You are so right. One of my goldfish had a stone stuck in his mouth. It was a round natural looking stone. Out if desperation, I used tweezers to get it out and he was fine.Ever since I have bare bottom tank, but I really think sand would be better. I grow algae on the back of my tank. There are little holes in it where my goldfish pick at it, but prefer the totally wiped down tank.I could watch your fish all the time. Thanks-
I went with black sand. It makes the colors pop (except forthe Moors of course)...and i like to watch them sift. They pick up every speck of flakes as well. Ive learned so much from your videos! My 9 year old son and i set up our tank and now he enjoys the 2 Orandas he picked out himself. We learned what to do step by step from you! Thanks a million! Im sure Mac and Cheese appreciate it too!....lol....❤🐟
I've seen fish dig in sand before. I thought they were just shy, but it seems like they're kind of like dogs that they dig for fun! Maybe you can hide a nice treat for them to find? Fish are surprisingly dynamic! I learn a bit more every day!😄
theyll smell it and not have to search i think, and i also think goldfishes eat food that is in the ground and not at the surface so they always dig like that
I usually have a gravel layer (lava rock fine size= pea or small marble sized) then I use fine sand. Ontop of it so the good bacteria has plenty of rough surfaces to culture on so I keep at least 2 inches of sand ontop of my gravel media layer
I lost my favourite fish when he swallowed a piece of gravel and where I couldn't get it out. I had to euthanase him. I now have a (sort of) bare bottom. I have some glass "pebbles" that are too big for the fish to swallow, but where they like to push them around. And it's super-easy to clean. I have three live plants that are in terracotta pots with large gravel pieces - and so far, so good - they aren't pulling them out.
Sorry for your loss 😢. What was the signs? My goldfish has its mouth stuck open and has done for a week. I have gravel at the bottom of my pond but can't see anything in its mouth
Sand is great but you need to be careful not to stir them up too much when you por fresh water back into the tank as stirred up sand can get sucked into your HOB filter mechanism and can overtime damage the spindles and other mechanism inside the HOB filter machine. Large gravel is just bad....
You will need substrate to help hold beneficial bacteria in the tank. Sand is the best since gravel allows gunk and east to seep to the bottom. And sand is too dense and waste will just sit at the top.
The single layer of pebbles I have is very easy to vacuum when I do a water change/top up and my goldfish and algae eater push the stones around but can't swallow them. Has been this way for months now and no issues. Water quality remains very good and stable too - I only do a top-up/change once every three or four months - but I also have a low stocking rate (only three fish in my three foot tank).
Good bacteria live on hard clean surfaces and are not too effected by vacuum cleaning. Some gets sucked up and are quickly replaced by multiplication. No good bacteria live in the water column. Good bacterial cannot live on mushy detritus so clean those sponges in the filters and the sponge filters.
I was stuck between thinking about getting bare bottom or black gravel(as i already have around 10kgs of it) for my new gold fish tank. Only reason i wanted gravel was it looked nicer. But i guess i am gonna go bare bottom now
don't put any sort of substrate for a fish tank from my experience it is one of reasons for fishes to die because all sorts of wastes and fish poop get stuck in it and make the aquarium look cloudy and dirty and at the end your fish is going to die from ammonia spike
I have two goldfish one common goldfish and one comet Goldfish and one time my common goldfish choked on a rock but I told my parents and they caught it and saved it
Is a plant or plants on a driftwood good for goldfish? Does driftwood (bought from an aquarium supplier of course) leach anything into the water that might harm fishes? Pls help ! My young ryukin goldfish are active but they seem bored cos there's nothing in the tank to entertain themselves with 🙁
Luke, I’m curious about your opinion on decor in an aquarium. I notice you really don’t use much in your tanks and they are pretty bare, could you elaborate for us why you choose to keep a minimalist aquarium? I’m curious because I had always assumed that aquarium decor and plants were a way of keeping the fish stimulated, so I’m wondering what the actual benefits are of aquarium decor, if any. Aside from plants adding oxygen to the water.
I know it’s 6 months later so I don’t know if you figured it out but I saw one of his videos saying he doesn’t like decor because fancy goldfish are big and clumsy and decor can get them injured so the only decor he recommends is love plants
@@Luca_Silvio I think I did see him say something about that in another video. But thank you for reminding me 🙂 I do wonder though, about how he feels about aquatic plants as aquarium decor, Vs plastic plants that can have sharp edges. I had a faux plant for my betta fish, but it was made of the same stuff that fake flowers are made of, kind of like a synthetic silk. So it’s pretty soft, and softer when it’s submerged in water, so I feel that if you’re gonna get any kind of fake plants, fabric ones are probably the better idea. Though bigger fish do tend to like to nibble on plants in their tanks, so probably not the greatest idea for some species.
