Thanks for the kind words mark. I get what your saying about youtube becoming a chore if you let it. A few years ago I nearly fell into the same trap and then I said NO! I will make the videos I want to make, with the fish I like and if people enjoy then everyone wins. I think its the only way. That said, I think you are doing yourself an injustice to only make a video every few months (exaggeration). The amazing thing about youtube is the instant feedback. Take the good points of every video and do them again and apply to each new subject. Just build build build on the data. You do have to play the game a bit, but not to the point where it controls the subject matter. Two keys analytics, average watch time, and click through rate. Get them both high and its a big video. So how does that work? Well thumb nail is the click through..but that isnt enough if people dont watch the video long enough. So not too click baity. You can spice it up a bit of course but the thumbnail and title do need to be the main thing else you are shortchanging the audience and they wont click again. What we do is our art (which making videos for other people is art) you want as many people to enjoy your art/videos as possible. Nothing wrong with that. The more people watch for a good length, the more income. More income means more investment and even better videos. Of course thats if its the way you want to go. Not everyone does. I think you have to enjoy the challenge of getting more viewers at the same time as keeping to your roots and not just chasing that huge tank, huge fish mentality. It can be hugely rewarding but the best advice I can give is to never blame the algorithm. If your or my videos didnt do well, its because it wasnt good enough, on to the next one. Take the ego out and move on. Enjoy the process. And if you dont then thats fine too, do your own thing. Never worry about what other channels are doing. Take inspiration for sure but dont let it bother you. Good for them. Find your thing 👍
@@MarksShrimpTanks and @MDFishTanks, You guys are literally talking about the thing that is holding me back, I have learned so much from u both in the hobby and i thank you both for this. I do not care what the video is about, there is always something that we as a viewer can use in our hobby, making this contend is really hard to do, talking into a camera is one of those. Mark, just keep doing what you have always been doing, we will be here to push u trough if u need it. Keep it up, i'm breeding shrimp myself now, and most info i got out of your videos and KeepingFishSimple! You guys are doing good work! @MDFishTanks, @Shrimpbot - @KeepingFishSimple i salute you! Best regards.
Thanks for sharing and giving us your time. Take care, nothing is more important than your health. Love the chatty approach and hearing your experiences. Xxx
Thank you for your honesty and frankness. I appreciate your sound advice. Ignore the negative responses. Those folks have something missing in their own lives. Do videos only when you feel inspired, we will all benefit from you when you feel good, Thank you.
I appreciate the videos you have put out. I'm a newer shrimp keeper, and my search for knowledge brought me to quite a few sources, but yourself, shrimp mania and Richard from fish keeping answers are really the three that i always come back to that I've found to have the best advice for helping with my tank. That being said, the knowledge I've gained from you guys, has led to me FINALLY seeing my first shrimplets in my tank almost a week ago now, so from a new shrimp keeper...i can't thank you enough Mark for putting the time in to help us newbies become successful.
I'm sure it doesn't help much, but I thank you tremendously... I absolutely love your videos. You've been an enormous help and educational resource for me and I'm grateful. Screw the rest of it. I'm glad you've decided to relax and enjoy. That's what this is all about after all. 💕
I love all of your content Mark but I enjoy the most when you are relaxed and just speaking honestly, like this video. Keep up the great work. You are my favorite shrimp keeping channel. Algorithms be damned.
Hey Mark, nice to hear from you again. you say it's not health related but it seems to be the case, i think mental health is very important thing if not most important. Be strong and keep up the good work. 🖖
A very real video. I appreciate your authenticity. I also stopped having issues when I stoped weekly water changes. I have a major baby boom in every tank that I am just monitoring and doing my RODI top offs. Keep doing your thing!!
I’m not one to comment on RUclips but your channel has given me so much knowledge and entertainment that I just wanna say that you’re awesome. If anyone wants to keep shrimp and wants to care for them properly, then binge watching your videos is an absolute must… insightful and relaxing…Hope you find the joy in carrying on the great body of work Mark
Dont ever stop doing what your doing Mark ive got 25 shrimp tanks and practically everything ive learned is from watching your channel. Keep it up brother! ❤
i prefer this style and he keeps it real hes a real person making a video like the good ol days. im only 26 but youtube for a while now just doesnt have the same feel.
Hi Mark, started this hobby two months ago and just discovered your channel and have already become much wiser by watching and listening to your videos with attention. Exactly the reason you give in one of your videos, there is more than just work. I hope you continue to make videos to the extent that fits into your life. Thank you for all your wisdom that I have already gained.
im happy to see your doing what You Love Because You love it im happy watching you do that i dont need to see a new video every week youve plenty thats worth watching multiple times and i see and learn new things every time i do. Be happy Mark
Hello from Australia Mark. I have to say I’ve been smashing my way through your content for the last couple of months and I’m happy to say you’ve made my wife and I obsessed with shrimp keeping. Between yourself and @MdFishTanks, we’ve gone balls deep into this hobby. We have a planted community tank, a small betta tank, a blue diamond neo planted tank and we’re in the process of cycling a caridina breeding tank for a bunch of pure redlines. I know you might not read this comment, but I just wanted to tell you that your hard work is appreciated so much mate. You’re a wealth of knowledge and we have learnt so damn much. Kudos my friend, enjoy your life bro ❤
Yey ! It brightens my day when you post Mark . I’ve just finished some maintenance on my own shrimp tank , I found a dead berried female in my sessiliflora. Hope you’re well !! Keep being authentically you , we appreciate you for being you.
I love love love your videos... just down to earth discussions with a 'friend' who's excited about fish, and the joys of trying to keep them alive, and have them thrive in our care. Thanks for sharing whatever you can, on your own schedule. We'll be here to watch and celebrate your success, and we'll hoist a beer together to help shrug off the failures.
Appreciate you, Mark! Learned a lot from you but totally understand you needing to step away. By the way, I noticed awhile ago myself that I don't need to do weekly water changes. I do 10% once every month (maybe every 2 months), my TDS is 180 - over 200 for most of my Caridinas but they active, eating (I feed everyday) and tons of babies! I just do WC with straight RO water, no salts. My shrimps are breeding like crazy. Even the tanks where I thought I was going to lose the entire colony bounced back. It seems to work for me. 😃 Please stay safe!
