What mistakes have you made in your fish keeping journey? Let us all know so we can feel better about screwing up ourselves lol Dont forget to Subscribe! - 👉 ruclips.net/user/kavemanaquatics
Hey Kev is a 20 gallon a good starting tank? Or would a 30 be better?.....also, would love to see a video on what to do with the fish when on vacation 🤔 like how can we look after these guys for a week? Thanks bro love this channel!
Tips in writing: 1. Never add fish to an tank before you have cycled it. 2. Not using a dechlorinator. -Prime, API Stress Coat 3. Too much light - Stresses fish and causes algae 4. Do not overfeed - Just bad overall 5. Do not change water and filters at the same time. Alternate 6. Don't clean biomedia with tap water. Rinse in tank water and do not discard 7. Not having enough oxygen or bubbles. - Wave maker is great. 8. No oxygen backup. Get a battery backup. I need this. 9. Not having a redudent heater system. Use a temp controller 10. Deciding not to quarantine your new fish. This will take a few weeks. Bonus Tips: Don't buy a tiny tank, fluctuations are more common and more devestating. Buy a used tank, don't buy new.
@@KaveManAquatics Request for instructions on cleaning/sterilizing a used tank to remove harmful pathogens. Are used reptile tanks safe for fish? If not, how does one clean them for fresh fish safety? No dish detergents right?
Guilty of over feeding 😅 my tequila guppies were troopers until i tried feeding them spinach. Small amount but still too much for their small stomachs at once. Had 2 die the day after 😅 water levels are good.. So definitely the over feeding 😅 RIP. Its too easy to over love them.
When I was little my mom would clean the tank in my room weekly by emptying it, scrubbing all the decor down in soapy water, bleach all the gravel, and windex the inside and outside of the tank. No heater, no testing, no thermometer.... then I was always sad when my fish died off. The information just wasn't available and wasn't communicated by the pet stores.
Omg you are just so spot on with everything. I bought a Betta and a tiny aquarium. Then AFTER (because of course) I did actual research about Betta care. Freaked out and went out and bought a ten gallon "everything included" kit. Then I added more fish. At this point I was overwhelmed and started watching RUclips. There are so many channels and so much information and conflicting opinions! You were the only person who really broke it down and made everything easy to understand. You also gave awesome solutions to the mistakes I already made instead of expecting me to have a time machine and go back and unmake all the mistakes I made. Per advice, got a way bigger used tank on craigslist, bought stresszyme, quick start, and prime. Bought polyfill, an airstone, and a sponge filter. Guess what? Every single one of my poor fish is still alive, despite all my mistakes. Thank you so much. If it wasn't for this channel I would have just given up after the first week.
I kept 1 betta at a time in a 1 gallon bowl, for 2-5 years each, with no problems. I had a peace lily at the top that I kept trimmed so it didn't choke out the top with roots & prevent the betta from breathing & grazing. I just had smooth substrate & a soft, fake plant in the bottom. They loved hanging around the roots of the lily more than they wanted to do anything else besides flaring at mirrors. =p They've been raised in confined spaces for 1,000 years, so a space 4x the size of a store betta cup is ideal for them. I started over with a long, 9 gallon tank full of natural plants & hardscape & the cute lil bugger just wants to hang around in 1 spot anyway - just like with the 1 gallon bowl. =p
Beginner here. And I'm going through the newbie mistakes now. Just found you with this video and after watching this it makes alot of sense. Someone gave my wife and I a free 36 gallon bowed tank with stand and supplies. The tank is new but this guy decided he didn't want to do it anymore. Total gain for us to get our feet wet and experiment with a fresh water tank. And your cichlids in the tank look amazing.
Thank you sir! Welcome to the hobby, you've come to the right place to get started 😊 I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er
I’ve made some of these disappointing & expensive mistakes when I first started. 4 years later & I’m still learning new things. Thanks for the great tips.
@@justinstuart8382 when I was younger I didn't think this would happen To me, now as I get older I'm thinking I'll totally forget I even thought that at some point.
Yeah I learned #1 almost the hard way luckily I saved my fish just in time I did add a bit too much fish at once ngl:/ but I was just excited fish nearly died I was doing so fine until I added more fish like everything was good until I added those fish
I’m a new keeper. Had my first tank for about 6 months now. Think I’m doing ok. But still learning all the time and that’s part of what I love about this hobby. Just about to set up a smart plug and automatic feeding system for when we go away in the summer. Keep keeping and sharing advice everyone.
I agree with the bonus tip, and further more my number one piece of advise to someone starting out in the hobby is spend good money on good equipment the 1st go around. Your gonna end up spending more in the long run having to upgrade when your current equipment is no longer sufficient for your application. 👌🏻
Here cause I won some goldfish at the fair, I really want to give this a shot give these little fishies a good life. I’m glad I came up on this video! Thanks bro!
Ha, funny, that's exactly how I got my start as a kid. I kept them in a large pretzel jar with some sand and rocks from outside. I had no idea what I was doing. Those goldfish were troopers though, they lived for several years. Guess they're good starter fish for a reason.
@@bros4654omg lol, my quarantine container is a plastic pretzel "jug." It was the only thing we had on hand when we won the first carnival goldfish. Used it for our second one a year later. Still have it for a possible addition next year. Started w a 10gall aquarium and had to upgrade to 20gall before the first year was up..and it's looking like we need to go up again. It's only been 1yr 5m.
@@crazyratlady3438 I had no idea that the pretzel jug was such a universal experience, but it makes me smile. Kept my goldfish in that thing for a good two years. Probably my earliest memory of surprising my parents in a good way, lol.
Great great great video. I love how non-judgemental you are! We all start somewhere and we all make mistakes, even those of us who aren't beginners. I find myself just watching your videos because of how charismatic and passionate you are. Thank you for these videos and thank you for sharing all of your knowledge and experience in a kind way. There are too many know it all jerks out there making videos that scare people away from the hobby
Thank you for that positive feedback! I remember starting this hobby and feeling the same way, even feeling intimidated to ask questions in my LFS. So on this channel I always try to keep in mind, and remind other to keep in mind, that we all started from somewhere! 😊
Excellent, clear content and very organized format down below linking the equipment and other videos you mentioned. We have a 1500 gallon indoor koi tank, and I learn so much from fish experts like you every day! Thanks for this channel!
Absolutely the best starter video I have ever seen! I actually was looking for a video to share for a friend who is considering buying her first tank. This is the one!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it...you could also try giving your friend this playlist link, made for beginners - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er
Absolutely brilliant as usual Kev. Your advice has transformed my fish keeping for sure. Every beginner should watch this video and the old hands too, we all need reminders from time to time 🐟🐟🐟
If I passed you on the street, I’d have no idea that you had a dope, well-cared for aquarium at home. But you make the BEST videos about aquarium care anywhere. I got a betta a few weeks ago, had no idea what I was doing, and quickly learned that there was a LOT I didn’t know. You’ve helped fill a lot of those gaps. Thank you!
Yes, I've been a Betta mom for 2 years now. It definitely takes some work having an good, established tank. I only had gold fish in my younger ages. And Gold Fish can just about live in mud. Lol!! My Betta is my first Tropical fish. I plan on going a little larger and adding a few more fish and/or start a oriental shrimp tank. But it's only Toshi for now.
Great video, bro! In regards to the de-chlorinator, one other trick I’ve learned is, if you run out of de-chlorinator, for some reason, you can fill a bucket with tap water and let it sit uncovered for about 24-48 Hours, which should allow the majority of the chlorine to evaporate, out of the water, which should be safe for your fish, afterward. One other suggestion is, if you’re planning on building another tank or you’re planning on replacing you’re filter media, in the near future, I would add the new filter media, to your existing filter system, essentially doubling your filtration media and leave it there for a couple of weeks, at least. This way, when you finally replace your old filter media or you build your new system, the new filter media won’t have to be completely cycled from scratch, hopefully lessening the amount of time needed to cycle your filter action system or your new tank, etc. Other suggestions for shortening the cycle time is to take some substrate/gravel from your existing tank and place it in the new tank. Perhaps, using some of the water from the existing tank may help. Lastly, plants are a great addition, which may speed up the cycling process. Java Moss and Dwarf Hair Grass are very easy to start with, if you don’t have a lot going of aquascaping experience.
