Hi Mark, I finally figured out what was wrong, I rewatched this episode and I didn't remember I was supposed to change out the ceramic media after a year. So I got the pearl media and did a thorough cleaning and my biorb is crystal clear. Thanks for all your help!
So glad I found this channel had a booed for years but often had problems keeping it clean and staying clean I have took all your advice on board and am looking forward to a beautiful tank, thanks
Hi. I hope you are finding the channel of help.. Hopefully my videos cover all the basics needed to maintain a biOrb. The key things are to get an aquarium vac, do regular water changes and do not overload the tank with too many(or the wrong type of) fish. Get all those things about right and you should have a beautiful tank with happy fish. If you need any advice just shout. Best wishes, Mark
Many thanks and really great to hear from you (in Hongkong). Keep an eye out for the next vide as I will be introducing fish. Thanks for visiting the Channel. Best wishes to you, Mark
Hi mark, I’ve been patiently waiting to see your new aquarium, it is looking very good. Great video again too. I Just want to say thanks for all your help and advice with my aquarium. This man truly knows he’s stuff guys 👍 and has really helped me with cycling a new tank and to understand the process as a first time aquarium owner. I don’t know what I would of done without your previous videos and help cheers mark. All the best with the new aquarium
Hi Peter. Many thanks, yes I do things slightly different compared my approach over a year ago. Hopefully the key one is avoiding the use of straight tap water to rinse the ceramic media (even though i did then soak after iin dechlorinated water before adding to the tank). I have seen improved cycling more recently, and I put this down to ensuring no trace of chlorine in the tank's ceramic media at the point of starting the cycling. Always great to hear from you and to get your support. Take care, Mark
Mark….. I faced my fear about using my Water Test Kit. It was very straightforward and very easy!! And you’re right, decor does cost a slight fortune!!!
Lol. I can never understand why biOrb provide such small quantities of this stuff for a brand new aquarium. You might as well not bother with any of it and instead get bottles of suitable products suitable to properly start a new aquarium and deal with tap water. I was slightly disappointed that the box didn't include the biOrb "standard issue" packet of goldfish food! But, at least, it was one less thing for me to toss! Keep well brother! M
BTW.... if i would have known how bad (i.e small bits) the ceramic media was prior to doing the video,, I probably would have tossed those bags away too (and ordered some Alfagrog!) Pfft!
@@StepbyStep-biOrb yeah mine was pretty fragmented as well I actually add some Marine pure high performance media spheres as well it seemed to help alot and they look great too.✌💯
See... I told you!! LOL :) They are much quieter than any other pumps I've tested to date. Many pumps make claim to having low noise, but they are very often not. Anyway, the hygger pump does what it says on the tin. Again, if airflow is a little bit higher than what you want just add a regulator to the air line. I'm glad I've helped! M
Many thanks, glad you liked it. Well done on the bOrb Tube - they are great tanks! Really great news to hear that everything has been going well since your mid Feb set-up. Sounds like you are doing everything spot on. Best wishes, Mark
I bought my first ever aquarium today - 30L classic tropical fish tank- after scrutinising many of your videos. I followed your instructions for set up to the letter and the Biorb looks great. I tried to add photos here but couldn’t seem to manage that. In a week I’ll be introducing one fish to the Biorb, a purple Betta fish. Looking forward to that. Anyway, thanks so much Mark for your videos which have really helped an absolute beginner like me!
Hi Frankie. TH-cam are really (really!) weird over adding photos on comments. So, I can't access them. You can probably add them to your Channel easier (and then send me a link). Thanks for watching and supporting my Channel. Really glad you've found it helpful. Well done on your 30l. A single Betta sounds great. Purple? Wow! Really stunning! He will love the space of a 30L. They are really great fish and full of personality. If I can help with anything... just shout! Best wishes, Mark
So, a reduced airflow, on a new tank, is best applied when the tank is fully cycled. During the initial setting-up of a tank, beneficial bacteria colonise best in highly oxygenated tank conditions. But, once the tank is cycled, it is then relatively easy to then fine tune (down) the tank to the conditions that suit your fish. In terms of Betta, a reduced airflow is the way to go once you have a cycled tank. Hope that makes sense. M
So Kool Mark Thanks for the Awesome share very helpful information here and I just Absolutely love my Biorb aquarium its so wild and fun to own. Happy Sunday brother M*✌ 🐟🐠🐡🐟🐡🐠🐌🐚🐸🤑🤲
Hi Tracy. Many thanks. Yes, the video doesn't cover the cycling as it is just the set up prior to adding fish. I will be applying my normal approach to cycling the aquarium in the next video. I generally prefer to wait several days (ideally a week) to let the tank settle down before commencing the cycling adding fish etc. Best wishes, Mark
Congratulations on your new tank, it looks great, at first I thought it was the 105l as it looks so huge, this video came just in time for me as I just set up my 35l tube , had to wait such a long long time as always out of stock but def worth the wait, I love that the whole lid comes off. Look forward to seeing your next video and which fish you decide on . I'm thinking of getting long fin zebra danios.