People who have extremely large views counts are either extremely popular and cross platform by linking to their other social media accounts or they are paying for promotions or boosting. Hashtags, cross platforming, and linking to popular high volume forums increases viewership. It’s a pain but necessary to increase engagement. I too am disabled and feel your pain. I had a fishroom with 30 tanks and now only have two 5 gallon planted tanks. Really enjoying your content. I always like the videos as well
Thanks for the video love seeing the tanks and taking in all the info glad we have people like you in the hobby to share their knowledge and experiences for all of us
Love and appreciate your videos... Enjoy the hobby and your life doing what you want and on your terms. I scaled back my tanks and only have a few, the hobby became overwhelming for me instead of my refuge. Now its my quiet little hobby again and I plan to keep it that way with no pressure around making content, or spending so much time helping others. Sometimes we need to help ourselves and focus on our own self care. 🙂 Thank you for being real and honest!
I appreciate your videos Mark and all your hard work . I've learnt so much from them. You're the main shrimp RUclipsr that I watch. Thank you and I'm sure my shrimpies appreciate it too.
I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Once a day…once a week…once a month…. I’ll keep watching them. Take care of yourself and I look forward to the next one!
I think this is my first ever RUclips comment but after watching this video I just wanted to let you know how much your videos and content have helped me as I've learned to keep shrimp. You may not have the millions of views you deserve but I've learned more about shrimp by watching your videos than I have from anywhere else. Your guidance and advice offered to strangers around the world helped me learn how to care for the creatures that now fascinate me. What started as one tank has now grown to three dedicated shrimp tanks and I've yet to find a question that you haven't covered. Thank you from a new shrimp keeper in South Africa.
I feel ya on the burn out, and forgetting to enjoy your animals. Been working on returning to that myself over the last couple years, and it's really done me well! Good luck to you!
I dont think I will ever not love shrimp keeping, ive been doing it now for a very long time and I can honestly say there has never been a single day where I have thought about giving it up, RUclips on the other hand ive thought about giving up a few times. 😂
Started following not long ago and super glad I found your channel with all the info. Had thought I missed out and you weren’t doing videos anymore but very excited to see you upload a video and share your knowledge and show off the tanks. Thanks for all you do from Texas
Gosh, it's been such a long time since I viewed you last. I've been very ill but doing better and watching you once again is a treat for me. You always keep your videos interesting and informative. It's good to be back Mark... stay well my friend. "Jack Lamountain "
Hey Mark I'm fairly new to the hobby but have watched many of your videos that has helped me get to where I am today. Thank you for taking the time and making such great content. Don't be disheartened if you're not getting the views you seek, just know that your contribution to our small worldwide community is really much appreciated. I wish you good health and for more success in the new exciting thing you're doing. All the best from Australia 🇦🇺
We love your content dahm the way you run your shrimp tanks just awesome thank you 😊 this is amazing and we understand how you feel but your videos and just seeing you do your thing is amazing.even if we have to wait for it its its worth it.Always.
I actually came across your website totally separate from RUclips while searching for treatments of Scutariella Japonica and Cladogonium Ogishimae, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a face I know (and trust information from) smiling at me on the bottom of the page, so I can say diversification is a good idea and is definitely working. And on a side note; I believe chitin is pronounced like kite-in, at least that's how I've usually heard it pronounced, but I could be mistaken.
I do hope you can find your balance. I do enjoy the way you present your experience and knowledge of shrimp. I don't comment on your videos often but, I have watched all the videos and lives you have made. 😊❤
Dear Mark, I hope u r well . I need your help :( . 2 years ago I bought this substrate for my shrimp tank : Aquavitro aquasolum soil : aquasolum is a lightweight, porous substrate ideal for planted and shrimp tanks ! and now always my tank is cloudy ! I have spanch filter and even internal filtration and every week I syphon my tank but it is cloudy ! when I syphone my substrate It suck huge dark jerk !! but next week again I have it ... what can I do to clear my water ? change substrate ? or yo have a good advise ? if I must chane substrate , which you advice for replace ? thank u so much
Mark! You're my favorite shrimp hobbyist! I've learned so much from you. I have a question. What are those small things in your tanks with air trapped in them? The little glass things? I would appreciate knowing because I keep trying to figure it out but I'm at a loss. Thank you!
Hey Mark glad to see ya mugg back on the screen. I actually started the same thing about just changing water when it is needed and not because its the day of the week I had scheduled it. I was starting to cringe for Saturdays morning and having to do water changes. now I just do top ups and change when parameters start to rise. Once again i'm glad to see ya back and still in good spirits.
Great video Mark! 100% agree with less water changes. I've not taken any water out of my shrimp tanks for the past 3 months or so, only topped up once a week with pure RO working on the fact that after the water evaporates, the minerals and salts remain in a slightly concentrated form and are re-diluted when topped back up with RO. Not sure if this is coincidence, but my fancy tigers had 2 batches of babies recently and more of them are surviving.
Mark your content is always good and just listening to you talk about shrimp It is very relaxing ,I look forward to it very much! Went over and looked at your your new website It looks awesome there's so much information I like the way you have it laid out. Have a question mark are you still using the voogle for your shrimp tank? I took your recommendation and bought a large container of it and use it all the time in my fish tanks and my shrimp tanks I feel as though it really does help especially if there's an unknown problem in the tank! Have a great day Mark You're still my favorite RUclips channel😊!