Lol 😆 You must not have any mosquitoes ! I actually age 2 (two) empty milk gallon jugs with tap water several weeks vs days, covered to keep pests away 😇. So far haven't run out of " decholorinator" I.e. Tetra® AQUASAFE when I do their 25% water changes. Even with the "aged" weeks tap water, I personally still add an appropriate amount of the "decholorinator", also I do use the existing tank water as I use the aquarium Only sponge scrubber, aquarium Only toothbrush cleaner & this other aquarium Only scrub sponge. I rinse them afterwards with tap water and air dry till next % water change. I do also soak the decor (aquarium designed) in a mix of recommended aquarium salt (freshwater use too !) & rinse w running/ tap water. Such a low amount that the AQUASAFE I pray 🙏covers if any minute amounts of chlorine should be present...or other unwelcome chemicals it says it covers - doesn't mention "cholramines" as one other commenter mentioned (Brian Thiel).
I year in I did the trial and error with live plants, this enabled me to cycle my water as my plants attempted to grow or die. This hobby teaches you patience and to keep it simple. I stay on the 3rd floor so everything I would like to do I have to keep in mind that one day I might have to carry all this shit back down to the first floor.
Advice on plant keeping welcome. I have live plants, they seem to alternate, a couple are doing really well but 2 others are declining. A few weeks ago it was the other way round. Is this normal
That's some very good advice my friend and I have to admit being a fish keeper now for over 40 years I still also make these mistakes. Golden No 1 up there though IMO is quarantine!
@@KaveManAquatics I started with Goldfish back in 1985 with a 10 gallon tank. My dear grandmother got me started as she bought me my tank for my 9th birthday. 40 years later I'm still going with the hobby. I now keep Asian Arowana. Though I used to have a huge tank with huge Frontosas if you check out my channel. Regards
I'm glad I came across this channel. I have only 1 beautiful Betta in a 5gal tank. Before I got him, I did a good bit of research. I never want to be responsible for poorly taking care of my pets. I want to have healthy and happy animals. I got Toshi from PetsSmart. I was getting food for my cats. And I fell in love with how beautiful they are. So I got one of thos tiny micro tanks, like 1 1/2gal and set it up. Had it up and running for about a week, no Betta yet. And I just kept feeling like it was so wrong to have him in such a small place. That like us trying to live in a closet. So I upgrade to a 3gal. Still felt bad. Finally settled on a 5gal. And Toshi has been happy and healthy since I got him.
You have no idea how many videos i went thru looking for the info in this video. And cherry on top anything you talked about i had questions on you already have another video explaining those. Beautiful page you have here
Very helpful stuff my friend, I have had a tank ever since I was a kid, it does take a lot of care. What you said about the bacteria colonizing and changing the waste was very helpful, thank you!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊 BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh
Really great video! I was into caring for fish over a decade ago, and have forgotten a lot of it. Your video really made things fresh in my brain and I really appreciate it. In the process of making an aquarium now and I feel much more confident - thank you!
Congrats on the W! 😁💪 I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er AND, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh
Just joined and gotta say I love this channel. I like how well you present everything in a very simple to understand but very straightforward way as well as give good advice for someone just starting out. Much love brotha.
These videos are almost as addicting as buying more tanks! My first tank was a 55 and everything worked out flawlessly even with little to no knowledge, now that I have more tanks I am having to do more research because of algae, water parameters, and fish dying. My 55 is still going strong no issue.
Yeah. My first 20 gallon I researchand it all went perfectly, then I got a 15 gallon for a school of pygmy corydoras and that tank had huge cyanobacteria problems.... tore it down and rescaped it for shrimp.... problems keeping them alive... virtually the same as my 20 gallon which just is bonkers with shrimp... now it is fiddler crabs and they are about to pass the 2 year mark so that's great for their life expectancy.... original 20 gallon still is a boss... it's balanced down to one water change a month and just top offs from all the live plants
My tank started at 1 and then it went up to 7, now were down to 4. 75 gallon curved tank, 10 gallon and a 35 gallon and a 55 gallon tank. We learnt that one at the beginning with the nitrates etc. Once you learn its awesome to watch your fish.
Hey Kev. I really wanted to take this time to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!! You have truly helped my husband get his love of fish imagined by setting up his new 75-gallon tank. We really appreciate your time !!
Thanks for sharing Kave. Much appreciated!! Your points are very valid. We made mistakes till recently when we restarted this hobby after a gap of more than 35 years! We used Reverse Osmosis (RO) water at the advise of the aquarium store (but against our better judgement) as we live in a place where we get only borewell water in our taps. Lost many good fish which was painful and almost gave up the hobby once again. We are now using river water which is cycled before the fish are introduced. We bring in the water from a friend's place specially for the fish tank. I have many guppies (which have started breeding), mollies and tangerines, all from a breeder friend with very few from the aquarium store. We recently introduced freeze-dried blood worms and as the fish loved it, I overfed by neon tetra tank. Lost two of them suddenly. I immediately scaled back on the feeding and since then, no deaths. We still have to adapt the quarantining of new fish, though I have bought very few to prevent my tank from getting overcrowded. For the little ones, we have partitioned part of the tank with a glass separator at one corner at the rear of the tank and put them there, so that we can feed them separately and ensure their well-being. They have a separate air pump in their section. Ever since we did this, we have lost very few. Thanks for the tip on the filter cleaning. We have been doing it wrong (cleaning the filter and tank at the same time) and will adapt your suggestion with immediate effect. Fortunately, the fish have remained okay.
Just found your videos doing a bunch of research on how our betta died. You've coached me back up and I understand what I've done at this point. Doing large water changes during cycle process is where I failed. Now I'm going through a bunch of videos to learn as much as possible
Sorry for your loss. Some of us in this hobby have to learn the hard way, myself included. But Im glad you found the channel now its helpful fo you. Never stop learning! 😊💪
I started back about 3 years ago. Idk why I bought a 10, but I did. After that I bought a 30, 56 tall, 55 long, and now finally a 100 gallon with a ten gallon sump. We’ve ALL definitely made this mistake. Lol
Thanks for this video it answered alot of questions for my little, who got a carnival goldfish. Can you believe it's been alive for 4 months. So we are glad we found this channel so the little one can learn to care for her first pet and keep him healthy. Hopefully, we'll move to a bigger tank and more fish on day.
Your redundant heater video is brilliant! I will be modifying my setup ASAP. I have definitely made the mistake of an undersized tank! Had my betta in a 2 gallon, and the constant testing/water changes were time consuming. I cycled him a 10 gallon planted mansion, and he now lives better than we do haha! I have a nice ecosystem in there with Martok, tons of live plants, some shrimp, and snails. So much fun to watch, and has been a great hobby during quarantine 💕
We used to have a goldfish in a bowl we would take a gallon bottle and fill it up with tap water and leave the top off over night switched the water everyday the goldfish lived for 8 years
This is important when your tank is young and immature. Once you have established a good colony then this rule doesnt apply anymore. Check this out - ruclips.net/video/w-bd21mScUA/видео.html
@KaveManAquatics I also learned in your video not to wash the filters in tap water. Thank you!!! I just started this hobby with 2 ten gallon tanks with 3 Platys in each, and I LOVE them so much. They help my insomnia, anxiety, and PTSD so I don't want to lose any more. I keep them in my room with me where I spend most of my time as a hard core introvert with my five dogs, and they are wonderful. I get to have all of this activity around me without having to deal with people or more dogs (5 is plenty). I lost one female two days after I got them, and it broke my heart, so I really appreciate that your videos are perfect for newbies like me. These fish have little personalities, and I love how they perk up when I walk back in the room. I love them so much. Thank you for your help:)
@KaveManAquatics We filled our tank over a week ago, added de chlorinator, oase kickboost as advised by our local fish shop and tetra easy balance. The water is still a little hazey and the easy balance still seems to be floating around and sticking to the ornamants 10:5810:58
When it comes to lighting it depends on the fish. I've noticed that my Molly's like the light as a day night cycle. Once the light goes off the fish go inactive and start sleeping
My 5 watt uv sterilizer does wonders in my 75 gallon community tank. The water is crystal clear now after using it for just a week! Also I use bottled spring water when I do 20% water change and gravel vacuuming instead of tap water and my ph, hardness, nitrates are all much better now. Fish are fun!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊 BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh
New to the aquarium world and came across your channel. I like that you were to the point and direct with your message. Very well spoken with no mean of misinterpretation. Thank you look forward to watching more of your videos
This is so helpful! I really liked the tip about having a battery backup for oxygenating the tank in case of a power outage. Also, I had never heard of a wave maker. Great tip about temperature control too. I’ll start implementing some of these tips right away. Thanks a bunch!
