom of the tank prevents mass substrate disturbance?? BRILLIANT. Thank you for all the inspiring content!

"im not gonna pretend to be some sort of expert" has like 15 aquariums with like A LOT of plants:)

This is a great video. Been having a nightmare battle with black brush algae for the last 3 months, despite doing everything that is advisable, water changes, having lots of plants, minimal feeding etc. Turns out that here in East Anglia the water is full of phosphate and as hard as 15 GH. Since addressing this by using 50/50% rainwater and tap water algae is now finally disappearing.

"im not gonna pretend to be some sort of expert" YAS❣️ that's why I love MD

Dam don’t think the wife’s gonna be happy when I say we’re moving just to get magic water, sound a bit jack and the beanstalk 🤣

MD's next way to make money: "MD's Exotics - Magic Water"

What you said about still being able to grow plants well despite having different water parameters is so true. I live in the South East and we have very hard water, but I've still been very successful with a lot of plants! Especially with the simpler ones you mentioned in the video. If you keep the water clean and pack the tank out with lots of easy-to-grow plants, you can't go wrong.

Great advice here and the proof is in the visuals, amazingly simple and honest...AND beautiful...!

Great video today , lot's of good info, plus your fun chat . Brill, keep it up. 👏👏👏

With all these new voices you're doing, you'll be qualified for voice acting in no time! 😉 I love it!

Thanks for the heads up! We are now going full tilt at aquascaping because of you. But, you hear that all the time!

Very fancy "little chemist" suitcase :D This is right movie in right time for me, I set up my tank with water soil and stones and this week I am about buy plants, so I gonna follow your advice

Congrats on 90k, that's what? 10k subs in a month? Good stuff brother, well deserved.

I’m trying really hard to pay attention to the video topic, but I can’t stop staring at how your eyes look lilac with this lighting. 🙂

Discus tank looks much better now. U can see all the fish and they have lots more room 2 swim around in. Awesome job! 👍🍄😎✌

Really great video. Love your honesty and plain talking. It makes me feel that I’m doing ok with my tank rather than watching some of the pros where sometimes I feel a bit amateur. Cheers 👍🏼🙂

11:50 I SAW IT

Wow. That test kit is way more involved than my API master test kit. Interesting! Now I want one. Lol

Great video! Helpfull info, thank you so much.

Class, you managed to turn a nerdy topic into an entertaining vid. So I basically just need to move, no worries I'll start packing 🤣 Big yes to the contrasting scrapes on the big tanks, you'll love chiclids they have so much character. 👍

It's harder to fix your hair when you go to other parts of the UK, classic MD. And love your layman definition of water types. I have Hard water because I am on well water.

Your mums hair comment had me laughing 😂 😂

great explanation/presentation. THX!

My request is that the next time the Discus tank needs trimming, make that video and slowly go through the thought process of why your trimming in the way you do. You eye for it is amazing and could help those of us that don’t know what decisions to make during trimming.

This video is brilliant! By the way amazing choice for cichlids (:

Well damn I’ll need one of those test sets to see why my water is so bad 😂

People get crazy with CO2 but you don't your plants to grow as fast as possible, otherwise you have to trim all the time... You want your plants to stay healthy and that's it. And YES the voice you make for the axolotl fits perfectly ;0)

Thanks for the video. Congratulations for 90K.

Hey MD have you ever heard of a Berkey home water filtration system?? My daughter invested in one before this quarantine and It's been making me some magic water 👍😂 thanks for amazing tips..p.s. I know it's basically against the law in the fish keeping community.. but I have a 5 gallon tank with four(I rescued them from my local Big box co)😂 female bettas and two Corys.. I kept it simple and plan to change it,but it's been working for about 8 months and it's a really fun tank to watch! Not to mention how cool it is to see bettas together. I believe you should definitely try it!

I love you videos! All your tanks mesmerise me. Really appreciate this video! Thank you!

That's great my mother's hair is harder to fix in other parts of the country.😁😆 Very scientifically based. I'm going to go with that too. That test was way to fussy so lucky you and where you live.Location, location,location 🙂👍🏼

I'm quite lucky to live in Scotland, our water is soft no matter where you live, all that lovely rain we get lol, never had a problem growing plants without CO2 👍

Really interesting stuff mate, so many people just stick out videos on low tech tanks but they definitely miss half the story. My water is mega soft similar to yours but with lower pH. I run limestone in all my filters just as a buffer to avoid pH crashes, might be worth thinking about for your goldies 🤔

Hey love your vids, What temperature do you keep your discus tank at? and have you noticed any kind of issues with certain plants at higher temps? thank you, keep up the great work!!

Nice tanks. .Keep an eye on the Bamboo shrimp though. When they start feeding from the substrate that usually means they arent getting enough food. I lost a few not long after they started doing this in my tanks.

