@BRS YOUR OFFENSIVE LINE IS PACKED. YOU DID IT RIGHT PICKING UP MATTHEW. THIS GUY IS THE RUNNING BACK FOR HELPING BEGINNER REEF KEEPERS. GLAD HE’S WITH THE TEAM. 💪🏻🙏🏻
Agreed. Been watching Matthew since way back when he was doing the my first fish tank series on this own. Glad to see BRS knows knowledgable talent when they see it.
This guy Matthew and these videos are the only reason I stick with this hobby. I've considered throwing in the towel a few times with problems, failures, and loss but watching these videos adds some context to what I'm experiencing. Matthew's presentation and personality make me smile ( or laugh ), take a breath, and continue learning. Thanks for the videos!
Thanks for being completely honest about the ugly stage. More people need to know this. Back when I started reefing (2004) no one really warned me that it was inevitable and I thought I was doing something wrong! Heck, even established tanks can go through a bloom if something changes.
Agree with the other comments here - I'm not a beginner but going back through these has been amazing. Matthew has the right attitude, voice, pace- everything. This is your A1 guy right here and will keep me coming back! So glad to see these on BRS!!!
Been in freshwater for 40 years. Seriously getting the itch for salt. Nothing big. Nothing outrageous. Just a Cube 20 with a couple Clowns. A couple Anemone. A Goby or two. And a clean-up crew. Watching this series makes me more confident that I will be successful!
I prefer hammer, torch and frogspawn corals over anemones for clownfishes to host in just because they can’t move around unlike anemones which if gets stuck in a power head will most probably kill most of not all other animals.
I've been cycling my tank i might be too late for you but dr tim reccomends a salinty of 1.015, higher salinty makes bacteria multiply more slowly, also raise temperature to 85 degrees fairenheit. Hope this help. Dr. Tim has a video on this TH-cam
I love how much of this is applicable to fresh water. Maybe in a few years I will be ready for saltwater, but the fact to basics are interchangable is pog
Minor critique, since it does seem like a common misconception. Adding fish doesn't increase bioload on its own, feeding more does. If you're planning to add more fish soon, it might even be a good idea to slowly increase the amount of food you're feeding your display tank so that you don't have to majorly increase your bioload all at once, even if some of that food just degrades in the bottom of your tank. Since doubling or tripling your bioload all at once will be a significantly higher ammonia spike than a bit of food rotting in the sandbed.
Just finished upgrading to a Reefer 300G2 from a 40 breeder and man is this information still very helpful. Granted I through in all my fish in less than a week but no spikes in ammonia or nitrite thanks to 1+ year old live rock being transferred along with 4 bottles of 4oz turbo start and 2 of 240 Dr Tim’s. Mixing does work but it needs to be done in phases
Great videos! I’m starting my aquarium and I’m wondering when my copepods should go in, I wanted them to live in there for a bit before I add the fish and clean up crew. But I still have to watch that episode…
I thought when using the API testers. You put the liquid over the relevent colour swatch, not next to it. I'm also noticing that a lot of these beginer videos do not emphasise the importance of flow towards the filter. This helps greatly in keeping a clean tank.
Been dealing with a diatom bloom bad the last couple weeks in both of my tanks. Each are about a year old and the diatom bloom came so quick and fast when I added more fish that it killed 90% of my coral almost overnight. I agree about the patience and wish I had bought the coral after the fish... lesson learned but not quitting and I do weekly waterchanges. Hopefully this ends soon
I'm currently planning out a 30 gallon tank, and as an avid freshwater guy, I'm planning on a "planted" macroalgae tank. I've always fou d that plants help when cycling a freshwater tank and keeping things more stable, is that the same for saltwater? Would it be wise to add a few clumps of macroalgae at some point during the cycling proscess, or should I wait until adding fish?
When it comes to quarantine. May I recommend that it is noted you do not need an actual "aquarium". Appropriately sized food grade containers may also be used. Personal opinion is the idea of having to get a different "tank" puts a lot of people off quarantining.