Thanks Pam. Glad you like it. Yes, the 60l is a big tank and looks huge compared to my 30s. I'm glad I didn't get a 105! The water has fully calmed down in the tank now and it looks so nice. It will be good to get some fish in there soon... but I'm not going to rush it though. Great to hear that your Tube arrived (eek that's taken ages!). The Tube is a wonderful tank and being able to take off the whole lid is a big benefit for setting up and ongoing maintenance. Long fin zebras are really nice fish and they would look great as a group in your tank. I have standard zebra danios and I don't think I've known fish to be so active (they never seems to stop). Lol. Are you going to mix fish colours or go for a single colour?
@@StepbyStep-biOrb love that you always reply to every message. The 60l looks lovely and I look forward to seeing what fish you add. You are absolutely right about the zebra danios, I'm hoping they bring a lot of movement to the tank, I will be picking them up over the next week or two from San Francisco, once cycled for a few months I would like to add a dwarf gourami and a few platinum red dumbo ears which will add lots of color.
Lol. Yes, I always reply. :) Sounds like you've got everything nicely planned. Danios are a first choice as they will easily cope with the ups and downs typical of establishing a new tank.
Hi again Pam. Just a comment on dwarf gourami (DG), although I'm sure you are probably aware anyway. Many DG can suffer from Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (disease). There is no cure, with this likely to be the product of endless fish trade inbreeding. It is typically shown by fading body colours and dorsal/anal fin reduction (many fish finally going to "fish heaven" between 6 to 12 months rather than an expected 4 year life span). Male DG individuals can also be moody too, and may have a tendency to stalk/chase other fish (although nothing ever really comes of this!) and may also be prone to endless 'glass surfing' (probably thinking their reflection is another male). However, Honey Gourami tend to be less impacted by DGD (in my view) and tend to be more social (less moody... in my view). Some suppliers may offer certification relating to the source of all their Gourami stock. Certification is certainly something that is useful to have, prior to purchase. Best, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thank you Mark, that is great advice and I will certainly look into that, I find with certain strains of Guppies they can be aggressive too. I get my fish directly from breeders, it works out more expensive but worth it as local fish stores have poor quality and often sick fish. I quarantine new fish for a few weeks before adding ( I use my baby Biorb for this) as I do worry about introducing diseases. Thankfully I have not had to deal with sick fish, and the key is purchasing fish from a good source.
Hi Stacy. Fish choice is mainly driven by your tap water quality. It is always best to choose fish species that are a good match to your water supply. Fish number is also driven by water quality but is mainly dependent on fish size. I would normally say, in a 30L, to start off with 6 guppy size fish initially... the number can be increased later when the tank is cycled/matured. Have a look at this video as it might help and also read the videos Description section as that also provides advice: th-cam.com/video/aV9bqeHyY3M/w-d-xo.html. Best wishes, Mark
Hi Mark, great video as always. I'm setting up a new 30ltr Flow Biorb and have the pearl media, which I have washed as you recommend in your other video. The 2kg recommended by Biorb only comes up half way around the bottom area of the filter in the middles, does this matter or should I buy a further kg? Also when do you add the colony liquid, is it at this stage of when you add your water or do you leave it until the tank has sat for a few days? Thanks!
Hi Julie. Yes, 2 kilos is correct for a 30L Flow. There is no need for it to come up higher around the filter canister. The only real function of the Pearl Media is to act as the aquarium's biological filter and 2kg is more than enough to support the beneficial bacteria needed to support fish in a 30L. The best thing to do is to let the tank run (without fish) for a couple of days. This allows the water temp to balance out and allows you to check that everything is working before adding your first fish. Colony should be added to the water on the same day or at the same time as adding your first fish. The day before is probably okay though. The bacteria in Colony will only begin to colonise (expand in number) when they have settled on surfaces and when there is a food supply to support their growth (the food supply being the ammonia that comes from your fish and initial feeding of fish food). Adding the colony prior to adding the fish wouldn't provide any real advantages as there would be no nutrients to support bacterial growth. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
It's been a week since I first set up the tank and I didn't add any more Colony. Just watched your original 2 part set up and the revisited. Also read the details which all makes sense now! THANKS SO MUCH - I made notes this time so I wouldn't forget! Tap water readings: Alkalinity 300. PH 7.8, Carbonate 120, Hardnss (grey colour not on scale), Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Fee Chlorine 0. my tank readings Alkalinity 300, PH 8.4, Carbonate 300, Hardness (grey colour not on scale), Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Free Chlorine 0 I'm guessing that as some of the readings are way of the required levels I need to wait before adding fish. How do I get the other levels into the normal levels? I also had a concern about the main ornament in a Biorb set called Forest Rhythm. I noticed a strong plastic/resin smell when I unboxed them soaked them all for a couple of hours then added to the tank. When I checked the temperature there was a really strong plastic smell in the tank, I left it a few days but the smell didn't improve. I removed the main ornament and have had it soaking in a bucket for about 4 days now. Is this something that could taint the water and affect the readings? Should I do a full water change? Coffee on it's way!,
Hi Julie. Those readings are fine... it is just that you have hard water in your area (but it is not "very hard"). The pH in the tank reflects what is called "true pH". When your tap water (with pH 7.8) is left to stand for a couple of days the pH will adjust when exposed to air (normally it will rise). In your case to 8.4. So, all the readings you have are what I would expect with a hard water supply and higher pH level. BTW - you are lucky to have zero nitrates!! Rather than adjust water... it is far easier to go with the water you have. To alter your tap water you would need to filter it through a RODI water system and then remineralise it. I suggest you avoid trying to chase a water quality you don't have, especially when you don't really need to. The very key thing is ensure that you only choose fish species naturally suited to high pH/ hard water conditions. Examples of the typical fish suited to your water would be: Guppy; Molly; Platy; X-Ray Tetras; Endler's. All of those would be happy with the water supply you have. In terms of the ornament smell. It's the first time I've heard of that! It might be coming from the "paint" that biOrb apply to colour their resin moulds. I don't think this is a problem to be honest. But, as you have not added any fish yet it might be worth you replacing 50% of the tank water with fresh. A really good product to remove impurities, odors etc in a tank's water is activated carbon: amzn.to/3wE8k1p. Activated carbon filters the water that passes though it and I'm sure this will help to reduce the issue you have. If it was me, I would throw away the biOrb filter medium that comes with a new tank (held in the central canister tray part of the central bubble tube filter) and replace this material with pure activated carbon. I would also suggest using activated carbon in the future, every time you clean and replace the filter medium. So, you might as well start doing that now. I hope that helps. Speak soon. Best, Mark
Mark you are an absolute star! Thank you so much for all the information, very much appreciated! I've made a note of the fish, thanks When you say replace with pure activated carbon, is that the same stuff that is in the packs of 10 sponges and carbon you show in one of your videos? I was just about to order those!