Kev I’m brand new at this and I’ve been over feeding with amount and frequency. 2 or 3x a day. They always act like their starving too death. ( this is my sisters tank/fish and she doesn’t really take care of them or cleaning the tank). So I took everything out and washed all bio media with tap water and probably scrubbed to much (with a little soap as well). I know I totally screwed everything up. Then I made sure to rinse everything thoroughly with, said unsaid, “tap water”. I took out 1/2 the water from the tank and replaced it with Crystal Springs Purified water ( in those 5 gallon jugs). Now it’s been cloudy a for 3 days so I started doing it again. I stopped in the middle of cleaning all bio media again and decided to check your video out. By the way it was the best one I’ve seen so far you seem really smart. I know this is a long question and I know I’ve committed about seven Felonise here but can you please help me can you please my name is Kelsey thank you so much
Wish I’d seen this video a month ago. I know every single tip in this video but had to learn it the hard way and I don’t recommend that route. If I could go back I would do every single thing in this video especially the used tank and not getting a small tank parts. My advice so far is 1- listen to people but if something feels off then go with your gut. The advice I got at the pet stores was wrong and resulted in all the fish dying within 2 days. If something feels off then ask around and do your own research. Some things are a matter of opinion not fact. Sometimes pet store staff can have high knowledge but no experience of owning fish in the home. Knowledge and experience arnt the same. 2- Dont be tempted to go cheap or buy without researching the product and manufacturers. Do it right the first time. It’s expensive enough without having to replace stuff. 3- Make sure your tools are actually stainless steel. Most arnt. Look for reputable brands. 4- Dont just dump any old pebbles in there from any old cheapo non pet shop shop. This resulted in my fish being unable to breathe. 5- go natural but research what’s going in. Plants and stuff can have an effect and your fish have specific needs. For example my ph, gh and kh were wrong so I added coral to fix this. If these don’t need fixing then dumping in a bag of coral for aesthetics may not be great. 6- Have something breaking the water surface. I’m using my pump at present while I sort this out. 7- Under no circumstances buy a tiny tank. 28 litres minimum and that is still classed as small. Like this guy says it is not easier it is a whole world of stress. It’s cost me hundreds to set up a 14 litre. It wouldn’t have cost much more to have set up a 4 footer. I can’t even add any fish to mine after all this cycling as I’m now told it’s too small for everything and not fit for fish…funny the pet shop didn’t tell me that when they sold me the tank but hey. Wont be giving them any more tank money I will get second hand. 8- Just because you had a fish growing up and used unconditioned uncycled water and they were fine doesn’t mean they will be fine in 2022. Times have clearly changed. Just don’t do it it’s cruel and also I have really appreciated this cycle time as I have used it to get to know how to do everything and testing the water, fixing problems ect. You need that fishless time for learning. 9- Dont be like me…don’t lift a tank full of water. They often break when lifted😂 10- driftwood often needs to be soaked for weeks otherwise your water will go like coffee. For the love of god just do everything this man says 😂
@@KaveManAquatics I agreed I committed earlier about over crowding. But with cichlids its the other. It's very beautiful seeing all the different colors swimming around. They can't figure out which one to Chace and harass. Lol. Love your channel
1. You don't need to cycle your tank if it is loaded with plants and you add a few fish at a time, feeding very little for the first week. 2. You don't need chemical dechlorinators to remove chlorine from tap water, you can pour the water back and forth between two buckets several times to remove the chlorine, or simply leave the water standing in a bucket for a few days to remove the chlorine. 3. You can't really have too much light, algae growth in your tank means that you have excess nutrients in the water column, meaning you don't have enough plants or your substrate is not processing the waste efficiently. 5. If you set your tank up right, you don't have to do water changes OR filter cleaning, not regularly anyway. 7 Wavemakers may not be appropriate for some tanks or fish species. 8 If your tank is set up so that all your fish will perish if you lose power, then it sounds like you are on the edge of catastrophe. That's a horrible way to keep fish. Overfeeding, backup heaters, quarantining fish are all good points.
I've had power out for days without harm to the fish. The biggest thing I regret is using heaters. One heater malfunctioned and got too hot, and I lost all my bottom feeders. I realized that my house is not hot enough or cold enough to kill my fish, so I do not use heaters. I use our tap water for changes without doing anything to it at all. I must be doing something right, because I have ten aquariums, and my bristlenose plecos, convict cichlids, guppies, and platies are spawning like crazy. Luckily a local pet shop owner lets me barter half-grown fish for aquarium supplies. I take him a batch of about 50 plecos, 50 guppies, 20 platies, and 20 or so convicts every two months. My electric blue Jack Dempsey is doing well, despite their reputation for being very delicate. I think the biggest mistake novice aquarists make is overstocking the tank.
You are 1 million percent right! I was born in the 70's and the older people who had fish didn't use all of the modern things of today! Their rule of thumb was let the water sit for a day or two before adding fish! It worked for them, and back then we didn't have filters to our tap water faucets!
so glad I found your Chanel. so far you are helping me save my son's fish this week thanks to one of your videos. ammonia spike happened. managing it well on day 2. ammonia levels are going down already. thank you
Excellent advice all around.I've been keeping fish since I was 12 and I'm now in my fifties and consider myself a pro.You are spot on with all your advice and 1000% correct.
I had an aquarium with some cichlids, house flooded in hurricane. My fish survived for 6 months with no power and freezing temperatures... all I did was pour bottled water in for evaporation..
Facts! ☝️This man speaks the truth! Yo u got me into African cichlids and into using seachem products. I used to use API products, which are still good but since I changed to seachem prime and other seachem products it's been a big difference! Thank you Kev! 🙏🏽
I recently started a new 20gallon tank, water is currently cycling. I plan on moving some Platys over from my current biOrb 15 gallon(be easy on my fishes I am talking about, lol). Would you recommend at those Platys with some of the current water from the biOrb tank along with them? BTW, excellent video here. Well spoken and direct.
Great info; thanks so much from a beginner who has no clue. FYI when I upgraded to a bigger tank that I was lucky to get for free the tank was so much easier to maintain then the small one I had. Good advice
I am a long time aquarium keeper, 60 years now. Love your information clear easy to follow. Just wanted to say I appreciate what you’re doing big thumbs up to you.
Sorry, I don't agree with the first one. I set up a 75-gallon saltwater tank with 2 Tidal 110 filters. I placed four fish in it to hurry the cycle process. Three months later, the tank are doing great, and they are thriving.
I'M a newbie and I have had my tank up and running about 5 weeks. It's a 200 litre tank and my nitrites and nitrates seem to have spiked quite high. I have a testing kit and test weekly with a 15% water change using tap safe and fluval bio enhancer. The only mistake I made was last week I cleaned the filter in fish tank water but also did a 15% water change at the same time, but saying that the nitrites and nitrates spike was already present. Any ideas
If you have nitrite in your tank it's not cycled. This video will be helpful in getting your tank cycled while keeping your fish safe! - ruclips.net/video/9Cuqylaak3E/видео.html
I have my 30 gallon and 10 for 20 years now. You learn all the time. But what ive learned what works for you. Go with it. I dont over crowd my tank. Give them plenty of room. Less waterchanges. Less problems. Always learning. ! Its a great hobby i love it !