@@missmarie_8790 I had a typo I meant to say live plants not love plants if I remember correct in one of his videos he said goldfish are big and clumsy so they might get cut on fake plants because of sharp plastic edges but it’s ok for other species and the silk ones are probably fine for most species that don’t bite the plants
@@Luca_Silvio oh no doubt lol, you can tell with how the lil nuggets bump around into each other in his videos. It gives them some charm though, and definitely don’t want to put them in an environment that would make them uncomfortable or cause them harm. I do love aquarium decor, but I don’t have to live in it, so if it’s unnecessary or harmful, I wouldn’t put any fish I had through that. I had a little clam shell that looked like a treasure chest, that my Betta liked to hang out in, and “nap.” But it had smooth edges, and no tight areas to get stuck in. It bothers me whenever I see people get like the SpongeBob pineapple house for their aquariums, because they are notorious for getting fish trapped in. There is a subreddit devoted to bad aquariums, and it’s upsetting to see some of the misguided attempts.
I have had goldfish get gravel stuck in their mouths twice. They managed to dislodge it on their own, but it was stressful. I was getting ready to intervene both times. Totally think sand or bare is the way to go with goldfish.
Hi again, my new piggies, Bowie and Zowie, have pure white sand, but after looking at yours I quite like the black....anywhere, my guys love the sand sifting.. In fact....they are very good at it....these are my first fancies....I'm obsessed by them.....I'm forever cleaning the sand with a large pipette .... or doing water changes, am I stressing them out?.....
Hi, I have a problem with my 3 fantails sitting at the bottom of the tank 3 days now they seem to go into a trance tap the glass & they swim up eat a little food then go back down, 2 small ones a new bought on Tuesday the other is medysized & had him months, I’ve got aqua soil in the tank with a little bio substrate to with roots of a plant in there, could it be the substrate no signs of disease & have a hang on the back filter I’m stumped at what it could be, did a water change & treated water with tap safe & ammonia & nitrate treatment.. please help 😢
Hello there Luke, i dont have a decent source for black river sand. is it possible to use activated charcoal chips instead? the same one used in water filters. around 3-5 mm in diameter. The deep black substrate in your aquariums really look good.
I had an aquarium for over 25 years and I only had one “stupid” fish that would CONSTANTLY get gravel stuck in its mouth. I swear he would go pick up the gravel till he got one stuck. One time I had to pry a piece out of his goofy maw and 5 minutes later he had another piece stuck. 🙄
My guppy ate gravel like he swallowed it .... I can clearly see it through his stomach (because it's translucent) And I panicked and just shook him until he puked it out
Hey which brand sand did you use? I’m thinking of adding my four Oranda’s in my 125 gallon which is a sand/gravel mix. I want to remove that substrate and add a black sand but the one I used to buy - CaribSea Instant Ocean been discontinued. Any recommendations? I’m in Chicago btw - noticed your shirt
I want my fish to get fun, lower risks, so that the dirt does not accumulate excessively, so today I will go buy my sand and prepare my tank for my chubbys.
Luke... Question... I've been cleaning my gravel by completely removing all the water, taking the gravel out and rinse it with tap water until its clean. I do this about once a month. Is this the correct way of doing it? What would you recommend?
removing all water stresses fish. also you are cleaning off any beneficial bacteria. Tap water has chlorine, so I hope you are using something like PRIME in all your water changes. Do 50% water change when your nitrates hit 20-40.
I look at your aquarium, and start to think of removing my black background. I like that see through style, but still thinking how to cover pipes from external filter and cables :)
Background is literally the only way unless you run the pipes(assuming they're thin and small) along the corner of the tank, could also find plants to wrap around the pipes.