Not a problem. Always happy to help. :) Forgetting the overly priced biOrb Service Kits, there are two basic ways of replacing the sponges and filter medium in a biOrb. 1. Get the alternative packs that combine sponges along with small individual bags of activated carbon (often mixed with another natural product called zeolite). These often come with replacement air stones. Such as: amzn.to/3uRTggd 2. Alternatively you can just get the sponges by themselves, such as amzn.to/49OgPWc, and then separately purchase a high grade activated carbon product such as this amzn.to/3T9agXw Option 1 is probably the simplest approach as you get everything you need in one order. The main drawback is that you don't have any say in the quality of the activated carbon supplied in the bags. I prefer to use Option 2 as I tend to want to get higher grade activated carbon. I also need to get individual air stones: amzn.to/3TimrCv. Generally though it doesn't really matter as both option 1 or 2 work well and are far more economical compared to purchasing the biOrb product. The biOrb product seems to lack much in the way of activated carbon and instead uses zeolite and "other" resin materials to support filtration. Most of these materials are not of much use (in my opinion). Activated carbon is always the key ingredient needed for most aquariums and for most types of water supply. Best, Mark
Hi. Not at all :). You just need to choose a heater that is the correct power for the size of your tank. My video on heaters should cover the things you need to consider: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html. If not, just shout. Hope that helps. Best wishes, Mark
Hi there! I've been given a 60 litre BioOrb - we used to have a large Tropical tank but during our move 5 years ago, the tank didn't make it! The Bio Orb has a tube hanging underneath it - I was told that 'he had to cut it! " I've now bought 2 mtrs of clear tubing which is slightly narrow than the one hanging down underneath - there's a couple of plastic connectors which came with the airshow sets I bought. I'm worried that the water might start coming out of the bottom! What is it used for please? Thank you.
Hi Anne. Sorry for the delay. I've been out of the UK on vacation with limited access to wifi. You might be better getting the biOrb product as this would work best and is designed for these aqariums. amzn.to/4819gvc. It is basically a simple tube that is best fitted when the tank is empty. One end is pushed on to the small pipe underneath the aquarium, the other end hangs down and connects directly to the air pump. Note that all air tubes (air lines) must have a one way valve fitted (the biOrb product has this already fitted). This stops the tanks water draining down the airline (which will damage your air pump and could also result in the tank completely draining). The one way valve sits at the end of the airline nearest to your air pump. I hope that helps but please let me know if i can help further. Best wishes, Mark
Hi Faye. I would say Amazon. If you go to my video here: th-cam.com/video/wtU0Cqx9yes/w-d-xo.html and click on 'Show more', the links I added within the Description should still be working. Let me know if you are still struggling. Thanks, M
Hi Kelleen. I use biOrb Intelligent Heaters in all my tanks (five!). These can be placed at the back of the tank and just lay on the ceramic media. However, biOrb have stopped producing these and they are no longer available. I produced a video about choosing a heater which might be worth you watching: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html. The best heaters for a biOrb are ones that are fully submersible and can be placed at the back of the aquarium so they are less obvious. Best wishes, Mark
Great imformative video, however now its all set up full of water etc, how do you lift it onto the Bio Orb stand? Would it not have been better to place the stand where its home is going to be and sett the tank up on the stand.
Thanks for watching. Yes I agree with your comment BUT in my case I was using the tank to produce videos for this Channel throughout the period March to April of that year. So the tank was set up for undertaking those videos. A 60L tank can't be moved when full and, to do so, the water level needs to be dropped to about 1/4 on a 60L to allow relocation before re-filling the tank back up with the water extracted. And, of course, the tank is now set up on its stand. Best, Mark
Hi. I use biOrb Intelligent heaters in all my tanks. th-cam.com/video/1rM3JRR3Jds/w-d-xo.html biOrb seem unable to decide whether they are supplying it or not! Production seems to have stopped recently and you will really struggle to find a new one. For alternative heaters this video covers reasonable alternatives: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html. Best, Mark
I have a Halo tank and the light has stopped working. Do you know if you can replace just the light or do I have to replace the whole lid? I can’t see where you can get the light itself out.