So I'm going fishless cycle and used dr. Tims ammonia mixed with Brightwell bacteria. Using live sand as well as dry sand. Instant ocean. On day 4 and ammonia has been at 8.0 from day 1 nitrate and nitrite at 0 and ph 8.0 give or take +-. Today my reading is amm.-8.0, nitrite-0, nitrate- 20. Am I setup for future failure ?
my tank is now about 4 years old no sun light all measurements are good currently 3 fish some died over time not one after another had one jumper found him after work so no chance of survival ( i had 9 ) fish is nowhere to be found got a load of turbos 2 urchins. Yet i still got loads of green hair algae i used fibrant reef still realy hard to get rid of the hair algae im about 90% done. The fish i had where part of the cleanup crew there is one of them left. Can u please tell us what measurements we should keep up for a reeftank and what to ad or remove to keep then in chek? Whats the best waterflow for corals best temperature and best to feed? My sand is also hard to clean u got any tips? should i wrince the sand? I had fish that cleaned sand but not a good result. Ive had small cheaper corals but they all died 😔 Almost ready to give up and go back to fresh. never had problems with that.
Hello. I just got my first water-salt tank 42 gallons. It is doing first cycle and Ammonia around 0.5. Should I change water in first cycle to lover ammonia level or I have to wait? Thank you
Ammonia is normal during your cycle. Give it some time and you should see ammonia (and nitrites) fall to zero. Once that happens, a water change can be a good idea as you'll likely notice that your nitrates have gone up due to processing of that ammonia by the beneficial bacteria.
Hi very good video. Can you make a video how to deal with super micro bubbles in the tank? I am in the process of cycling the tank and never perform water changes yet. The micro bubbles in the middle of the aquarium makes the tank looks cloudy. Can you help please I do not know what is the problem I use Waterbox 20g. I have protein skimmer. I use two filter sponges, carbon and bio balls in the middle chamber.
First step would be to figure out where the bubbles are coming from. The usual suspect is the skimmer. If you turn the skimmer off and the bubbles stop, then you've found the source! 🙂
I'm new to saltwater.... I love your videos also my first fish tank...love brsvtv also but for a beginner brs doesn't explain things the way a newbie would understand
Great video! You are fantastic and should be a comedian! Aren't you supposed to wait 4 months to turn lights on to prevent the ugly stage? That what I did with my first two tanks and I Never had diatoms! I learned that 5 years ago from you old videos. Also you used to say to add Mb clean right after the cycle. I am setting up a frag tank for zoas and mushrooms with rubble and tiny rocks and bacteria balls. Do I still and CuC and how many fish for a 20 Long. I am using a HOB filter do I need a hob skimmer for a being its zoas and shrooms? What king of fish do you recommend. I would love to turn lights on asap because I really need to transfer! I have to much in my tanks now but is it going to comprise finicky high end zoas and cause algae between polyps ect. I dont wan to risk losing them! I already had a lot of them melt!
I added colony marine rapid cycle bacteria on Thursday last week (1 week ago). I waited two days, added 2 clowns. Fed them, next day I added a smaller bottle of the same bacteria as a top up. I've fed the fish daily since. Yet I have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates. What have I done wrong?
Corals don't have the same negative reaction to ammonia as fish do, so there could actually be less risk in doing this. Just keep in mind that tanks are most unstable when they're new, so if you add corals fast, make sure to keep a special eye on things like alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrates, and phosphates.
@@BulkReefSupply I’ll stick to your plan 👍🏼 my aquatic store handed me an instructional sheet that was vague. Recommended to add corals first. But this video explains in details and the mini-cycle Thank you again 🙌🏼
saltwater vs freshwater???? im a beginner , what should i pick ???? pros and cons? ive been watching more vids and learning all i can . nice vids man .
I just did a fish less cycle. Im buying 2 captive bred clownfish that will be shipped straight from ORA. I still need a quarantine tank? I thought ORA guarantees against parasites and disease?
For Dr. Tim's process, he said to add livestock once the tank has cycled and then do the water change. is there a benefit to doing the water change then adding livestock, or should i follow Dr. Tim's instructions?