barebottom is the easiest and cleanest way to maintain a fish tank if you have a strong filtration system.you put any sand into your tank only leaves you dirt and a lot of troubles need you to clean up very often. If you don't then your fish would easily get sick and die But if you do not put any sand then all the aquariums will lose a lot of money can earn. That is why the aquarium will not tell you the truth. People don't like to use barebottom it's because they think it's ugly and looks unnatural but don't forget one thing that is your fish tanks filtration system no matter how strong it is still can never compare with nature river water
thanks for this video im really struggling with the gravels ive got i just thinking in changing for either sand or larger rocks but cnow i have to rethink
You are so right. One of my goldfish had a stone stuck in his mouth. It was a round natural looking stone. Out if desperation, I used tweezers to get it out and he was fine.Ever since I have bare bottom tank, but I really think sand would be better. I grow algae on the back of my tank. There are little holes in it where my goldfish pick at it, but prefer the totally wiped down tank.I could watch your fish all the time. Thanks-
Just happen to me today
I went with black sand. It makes the colors pop (except forthe Moors of course)...and i like to watch them sift. They pick up every speck of flakes as well. Ive learned so much from your videos! My 9 year old son and i set up our tank and now he enjoys the 2 Orandas he picked out himself. We learned what to do step by step from you! Thanks a million! Im sure Mac and Cheese appreciate it too!....lol....❤🐟
I've seen fish dig in sand before. I thought they were just shy, but it seems like they're kind of like dogs that they dig for fun! Maybe you can hide a nice treat for them to find?
Fish are surprisingly dynamic! I learn a bit more every day!😄
theyll smell it and not have to search i think, and i also think goldfishes eat food that is in the ground and not at the surface so they always dig like that
Haha if the treat rots though it’s bad for water quality.
@@lukesgoldies
Oh! Yeah, that's true too. They're probably just as happy without the scavenger hunts.😊
I use sand with gravel to hold my live plants. I do have decor that help with beneficial bacteria.
I can't wait for goldfish now lol. I thought they were dumb for a while, but you've got me obsessed
Hey Luke! Quick question, how do you clean your sand without losing the beneficial bacteria in it?
Deeper sand substrate and you clean the top of it
@@iamchef8544 thanks!
@@vanillaf3507 np
I rely on my filters for most of my bacteria. But I just stir it up a little with my gravel vaccine
I usually have a gravel layer (lava rock fine size= pea or small marble sized) then I use fine sand. Ontop of it so the good bacteria has plenty of rough surfaces to culture on so I keep at least 2 inches of sand ontop of my gravel media layer
I lost my favourite fish when he swallowed a piece of gravel and where I couldn't get it out. I had to euthanase him. I now have a (sort of) bare bottom. I have some glass "pebbles" that are too big for the fish to swallow, but where they like to push them around. And it's super-easy to clean. I have three live plants that are in terracotta pots with large gravel pieces - and so far, so good - they aren't pulling them out.
Sorry for your loss 😢. What was the signs? My goldfish has its mouth stuck open and has done for a week. I have gravel at the bottom of my pond but can't see anything in its mouth
Never really had fish and only found this via the algorithm but I am getting really sold. Time to do a ton if research!!!!
Sooo. Did your first tank gave birth to another one? Tank multiplies, I don't know how but it does.. as if they're mating when I'm asleep.
Sand is great but you need to be careful not to stir them up too much when you por fresh water back into the tank as stirred up sand can get sucked into your HOB filter mechanism and can overtime damage the spindles and other mechanism inside the HOB filter machine. Large gravel is just bad....
Why is large gravel bad? I thought it would be safer for fish because they would be too big to swallow? Would love to learn more
1:58 Mr. Cow is trying to kill your fish dude 😆
You will need substrate to help hold beneficial bacteria in the tank. Sand is the best since gravel allows gunk and east to seep to the bottom. And sand is too dense and waste will just sit at the top.
The single layer of pebbles I have is very easy to vacuum when I do a water change/top up and my goldfish and algae eater push the stones around but can't swallow them. Has been this way for months now and no issues. Water quality remains very good and stable too - I only do a top-up/change once every three or four months - but I also have a low stocking rate (only three fish in my three foot tank).
Good bacteria live on hard clean surfaces and are not too effected by vacuum cleaning. Some gets sucked up and are quickly replaced by multiplication. No good bacteria live in the water column. Good bacterial cannot live on mushy detritus so clean those sponges in the filters and the sponge filters.
Thank you. I was on the fence between gravel and sand. I will get black sand
I was stuck between thinking about getting bare bottom or black gravel(as i already have around 10kgs of it) for my new gold fish tank. Only reason i wanted gravel was it looked nicer. But i guess i am gonna go bare bottom now
also Luke can i put an artificial plant there maybe?
don't put any sort of substrate for a fish tank from my experience it is one of reasons for fishes to die because all sorts of wastes and fish poop get stuck in it and make the aquarium look cloudy and dirty and at the end your fish is going to die from ammonia spike
I have two goldfish one common goldfish and one comet Goldfish and one time my common goldfish choked on a rock but I told my parents and they caught it and saved it
That was three years ago and now the fish is fine
So best choice is sand ? I have gravel and i got brown algea everywhere when i moved gravel and rocks!