Hi. I'm afraid you will need to replace the whole lid. Are you absolutely sure the lights are not working though? LEDs have a very long life expectancy. Anyway, if replacing, you need to make sure you get the correct size and colour lid for your biOrb. The replacement range includes standard lighting and MCR upgrades. I suggest contacting your local biOrb office first though, and see if they could help/replace/ repair. Sorry to hear you've had problems with it... it's unusual to hear that! Best wishes, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb I have put 3 different batteries in the remote thinking that was the problem with no fix. How I get the light to come on now is I press the on/off switch on the cord several times and it eventually will turn on to white but that’s all I get. I still can’t change the color or anything with the remote. I’m not sure what else to try beside a new remote maybe? I will contact my local dealer and see what they think. Thanks for the response!
Thanks Alex. Yes, that"s annoying! Sounds a bit like sort of working, but not properly. See what biOrb say. They can be very helpful... if you contact them directly. :)
BTW - When you get through to biOrb, say you have an intermittent fault with your lighting and that you MUST speak to someone in their Technical Department. That should then get you through to someone that might be more helpful.
Hi Mark, Need some advice if possible. I have recently purchased the biorb classic 60L and being a novice to keeping fish I followed the instructions in the biorb booklet. I have only got as far as rinsing the ceramic media and the decorations in normal tap water (then I found this video). Would you recommend rinsing the ceramic media and decorations in aqua safe water now or is the damage already done? I haven’t got any actual water in the tank yet but will follow your method of treating that water before it goes into the aquarium. Thanks in advance 😊
Hi Mathew. My preference is to rinse everything in tap water treated with aquasafe. Saying that, chlorine does have a "life span". With straight tap water, left to stand for about 5 days, the chlorine will have almost disappeared (evaporated). I don't think you have caused any damage at all. It isn't a problem! But, it is worth setting up the tank, filling it with treated water and then let it run for 4-5 days before commencing with cycling and adding your fish. Hope that helps. Feel free to contact me if you need any help at all with setting-up/ establishing the tanks. Best wishes, Mark
Thank you for your videos. They are really helpful and lovely to watch. I have been given a Second-hand 60l biorb. I have a couple of queries. Should I buy new ceramic media? The previous owner gave me the ceramic media they used. It’s in a carrier bag. It doesn’t look nearly as much as what you have. Secondly - do you have to buy biorb branded accessories? There are cheaper ones on Amazon. Thanks!
Hi Sian. Good news to hear you’ve gone for a 60l… it’s a great sized tank. In terms of the ceramic media, I would certainly look to ordering new media. Get either the biOrb version or Alfragrog. You can get both from Amazon, on next day delivery, and they are basically the same stuff! For a 60l, you will need 1 kilo. No, you are not limited to buying biOrb products. There are alternative versions that work equally well. I cover a range of suitable products in my videos and also provide links to those that I’ve tested and also use myself. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
Thanks for making my Saturday! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your wonderful videos! I am super excited to see you add fish to your 60ltr! I have not yet got my BiOrb but have been making a list of all the things to buy and your videos have really helped with this. I see a lot of tanks being sold with scratched up acrylic. What’s best to have to clean inside? Just the BiOrb pads? :)
Hi Victoria. Thanks very much for the positive comments... they keep me going! :) I've fully cycled the new tank now (using some of my zebra danios). So now that's done I can go and get the fish I want to add in as the intended fish population. I'm hoping that the next video will help bring together a range of things I've discussed in a number of previous videos. All will be revealed in the next vid. :) To minimise scratches on the inside of the tank I strongly suggest you use the biOrb Cleaning Pads (the soft side of the pad is the side to use for the most part, unless you need to get rid of stubborn stains or algae (then use the rough side of the pad to deal with those). The pads should only be used on the inside - not the outside of the tank. Use the biOrb polish and polishing cloth for the outside and your tank will always sparkle! You can get alternative products (cheaper versions) of the biOrb Cleaning Pads but you may as well stick with the proper biOrb product. A pack of three will last you for ages as you can clean them out under tap water, dry them on a radiator and then keep re-using them. Generally, most products can scratch acrylic but the vast majority of scratches cannot be seen with the tank full of water (due to the relationship between acrylic and water). Scratches tend to be more obvious when a tank is dry/empty (add water and they disappear). Anyway, I hope that helps. Thanks for your support to the Channel. Best wishes, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks Mark! Look forward to further videos! :) I can’t decide on whether to go for a 30ltr like your white one with blue plants or a classic round 30ltr. I’m having minnows.
Tank choice? That's easy Victoria... Just get one of each! Ha Ha. Good choice with minnows - as they are from temperate climates you probably wouldn't need a heater and they are very hardy The only slight issue relates to cycling a cold water tank... they tend to lake longer to cycle as the colder temp is not ideal for rapid cycling (developing the beneficial bacteria). The product I always use (ATM Colony) demands a heated tank. But there are bacterial products that don't seem to be so reliant on temp. The best approach, if you are going to cycle without a heater, would be to add only two minnows initially - to support the initial cycling - and once the tank has cycled add another couple, and so on! M
Not a problem. Let me know when you are starting your tank and planning to commence cycling etc. I'm very happy to support you throughout the whole process... don't hesitate to drop me a line. Cycling is probably the worst bit of anything to do with an aquarium. After that... easy street! x
Wow. The way you have set up this classic tank is totally amazing Mark. I plan to get another tank and it will probably be one of these (60 litre) afer seeing your one. I've tried to find the same ornament you have in the tank (the wooden one). Is this a biorb product and can you let me know where I can get one from? Thanks Mark.