Ultimately, that'll depend on how high your nitrates get once your cycle is complete. There will often be left over nitrates that don't get converted into nitrogen gas. If you have 5 ppm nitrates, not a big deal to add livestock. If you have 100 ppm nitrates, then a good sized water change (50% or more) would be advisable before you add your first fish.
Always love the content, Mathew, but I disagree that diatoms are a forgone conclusion. If you use properly cured live rock (3-6 months), add corals early on to increase biodiversity and help uptake nutrients, and you go slow with fish additions, you can circumnavigate "the ugly phase".
From what I've gathered is you're gonna get a lot algae issues at some point. You're either gonna deal with it now or later. I'd rather get it over with sooner rather than later but that is my opinion.
Since inverts don't add a whole lot of bioload to the system, I wouldn't count them in your fish count. That said, they can be more sensitive to water parameter issues, so they might not make the best first addition.
You'll probably still battle algae at one point or another, but algae is more easy to combat in a fish only tank as you don't have corals that rely on high output lights.
There are some companies out there that will QT fish for you. If you don't want to, or don't have the room for a QT tank, that might be a good alternative!
Of course the nitrogen cycle is never done, its continually running, if its isn't then yer tanks dead ;;) Personally I clean throughout the cycle, preventing the need for a big water change after putting all that junk in the water at once :) People are all masters nowadays cos we watch 10,000 hours of youtube vids ;)
So, BRS, I would like to adress something that confused me in this video when I was a beginner, and may confuse others now. Your telling people to grab your buckets, and preform a big water change, what I do not understand when you say that, is you add a salt picture into the video, which has confused me in the past, therefor I needed to do a bunch more research on when to add salt into your aquarium, and it said “NEVER” because the salt stays, even when the water evaporates. Please consider that there are a bunch of new reefers and images like this can confuse people.
Ok to clear this up, when doing a water change you need your add salt to the new water as your effectively taking the salt out of the tank so that needs to be replaced, as far as your auto top up goes this just needs to be unsalted water as this effectively replaces the evaporated water which leaves the salt behind.
The water itself does not mature. It’s the organisms on the live rock, glass, sump, sand that has matured and reproduced enough to sustain life in the tank . Very little beneficial bacteria is in the water compared to the sand/rocks
Cycling a tank. Welcome to 1980... Why is this myth still a thing in the US? There is no need to cycle a tank and you don't start with fish but with corals. Everybody in the world knows this now but in the US it is still 1980 😂😂😂
BRS FOUND A CHEAT CODE WITH THIS GUY. He’s so underrated!!!! I literally like all the videos before I even finish watching them. Thanks for everything
@BRS YOUR OFFENSIVE LINE IS PACKED. YOU DID IT RIGHT PICKING UP MATTHEW. THIS GUY IS THE RUNNING BACK FOR HELPING BEGINNER REEF KEEPERS. GLAD HE’S WITH THE TEAM. 💪🏻🙏🏻
SECONDED
Agreed. Been watching Matthew since way back when he was doing the my first fish tank series on this own. Glad to see BRS knows knowledgable talent when they see it.
I love this guy! he should be a famous comedian! He provide such knowledge with humor! He is great!
This guy Matthew and these videos are the only reason I stick with this hobby. I've considered throwing in the towel a few times with problems, failures, and loss but watching these videos adds some context to what I'm experiencing. Matthew's presentation and personality make me smile ( or laugh ), take a breath, and continue learning. Thanks for the videos!
BRS did good with bringing this man into the team...His videos are extremely informative but with a twist of great character....
I couldn't agree more! He's exceptionally good at what he does!
Thanks for being completely honest about the ugly stage. More people need to know this. Back when I started reefing (2004) no one really warned me that it was inevitable and I thought I was doing something wrong! Heck, even established tanks can go through a bloom if something changes.
Agree with the other comments here - I'm not a beginner but going back through these has been amazing. Matthew has the right attitude, voice, pace- everything. This is your A1 guy right here and will keep me coming back! So glad to see these on BRS!!!
Been in freshwater for 40 years. Seriously getting the itch for salt. Nothing big. Nothing outrageous. Just a Cube 20 with a couple Clowns. A couple Anemone. A Goby or two. And a clean-up crew.