Where do you get the fine gravel/course sand you used in the high flow tank?

Love your tank with the discus. You might want a lid on your new cichlids tank 😊

Fantastic ,, thank you , just a couple a questions . im planning on using clay peat balls to feed the roots of my plants , have you or anybody used these,, and im planning on just the two Discus in my planted dark water Juwel lido 200 . at the moment it has 30 green neons which are stunning , after much research i want to take on two discus , and seeing as your two have done well ,, im going for it ,,,

Hi what lighting do you use and I also keep discus on a big scale pretty successfully I may add. I love you scaping ideas and could learn a lot from you. I have 2 Kessle a360x brand new and brilliant but what I didn’t realise when I was programming them that the blue leds were ramped up to high this was leading to unhealthy algae on my plants even though I have C02 being pumped in. I would also like to know what scaping substrate your using I can’t see any during your film demo I’m currently using aqua soil with enhancement"s . Looking forward to hearing from you. Gary from Liverpool

Keep testing!

bro i love this channel. love your personality

O man was watching your other videos and bammm! New video XDDDD big fan! love your work and videos. ^-^

I'm excited to see the cichlid aquarium! I heard the trick is to overstock and have hard water. Can't say I've tried it. Let us know tips about keeping these fish, if you learn anything cool!

My suggestions for the cichlid tank are either go monochromatic, a tank full of blue cichlids. Or go in the opposite direction and fill it with the most variegated, multicolored fish you can find.

Hello and thank you for your cool channel. I'm wondering if I should take my lava rock out of my filter. My water is too high in GH and KH?

I've also got a JBL case! Smaller one though. Makes for easy testing! :)

I love your content, so inspiring, could you do one on your filtration please? Seem to be really struggling! 😕

I'm glad I watched this, I thought we had the same water because I also live in the south of England but my pH is in the 8+ range, so I will have to buffer the water a little specially for breeding, the iron in your water would also boost your plant growth I.e. yellowing. Definitely magic water.

Nice water test kit mate something I need to test every other week with my big ass koi 👍👍

Great video! Nice water! Liquid rock water over here.

Ph of our water out of the tap is 7.4. we live in the North East USA on a 60 meter deep well. Just set up a new tank with plant hope it does as well as yours. Thanks!

I love the voices you use for your water pets. Pancho and Timmy. Please do the Ranchu crew and the bettas.

Get a nerite snail!! Those guys are AMAZING at keeping all algae at bay. Once I got one I never saw algae in my aquarium again. Only down side is if you get a female then she'll lay eggs everywhere but they won't hatch unless if you have brackish water.

Limnophila sessiliflora is a must for any tank. I absolutely love it! And also Anubias. I'd like to see an only Anubias planted scape, there's so many species and varieties, they look great.

PLEASE do a Neolamprologus similis or multis! You will love them. Shell dwellers are awesome and not many ppl have them!

Nice one Mark, have you got two discus now? South America biotope?

I am your subscriber since you were 12k...Top notch creations and your level is way up...keep growing....🍺🍺Cheers

Md African cichlids I think like proper hard water. Will u be buffering your soft water with added minerals ? If so I think you should defo show us how u do it as your water is so soft. U r now my new fave channel ! I cant wait to see the tank your kids do

I'm up in Scotland and we have nice soft water and my plants always do well and I rarely use ferts and never use CO2. I also have that test kit and love it. I use JBL test strips weekly and if I notice an issue I break out the big kit. Edit: I had a Betta sorority with 15 females in a 120L with lost of tall plants and 2 male Endler guppies that broke up females squaring up to one another. Sadly the girls started dying off after 2 years as Betta are so inbred they don't live as long as they used to. The tank is now a nano community and doing great.

keep up the good work MD

whats the parametric of the discos water!? but u have co2 inject on discos tank right ...? thks

Hey which liquid fertilizer do you use???

This is my favorite "aquarium" channel on RU-vid. I really like your design style and your videos are excellent, informative, entertaining, funny and just well done. Can you let me know what temperature the Discus tank is and also the River tank? Thanks and Enjoy!

Ooooh, betta sorority would be awesome.... trying to decide what to do with my 215L/55g tank but just can't decide- nano fish, bigger 'statement' fish (quite like EBA, but also love planted tanks so not sure that will work :p ), try blackwater, higher flow fish, heavily planted with tetras or rasboras, single species tank etc.

Malawi chiclits would be amazing with all the colours Xx

Hey MD, did you use the ‘K’ test? I’m low on potassium (I think) tried different fertilisers for a few months each. Seen some improvement but still getting potassium issue.