Mark, because of you, I decided to start my very own shrimp tank. I chose my favourite colour neocardinia and set up a 24l! Blue jellys 💙 I just saw my first berried shrimp after watching my saddled girls for ages. I couldn't stop there tho. I actually collect a few varied colors every time I visit my lfs and add them to my main community tank. Just because I love to watch these guys for hours. The quality of your videos far exceeds being bombarded daily with repetitive and uneducated content from other creaters. I know it must feel unfair that you don't seem to get the same amount of views but believe me the people who watch your content will always return. I never thought I'd get so into shrimp. Who knew you could even have a favorite shrimp 🤪 this isn't my hobby. It's my obsession. So thank you from the valleys of Wales for keeping me entertained and educated 🙏🤗🥰
Wow, I can't express how grateful I am to hear that my videos have had such a positive impact on you. It means a lot to know that my content stands out in a sea of videos. Your support and kind words keep me motivated to continue creating and sharing my knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and share your experience with me!
Hi mate, I think sometimes when people ask the same questions all the time instead of going through previous videos to find the answer is extremely draining. Perhaps scale back trying to answer everyone and do more live question and answer vids. I also follow the advice of an old timer aquarium keeper of "leave things alone and keep ur hands out of the f****ing tank" has stood me well over the years. Love the videos btw.
Thank you so very much Mark for all your life experiences sharing as well as teaching and helping is all so much with our love of shrimp and the challenges we face taking care of them. I have heard from other you tube channel owners that say you tube takes 60% of the profits you make from your site !!!! That is so rediculous and was told Instagram was better venue . I don’t know if this is true or not but research on that subject is needed.
Don’t worry mark, I think I can speak for a lot of us! We love you, your tanks, content etc. do you man whatever that is that makes you happy do it and how u wanna do it. I got into shrimp keeping because of you an another person. Mainly you though. And started trying n doing different things such as seachem purigen. I’ve learned so much because of you and I’m so greatly appreciative for that. Hope you never stop man! Much love and respect brother! 🤙🏼❤️💯
I am sorry for all of the anguish and struggles that you've been having. I agree and have also experienced that changing water as often may not be required. Nitrate and organic levels in the tank is what I use as a marker for my own tank. I change water every other week right now and I'm sure I could easily extend that out if I wanted to. Something like botanicals and food, tend to leave a lot of waste that gets buried in the sand substrate. Essentially, that the type of your filtration may have bearing on how often you change your water. I also change water for the sake of the plants, higher demand plants and algae, as well.
awh Mark, so sorry. I KNOW what you are dealing with. I have had basically been dealing with a very similar situation with my entire back and neck. I totally UNDERSTAND. it's been over well since 1990 my life as I knew it ended. HUGS.
you're getting chlorine past the RO system? I used to test for it but never had a result after my RO unit. Any idea if its just a trace amount or was it a decent reading? Thanks Mark!
Hey mark, im here, I might not watch videos everyday. But I'm here because i like your content. I hate when hobbies feel like work. So i just want you to know i'm here to watch your content, whatever that may be :)
I don't have anything against water changes per say. But i think it's so wasteful, how much water is "recommended" isn't sustainable and that's what I like getting out of my tanks, not that it's really possible. I've been keeping fish for years, since high school, and i've probably made every mistake known to the hobby. But i've also learned that sometimes what people say is what they're taught, and while it might work, there's not just one way to skin a potato. The most common things i've seen, all boil down to product dependency. I'm not saying all products are bad, especially medications. However, if you need a product to maintain your tank, assuming you don't kill your fish every other week anyway, the most common misnomers in the industry are all based around product dependency. And that's how you know if someone is just trying to make you buy their bottle of .... bacteria .... right. Like i'm sure it's in there. But if people went around explaining that chlorine is a volatile compound that off gases at room temperature, I guess most people just don't understand that adding a bacteria to create ammonia actually creates a variable instead of letting one just absolve it'self. The bacteria in that bottle, is a culture at best. What's even better is natural bacteria, and all you have to do is go to the park take a tiny plastic cup from taco cabana where you got lunch. And harvest your own "bacteria starter" from you own local creek/lake/pond. That being said Old tank syndrome is a thing. and when you're not worried about ammonia, mainly cause the plant load, (i had a tetra tank 30 gallon that i NEVER did water changes on, because i saw that when i topped of it would stress the fish) the water here is super hard like it maxes out every test kit, we live on a limestone/granite deposit. Now tetras don't care for hard water anyway, but because i wasn't doing regular changes, the plants i had in the tank chewed through the mineral content, they grew great! and the nitrates (cause i had like 8 tetras and 4 goldfish/koi in a 30 gallon, yes it was bad, they're doing better now in a 110gallon patio pond, the goldfish) were 200+PPM almost constantly When i took the water sample into the store to have a detailed test done. I had NO MINERAL content left in the water, and the nitrates had dumped the PH to 6, so like the tetras didn't care. But when i added water back in, with a PH of like 7.6 and GH 300+ every once in a while i'd lose a fish. So yea water changes are not necessary however beware of old tank sydrome.
oh haha i forgot to mention atm i can get around with 1 water change every 3 months. However i also just use the fish water all the time for plants so im constantly adding more back in (that sat out a day to off gas)
Hello, my neck and shoulder are pretty bad today, it takes turns being normal to me waking up at night frozen in pain unable to move. I could have had an operation for it years ago but its good 99% of the time so I cant complain. Only thing that helps me is the big Ibux tablets which I save for bedtime.
As you mentioned easiest way to lower maintenance is just going larger with tanks ... these small tanks maybe convenient and cheaply to setup. But tiny means barely any buffer when changes happen and unwanted peaks or pests come faster then a bullet at you. Personally I also prefer ground filtration instead of sponge filters. A couple of pros and cons to it, but certainly worth looking into if one wants to cut down maintenance.
You're hands down my fave shrimp-related channel. I've learned soooo much from you. I love this hobby, and created my channel in the hopes of connecting with more people in the hobby because I have no fish friends. One thing I promised myself is not to become integrated with the demands of the almighty algorithm. It's a fine balance between using social media of any kind and keeping good mental health and a balanced lifestyle. I had more videos before but removed them because I fell out of love with the content I initially produced. I need to be creative and have fun with whatever I'm doing, but I don't want to create content for the sake of creating content. I wish it was easy as painting my nails and uploading a video hahaha...so curious as to who this "fictional" character is. I follow most FishTube channels big and small, so I'm not sure who that could even be! There are only a good handful of FishTube channels where I watch the content all the way through without skipping...this is due to good storytelling and/or valuable information. If it's accompanied by high-quality video/audio/editing...then they hit all the marks for me.