What brand and type/size of black sand do you use. I think it looks great.
Sir my black lion head orenda some time scratching at bottom sir sand can harmful for orenda gills can irritate orenda gills
I run undergravel filtration in my tank, so substrate is a must.
Is a plant or plants on a driftwood good for goldfish? Does driftwood (bought from an aquarium supplier of course) leach anything into the water that might harm fishes? Pls help ! My young ryukin goldfish are active but they seem bored cos there's nothing in the tank to entertain themselves with 🙁
bare bottom
I'm sorry I had to do this, it's just that there aren't any comments on it n someone's gotta do it ..so I took one for the team
i found that my oranda would always scratched up his belly with a sand bottom, he is softball size though :P
Luke, I’m curious about your opinion on decor in an aquarium. I notice you really don’t use much in your tanks and they are pretty bare, could you elaborate for us why you choose to keep a minimalist aquarium? I’m curious because I had always assumed that aquarium decor and plants were a way of keeping the fish stimulated, so I’m wondering what the actual benefits are of aquarium decor, if any. Aside from plants adding oxygen to the water.
I know it’s 6 months later so I don’t know if you figured it out but I saw one of his videos saying he doesn’t like decor because fancy goldfish are big and clumsy and decor can get them injured so the only decor he recommends is love plants
@@Luca_Silvio I think I did see him say something about that in another video. But thank you for reminding me 🙂 I do wonder though, about how he feels about aquatic plants as aquarium decor, Vs plastic plants that can have sharp edges.
I had a faux plant for my betta fish, but it was made of the same stuff that fake flowers are made of, kind of like a synthetic silk. So it’s pretty soft, and softer when it’s submerged in water, so I feel that if you’re gonna get any kind of fake plants, fabric ones are probably the better idea. Though bigger fish do tend to like to nibble on plants in their tanks, so probably not the greatest idea for some species.
@@missmarie_8790 I had a typo I meant to say live plants not love plants if I remember correct in one of his videos he said goldfish are big and clumsy so they might get cut on fake plants because of sharp plastic edges but it’s ok for other species and the silk ones are probably fine for most species that don’t bite the plants
@@Luca_Silvio oh no doubt lol, you can tell with how the lil nuggets bump around into each other in his videos. It gives them some charm though, and definitely don’t want to put them in an environment that would make them uncomfortable or cause them harm. I do love aquarium decor, but I don’t have to live in it, so if it’s unnecessary or harmful, I wouldn’t put any fish I had through that. I had a little clam shell that looked like a treasure chest, that my Betta liked to hang out in, and “nap.” But it had smooth edges, and no tight areas to get stuck in. It bothers me whenever I see people get like the SpongeBob pineapple house for their aquariums, because they are notorious for getting fish trapped in. There is a subreddit devoted to bad aquariums, and it’s upsetting to see some of the misguided attempts.
How do you hold a goldfish safely? Because mine always get scared and run away but I don't want to squeeze the life out of them any advice?
Speaking of stimulation, have you ever put a ball in their tanks?
A ball! Wow I’m googling it now!
Goldfish having fun with his ball:
th-cam.com/video/7wCcw158Zls/w-d-xo.html
What about small lava rock?
I have had goldfish get gravel stuck in their mouths twice. They managed to dislodge it on their own, but it was stressful. I was getting ready to intervene both times. Totally think sand or bare is the way to go with goldfish.
Or big pebbles like the kind that are sold for turtle aquariums - I've had no trouble since using those instead of smaller gravel.
@@suelake-harris1035 yup, as long as it's a thin layer you can gravel vac easily. Cause all sorts of yuck gets between and under larger pebbles.
@@k-makesomething Very true. They seem to like these big pebbles, and it's very easy to vac.
Hi again, my new piggies, Bowie and Zowie, have pure white sand, but after looking at yours I quite like the black....anywhere, my guys love the sand sifting..
In fact....they are very good at it....these are my first fancies....I'm obsessed by them.....I'm forever cleaning the sand with a large pipette .... or doing water changes, am I stressing them out?.....
You have an actors face, feel like you should be a Roman commander or some sh1t in a movie 😆👍
Thanks for all the advice 🙏
I put a tank together and it went to shit. I didn’t know you had to put that ammonia and stuff for two months now I get it.