Watching this series makes me more confident that I will be successful!
Awesome to hear! Let us know if we can help in any way 🙂
clowns n Anemones are pretty easy.. once tank is mature. Maybe 6 months for anenomes tho, not early like the clowns themselves
I prefer hammer, torch and frogspawn corals over anemones for clownfishes to host in just because they can’t move around unlike anemones which if gets stuck in a power head will most probably kill most of not all other animals.
@@abyankabir1910 In a 20 gallon tank they won’t need a powerhead. I have a softie/anemone 40 gallon and rely on the return for flow, it works fine.
I just ordered a very large tank for my first tank… Still waiting on it to be delivered… And these videos have been so incredibly helpful
How big of a tank and how is it going so far now that it's been a year?
When your sanity is hi like 1.027 can you still start the cycle with Dr Tim’s fishless cycle???
I've been cycling my tank i might be too late for you but dr tim reccomends a salinty of 1.015, higher salinty makes bacteria multiply more slowly, also raise temperature to 85 degrees fairenheit.
Hope this help.
Dr. Tim has a video on this TH-cam
I love how much of this is applicable to fresh water. Maybe in a few years I will be ready for saltwater, but the fact to basics are interchangable is pog
I don't think Freshwater is any easier, in some ways the chemistry is more complex... saltwater tanks are costly though.
Wow what an excellent video! I’m just about to dive into the hobby. Matthew seems to be made for instruction and motivation. Keep up the great work!
Minor critique, since it does seem like a common misconception. Adding fish doesn't increase bioload on its own, feeding more does. If you're planning to add more fish soon, it might even be a good idea to slowly increase the amount of food you're feeding your display tank so that you don't have to majorly increase your bioload all at once, even if some of that food just degrades in the bottom of your tank. Since doubling or tripling your bioload all at once will be a significantly higher ammonia spike than a bit of food rotting in the sandbed.
This is TH-cam content at its best. Sensible, helpful, and interesting. Great video!
keep them coming, I'm finally starting my first tank Saturday 😋
Just finished upgrading to a Reefer 300G2 from a 40 breeder and man is this information still very helpful. Granted I through in all my fish in less than a week but no spikes in ammonia or nitrite thanks to 1+ year old live rock being transferred along with 4 bottles of 4oz turbo start and 2 of 240 Dr Tim’s. Mixing does work but it needs to be done in phases
Great videos! I’m starting my aquarium and I’m wondering when my copepods should go in, I wanted them to live in there for a bit before I add the fish and clean up crew. But I still have to watch that episode…
I thought when using the API testers. You put the liquid over the relevent colour swatch, not next to it. I'm also noticing that a lot of these beginer videos do not emphasise the importance of flow towards the filter. This helps greatly in keeping a clean tank.
Good to see you bright and sparkling with great advice in your new career step change….
Been dealing with a diatom bloom bad the last couple weeks in both of my tanks. Each are about a year old and the diatom bloom came so quick and fast when I added more fish that it killed 90% of my coral almost overnight. I agree about the patience and wish I had bought the coral after the fish... lesson learned but not quitting and I do weekly waterchanges. Hopefully this ends soon
Great video as always Matthew! Keep up the amazing work!
Great video Matthew. I love the way you present the facts and edit the videos.
Great stuff and congratulations on the new gig!
coincidentally my tank has also cycled so these videos are very helpful.
I'm currently planning out a 30 gallon tank, and as an avid freshwater guy, I'm planning on a "planted" macroalgae tank. I've always fou d that plants help when cycling a freshwater tank and keeping things more stable, is that the same for saltwater? Would it be wise to add a few clumps of macroalgae at some point during the cycling proscess, or should I wait until adding fish?
When it comes to quarantine. May I recommend that it is noted you do not need an actual "aquarium". Appropriately sized food grade containers may also be used. Personal opinion is the idea of having to get a different "tank" puts a lot of people off quarantining.