Hi Mark I want to adding new plant to the shrimp tank but I don’t any pest go into my shrimp tank do you have any video show us how to disinfect the plant.
Also, yes RUclips’s algorithm is very dumb in my opinion. I wanted to start a channel and get lots of views but I realized that it does ruin how you look at your tank and how you enjoy it. Keep doing what makes you happy, that’s what matters!
I think your instinct might be right because stemplants are the perfect filter plants. The problem with perfect filter plants... they filter all nutrients that allow algae and biofilm development 😂 You could also try removing the Hornwort and adding something grows a bit slower than stemplants
Why do people always talk about using crushed coral to raise the PH above 7 for Cherry Shrimps, when you can also use crushed Oyster shells which is much cheaper.
great and touching video. When hobby becomes a chore, i find it's not a hobby anymore and it;s not meaningful or fun. Create those videos at your own pace. thanks for sharing the issues and mistakes you've made with your tanks, it really helps us out so we can avoid them also and be successful in shrimp keeping. keep up the great work!
Hi Mark, i may have missed it but whats the reason for less plants? I ask coz, my more ‘bare’ tank seems to do better than my tanks with lots of plants. You seem to be really right about that!
I probably dont explain it properly but the advice I was given was less plants in certain tanks specifically caridina tanks because neos breed fine on there own. this is to give algae and biofilm a better chance to grow.
Hello .. I have a big aquarium with full mixed shrimps and plants just I found hydra and I don't have another aquarium to move my shrimps to .. so can you help me with some advices, thanks
You need to use a dewormer like no planaria to kill of the hydra, I have a dtailed guide on it here aquariumshrimpkeeping.com/how-to-get-rid-of-planaria-and-hydra-with-no-planaria/
Hi Mark, I get what you're saying about RUclips. I've been doing RUclips for a while now because, like you, I thought I'm an experienced aquarium keeper that wants to help and interact with others in the hobby. I found it very hard at times spending most of my spare time making a video only for it to tank again and again. I was getting very frustrated that people were making videos with a really high production value (great camera, mic, editing software) and their videos fly even though the information was paper thin or dead wrong. I think I know the channel you're talking about and it frustrated me seeing the channel fly when they're making statements like "What one person thinks is a fire red, another may think is a Bloody Mary" and I was thinking 'no, they are 2 genetically different strains, opinion is irrelevant.' It made me realise that some people are great RUclipsrs and some people are great aquarium keepers and you don't have to be a great aquarium keeper to be a great RUclipsr. It's only recently that I've spent hours and hours trying to understand RUclipss statistics then I realised that I was that self conscious on camera, I wasn't able to think about how my videos came across to other people. I've made hours and hours of my content private as I find it embarrassing. Content creators seem to say the same things 'niche down, keep posting.' But, as someone who studied statistics, I know that was bad advice. I'd need RUclips to give each of my videos 40,000 impressions within a year to get any traction when I get a maximum of 1000. Basically, I need to do more of what @MDFishTanks says in his comment. Focus on the stats, see how many people are clicking through to my videos and how long they watch for. If those stats are high, RUclips will push it to more people. Anyway, there's my RUclips rant, in your comments section. I think the most frustrating thing about RUclips, that nobody seems to talk about is the mental energy you put into it all. The sleepless hours trying to work out how you can make better content. Creativity is hours and hours of wracking your brain and it's draining.
Yep. I can’t stress enough, when there’s a “cost of living crisis” in one hand and record breaking quarterly profits in the other, please connect the dots. It’s not anything to do with source costs, or transportation costs, or unionized labor/strikes, or war. Follow the damn money.
Thanks for the kind words mark. I get what your saying about youtube becoming a chore if you let it. A few years ago I nearly fell into the same trap and then I said NO! I will make the videos I want to make, with the fish I like and if people enjoy then everyone wins. I think its the only way. That said, I think you are doing yourself an injustice to only make a video every few months (exaggeration). The amazing thing about youtube is the instant feedback. Take the good points of every video and do them again and apply to each new subject. Just build build build on the data. You do have to play the game a bit, but not to the point where it controls the subject matter. Two keys analytics, average watch time, and click through rate. Get them both high and its a big video. So how does that work? Well thumb nail is the click through..but that isnt enough if people dont watch the video long enough. So not too click baity. You can spice it up a bit of course but the thumbnail and title do need to be the main thing else you are shortchanging the audience and they wont click again. What we do is our art (which making videos for other people is art) you want as many people to enjoy your art/videos as possible. Nothing wrong with that. The more people watch for a good length, the more income. More income means more investment and even better videos. Of course thats if its the way you want to go. Not everyone does. I think you have to enjoy the challenge of getting more viewers at the same time as keeping to your roots and not just chasing that huge tank, huge fish mentality. It can be hugely rewarding but the best advice I can give is to never blame the algorithm. If your or my videos didnt do well, its because it wasnt good enough, on to the next one. Take the ego out and move on. Enjoy the process. And if you dont then thats fine too, do your own thing. Never worry about what other channels are doing. Take inspiration for sure but dont let it bother you. Good for them. Find your thing 👍
Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective, I know its not the algorithm but its so frustrating trying to work it out sometimes! 😂
@@MarksShrimpTanks and @MDFishTanks, You guys are literally talking about the thing that is holding me back, I have learned so much from u both in the hobby and i thank you both for this.
I do not care what the video is about, there is always something that we as a viewer can use in our hobby, making this contend is really hard to do, talking into a camera is one of those.
Mark, just keep doing what you have always been doing, we will be here to push u trough if u need it.
Keep it up, i'm breeding shrimp myself now, and most info i got out of your videos and KeepingFishSimple!
You guys are doing good work!
@MDFishTanks, @Shrimpbot - @KeepingFishSimple i salute you!
Best regards.
Well now we need a Marc and Mark colab episode. Maybe go do a proper planted aquascape MD style with Mark. My two favourite youtubers.