Hi Peter. I'm afraid the ornament (which is biOrb) is no longer in production. You can occasionally pick-up second hand ones. Would be great if biOrb start producing it again though.
Hi mark. I set up my flow30 on Saturday. Did everything as instructed. The water was lovely and clear. Today it’s a little cloudy???? No fish yet. Have I not done something? Or will it settle down?
Hi. Well done on getting it set up. Cloudy water is a very common new tank thing ...It's nothing to worry about in terms of adding any fish (adding fish is part of the solution). Your filled tank is providing a free-for-all for waterborne bacteria and they are having a field day with the water nutrients. There is currently nothing to compete with them so they really go to town. You should find that when left alone they will eventually consume all there is for them and then the tank will move to becoming clear again. When you add the beneficial bacteria (BB) and start to cycle with fish, the BB will become the new kids on the block and will outcompete the current bloom you have. Doing water changes will not really help and would simply prolong it - i.e. you would be adding more fresh nutrients.
Re adding fish... that's good news. Let me know if there is anything I can advise on. What fish species and number did you decide to add? Did you go with green barbs? Also, what product are you using to cycle (i.e. bacterial product)?
@@StepbyStep-biOrb goodness you have a good memory. Yes I did 6 green barbs and I’ve used the colony like you said. Light feed and then nothing for 4 days you said didn’t you?
Hey, great fish choice! :) The best thing to try to do when cycling is initially keep water ammonia levels at around 0.25 (up to max 0.50ppm). This will really help speed-up the cycle. The reason to keep a small level of ammonia is to provide the necessary food source to promote bacterial growth/expansion. If ammonia is too low it will prolong the cycle (slow down the bacterial colony expansion due to the lack of food). Daily ammonia checks are a really key thing to do at this stage as these inform whether to add any food or not. If ammonia remains too low then add a very tiny (and I mean small!) bit more food. Adding food each day is fine in order to keep some ammonia in the tank. If the ammonia levels start to rise up over 0.25 then cease feeding. The added bacteria will only begin to convert ammonia and expand after they have adhered to surfaces within the tank. Initially, when you add Colony to the tank, the bacteria remain within the water column, for up to say 24 hours, and are not doing a great deal.
I have my Biorb 35L tube set up. I have a betta in the tank with 2 nerite snails. I am using a control valve for the pump to calm the water for my fish. If I empty 25 percent of the water after a week or 2 weeks do I use the Biorb service kit and pour the water conditioner in and the biological packet? Or can I get away with just aqua safe? And can I use the sponge filters that are compatible to Biorb ones? I will use the water optimizer each week. I do test my water. Thank you for help
Hi Kim. Nice to hear from you. One of the first thing I do when I get a new biOrb is throw away the free samples! Lol. I would keep it very simple and avoid adding any products that make huge claim (hype!) to all sorts of beneficial things and might actually end up interfering with natural processes! For water changes use a simple dechlorinator - I normally suggest AquaSafe (not AquaSafe +). This is best applied to warmed tap water before being added to the tank. So, yes, just using dechlorinator is fine and all you really need to do. In terms of sponges etc. Alternative/compatible sponge (kits) are perfectly fine and are will reduce costs. You just need to retain and keep using the existing plastic components of the biOrb filter canister. It seems to be a total waste of natural resources to replace this plastic canister with a new one every time a sponge is changed. Sorry Oase biOrb... but it's true!! The role of the sponge is to simply trap waste (i.e. the sponge has a mechanical function in a biOrb, not biological). In the majority of cases, the role of activated carbon is mainly included to reduce aquarium water odour (if you have it!)! It is true, and sometimes overly claimed by manufacturers, that activated carbon will do a list of wonderful things and will remove some "other" impurities, But, to be honest, these impurities (such as heavy metals) shouldn't be in your tap drinking water anyway! I would normally suggest replacing the sponge filter every couple of months (but instead, every two weeks, remove it and squeeze it clean in a small amount of aquarium water, then add back in). With the single Betta you have, you should not be getting too much waste, unless you are over feeding. In your case, the sponge would probably last a good three months before being replaced with new! Just add a basic activated carbon (but not too small in "grain" size) to the filter's canister every month (using a teaspoon to add the fresh carbon in). That's it! Keep it simple! Best wishes, Mark
Hi Caroline. Typically, an air pump is placed on the ground, so therefore well below the waterline. There may be some advantages of having the pump elevated above the waterline but these are very small. All mine are placed on the ground. Best, Mark
Hello Mark, I just got a New BiorB 30 tube, at the moment i have still an normal 30 liter aquarium running with fishes. The Biorb i bought is to replace the other aquarium. Is it smart to use the old water from my current aquarium to start up the biorb faster or what is the best way to start up the biorb and put there my fishes from my current aquarium. Should I use old water or should i start up completly with new tap water and then wait some days? What is the smartest to do, hope you could give me some advice. Thank you your videos are really good and full of information. Best regards
Hello Mike. Really great to hear from you. The key to speeding-up the cycling of the new tank lies in the materials/items within the existing tank. If it is a standard aquarium, a key thing will be probably be the existing filter system (sponges), the dirtier the better! Anything like existing gravel, rocks etc are very good too. Beneficial bacteria exist and grow on surfaces and are not really present in the water column. I'm not sure there would be a great deal of benefit from re-using the existing tank water. It would probably be easier to start a fresh and get the new tank up and running whilst still running the existing tank with fish in (if that is possible, that is what I would do). You could then transfer a few of the existing fish into the new tank to help kick-start everything. After a few days add a few more. In terms of transferring some of your existing tank gravel, zipped filter bags are perfect: amzn.to/3d9dRng. Add a good handful of existing gravel from the existing tank into one of these bags, zip it up and then add it to your biOrb. The bags would allow you to then remove the gravel from the new tank once everything is cycled. In a similar way it would be good to put a large handful of the your new biOrb ceramic media into one of these bags and then add that to the existing tank. After a few days this biOrb media can be removed and emptied into the new tank. If your existing tank uses a sponge filter it would be worth cutting off some of it and adding this to the new tank (weigh it down at the bottom of the tank to speed up transfer of bacteria on to the new substrate. Getting a small bottle of bacterial booster would probably be a good thing to add to the new tank. Either Aquavitro Seed or ATM Colony (Freshwater), follow the dosing instructions on the bottle. All (or much) of the above will get your new tank cycled very quickly. Hope that points you in the right direction. Best wishes, Mark
Mark: I've done everything I should to my 15 L biOrb according to your instructions. It's been running (without fish) for 5 days. It is still cloudy! Ugh. What should I do?