Yeah, you MUST cycle a tank or fish are at high risk of dying.
It acts for reducing kh in water😊
Couldn’t find on your website which sand you use. Do you mind sharing? Thanks
Hi, I have a problem with my 3 fantails sitting at the bottom of the tank 3 days now they seem to go into a trance tap the glass & they swim up eat a little food then go back down, 2 small ones a new bought on Tuesday the other is medysized & had him months, I’ve got aqua soil in the tank with a little bio substrate to with roots of a plant in there, could it be the substrate no signs of disease & have a hang on the back filter I’m stumped at what it could be, did a water change & treated water with tap safe & ammonia & nitrate treatment.. please help 😢
I’m very straight but boy do you have beautiful eyelashes 😂
I've heard some experts saying sand and goldfish don't mix, is that true?
Thank you sir!
What brand is that HOB filter on your tank buddy?
It looks like All-Glass. I have one and really like it. It self-starts, too which is nice although the flow is not adjustable.
Hello there Luke, i dont have a decent source for black river sand. is it possible to use activated charcoal chips instead? the same one used in water filters. around 3-5 mm in diameter. The deep black substrate in your aquariums really look good.
what kind of black sand do you use bro?
Talk about how much goldfish love interacting with the sand
The goldfish: rub up against the sand in the background
Under gravel filters went out of fashion I have no idea how because they used to help with overstocked tanks for me
How is the granulometry of this sand?
I had an aquarium for over 25 years and I only had one “stupid” fish that would CONSTANTLY get gravel stuck in its mouth. I swear he would go pick up the gravel till he got one stuck. One time I had to pry a piece out of his goofy maw and 5 minutes later he had another piece stuck. 🙄
My guppy ate gravel like he swallowed it ....
I can clearly see it through his stomach (because it's translucent)
And I panicked and just shook him until he puked it out
Needed this vid
Hey which brand sand did you use? I’m thinking of adding my four Oranda’s in my 125 gallon which is a sand/gravel mix. I want to remove that substrate and add a black sand but the one I used to buy - CaribSea Instant Ocean been discontinued. Any recommendations? I’m in Chicago btw - noticed your shirt
I want my fish to get fun, lower risks, so that the dirt does not accumulate excessively, so today I will go buy my sand and prepare my tank for my chubbys.
Hi Luke, may I know if it is bad for ranchu to be deep tanks like height is 2ft?
Luke... Question... I've been cleaning my gravel by completely removing all the water, taking the gravel out and rinse it with tap water until its clean. I do this about once a month. Is this the correct way of doing it? What would you recommend?
removing all water stresses fish. also you are cleaning off any beneficial bacteria. Tap water has chlorine, so I hope you are using something like PRIME in all your water changes. Do 50% water change when your nitrates hit 20-40.
Hello sir I have gold fish with lot of lice or parasite on them what to do??
I’ve read that sand isn’t good for the filter?
I look at your aquarium, and start to think of removing my black background. I like that see through style, but still thinking how to cover pipes from external filter and cables :)
Background is literally the only way unless you run the pipes(assuming they're thin and small) along the corner of the tank, could also find plants to wrap around the pipes.
I did a frosted glass background. I like the look of it.
see through or black for me
barebottom is the easiest and cleanest way to maintain a fish tank if you have a strong filtration system.you put any sand into your tank only leaves you dirt and a lot of troubles need you to clean up very often. If you don't then your fish would easily get sick and die But if you do not put any sand then all the aquariums will lose a lot of money can earn. That is why the aquarium will not tell you the truth. People don't like to use barebottom it's because they think it's ugly and looks unnatural but don't forget one thing that is your fish tanks filtration system no matter how strong it is still can never compare with nature river water
Hence a low stocking rate and lots of plants can be highly beneficial - but with goldfish, it's hard to find hardy plants. Anubias are good for this.
What is the risk of sand for goldfish?
i dont see a gravel link
Bare bottom is best for goldfish.
Hello luke
Hey!
Does anyone know what brand he gets his sand from?
thanks for this video im really struggling with the gravels ive got i just thinking in changing for either sand or larger rocks but cnow i have to rethink
Glad it’s helpful!
Can I put Moss balls in the tank?
Sir do you deworm your fish?
Luke just curious do you have any telescope goldfish
I don’t think he does
Are you related to Colby Covington?
Your blinking so much
Very handsome 😍
ur voice changed so much
Substrate looks nice but I get tired of sucking up 💩💩💩🐡🐡🐡🐡
your fishies have nothing
Second
Hi first