Your advice is brilliant!.. thankyou... I've been a successful aquarist for about 60 years ....and this is the BEST advice I've ever seen on RUclips !....Yay!....Well done ...
Wow, that was helpful. I recently only got involved in my dad's aquarium. He got really busy and the aquarium was just struggling. So I tried taking over but my god there are so many issues. Our aquarium was built into the house. So it's frustrating to access. It's also a 600L tank. There are only 4 goldfish and some black skirt tetras. I have huge respect for Aquarists. This hobby is insanely detailed and can be super super exhausting but when you look at their cute little faces just so happy to see you pass by, it really warms up my heart. I'm currently really struggling with one goldfish's health. It's so insane finding good help/advice without people scamming you to buy uncecessary things.
Happy to hear you took over the tank and are finding joy in it, after the work of course! lol Your gratification for doing the work always comes after its done and you see your fish happy in a clean beautiful tank! 😊
Good morning I have a question please . How long can à new aquarium juwel rio stay good with out water ? I mean does emphty aquarium will effect the silcone if stays emphty for long time .! I am storing the aquarium in my living room. Thanks
Great video explaining the fundamentals, I've been keeping fish for years and have made pretty much all the mistakes. When I started info like this was not readily available, well done.
Hi Kev, Fantastic video and nice, easy and articulate delivery of the best advice. I have kept fish before and have just bought a used tank which has a sump and a weir (apparently the way to go?) - the only worry I have is that the tank is 30" high and am concerned about reaching down into the bottom to clean it but someone told me at the shop if I use SAND instead of gravel and have Plecs they will disturb the sand will require less cleaning, especially if I keep on top of the water changes.....?
A pleco will most likely be on your glass and decor, cory cats disturb the substrate more. You could also implement wave makers that will help keep your substrate clean if your fish of choice can tolerate a heavy flow. Watch this - ruclips.net/video/tTSGJm9wyco/видео.html
It's been more than a year since I first watched this video. With your advices, I had ao much fun and good experience. Thanks again my man. Ultra respect🙏🙏🙏
So I purchased an aquarium light for my 20 gallon freshwater tank. Ive had the learning curve the past year and have gotten better thankfully! I've managed to learn alot from your videos but one question I have is lighting. You said 8 hours or less. My light has a timer and goes from dim to bright to dim over the day as to imitate the sun. But at night it keeps the blue/red spectrum on and says it promotes plant growth. Is this true or should I set the light to be off completely for the remaining 16 hours a day? Thank you for any reply concerning this and also for your videos! They have saved me alot of time and headache!
Hey Kev, thanks for all the awesome tips,.I have a question, I'm having a flowerhorn in 60 gallon tank. He seems to always scratch his body against the gravel and other objects 1 week after the water change. Am i making any mistake here? Please advise.
Thanks for sending me down thi huge rabbit hole of your recommendations 🙄😉 Thanks for your videos! I love how "basic" but EXTREMELY informative your videos you are.. and u can easily see how passionate you are about your advice
WOW KEV!...fabulous video! You possess a wonderful and concise teaching style. I thoroughly enjoyed this video! Thanks for all the useful tips and tricks. I consider myself a beginner hobbyist but with your assistance I suspect that with practice and proper technique I should become an intermediate hobbyist in no time.
Thanks for your advice, my daughter got a 20 gallon tank for Christmas, first time owner and I'm thinking of how to change the water to keep the fishes healthy. Already lost two fishes the first few days. Will change the water today.
Just got a fish tank for a betta that was given to us. I used filtered water and but still gave it some drops of declorinattor just in case and let it cycle for 24hrs before we added the fish. Now he’s making bubble in his new home and I think he likes his tank. But did I need to add those dechlorinator drops if I didn’t use tap water?
Hey Kev great videos! Started a new tank about a week ago. Had them in the last but been a few years. 65 gallon. Added 18 small tropical fish. Added what was required. Water went cloudy as expected but cleared up in a few days. Now tested ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. All were at zero. That normal??
What mistakes have you made in your fish keeping journey? Let us all know so we can feel better about screwing up ourselves lol Dont forget to Subscribe! -
👉 ruclips.net/user/kavemanaquatics
Kev do a video on how to set up a malaw tank with rock and maybe the reasons behind the rocks, you will get good views. Double peace brother
King Of Frontosa Thanks for the tip bro! 😊😊
When I first started fish keeping I used to rinse the decorations in tap water.😓 just rinsed all of that BB down the drain🤦🏻♀️
hi
Hey Kev is a 20 gallon a good starting tank? Or would a 30 be better?.....also, would love to see a video on what to do with the fish when on vacation 🤔 like how can we look after these guys for a week? Thanks bro love this channel!
Tips in writing:
1. Never add fish to an tank before you have cycled it.
2. Not using a dechlorinator. -Prime, API Stress Coat
3. Too much light - Stresses fish and causes algae
4. Do not overfeed - Just bad overall
5. Do not change water and filters at the same time. Alternate
6. Don't clean biomedia with tap water. Rinse in tank water and do not discard
7. Not having enough oxygen or bubbles. - Wave maker is great.
8. No oxygen backup. Get a battery backup. I need this.
9. Not having a redudent heater system. Use a temp controller
10. Deciding not to quarantine your new fish. This will take a few weeks.
Bonus Tips: Don't buy a tiny tank, fluctuations are more common and more devestating.
Buy a used tank, don't buy new.
This is awesome, Thanks! 😁
I was asked to help a mate out with his fish. I ended up overfeeding his fish and killed them!
@@KaveManAquatics Request for instructions on cleaning/sterilizing a used tank to remove harmful pathogens. Are used reptile tanks safe for fish? If not, how does one clean them for fresh fish safety? No dish detergents right?
Guilty of over feeding 😅 my tequila guppies were troopers until i tried feeding them spinach. Small amount but still too much for their small stomachs at once. Had 2 die the day after 😅 water levels are good.. So definitely the over feeding 😅 RIP. Its too easy to over love them.
@@brendanwallace4661Bruh
When I was little my mom would clean the tank in my room weekly by emptying it, scrubbing all the decor down in soapy water, bleach all the gravel, and windex the inside and outside of the tank. No heater, no testing, no thermometer.... then I was always sad when my fish died off. The information just wasn't available and wasn't communicated by the pet stores.
🤣🤣🤣 Yes people use to do that
😢😢😢
I have done that many times....learned it a hard way
😫
😱
Omg you are just so spot on with everything. I bought a Betta and a tiny aquarium. Then AFTER (because of course) I did actual research about Betta care. Freaked out and went out and bought a ten gallon "everything included" kit. Then I added more fish. At this point I was overwhelmed and started watching RUclips. There are so many channels and so much information and conflicting opinions! You were the only person who really broke it down and made everything easy to understand. You also gave awesome solutions to the mistakes I already made instead of expecting me to have a time machine and go back and unmake all the mistakes I made. Per advice, got a way bigger used tank on craigslist, bought stresszyme, quick start, and prime. Bought polyfill, an airstone, and a sponge filter. Guess what? Every single one of my poor fish is still alive, despite all my mistakes. Thank you so much. If it wasn't for this channel I would have just given up after the first week.
how are they now?
I kept 1 betta at a time in a 1 gallon bowl, for 2-5 years each, with no problems.
I had a peace lily at the top that I kept trimmed so it didn't choke out the top with roots & prevent the betta from breathing & grazing.
I just had smooth substrate & a soft, fake plant in the bottom. They loved hanging around the roots of the lily more than they wanted to do anything else besides flaring at mirrors. =p They've been raised in confined spaces for 1,000 years, so a space 4x the size of a store betta cup is ideal for them.
I started over with a long, 9 gallon tank full of natural plants & hardscape & the cute lil bugger just wants to hang around in 1 spot anyway - just like with the 1 gallon bowl. =p
Beginner here. And I'm going through the newbie mistakes now. Just found you with this video and after watching this it makes alot of sense. Someone gave my wife and I a free 36 gallon bowed tank with stand and supplies. The tank is new but this guy decided he didn't want to do it anymore. Total gain for us to get our feet wet and experiment with a fresh water tank. And your cichlids in the tank look amazing.