Hi Denise. That isn't an issue. Can you confirm what you have added to the tank to date? Is it just tap water, treated with dechlorinator (e.g. aquasafe?)
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Hi Mark. Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! Yes, tap water w/ AquaSafe as directed I haven’t received my tap water tester yet from Amazon. But I have tested the PH (6.8) Ammonia (0.25 ppm) Nitrate (0) and Nitrite (0ppm). Water temp is 79 F
Perfect! The are two main causes of cloudy water. The first happens if the substrate added to the tank hasn't been properly rinsed to remove dust residues etc. This can be easily tested by turning off the air pump for about 15 mins to see if the coloration goes. Turning off the air supply allows any particles, held within the water, to sink to the bottom of the tank. This will then leave clearer tank water. But, the main reason relates to the initial stage of the aquarium cycling. With a brand new tank, it is EXTREMELY common to have a bacterial bloom (mainly caused by heterotroph bacteria). These are very early bacteria that are taking advantage of the conditions created in the tank (no chlorine and lots of minerals in the water). The ideal conditions you've created cause them to rapidly increase in number. The bacteria are basically having a free for all, as they have no other bacterial competition in the tank... they are having a party! They are not an issue for the tank/water. If left long enough they will eventually consume all the available minerals... and then it's party over! But, if you were to undertake a water change, you would simply be helping them bloom all over again by adding more nutrients. Party time again and the continuation of cloudy water! These initial bacteria are very easily out-competed by other bacteria that will form in your tank (beneficial bacteria) so when you start to cycle the tank, add a bacterial booster, and a few fish you will find they will go almost overnight! For now, I suggest you sit back and try to enjoy the very first signs of life in your new tank :)
It’s great to have you back! I’ve been waiting for a new video from you. This new tank is massive! I’ve been curious about this classic style. I’ve heard it kind of distorts the view because of the round shape. Has that been an issue for you? On another note I successfully set up, cycled, and added fish to my 30L Flow. I had a small issue with snails hitchhiking in on live plants. (Even with the bleach dip. Turns out my bleach was expired. Rookie mistake) I tore it down, started over and now have a beautiful fully planted tank with 1 betta and 0 snails. All thanks to your helpful videos. I love the way you filled this new tank with water. I’m going to implement this method going forward. My plants get tossed about when I add water. Thanks for your knowledge! Look forward to seeing what fish you add to this one.
Hey Amy. Always so lovely to hear from you. Yes, the new tank seems so big! I've never had an orb shape before so wasn't sure it was the best way to go (seemed like a backward step). But, now I have one, I really love it (I might even say it is the best looking tank I have!). Yes, it distorts, but in a really good way. There is something about it that makes you feel the tank is endless in depth - makes you want to jump in and swim in it! Hard to explain that comment really (unusually for me to say....it's hard to put into words. Lol). Really great to hear that you managed to cycle your 60l. A very big well done. Re my method to fill etc, I often have to relocate existing tanks to a table for the Channel's videos, the method I show for filling and un-filling etc is basically what I've been doing for over a year to reduce the tank water weight prior to allowing the tank to be lifted and moved. It's a great way to gently extract and add water. Those cheap vacs I suggest are really worth their weight in gold! Sorry to hear about your snail issue, but you seem to have dealt with that wonderfully! As always, take care and thanks for your support. Best wishes, Mark
Hi Mark, I am having a problem with the GH level in my fishless classic Biorb 10 gallon- it was 60 at initial set up, then increased to 120 and then to 180 for the past 3 days. What product do you recommend for use? I can only find the pillows and they are square so I won’t fit in the Biorb filter. Thank you for your time!