Good job. You looked like the crazy chemist with your big test kit. 😂😂😂

Do the stones you use highly increase hardness of water? I'm trying to keep hardness at level between 110-140 ppm but it takes only two days to increase by 30-40 ppm. What would you do? More frequent water changes or get rid of those goddamn stones?

Good morning Mark. I live in South Devon and have almost identical water...good times 👍

that's an awesome kit but does it not have the Ammonia test because that one is an important step in the cycling of the tank?

I don't see a link anywhere for that test kit and I can't find it online am I missing something? thanks

That video is so cool ! A lot of aquascaper can't do something without co2 and you proove it's possible to have incredible aquarium without. Just incredible :O PS : You speak so fast, i think you can rap like eminem ah ah XD

I love your tanks ánd video's man keep m coming 🐬

How much did you get your discus for ?

I'm in Trowbridge, Wiltshire (S. West) and the water here is so hard that you have to be careful getting into the bath in case you break your legs!

Rachel O'Leary has a video on getting rid of cyanobacteria. She adjusted the flow and that corrected it.

Was always so easy to grow planted tanks when I lived in Cornwall with the soft water. Moved to London. Total nightmare. Water is hard as nails.

What are the best plants to have in a 29 gallon German ram tank

MD, I am cycling my planted tank. I have passed the cloudy bacteria boom stage and now I've been hit with brown algae. It's on EVERYTHING. what am I doing wrong? How do i get rid of it?

Our water in San Antonio, Texas is so hard you can stand a spoon up in it! Okay, maybe not ... but it IS the hardest water I’ve ever experienced!

Beautiful vedio

Funny and informative!

Is the angle fish tank going to be black water? Can it be 🤷‍♂️ please!

You got good tap water, here in surrey im getting 7.5ph, nitrate around 30-50ppm it varies day to day. My water is super hard which is good for pH balance and resistance to parameter fluctuations but it means if I did want to alter the pH its going to take alot of product to work. The upside with hard water for scapes means the pH fluctuations are far less in heavily planted setups between day & night when the plants are absorbing, or releasing co2 which can stress some less hardy species of fish and shrimp.

I think you could make a killer looking tank to house archer fish! I’d love to see what you could do

Dang you and your magic water!!!! LoL. My water iso so bad I cant even grow amazon swords.

I think my water is hard but I can also easily grow hairgrass. And do get ciano bacteria (however its spelt) but I don't get any other types of algae. Maybe the wood and aquasoil makes my water soft?

I'm jealous. I have really hard water here in the west Midlands and my nitrate levels in my TAP water are 50ppm!! So water changes make my tanks worse for the first 2 or 3 days.

Great video 👍👊

Snails really love hard water though. I keep nerites and when the GH was at 7-8 and they got she’ll damage. When the GH was 10 and above their new shell growth looked much better. They can live through a lot of shell damage, but I think it’s not fair to neglect them just for my plants. So yeah now my plants grow pretty slowly but it’s worth it for my nerites to be happy :)

Good strong lighting to help plants grow well including floating plants also along with a good sand or soil substrate goes a very long way. Another thing is a tds meter to gauge how polluted your tank is getting. If I see my tds increasing more than 5 or 10ppm then I know it might be time for a water change. If not then the plants and bacteria are doing the job.

You do have a beautiful do. Haha 😂 I love Panchos speech 😍 our dog also has really funny voice... 😶

god I wish I had room for a tank like your infinite river tank... I really want that one

Pancho's paludarium is looking fantastic!

When I lived in Cornwall the water was amazing! I’ve moved upto Wiltshire for work and this water is really hard can literally just taste the difference. You don’t want to see the state of the kettle haha!

New to your channel, so starting at your oldest and working my way through. I'm so fricken jealous over your water it's not even funny! My water is ridiculously hard. All my plants melted. Even my java fern started to die lol. Finally got the api master kit plus GH/KH test kit. Turns out, all parameters were high but especially KH which was over 200ppm :O So now making attempt 2 at bringing in some live plants after playing science lab and making my own water. Found a countertop RO system from APEC which is perfect for a 2 gallon betta tank. Thanks for what you do! Hoping you teach me some good stuff!

Interesting. I live in the North West, think my water is pretty hard. Most plants grow well for me (I have 1 c02 injected tank, 1 low tech) I CANNOT however grow Pinnatafida which drives me mad! its such a pretty plant but it just withers away in my tank, next to species that are supposedly more difficult to grow that are flourishing! No hard and fast rule with these things, like you say, do what works. Great content as ever man.

My gold skirt tetra is swimming upright, it was fine at first but is now skimming the surface of the tank. should I add more oxygen into the tank, or could it be an issue with the swim bladder,? furthermore, there is another gold skirt that has white spots in its eye and only its eye has not effected its behavior. How do I treat this? - the tank has been cycling for about 2 yrs.