Thank you sir! Welcome to the hobby, you've come to the right place to get started 😊 I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er
Having live plants are also the "backup" oxygen, thanks for the tips!
Unless your tank is in a dark place and plants can't do photosynthesis no power also means no light.
I’ve made some of these disappointing & expensive mistakes when I first started. 4 years later & I’m still learning new things. Thanks for the great tips.
Thanks! 😊 And I’m sure you’re not alone! That’s why I love this hobby, always more to learn!
40 years later and I'm still learning. Sometimes you learn again what you already forgotten if your an old timer like me 😄
My. Ocarina is in a 40 gallon is that ok
@@justinstuart8382 when I was younger I didn't think this would happen To me, now as I get older I'm thinking I'll totally forget I even thought that at some point.
Yeah I learned #1 almost the hard way luckily I saved my fish just in time I did add a bit too much fish at once ngl:/ but I was just excited fish nearly died I was doing so fine until I added more fish like everything was good until I added those fish
I’m a new keeper. Had my first tank for about 6 months now. Think I’m doing ok. But still learning all the time and that’s part of what I love about this hobby. Just about to set up a smart plug and automatic feeding system for when we go away in the summer. Keep keeping and sharing advice everyone.
Awesome! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
Beginner here and have to say I love the series. Been binge watching them all. Thank you for the time and effort you put into these videos.
My pleasure! Glad you've been finding the channel helpful!
This is great information! Thank you
I agree with the bonus tip, and further more my number one piece of advise to someone starting out in the hobby is spend good money on good equipment the 1st go around. Your gonna end up spending more in the long run having to upgrade when your current equipment is no longer sufficient for your application. 👌🏻
100% agree!
Here cause I won some goldfish at the fair, I really want to give this a shot give these little fishies a good life. I’m glad I came up on this video! Thanks bro!
is your goldfish still alive
Ha, funny, that's exactly how I got my start as a kid. I kept them in a large pretzel jar with some sand and rocks from outside.
I had no idea what I was doing. Those goldfish were troopers though, they lived for several years. Guess they're good starter fish for a reason.
@@bros4654omg lol, my quarantine container is a plastic pretzel "jug." It was the only thing we had on hand when we won the first carnival goldfish. Used it for our second one a year later. Still have it for a possible addition next year. Started w a 10gall aquarium and had to upgrade to 20gall before the first year was up..and it's looking like we need to go up again. It's only been 1yr 5m.
@@crazyratlady3438 I had no idea that the pretzel jug was such a universal experience, but it makes me smile. Kept my goldfish in that thing for a good two years.
Probably my earliest memory of surprising my parents in a good way, lol.
Biggest mistake most folk make is talking more than listening. Nice video bro. 😃
Very true, thanks!
Your channel seriously is one of the best out there. Thank you !
Thanks bro, Glad you think so! 😊😊
Facts
It truly is!!
@@KaveManAquatics love your videos because they are straight to the point & easy to understand 🥰
I’m a fan from 🇸🇬🙌
Great great great video. I love how non-judgemental you are! We all start somewhere and we all make mistakes, even those of us who aren't beginners. I find myself just watching your videos because of how charismatic and passionate you are. Thank you for these videos and thank you for sharing all of your knowledge and experience in a kind way. There are too many know it all jerks out there making videos that scare people away from the hobby
Thank you for that positive feedback! I remember starting this hobby and feeling the same way, even feeling intimidated to ask questions in my LFS. So on this channel I always try to keep in mind, and remind other to keep in mind, that we all started from somewhere! 😊
Excellent, clear content and very organized format down below linking the equipment and other videos you mentioned. We have a 1500 gallon indoor koi tank, and I learn so much from fish experts like you every day! Thanks for this channel!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
Excellent! Advice was clear, concise, and very helpful. I've had fish for 60 years, and still found his advice helpful. A+
Thank you! Always happy to hear positive feedback from the veterans of the hobby! 😊💪
Absolutely the best starter video I have ever seen! I actually was looking for a video to share for a friend who is considering buying her first tank. This is the one!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it...you could also try giving your friend this playlist link, made for beginners - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er
Absolutely brilliant as usual Kev. Your advice has transformed my fish keeping for sure. Every beginner should watch this video and the old hands too, we all need reminders from time to time 🐟🐟🐟
Thank you bro, glad you enjoyed it! Appreciate the positive feedback! 😊
Old hand here...agreed. Love this video!
I’m almost 60 years of laying off of fish keeping. I am into it big time now and your channel and advice is definitely welcomed!👍😊
I have a 55 gallon community tank and I did a water change, 50%, and a filter cleaning on the same day. I lost 6 fish that day!😪
If I passed you on the street, I’d have no idea that you had a dope, well-cared for aquarium at home. But you make the BEST videos about aquarium care anywhere. I got a betta a few weeks ago, had no idea what I was doing, and quickly learned that there was a LOT I didn’t know. You’ve helped fill a lot of those gaps. Thank you!
Thank you bro! I appreciate that positive feedback. Glad I was able to help get your betta tank back in check 😊💪
@Wow Gaming Doing well! I have him in a 3 gallon tank, and it’s a little small, but he seems happy.
Yes, I've been a Betta mom for 2 years now. It definitely takes some work having an good, established tank. I only had gold fish in my younger ages. And Gold Fish can just about live in mud. Lol!! My Betta is my first Tropical fish. I plan on going a little larger and adding a few more fish and/or start a oriental shrimp tank. But it's only Toshi for now.
He's wearing a shirt with a fish on it.
Great video, bro!
In regards to the de-chlorinator, one other trick I’ve learned is, if you run out of de-chlorinator, for some reason, you can fill a bucket with tap water and let it sit uncovered for about 24-48 Hours, which should allow the majority of the chlorine to evaporate, out of the water, which should be safe for your fish, afterward.
One other suggestion is, if you’re planning on building another tank or you’re planning on replacing you’re filter media, in the near future, I would add the new filter media, to your existing filter system, essentially doubling your filtration media and leave it there for a couple of weeks, at least. This way, when you finally replace your old filter media or you build your new system, the new filter media won’t have to be completely cycled from scratch, hopefully lessening the amount of time needed to cycle your filter action system or your new tank, etc. Other suggestions for shortening the cycle time is to take some substrate/gravel from your existing tank and place it in the new tank. Perhaps, using some of the water from the existing tank may help. Lastly, plants are a great addition, which may speed up the cycling process. Java Moss and Dwarf Hair Grass are very easy to start with, if you don’t have a lot going of aquascaping experience.
All great suggestions! Thank you 😊
letting it sit removes chlorine, but will not remove chloramines.
All good points except dwarf hair grass is arguably not beginner friendly and needs high light and co2 typically
Lol 😆 You must not have any mosquitoes ! I actually age 2 (two) empty milk gallon jugs with tap water several weeks vs days, covered to keep pests away 😇. So far haven't run out of " decholorinator" I.e. Tetra® AQUASAFE when I do their 25% water changes. Even with the "aged" weeks tap water, I personally still add an appropriate amount of the "decholorinator", also I do use the existing tank water as I use the aquarium Only sponge scrubber, aquarium Only toothbrush cleaner & this other aquarium Only scrub sponge. I rinse them afterwards with tap water and air dry till next % water change. I do also soak the decor (aquarium designed) in a mix of recommended aquarium salt (freshwater use too !) & rinse w running/ tap water. Such a low amount that the AQUASAFE I pray 🙏covers if any minute amounts of chlorine should be present...or other unwelcome chemicals it says it covers - doesn't mention "cholramines" as one other commenter mentioned (Brian Thiel).
@@msv6674we have screens to keep mosquito out
I never thought about it being bad to wash out filters in tap water. Does make sense though. You can always learn something.👌
I year in I did the trial and error with live plants, this enabled me to cycle my water as my plants attempted to grow or die. This hobby teaches you patience and to keep it simple. I stay on the 3rd floor so everything I would like to do I have to keep in mind that one day I might have to carry all this shit back down to the first floor.
lol yea that's pretty important to keep in mind! lol Thanks for sharing 😊
Advice on plant keeping welcome. I have live plants, they seem to alternate, a couple are doing really well but 2 others are declining. A few weeks ago it was the other way round. Is this normal
😂😂😂
That's some very good advice my friend and I have to admit being a fish keeper now for over 40 years I still also make these mistakes. Golden No 1 up there though IMO is quarantine!