Hi Dawnie. Well, you will at need at least 60ppm for cycling an aquarium with a higher level being much better (say 90ppm). Generally, 70-140 GH is typical for a mixed fish freshwater aquarium, and up to 200ppm. Is there a specific reason you want to lower GH (beyond cycling the tank) Are you wanting to target soft water species? Have you managed to establish the reason for the GH rise... did you add anything 'non-biOrb', such as natural rock etc, into the tank that is leaching? I assume your tap water is reading 60ppm? The best way to reduce GH is with the use of reverse osmosis (RO) water (cutting tap water with RO) For a biOrb, the use of the ZeroWater system is probably the best way to go (see my video on Poor Tap Water). Best, Mark
Hi again. Can you let me know what method you are using to test GH? Is it strips or liquid testing? Also, can you let me know the pH of your tank and if that is changing too (to reflect the GH changing). If pH remains reasonably stable i would question the accuracy of the GH test with the level of rise you are indicating (unless you have added something to the tank that is lifting calcium/magnesium). Silly question, but can i just check if your tap water supply is passing through a water softening treatment. Best, Mark
Hi. I'm not sure if you mean get a replacement bubble tube or if you mean replace the airline from the air pump? Either way, replacements parts etc are available from most larger biOrb suppliers. For example, for UK Amazon, from here: amzn.to/3LjLjoG. Hope that is what you needed to know. Thanks, Mark
Hi there. Just bought a bio orb 30 classic. You are right, the "instructions" are rubbish. Thank you for this video ( and others I'm going to watch). Question....I want to make this a planted tank. Can I add some aquasoil and sand on top of the ceramic media and be successful? I have a regular 37 gallon planted tank and it's doing well ( finally) with the soil and sand. Thanks for the advice!!
Hi there. The biOrb biological filter is an under gravel filter system that relies on a good flow of water/oxygen down and through the ceramic media and back towards the central filter/bubble tube. This water and oxygen flow is essential for beneficial bacteria and the better the flow through the media the better the biological filtration. Adding a layer of soils or sand would impede/reduce the flow of water down through the media. If you are going to add a layer of sand/soil you would certainly need to convert the biOrb using external sponge rings around the base of the biOrb central filter to avoid these finer materials getting drawn into (and clogging) the mechanical filter. This sort of thing: amzn.to/49eZANE . You may need to add two of these (stacked). This MAY help reduce the amount of material getting drawn into the filter. The alternative is to go heavy on using real plants that are not reliant on (don't even like!) a soil substrate material such as anubias and java fern. This allows plants within the tank but retains the correct use of ceramic media as the biological filter. I hope that helps. Mark
Hi Mark, good to have your vídeos back! Despite that aquarium is the less beatiful from the Biorb collection, it looks great! Keep up with good vídeos and helpful information! PS: Did you already announced the january prize draw winners?
Hi Goncalo. Many thanks for watching Actually, now that I own an orb shape tank, I can really say they look stunning. So, I'm looking forward to cycling and adding fish. I will cover that in another video. The January Prize Draw winner was Paul. I've decided to limit the number of prize draws I undertake as i did receive a few negative comments about doing them (some thought they were too commercial). I might look to change to a Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter version, rather than having them monthly. Best wishes to you. Mark
Hiya how often does the ceramic media need replacing. I replace my big tanks every year. But obviously this is a smaller tank. I dont want a dirty tank or new tank syndrome either.
Hi Erika. In a biOrb the ceramic media acts as the tanks biological filter. This is unlike most other aquariums where the biological filtering is carried out through sponge filter systems etc and less so the substrate material. I still have ceramic media in a couple of my tanks that are over 5-years old and haven't had a reason to change them. Water parameters are still excellent. But, saying that you could change the media every couple of years especially if the media is heavily stained. Caution needs to be applied when changing the biOrb's media to avoid new tank syndrome. It needs to be undertaken in stages to maintain beneficial bacteria. The method I describe in this video allows successful changing of media and avoiding new tank syndrome: th-cam.com/video/M-SNTgG_-2I/w-d-xo.html. In small tanks, the key. to maintaining a clean and healthy substrate (and tank water) is to use a gravel vac and combine this with regular water changes of 25-50% (depending on numbers and types of fish held). Hope that helps. Best wishes, Mark
You have inspired me to get a third biorb, classic 30l. I plan to set it up like yours but smaller scale obviously. Can you remember what decor you used?