Thanks for sharing and giving us your time. Take care, nothing is more important than your health. Love the chatty approach and hearing your experiences. Xxx
Thanks you for the knowledge.
Thank you for your honesty and frankness. I appreciate your sound advice. Ignore the negative responses. Those folks have something missing in their own lives. Do videos only when you feel inspired, we will all benefit from you when you feel good, Thank you.
I appreciate the videos you have put out. I'm a newer shrimp keeper, and my search for knowledge brought me to quite a few sources, but yourself, shrimp mania and Richard from fish keeping answers are really the three that i always come back to that I've found to have the best advice for helping with my tank. That being said, the knowledge I've gained from you guys, has led to me FINALLY seeing my first shrimplets in my tank almost a week ago now, so from a new shrimp keeper...i can't thank you enough Mark for putting the time in to help us newbies become successful.
😀😀😀
I'm sure it doesn't help much, but I thank you tremendously... I absolutely love your videos. You've been an enormous help and educational resource for me and I'm grateful. Screw the rest of it. I'm glad you've decided to relax and enjoy. That's what this is all about after all. 💕
I love all of your content Mark but I enjoy the most when you are relaxed and just speaking honestly, like this video. Keep up the great work. You are my favorite shrimp keeping channel. Algorithms be damned.
Hey Mark, nice to hear from you again. you say it's not health related but it seems to be the case, i think mental health is very important thing if not most important. Be strong and keep up the good work. 🖖
A very real video. I appreciate your authenticity. I also stopped having issues when I stoped weekly water changes. I have a major baby boom in every tank that I am just monitoring and doing my RODI top offs. Keep doing your thing!!
I’m not one to comment on RUclips but your channel has given me so much knowledge and entertainment that I just wanna say that you’re awesome. If anyone wants to keep shrimp and wants to care for them properly, then binge watching your videos is an absolute must… insightful and relaxing…Hope you find the joy in carrying on the great body of work Mark
Dont ever stop doing what your doing Mark ive got 25 shrimp tanks and practically everything ive learned is from watching your channel. Keep it up brother! ❤
I appreciate that
i prefer this style and he keeps it real hes a real person making a video like the good ol days. im only 26 but youtube for a while now just doesnt have the same feel.
Thank you Sleepy Sob, I am going back to this type of style and format, less editing more information and just me talking.
Hi Mark, started this hobby two months ago and just discovered your channel and have already become much wiser by watching and listening to your videos with attention. Exactly the reason you give in one of your videos, there is more than just work. I hope you continue to make videos to the extent that fits into your life. Thank you for all your wisdom that I have already gained.
im happy to see your doing what You Love Because You love it im happy watching you do that i dont need to see a new video every week youve plenty thats worth watching multiple times and i see and learn new things every time i do. Be happy Mark
Hello from Australia Mark.
I have to say I’ve been smashing my way through your content for the last couple of months and I’m happy to say you’ve made my wife and I obsessed with shrimp keeping. Between yourself and @MdFishTanks, we’ve gone balls deep into this hobby. We have a planted community tank, a small betta tank, a blue diamond neo planted tank and we’re in the process of cycling a caridina breeding tank for a bunch of pure redlines.
I know you might not read this comment, but I just wanted to tell you that your hard work is appreciated so much mate. You’re a wealth of knowledge and we have learnt so damn much. Kudos my friend, enjoy your life bro ❤
I really like the honesty about the fact that u learn as we do as we all go thru this ever changing journey with our tanks.
Yey ! It brightens my day when you post Mark . I’ve just finished some maintenance on my own shrimp tank , I found a dead berried female in my sessiliflora.
Hope you’re well !! Keep being authentically you , we appreciate you for being you.
RIP mama shrimp 😭
I love love love your videos... just down to earth discussions with a 'friend' who's excited about fish, and the joys of trying to keep them alive, and have them thrive in our care.
Thanks for sharing whatever you can, on your own schedule. We'll be here to watch and celebrate your success, and we'll hoist a beer together to help shrug off the failures.
Awesome! Thank you Ian!
Appreciate you, Mark! Learned a lot from you but totally understand you needing to step away. By the way, I noticed awhile ago myself that I don't need to do weekly water changes. I do 10% once every month (maybe every 2 months), my TDS is 180 - over 200 for most of my Caridinas but they active, eating (I feed everyday) and tons of babies! I just do WC with straight RO water, no salts. My shrimps are breeding like crazy. Even the tanks where I thought I was going to lose the entire colony bounced back. It seems to work for me. 😃 Please stay safe!
I love the longer video like this. I'm so happy to see this because it helps me learn so much!
People who have extremely large views counts are either extremely popular and cross platform by linking to their other social media accounts or they are paying for promotions or boosting. Hashtags, cross platforming, and linking to popular high volume forums increases viewership. It’s a pain but necessary to increase engagement.
I too am disabled and feel your pain. I had a fishroom with 30 tanks and now only have two 5 gallon planted tanks.
Really enjoying your content. I always like the videos as well
I am glad to see the difference that I see in your tanks...so many more plants!
Thanks for the video love seeing the tanks and taking in all the info glad we have people like you in the hobby to share their knowledge and experiences for all of us
No problem 👍
Love and appreciate your videos... Enjoy the hobby and your life doing what you want and on your terms. I scaled back my tanks and only have a few, the hobby became overwhelming for me instead of my refuge. Now its my quiet little hobby again and I plan to keep it that way with no pressure around making content, or spending so much time helping others. Sometimes we need to help ourselves and focus on our own self care. 🙂 Thank you for being real and honest!
I appreciate your videos Mark and all your hard work . I've learnt so much from them. You're the main shrimp RUclipsr that I watch. Thank you and I'm sure my shrimpies appreciate it too.
Your best style of video Mark. Great work!
Thanks 👍
I could NOT be as well of a I am without you being my guide in Shrimp care.
I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Once a day…once a week…once a month…. I’ll keep watching them. Take care of yourself and I look forward to the next one!