Thank you sir, glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful!
@@KaveManAquatics I started with Goldfish back in 1985 with a 10 gallon tank. My dear grandmother got me started as she bought me my tank for my 9th birthday. 40 years later I'm still going with the hobby. I now keep Asian Arowana. Though I used to have a huge tank with huge Frontosas if you check out my channel. Regards
I'm glad I came across this channel. I have only 1 beautiful Betta in a 5gal tank. Before I got him, I did a good bit of research. I never want to be responsible for poorly taking care of my pets. I want to have healthy and happy animals. I got Toshi from PetsSmart. I was getting food for my cats. And I fell in love with how beautiful they are. So I got one of thos tiny micro tanks, like 1 1/2gal and set it up. Had it up and running for about a week, no Betta yet. And I just kept feeling like it was so wrong to have him in such a small place. That like us trying to live in a closet. So I upgrade to a 3gal. Still felt bad. Finally settled on a 5gal. And Toshi has been happy and healthy since I got him.
Sounds like your guy Toshi is in great hands! 😊
Me too, and now I have like 14 different tanks lol
@@alissatyau849 14 tanks o.O but yea I'm addicted now too but not enough money for 14 tanks XD I run 2 right now
How often does a planted 5 gal betta tank need water changing? Water tests indicate my 10 gal betta tank can safely last one month
You have no idea how many videos i went thru looking for the info in this video. And cherry on top anything you talked about i had questions on you already have another video explaining those. Beautiful page you have here
Thank you bro! Appreciate that positive feedback. Glad you’re enjoying the channel 😊💪
Very helpful stuff my friend, I have had a tank ever since I was a kid, it does take a lot of care. What you said about the bacteria colonizing and changing the waste was very helpful, thank you!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh
Thanks Kev. Your videos are always full of great info.
Very welcome
Really great video! I was into caring for fish over a decade ago, and have forgotten a lot of it. Your video really made things fresh in my brain and I really appreciate it. In the process of making an aquarium now and I feel much more confident - thank you!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. Welcome back to the hobby! 😁
Thanks for the tips and I enjoy your channel. Your advise helped me out on the cloudy tank.
Glad to hear it!
Top man!! brilliant and vital do's and don'ts for everyone who keeps fish. Very practical delivery, very no- nonsense. Many thanks.
Thank you!!
My oldest just won an aquarium (fish and tools included) from school!
This has been most helpful.
Congrats on the W! 😁💪 I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er
AND, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh
Just joined and gotta say I love this channel. I like how well you present everything in a very simple to understand but very straightforward way as well as give good advice for someone just starting out. Much love brotha.
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
These videos are almost as addicting as buying more tanks! My first tank was a 55 and everything worked out flawlessly even with little to no knowledge, now that I have more tanks I am having to do more research because of algae, water parameters, and fish dying. My 55 is still going strong no issue.
Glad to hear the hobby is growing on you and that you're enjoying the channel! 😊
Yeah. My first 20 gallon I researchand it all went perfectly, then I got a 15 gallon for a school of pygmy corydoras and that tank had huge cyanobacteria problems.... tore it down and rescaped it for shrimp.... problems keeping them alive... virtually the same as my 20 gallon which just is bonkers with shrimp... now it is fiddler crabs and they are about to pass the 2 year mark so that's great for their life expectancy.... original 20 gallon still is a boss... it's balanced down to one water change a month and just top offs from all the live plants
My tank started at 1 and then it went up to 7, now were down to 4. 75 gallon curved tank, 10 gallon and a 35 gallon and a 55 gallon tank. We learnt that one at the beginning with the nitrates etc. Once you learn its awesome to watch your fish.
Hey Kev. I really wanted to take this time to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!! You have truly helped my husband get his love of fish imagined by setting up his new 75-gallon tank. We really appreciate your time !!
Thanks for sharing Kave. Much appreciated!! Your points are very valid. We made mistakes till recently when we restarted this hobby after a gap of more than 35 years! We used Reverse Osmosis (RO) water at the advise of the aquarium store (but against our better judgement) as we live in a place where we get only borewell water in our taps. Lost many good fish which was painful and almost gave up the hobby once again. We are now using river water which is cycled before the fish are introduced. We bring in the water from a friend's place specially for the fish tank.
I have many guppies (which have started breeding), mollies and tangerines, all from a breeder friend with very few from the aquarium store.
We recently introduced freeze-dried blood worms and as the fish loved it, I overfed by neon tetra tank. Lost two of them suddenly. I immediately scaled back on the feeding and since then, no deaths.
We still have to adapt the quarantining of new fish, though I have bought very few to prevent my tank from getting overcrowded.
For the little ones, we have partitioned part of the tank with a glass separator at one corner at the rear of the tank and put them there, so that we can feed them separately and ensure their well-being. They have a separate air pump in their section. Ever since we did this, we have lost very few.
Thanks for the tip on the filter cleaning. We have been doing it wrong (cleaning the filter and tank at the same time) and will adapt your suggestion with immediate effect. Fortunately, the fish have remained okay.
Just found your videos doing a bunch of research on how our betta died. You've coached me back up and I understand what I've done at this point. Doing large water changes during cycle process is where I failed. Now I'm going through a bunch of videos to learn as much as possible
Sorry for your loss. Some of us in this hobby have to learn the hard way, myself included. But Im glad you found the channel now its helpful fo you. Never stop learning! 😊💪
Great info brother. My mistake is initially buying a small 20 gallon. Had to upgrade 6 months in. 😂
Yup, just like most of us did lol
I started back about 3 years ago. Idk why I bought a 10, but I did. After that I bought a 30, 56 tall, 55 long, and now finally a 100 gallon with a ten gallon sump. We’ve ALL definitely made this mistake. Lol
@Sqrley L. wat state?
Well, if you only have a small goldfish it's fine to have a smaller tank. Really.
Thanks for this video it answered alot of questions for my little, who got a carnival goldfish. Can you believe it's been alive for 4 months. So we are glad we found this channel so the little one can learn to care for her first pet and keep him healthy. Hopefully, we'll move to a bigger tank and more fish on day.
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
Your redundant heater video is brilliant! I will be modifying my setup ASAP. I have definitely made the mistake of an undersized tank! Had my betta in a 2 gallon, and the constant testing/water changes were time consuming. I cycled him a 10 gallon planted mansion, and he now lives better than we do haha! I have a nice ecosystem in there with Martok, tons of live plants, some shrimp, and snails. So much fun to watch, and has been a great hobby during quarantine 💕
Absolutely the BEST and most important video for the beginner, like me. I am waiting for my 10 gal tank now. THANK YOU from Las Vegas!!!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
Subscribing. You’re really straight to the point and know what you’re doing unlike a lot of “fish experts” on here ! Learned a lot
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
We used to have a goldfish in a bowl we would take a gallon bottle and fill it up with tap water and leave the top off over night switched the water everyday the goldfish lived for 8 years
Not washing bio media on the same day as the filter change is new to me. Thank you!!!!
This is important when your tank is young and immature. Once you have established a good colony then this rule doesnt apply anymore. Check this out - ruclips.net/video/w-bd21mScUA/видео.html
@KaveManAquatics I also learned in your video not to wash the filters in tap water. Thank you!!! I just started this hobby with 2 ten gallon tanks with 3 Platys in each, and I LOVE them so much. They help my insomnia, anxiety, and PTSD so I don't want to lose any more. I keep them in my room with me where I spend most of my time as a hard core introvert with my five dogs, and they are wonderful. I get to have all of this activity around me without having to deal with people or more dogs (5 is plenty). I lost one female two days after I got them, and it broke my heart, so I really appreciate that your videos are perfect for newbies like me. These fish have little personalities, and I love how they perk up when I walk back in the room. I love them so much. Thank you for your help:)
@KaveManAquatics We filled our tank over a week ago, added de chlorinator, oase kickboost as advised by our local fish shop and tetra easy balance. The water is still a little hazey and the easy balance still seems to be floating around and sticking to the ornamants 10:58 10:58
Omg this was so helpful, thank you so much. I NEEDED the beginner portion 🙏 I feel like I won't kill my kids' new fish now!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
Good tips. I would also add to research the fish you’re interested in before purchasing, they all have different needs and compatibility.