This is a great perspective and tip
Such good content. Thank you
So I'm going fishless cycle and used dr. Tims ammonia mixed with Brightwell bacteria. Using live sand as well as dry sand. Instant ocean. On day 4 and ammonia has been at 8.0 from day 1 nitrate and nitrite at 0 and ph 8.0 give or take +-. Today my reading is amm.-8.0, nitrite-0, nitrate- 20. Am I setup for future failure ?
I didn't know Will Forte was into reefing.....hahahaha!
Enjoying the series
my tank is now about 4 years old no sun light all measurements are good currently 3 fish some died over time not one after another had one jumper found him after work so no chance of survival ( i had 9 ) fish is nowhere to be found got a load of turbos 2 urchins. Yet i still got loads of green hair algae i used fibrant reef still realy hard to get rid of the hair algae im about 90% done. The fish i had where part of the cleanup crew there is one of them left. Can u please tell us what measurements we should keep up for a reeftank and what to ad or remove to keep then in chek? Whats the best waterflow for corals best temperature and best to feed? My sand is also hard to clean u got any tips? should i wrince the sand? I had fish that cleaned sand but not a good result. Ive had small cheaper corals but they all died 😔 Almost ready to give up and go back to fresh. never had problems with that.
This gave me hope ❤️
Hello. I just got my first water-salt tank 42 gallons. It is doing first cycle and Ammonia around 0.5. Should I change water in first cycle to lover ammonia level or I have to wait? Thank you
Ammonia is normal during your cycle. Give it some time and you should see ammonia (and nitrites) fall to zero. Once that happens, a water change can be a good idea as you'll likely notice that your nitrates have gone up due to processing of that ammonia by the beneficial bacteria.
I needed this pep talk.
:-)
Hi very good video. Can you make a video how to deal with super micro bubbles in the tank? I am in the process of cycling the tank and never perform water changes yet. The micro bubbles in the middle of the aquarium makes the tank looks cloudy. Can you help please I do not know what is the problem
I use Waterbox 20g. I have protein skimmer. I use two filter sponges, carbon and bio balls in the middle chamber.
First step would be to figure out where the bubbles are coming from. The usual suspect is the skimmer. If you turn the skimmer off and the bubbles stop, then you've found the source! 🙂
How do you not have WAY WAY more views?
I add carol the first day i setup my tank and they all live an doing well
I'm new to saltwater.... I love your videos also my first fish tank...love brsvtv also but for a beginner brs doesn't explain things the way a newbie would understand
Great video! You are fantastic and should be a comedian! Aren't you supposed to wait 4 months to turn lights on to prevent the ugly stage? That what I did with my first two tanks and I Never had diatoms! I learned that 5 years ago from you old videos. Also you used to say to add Mb clean right after the cycle. I am setting up a frag tank for zoas and mushrooms with rubble and tiny rocks and bacteria balls. Do I still and CuC and how many fish for a 20 Long. I am using a HOB filter do I need a hob skimmer for a being its zoas and shrooms? What king of fish do you recommend. I would love to turn lights on asap because I really need to transfer! I have to much in my tanks now but is it going to comprise finicky high end zoas and cause algae between polyps ect. I dont wan to risk losing them! I already had a lot of them melt!
My ph is to low even after I mix fresh RO DI water. Tried 2 different salts any idea of my problem? It’s a dwarf seahorse tank
I added colony marine rapid cycle bacteria on Thursday last week (1 week ago). I waited two days, added 2 clowns. Fed them, next day I added a smaller bottle of the same bacteria as a top up. I've fed the fish daily since. Yet I have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates. What have I done wrong?
Awesome! I’m half of my cycle 🙌🏼
What if I was to add the corals first and then livestock? What’s the risk?
Corals don't have the same negative reaction to ammonia as fish do, so there could actually be less risk in doing this. Just keep in mind that tanks are most unstable when they're new, so if you add corals fast, make sure to keep a special eye on things like alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrates, and phosphates.
@@BulkReefSupply I’ll stick to your plan 👍🏼 my aquatic store handed me an instructional sheet that was vague. Recommended to add corals first. But this video explains in details and the mini-cycle
Thank you again 🙌🏼
saltwater vs freshwater???? im a beginner , what should i pick ???? pros and cons? ive been watching more vids and learning all i can . nice vids man .