I think this is my first ever RUclips comment but after watching this video I just wanted to let you know how much your videos and content have helped me as I've learned to keep shrimp. You may not have the millions of views you deserve but I've learned more about shrimp by watching your videos than I have from anywhere else. Your guidance and advice offered to strangers around the world helped me learn how to care for the creatures that now fascinate me. What started as one tank has now grown to three dedicated shrimp tanks and I've yet to find a question that you haven't covered. Thank you from a new shrimp keeper in South Africa.
I feel ya on the burn out, and forgetting to enjoy your animals. Been working on returning to that myself over the last couple years, and it's really done me well! Good luck to you!
I dont think I will ever not love shrimp keeping, ive been doing it now for a very long time and I can honestly say there has never been a single day where I have thought about giving it up, RUclips on the other hand ive thought about giving up a few times. 😂
Started following not long ago and super glad I found your channel with all the info. Had thought I missed out and you weren’t doing videos anymore but very excited to see you upload a video and share your knowledge and show off the tanks. Thanks for all you do from Texas
I'm not on one of those other blogs with plenty of views, I am here brother, because you speak like a friend.
Thank you Gregory
You are very knowledgeable and gave good advice. I definitely learned some things. Don't let youtube get you down.
Gosh, it's been such a long time since I viewed you last. I've been very ill but doing better and watching you once again is a treat for me. You always keep your videos interesting and informative. It's good to be back Mark... stay well my friend. "Jack Lamountain "
Speedy recovery and getting back to the best health and clarity as possible 🙆
glad you have been able to find time to come back. yay
Hey Mark I'm fairly new to the hobby but have watched many of your videos that has helped me get to where I am today. Thank you for taking the time and making such great content. Don't be disheartened if you're not getting the views you seek, just know that your contribution to our small worldwide community is really much appreciated. I wish you good health and for more success in the new exciting thing you're doing. All the best from Australia 🇦🇺
We love your content dahm the way you run your shrimp tanks just awesome thank you 😊 this is amazing and we understand how you feel but your videos and just seeing you do your thing is amazing.even if we have to wait for it its its worth it.Always.
I actually came across your website totally separate from RUclips while searching for treatments of Scutariella Japonica and Cladogonium Ogishimae, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a face I know (and trust information from) smiling at me on the bottom of the page, so I can say diversification is a good idea and is definitely working. And on a side note; I believe chitin is pronounced like kite-in, at least that's how I've usually heard it pronounced, but I could be mistaken.
I do hope you can find your balance. I do enjoy the way you present your experience and knowledge of shrimp. I don't comment on your videos often but, I have watched all the videos and lives you have made. 😊❤
Dear Mark, I hope u r well . I need your help :( . 2 years ago I bought this substrate for my shrimp tank : Aquavitro aquasolum soil : aquasolum is a lightweight, porous substrate ideal for planted and shrimp tanks ! and now always my tank is cloudy ! I have spanch filter and even internal filtration and every week I syphon my tank but it is cloudy ! when I syphone my substrate It suck huge dark jerk !! but next week again I have it ... what can I do to clear my water ? change substrate ? or yo have a good advise ? if I must chane substrate , which you advice for replace ? thank u so much
Missing you and wishing all the best always to you!!!
I really appreciate your content , I have been watching you for years and inspired my shrimp keeping. Thank you for everything!!!!!
Awesome! Thank you!
Love your videos. Just do what’s right for you. We’ll still love and appreciate your videos.
I wish I could give this video more likes. It's so wholesome.
Just stay healthy mark 💪🏻 we need you for a long more time 😊
Thanks Mark! I can relate to having a career that is no longer fun. Very inspiring.
Hello Chris, thank you for that, I get the youtube blues every year and I think most youtubers do at some point.
Mark! You're my favorite shrimp hobbyist! I've learned so much from you. I have a question. What are those small things in your tanks with air trapped in them? The little glass things? I would appreciate knowing because I keep trying to figure it out but I'm at a loss. Thank you!
Hey Mark glad to see ya mugg back on the screen. I actually started the same thing about just changing water when it is needed and not because its the day of the week I had scheduled it. I was starting to cringe for Saturdays morning and having to do water changes. now I just do top ups and change when parameters start to rise. Once again i'm glad to see ya back and still in good spirits.
Great video Mark! 100% agree with less water changes. I've not taken any water out of my shrimp tanks for the past 3 months or so, only topped up once a week with pure RO working on the fact that after the water evaporates, the minerals and salts remain in a slightly concentrated form and are re-diluted when topped back up with RO. Not sure if this is coincidence, but my fancy tigers had 2 batches of babies recently and more of them are surviving.
You mentioned not a ton of plants in the shrimp tank
I wondered what plants are best and worst for your tanks Thanks
Very vital information giving here.
You do you mark, take it easy and slow. I love the videos the way they are. Don’t rush just relax and be happy with what you post
Thanks 👍
Good to have you back on RUclips Mark 🎉
Love any videos you can make. Whenever you have time 😊
Yay! Thank you!
My all time favourite youtuber! 👍
Love your videos man hope to see many more in the future 😁
I love your videos. Do what you can.
Mark your content is always good and just listening to you talk about shrimp It is very relaxing ,I look forward to it very much! Went over and looked at your your new website It looks awesome there's so much information I like the way you have it laid out. Have a question mark are you still using the voogle for your shrimp tank? I took your recommendation and bought a large container of it and use it all the time in my fish tanks and my shrimp tanks I feel as though it really does help especially if there's an unknown problem in the tank! Have a great day Mark You're still my favorite RUclips channel😊!
Mark, because of you, I decided to start my very own shrimp tank. I chose my favourite colour neocardinia and set up a 24l! Blue jellys 💙 I just saw my first berried shrimp after watching my saddled girls for ages. I couldn't stop there tho. I actually collect a few varied colors every time I visit my lfs and add them to my main community tank. Just because I love to watch these guys for hours. The quality of your videos far exceeds being bombarded daily with repetitive and uneducated content from other creaters. I know it must feel unfair that you don't seem to get the same amount of views but believe me the people who watch your content will always return. I never thought I'd get so into shrimp. Who knew you could even have a favorite shrimp 🤪 this isn't my hobby. It's my obsession. So thank you from the valleys of Wales for keeping me entertained and educated 🙏🤗🥰
Wow, I can't express how grateful I am to hear that my videos have had such a positive impact on you. It means a lot to know that my content stands out in a sea of videos. Your support and kind words keep me motivated to continue creating and sharing my knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and share your experience with me!