Vincent Valentine absolutely, great tip! 👍
When it comes to lighting it depends on the fish. I've noticed that my Molly's like the light as a day night cycle. Once the light goes off the fish go inactive and start sleeping
Excellent well said I've been in the hobby for Years and the information is very helpful thanks
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
Talking about power shortages, I live in Puerto Rico and I definitely understand that.
You don't fail making things crystal clear! Thanksss
Lol Thank you! Glad you found it helpful! 😊
My 5 watt uv sterilizer does wonders in my 75 gallon community tank. The water is crystal clear now after using it for just a week! Also I use bottled spring water when I do 20% water change and gravel vacuuming instead of tap water and my ph, hardness, nitrates are all much better now. Fish are fun!
Great advice. Have been struggling for a year and this info helps
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
This video is GREAT & SUPER INFORMATIVE! Sadly, I've done many of these mistakes 10 years ago and had to learn through a tragic trial and error.
Thanks bro, glad you enjoyed it! No worries, you're not alone...Most of us veterans had to learn things the hard way 😊
Thanks for this, I've been doing water changes and cleaning my filter at the same time for years. Your advice makes a lot of sense.
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh
New to the aquarium world and came across your channel. I like that you were to the point and direct with your message. Very well spoken with no mean of misinterpretation. Thank you look forward to watching more of your videos
This is so helpful! I really liked the tip about having a battery backup for oxygenating the tank in case of a power outage. Also, I had never heard of a wave maker. Great tip about temperature control too. I’ll start implementing some of these tips right away. Thanks a bunch!
I love your channel ...and really appreciate that you keep the beginners/newbies in mind! Thanks so much for all the great and helpful content! XOXO
My pleasure! This channel will always be focused on helping beginners 😁
I love your channel, very informative for us newbies! Thanks!
You are so welcome!
Kev I’m brand new at this and I’ve been over feeding with amount and frequency. 2 or 3x a day. They always act like their starving too death. ( this is my sisters tank/fish and she doesn’t really take care of them or cleaning the tank).
So I took everything out and washed all bio media with tap water and probably scrubbed to much (with a little soap as well). I know I totally screwed everything up. Then I made sure to rinse everything thoroughly with, said unsaid, “tap water”. I took out 1/2 the water from the tank and replaced it with Crystal Springs Purified water ( in those 5 gallon jugs).
Now it’s been cloudy a for 3 days so I started doing it again.
I stopped in the middle of cleaning all bio media again and decided to check your video out. By the way it was the best one I’ve seen so far you seem really smart.
I know this is a long question and I know I’ve committed about seven Felonise here but can you please help me can you please my name is Kelsey thank you so much
I’m so grateful I came across your channel! Could you do a video on understanding proper ph / hardness/ nitrate levels?
I'm glad you found it as well lol I have a few on PH and Nitrate levels. Look through the playlist section for videos covering similar topics 😊
Wish I’d seen this video a month ago. I know every single tip in this video but had to learn it the hard way and I don’t recommend that route. If I could go back I would do every single thing in this video especially the used tank and not getting a small tank parts.
My advice so far is
1- listen to people but if something feels off then go with your gut. The advice I got at the pet stores was wrong and resulted in all the fish dying within 2 days. If something feels off then ask around and do your own research. Some things are a matter of opinion not fact. Sometimes pet store staff can have high knowledge but no experience of owning fish in the home. Knowledge and experience arnt the same.
2- Dont be tempted to go cheap or buy without researching the product and manufacturers. Do it right the first time. It’s expensive enough without having to replace stuff.
3- Make sure your tools are actually stainless steel. Most arnt. Look for reputable brands.
4- Dont just dump any old pebbles in there from any old cheapo non pet shop shop. This resulted in my fish being unable to breathe.
5- go natural but research what’s going in. Plants and stuff can have an effect and your fish have specific needs. For example my ph, gh and kh were wrong so I added coral to fix this. If these don’t need fixing then dumping in a bag of coral for aesthetics may not be great.
6- Have something breaking the water surface. I’m using my pump at present while I sort this out.
7- Under no circumstances buy a tiny tank. 28 litres minimum and that is still classed as small. Like this guy says it is not easier it is a whole world of stress. It’s cost me hundreds to set up a 14 litre. It wouldn’t have cost much more to have set up a 4 footer. I can’t even add any fish to mine after all this cycling as I’m now told it’s too small for everything and not fit for fish…funny the pet shop didn’t tell me that when they sold me the tank but hey. Wont be giving them any more tank money I will get second hand.
8- Just because you had a fish growing up and used unconditioned uncycled water and they were fine doesn’t mean they will be fine in 2022. Times have clearly changed. Just don’t do it it’s cruel and also I have really appreciated this cycle time as I have used it to get to know how to do everything and testing the water, fixing problems ect. You need that fishless time for learning.
9- Dont be like me…don’t lift a tank full of water. They often break when lifted😂
10- driftwood often needs to be soaked for weeks otherwise your water will go like coffee.
For the love of god just do everything this man says 😂
Goodness, 14 litres!? You might aswell put them in a milk jug 🥲 was it a marine or freshwater tank?
Great video! Another tip is to not overcrowd your tank.
True, except in the case of African Cichlids. With these fish overcrowding is the #1 way to curb aggression in the tank.
@@KaveManAquatics I agreed I committed earlier about over crowding. But with cichlids its the other. It's very beautiful seeing all the different colors swimming around. They can't figure out which one to Chace and harass. Lol. Love your channel
1. You don't need to cycle your tank if it is loaded with plants and you add a few fish at a time, feeding very little for the first week. 2. You don't need chemical dechlorinators to remove chlorine from tap water, you can pour the water back and forth between two buckets several times to remove the chlorine, or simply leave the water standing in a bucket for a few days to remove the chlorine. 3. You can't really have too much light, algae growth in your tank means that you have excess nutrients in the water column, meaning you don't have enough plants or your substrate is not processing the waste efficiently. 5. If you set your tank up right, you don't have to do water changes OR filter cleaning, not regularly anyway. 7 Wavemakers may not be appropriate for some tanks or fish species. 8 If your tank is set up so that all your fish will perish if you lose power, then it sounds like you are on the edge of catastrophe. That's a horrible way to keep fish.
Overfeeding, backup heaters, quarantining fish are all good points.
@@casey1204 But Chloramine will NOT dissipate. It needs to be chemically broken down.
Chloramine is chlorine and ammonia. Both gasses. They will dissipate with water agitation.
I've had power out for days without harm to the fish. The biggest thing I regret is using heaters. One heater malfunctioned and got too hot, and I lost all my bottom feeders. I realized that my house is not hot enough or cold enough to kill my fish, so I do not use heaters. I use our tap water for changes without doing anything to it at all. I must be doing something right, because I have ten aquariums, and my bristlenose plecos, convict cichlids, guppies, and platies are spawning like crazy. Luckily a local pet shop owner lets me barter half-grown fish for aquarium supplies. I take him a batch of about 50 plecos, 50 guppies, 20 platies, and 20 or so convicts every two months. My electric blue Jack Dempsey is doing well, despite their reputation for being very delicate. I think the biggest mistake novice aquarists make is overstocking the tank.
You are 1 million percent right! I was born in the 70's and the older people who had fish didn't use all of the modern things of today! Their rule of thumb was let the water sit for a day or two before adding fish! It worked for them, and back then we didn't have filters to our tap water faucets!
so glad I found your Chanel. so far you are helping me save my son's fish this week thanks to one of your videos. ammonia spike happened. managing it well on day 2. ammonia levels are going down already. thank you
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
Excellent advice all around.I've been keeping fish since I was 12 and I'm now in my fifties and consider myself a pro.You are spot on with all your advice and 1000% correct.