I just did a fish less cycle. Im buying 2 captive bred clownfish that will be shipped straight from ORA. I still need a quarantine tank? I thought ORA guarantees against parasites and disease?
Wow u got slime algae bro i think water changes will help i didnt got any slime algae in my reef tank
For Dr. Tim's process, he said to add livestock once the tank has cycled and then do the water change. is there a benefit to doing the water change then adding livestock, or should i follow Dr. Tim's instructions?
Ultimately, that'll depend on how high your nitrates get once your cycle is complete. There will often be left over nitrates that don't get converted into nitrogen gas. If you have 5 ppm nitrates, not a big deal to add livestock. If you have 100 ppm nitrates, then a good sized water change (50% or more) would be advisable before you add your first fish.
Always love the content, Mathew, but I disagree that diatoms are a forgone conclusion. If you use properly cured live rock (3-6 months), add corals early on to increase biodiversity and help uptake nutrients, and you go slow with fish additions, you can circumnavigate "the ugly phase".
Which salt to choose for my first saltwater tank
Check out this video. I think it'll help answer your question 🙂
th-cam.com/video/LU3apTiPWZI/w-d-xo.html
MAKE YOUR OWN!!!!
I dont understand why the need to turn on lights even though no corals added yet. Can you elaborate more on this requirement? Thanks!
If you have fish they need the lights to have a day night cycle and if you added a clean up crew they need the algae to eat
From what I've gathered is you're gonna get a lot algae issues at some point. You're either gonna deal with it now or later. I'd rather get it over with sooner rather than later but that is my opinion.
U made me want to watch soul plane
So weekly water testing do that before or after you’ve done your weekly water change?
At the start of the video i thought you said "your money is at zero and nitrates at 0" 😂😂😂😂😂😂
So when you say 2-4 fish , do you mean invertebrates count as well?
Since inverts don't add a whole lot of bioload to the system, I wouldn't count them in your fish count. That said, they can be more sensitive to water parameter issues, so they might not make the best first addition.
With a fish only tank and a bare bottom are you going to get the algae. And if so should be easier to vacuum out???
You'll probably still battle algae at one point or another, but algae is more easy to combat in a fish only tank as you don't have corals that rely on high output lights.
What do I do if I don’t have room for a quarantine tank?
There are some companies out there that will QT fish for you. If you don't want to, or don't have the room for a QT tank, that might be a good alternative!
Do I need to cycle the quarantine tank?
Absolutely.
Of course the nitrogen cycle is never done, its continually running, if its isn't then yer tanks dead ;;) Personally I clean throughout the cycle, preventing the need for a big water change after putting all that junk in the water at once :)
People are all masters nowadays cos we watch 10,000 hours of youtube vids ;)
So, BRS, I would like to adress something that confused me in this video when I was a beginner, and may confuse others now. Your telling people to grab your buckets, and preform a big water change, what I do not understand when you say that, is you add a salt picture into the video, which has confused me in the past, therefor I needed to do a bunch more research on when to add salt into your aquarium, and it said “NEVER” because the salt stays, even when the water evaporates. Please consider that there are a bunch of new reefers and images like this can confuse people.
Ok to clear this up, when doing a water change you need your add salt to the new water as your effectively taking the salt out of the tank so that needs to be replaced, as far as your auto top up goes this just needs to be unsalted water as this effectively replaces the evaporated water which leaves the salt behind.
So as soon as your water has matured, you throw it away, not getting that at all.
The water itself does not mature. It’s the organisms on the live rock, glass, sump, sand that has matured and reproduced enough to sustain life in the tank . Very little beneficial bacteria is in the water compared to the sand/rocks
Snails and crabs don’t really mix
Missed episodes 1-22 and you're barely on cycling the tank? Oof
This advice is absolutely awful except for the quarantine tank
Cycling a tank. Welcome to 1980... Why is this myth still a thing in the US? There is no need to cycle a tank and you don't start with fish but with corals. Everybody in the world knows this now but in the US it is still 1980 😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Good luck with that