Thanks Mark❤🙏
Hi mate, I think sometimes when people ask the same questions all the time instead of going through previous videos to find the answer is extremely draining. Perhaps scale back trying to answer everyone and do more live question and answer vids. I also follow the advice of an old timer aquarium keeper of "leave things alone and keep ur hands out of the f****ing tank" has stood me well over the years. Love the videos btw.
Thank you so very much Mark for all your life experiences sharing as well as teaching and helping is all so much with our love of shrimp and the challenges we face taking care of them. I have heard from other you tube channel owners that say you tube takes 60% of the profits you make from your site !!!! That is so rediculous and was told Instagram was better venue . I don’t know if this is true or not but research on that subject is needed.
Don’t worry mark, I think I can speak for a lot of us! We love you, your tanks, content etc. do you man whatever that is that makes you happy do it and how u wanna do it. I got into shrimp keeping because of you an another person. Mainly you though. And started trying n doing different things such as seachem purigen. I’ve learned so much because of you and I’m so greatly appreciative for that. Hope you never stop man! Much love and respect brother! 🤙🏼❤️💯
Hi Mark, I’m a recent subscriber, I love your videos and find them full of inspiration
Thanks Mark for the great stream ❤
Question!, what do you do with the gravel/soil after you scoop it out of the aquarium?, like, in what way do you re-use it.
I keep it for plant pots.
I am sorry for all of the anguish and struggles that you've been having.
I agree and have also experienced that changing water as often may not be required. Nitrate and organic levels in the tank is what I use as a marker for my own tank. I change water every other week right now and I'm sure I could easily extend that out if I wanted to. Something like botanicals and food, tend to leave a lot of waste that gets buried in the sand substrate. Essentially, that the type of your filtration may have bearing on how often you change your water.
I also change water for the sake of the plants, higher demand plants and algae, as well.
awh Mark, so sorry. I KNOW what you are dealing with. I have had basically been dealing with a very similar situation with my entire back and neck. I totally UNDERSTAND. it's been over well since 1990 my life as I knew it ended. HUGS.
Awesome video!!!
woohoo! love your videos :) my shrimps also love your videos, because they benefit from the knowledge you share :D
Someone relevant in the shrimp hobby finally said it: "Water changes are overrated"
Sounds like Fish4Ever 😂
In her defense, she started when she was 13 years old
you're getting chlorine past the RO system? I used to test for it but never had a result after my RO unit. Any idea if its just a trace amount or was it a decent reading? Thanks Mark!
Its possible to get chloramine past the RO unit if the active carbone is done its why we use DI ....I think 😂
I can relate to the crunchy neck, sounds like walking on kitty litter.
Well said!
Thanks!
Hey mark, im here, I might not watch videos everyday.
But I'm here because i like your content.
I hate when hobbies feel like work.
So i just want you to know i'm here to watch your content, whatever that may be :)
I don't have anything against water changes per say.
But i think it's so wasteful, how much water is "recommended" isn't sustainable
and that's what I like getting out of my tanks, not that it's really possible.
I've been keeping fish for years, since high school, and i've probably made every mistake known to the hobby.
But i've also learned that sometimes what people say is what they're taught, and while it might work, there's not just one way to skin a potato.
The most common things i've seen, all boil down to product dependency.
I'm not saying all products are bad, especially medications.
However, if you need a product to maintain your tank, assuming you don't kill your fish every other week anyway, the most common misnomers in the industry are all based around product dependency.
And that's how you know if someone is just trying to make you buy their bottle of .... bacteria .... right.
Like i'm sure it's in there.
But if people went around explaining that chlorine is a volatile compound that off gases at room temperature, I guess most people just don't understand that adding a bacteria to create ammonia actually creates a variable instead of letting one just absolve it'self.
The bacteria in that bottle, is a culture at best.
What's even better
is natural bacteria, and all you have to do is go to the park take a tiny plastic cup from taco cabana where you got lunch.
And harvest your own "bacteria starter" from you own local creek/lake/pond.
That being said Old tank syndrome is a thing.
and when you're not worried about ammonia, mainly cause the plant load, (i had a tetra tank 30 gallon that i NEVER did water changes on, because i saw that when i topped of it would stress the fish) the water here is super hard like it maxes out every test kit, we live on a limestone/granite deposit.
Now tetras don't care for hard water anyway, but because i wasn't doing regular changes, the plants i had in the tank chewed through the mineral content, they grew great! and the nitrates (cause i had like 8 tetras and 4 goldfish/koi in a 30 gallon, yes it was bad, they're doing better now in a 110gallon patio pond, the goldfish) were 200+PPM almost constantly
When i took the water sample into the store to have a detailed test done.
I had NO MINERAL content left in the water, and the nitrates had dumped the PH to 6, so like the tetras didn't care.
But when i added water back in, with a PH of like 7.6 and GH 300+ every once in a while i'd lose a fish.
So yea water changes are not necessary however
beware of old tank sydrome.
oh haha i forgot to mention atm i can get around with 1 water change every 3 months.
However i also just use the fish water all the time for plants so im constantly adding more back in (that sat out a day to off gas)
Thank you for what you do!
My pleasure!
How did your neck heal up I might have a similar issue? Appreciate any advice
Hello, my neck and shoulder are pretty bad today, it takes turns being normal to me waking up at night frozen in pain unable to move. I could have had an operation for it years ago but its good 99% of the time so I cant complain. Only thing that helps me is the big Ibux tablets which I save for bedtime.
As you mentioned easiest way to lower maintenance is just going larger with tanks ... these small tanks maybe convenient and cheaply to setup. But tiny means barely any buffer when changes happen and unwanted peaks or pests come faster then a bullet at you.