I had an aquarium with some cichlids, house flooded in hurricane. My fish survived for 6 months with no power and freezing temperatures... all I did was pour bottled water in for evaporation..
I use spring water, period! I start with the purest of waters then I have less maintenance controlling my tank water! Nice vid!
Good stuff!
@@lifeongps I use my triple osmosis filtered water
..... is that ok?
Facts! ☝️This man speaks the truth! Yo u got me into African cichlids and into using seachem products. I used to use API products, which are still good but since I changed to seachem prime and other seachem products it's been a big difference! Thank you Kev! 🙏🏽
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
@@KaveManAquatics I am a pet store shopper API product user, in what way is seachem better?
I recently started a new 20gallon tank, water is currently cycling. I plan on moving some Platys over from my current biOrb 15 gallon(be easy on my fishes I am talking about, lol). Would you recommend at those Platys with some of the current water from the biOrb tank along with them?
BTW, excellent video here. Well spoken and direct.
I’m so glad you made this video! There is stuff in here I hadn’t heard before and I have been looking up information everywhere!
I’ve made so many of these mistakes at one time or another. This channel is soooo good and so informative.
Thank you! Glad you think so! 😊
Thanks for the healthy tips 😊😊😊 imma fish 🐟 lover
It looks like too many fish in your tank.
It's a Malawi tank, they are usually on the stocked side it helps to stops bullying, these are aggressive territorial fish
@@sierra3646 another person who has no idea what they are talking about and just spills there garbage like they know it all.
Great info; thanks so much from a beginner who has no clue. FYI when I upgraded to a bigger tank that I was lucky to get for free the tank was so much easier to maintain then the small one I had. Good advice
Yes, thats always the case! 😊 Glad you're enjoying the channel and finding it helpful!
I am a long time aquarium keeper, 60 years now. Love your information clear easy to follow. Just wanted to say I appreciate what you’re doing big thumbs up to you.
Thank you so much! Love to hear positive feedback from the veterans of the hobby! 😊💪
Sorry, I don't agree with the first one. I set up a 75-gallon saltwater tank with 2 Tidal 110 filters. I placed four fish in it to hurry the cycle process. Three months later, the tank are doing great, and they are thriving.
Have you accepted jesus in your life?
Keep feeding his sheep
Irrelevant
I'M a newbie and I have had my tank up and running about 5 weeks. It's a 200 litre tank and my nitrites and nitrates seem to have spiked quite high. I have a testing kit and test weekly with a 15% water change using tap safe and fluval bio enhancer. The only mistake I made was last week I cleaned the filter in fish tank water but also did a 15% water change at the same time, but saying that the nitrites and nitrates spike was already present. Any ideas
If you have nitrite in your tank it's not cycled. This video will be helpful in getting your tank cycled while keeping your fish safe! - ruclips.net/video/9Cuqylaak3E/видео.html
I have my 30 gallon and 10 for 20 years now. You learn all the time. But what ive learned what works for you. Go with it. I dont over crowd my tank. Give them plenty of room. Less waterchanges. Less problems. Always learning. ! Its a great hobby i love it !
1 year ago this video was made, all I can say is that this video helped me (being a beginner ); I look forward to seeing and hearing much more advice.
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
Your advice is brilliant!.. thankyou...
I've been a successful aquarist for about 60 years ....and this is the BEST advice I've ever seen on RUclips !....Yay!....Well done ...
Thank you Sir! Love to hear positive feedback from the veterans of the hobby! 😁
Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge. I’ve seen you many times and always take away something good.😊
Wow, that was helpful. I recently only got involved in my dad's aquarium. He got really busy and the aquarium was just struggling. So I tried taking over but my god there are so many issues. Our aquarium was built into the house. So it's frustrating to access. It's also a 600L tank. There are only 4 goldfish and some black skirt tetras. I have huge respect for Aquarists. This hobby is insanely detailed and can be super super exhausting but when you look at their cute little faces just so happy to see you pass by, it really warms up my heart. I'm currently really struggling with one goldfish's health. It's so insane finding good help/advice without people scamming you to buy uncecessary things.
Happy to hear you took over the tank and are finding joy in it, after the work of course! lol Your gratification for doing the work always comes after its done and you see your fish happy in a clean beautiful tank! 😊
I just started to watch you!. I'm experienced but always learning. So thank you!. Did you give away the rock setup you replaced with the wall?
I love how fast you go over this and with humor! Following! I made so many mistakes!!!! Aghhh
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
Good morning
I have a question please .
How long can à new aquarium juwel rio stay good with out water ? I mean does emphty aquarium will effect the silcone if stays emphty for long time .! I am storing the aquarium in my living room. Thanks
Great video explaining the fundamentals, I've been keeping fish for years and have made pretty much all the mistakes. When I started info like this was not readily available, well done.
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
Hi Kev, Fantastic video and nice, easy and articulate delivery of the best advice. I have kept fish before and have just bought a used tank which has a sump and a weir (apparently the way to go?) - the only worry I have is that the tank is 30" high and am concerned about reaching down into the bottom to clean it but someone told me at the shop if I use SAND instead of gravel and have Plecs they will disturb the sand will require less cleaning, especially if I keep on top of the water changes.....?
A pleco will most likely be on your glass and decor, cory cats disturb the substrate more. You could also implement wave makers that will help keep your substrate clean if your fish of choice can tolerate a heavy flow. Watch this - ruclips.net/video/tTSGJm9wyco/видео.html
It's been more than a year since I first watched this video. With your advices, I had ao much fun and good experience. Thanks again my man. Ultra respect🙏🙏🙏
My pleasure bro, glad you’ve stuck with me and to hear about your success 😁
So I purchased an aquarium light for my 20 gallon freshwater tank. Ive had the learning curve the past year and have gotten better thankfully! I've managed to learn alot from your videos but one question I have is lighting. You said 8 hours or less. My light has a timer and goes from dim to bright to dim over the day as to imitate the sun. But at night it keeps the blue/red spectrum on and says it promotes plant growth. Is this true or should I set the light to be off completely for the remaining 16 hours a day? Thank you for any reply concerning this and also for your videos! They have saved me alot of time and headache!
Hey Kev, thanks for all the awesome tips,.I have a question, I'm having a flowerhorn in 60 gallon tank. He seems to always scratch his body against the gravel and other objects 1 week after the water change. Am i making any mistake here? Please advise.
I was making 2 of the newbie mistakes you listed here. Thanks for pointing them out!
Thanks for sending me down thi huge rabbit hole of your recommendations 🙄😉
Thanks for your videos!
I love how "basic" but EXTREMELY informative your videos you are.. and u can easily see how passionate you are about your advice
Thank you! Glad you're finding the channel helpful! 😁💪
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
WOW KEV!...fabulous video! You possess a wonderful and concise teaching style. I thoroughly enjoyed this video! Thanks for all the useful tips and tricks. I consider myself a beginner hobbyist but with your assistance I suspect that with practice and proper technique I should become an intermediate hobbyist in no time.
I agree, you are in your way! Welcome to the hobby and don’t forget to enjoy the journey! 😁
Thanks for your advice, my daughter got a 20 gallon tank for Christmas, first time owner and I'm thinking of how to change the water to keep the fishes healthy. Already lost two fishes the first few days. Will change the water today.
Just got a fish tank for a betta that was given to us. I used filtered water and but still gave it some drops of declorinattor just in case and let it cycle for 24hrs before we added the fish. Now he’s making bubble in his new home and I think he likes his tank. But did I need to add those dechlorinator drops if I didn’t use tap water?
Number five cannot be overstated enough, this is something that's rarely discussed.
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Thankyou so much, for your excellent and explicit advice and the care that you put into it. Most grateful.
My pleasure! Glad you’re enjoying the channel! 😊
Hey Kev great videos! Started a new tank about a week ago. Had them in the last but been a few years. 65 gallon. Added 18 small tropical fish. Added what was required. Water went cloudy as expected but cleared up in a few days. Now tested ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. All were at zero. That normal??