Personally I also prefer ground filtration instead of sponge filters. A couple of pros and cons to it, but certainly worth looking into if one wants to cut down maintenance.
You're hands down my fave shrimp-related channel. I've learned soooo much from you. I love this hobby, and created my channel in the hopes of connecting with more people in the hobby because I have no fish friends. One thing I promised myself is not to become integrated with the demands of the almighty algorithm. It's a fine balance between using social media of any kind and keeping good mental health and a balanced lifestyle. I had more videos before but removed them because I fell out of love with the content I initially produced. I need to be creative and have fun with whatever I'm doing, but I don't want to create content for the sake of creating content. I wish it was easy as painting my nails and uploading a video hahaha...so curious as to who this "fictional" character is. I follow most FishTube channels big and small, so I'm not sure who that could even be! There are only a good handful of FishTube channels where I watch the content all the way through without skipping...this is due to good storytelling and/or valuable information. If it's accompanied by high-quality video/audio/editing...then they hit all the marks for me.
I love your videos. Love from Danmark
Hey mark- very nice tanks. Curious if that is moss in your tank or hair algae?
if you mean on the sponge in the big tank behind where I sit its moss.
How do you encourage biofilm, outside of slowing water change frequency?
Hi Mark I want to adding new plant to the shrimp tank but I don’t any pest go into my shrimp tank do you have any video show us how to disinfect the plant.
I dont sorry. search for bleach dip or alum dip on youtube.
hey Mark love the channel. fan for life here. what are those little glass tubes upside down in little bowl
thanks
ruclips.net/video/0QqyDKN-ABE/видео.html
Also, yes RUclips’s algorithm is very dumb in my opinion. I wanted to start a channel and get lots of views but I realized that it does ruin how you look at your tank and how you enjoy it.
Keep doing what makes you happy, that’s what matters!
Well. Now we need a new Petr video!
Unfortunaly he has closed his shrimp room.
I think your instinct might be right because stemplants are the perfect filter plants. The problem with perfect filter plants... they filter all nutrients that allow algae and biofilm development 😂
You could also try removing the Hornwort and adding something grows a bit slower than stemplants
Why do people always talk about using crushed coral to raise the PH above 7 for Cherry Shrimps, when you can also use crushed Oyster shells which is much cheaper.
Just get what you can get, I ve used both.
Excellent 👍✌️🦐🐟🤙
This is way different day in life than i imagine 💀🤐😐😐
yay!!!! baby shrimp...
great and touching video. When hobby becomes a chore, i find it's not a hobby anymore and it;s not meaningful or fun. Create those videos at your own pace. thanks for sharing the issues and mistakes you've made with your tanks, it really helps us out so we can avoid them also and be successful in shrimp keeping. keep up the great work!
It was the RUclips part I wasnt enjoying, ive always loved shrimp keeing and I can honestly say i never once have thought about stopping it.
Hi Mark, i may have missed it but whats the reason for less plants? I ask coz, my more ‘bare’ tank seems to do better than my tanks with lots of plants. You seem to be really right about that!
I probably dont explain it properly but the advice I was given was less plants in certain tanks specifically caridina tanks because neos breed fine on there own. this is to give algae and biofilm a better chance to grow.
@@MarksShrimpTanks ah that makes perfect sense. thanks Mark! Ive been binge watching your videos 😅
Hello .. I have a big aquarium with full mixed shrimps and plants just I found hydra and I don't have another aquarium to move my shrimps to .. so can you help me with some advices, thanks
You need to use a dewormer like no planaria to kill of the hydra, I have a dtailed guide on it here aquariumshrimpkeeping.com/how-to-get-rid-of-planaria-and-hydra-with-no-planaria/
At your own pace; the information is useful. Bugger RUclips.
I'm proud of you
I want to clean my tanks less but my shrimp tanks has way to much planaria. Can I clear up the planaria without killing shrimp?
Google a product called "No Planaria". It's shrimp safe but not safe for snails.
Hi Mark,
I get what you're saying about RUclips. I've been doing RUclips for a while now because, like you, I thought I'm an experienced aquarium keeper that wants to help and interact with others in the hobby. I found it very hard at times spending most of my spare time making a video only for it to tank again and again. I was getting very frustrated that people were making videos with a really high production value (great camera, mic, editing software) and their videos fly even though the information was paper thin or dead wrong. I think I know the channel you're talking about and it frustrated me seeing the channel fly when they're making statements like "What one person thinks is a fire red, another may think is a Bloody Mary" and I was thinking 'no, they are 2 genetically different strains, opinion is irrelevant.' It made me realise that some people are great RUclipsrs and some people are great aquarium keepers and you don't have to be a great aquarium keeper to be a great RUclipsr.
It's only recently that I've spent hours and hours trying to understand RUclipss statistics then I realised that I was that self conscious on camera, I wasn't able to think about how my videos came across to other people. I've made hours and hours of my content private as I find it embarrassing. Content creators seem to say the same things 'niche down, keep posting.' But, as someone who studied statistics, I know that was bad advice. I'd need RUclips to give each of my videos 40,000 impressions within a year to get any traction when I get a maximum of 1000. Basically, I need to do more of what @MDFishTanks says in his comment. Focus on the stats, see how many people are clicking through to my videos and how long they watch for. If those stats are high, RUclips will push it to more people.
Anyway, there's my RUclips rant, in your comments section. I think the most frustrating thing about RUclips, that nobody seems to talk about is the mental energy you put into it all. The sleepless hours trying to work out how you can make better content. Creativity is hours and hours of wracking your brain and it's draining.
Yes its very draining especially when you put tons of effort into a video and then it flops, RUclips doesnt make it easy thats for sure.
Yep. I can’t stress enough, when there’s a “cost of living crisis” in one hand and record breaking quarterly profits in the other, please connect the dots. It’s not anything to do with source costs, or transportation costs, or unionized labor/strikes, or war. Follow the damn money.
I started shrimp keeping recently based off persons / peters tank video And so far everything is going good but time will tell
Big tanks are more fun and more stable, because smaller tanks are at risk of becoming unstable faster