Hi Paula. Yes, it is a great tank and is always the one that visitors to my house always head to look at (compared to any other tank!) For my Classic 60, I have the following items. Note: Where available, I have added amazon links so that you can find the products. Products that are described as Large would not normally fit a 30. 1 x Moorwood Ornament Large (this is no longer produced but wouldn't fit a 30 anyway). You would need to get the smaller size of the Moorwood which is for a 30 amzn.to/3IFFBx1 1 x Easy plant Set Small Green 1 x Easy Plant set Large Green amzn.to/3XiJkF2 1 x Marble Pebble Set (green) amzn.to/3QtTUqx 1 x Silk Plant Set Medium Green amzn.to/3IHCUv4 1 x Aquatic Caulerpa green amzn.to/3vSO9sP 1 x Thistle Fern Grey/Green Small. amzn.to/3Wb7K2s 1 x Topiary Balls set (I only used the two smaller sizes in this pack) amzn.to/3k71MCa I hope that helps. Best, Mark
Hi. biOrb produced Pearl Media sometime back which is designed to support bottom feeding fish and, most importantly, to work with the biOrb filter system. As you say there are numerous alternative options on the market but it is important to choose a substrate that supports good colonisation by beneficial bacteria and allows for good water flow though and under it. Here is the video I did on Pearl: th-cam.com/video/M-SNTgG_-2I/w-d-xo.html. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
Hi. Yes, you can. But they really need to be plants that do not rely on a soil substrate for growth. The most obvious plants for a biOrb are the ones described in my video here: th-cam.com/video/jO088r2mmmw/w-d-xo.html. The plants described in my video are those that will not over-run your tank and they do not like being pushed into soil. Anubias are probably the best option. If getting plants supplied that are attached to material go with those attached to rock (normally volcanic rock) . Plants attached to wood (normally bog wood) will leach tannin into your water. Tannins, released from the bog wood, will not impact your aquarium or fish but they will add a brownish colour to your tank's water colour. Hope that helps. Mark
On the video where you set up the classic you said it was your 4th biorb. I have seen your life and flow. What is the other one. I'm just being nosy. I have a cube and a life. Tempted to get a 3rd. They are rather addictive 😆
Hi Paula. I have classic 60, 2 x flow 30 and 1 life 30. BTW I also have a Loop but yet to do a video on that (shortly). The Loop will replace one of my Flows. M
Hi again. My new pump is very loud even with flow valve on. Can I change it for another one? Does it have to be the same voltage? I guess it would have to be plugged in separately. By the way my classic is now clear as a bell. Looks lovely and happy lively danios and minnows. Thanks once again
Hi Paula. Yes, certainly, you can change. No need to be stuck to biOrb. All air pumps work off standard household voltage. But, you will need a separate socket for it. It is best to use a short extension lead, like I do, and then run things from that. I have tested a range of air pumps. If you want quiet one that works really well I reckon this Hygger one: amzn.to/3ZFyuea. You can get them in black or white. I have had one working on my FLOW for ages and it is still great with a very low sound level (the quietest pump of all the ones I've tested). If I needed another pump I would certainly get another! Great to hear the Classic's water is now clear. It can take a little while sometimes (cloudy/milky water is just an initial "new tank" thing that often happens). Great also that your fish are happy and lively and are settled into their new home. How's the cycling going?
I've ordered the hygger pump thankyou for the advice. I also treated myself to the intelligent heater and turned my cube tropical. Great little heater and so discreet. Like you I hate the appearance of traditional heaters. A whole new world of fish has opened up to me!!!
Hi. Hopefully you will like the hygger and you'll find a noise reduction. Yes, the biOrb intel. heater is hard to beat in a biOrb... despite it being very expensive.
Hi Donna. Yes, every time I do a video, with one of my tanks on my dining room table, it is because I've relocated it from another location I then move it all back again. So, if moving a 30 I would quickly extract 50% of the water (using a vac). Move the tank and then refill it straight back up with the very same water I took out. If relocating it is important to do this quickly - to avoid a drop in the extracted water temp and it also important to ensure you add the same (not new) water back in. In the terms of the 60, I extracted 2/3rds of tank water and then relocated the tank to the stand and then added back same water. I'm just glad i didn't opt for a 105l!! :-)
With an acrylic tank (biOrb), I've never had an issue with doing this. I wouldn't move (lift) more than quantities I've indicated though. It is always best done with two people. I'm not sure I'd be keen on moving a glass tank in the same way though - a glass tank weight is far different and so is the way the glass tank is constructed/bonded. Best, Mark
Ok thanks I was just checking, I have to move 3 of my Biorbs, having some work done in the house and person doing it wanted me to move them, just worried about moving them. Was hoping I could just cover them🙃
Moving three is a fair handful (I find it bad enough to do just one!). Lol. As I mentioned, I have never had a problem doing this and it is something i have to do for the majority of my videos. Although, in my case, the tanks are only being moved very short distances. The 60l is now on a stand - that's less than 6 feet away from where it stood on the table in the video. It is a matter of just removing the bulk of the water and then quickly moving the tank and then filling it back up with the very same water you took out. Although it's a lot of work to do with three tanks (with fish), if the tanks are at risk due to the work you are planning it might be safer to move them. The key thing it to retain the temp of the extracted water and to then get it back in the tank as soon as possible. I hope that helps. M
Hi mark. Great video. I set up a 30l tube yesterday and have already added the water conditioner provided by biorb. I’ll go and pick up some colony today! Would you suggest grabbing some aqua safe and adding it to the pre- conditioner water? Thanks
Hi Keith. Congrats on the 30 Tube. A really great tank and a lovely sized tank to have within the home. You may struggle to get Colony locally as not all shops stock it. So, you might end up coming back home with another product that isn't so good. The other product I would very strongly suggest is Aquavitro Seed (I've recently found this works better than Colony in certain scenarios i.e. local water quality. Seed works under a wider set of water parameters. I would always go to Amazon for either of these as you should easily get next day delivery. Yes, get AquaSafe (not AquaSafe Plus!) Normal Aquasafe is a great product that doesn't contain things that can mess around with your water (many other products add fancy things that I think end up being problematic). Most local stockists should have this... or also get it from Amazon. You would be fine to add a further dose of AquaSafe, on top of the biOrb products you've already added. They are all safe to use, even at high levels. Add Aquasafe at a dose of 2.5ml per 5l of tank water. For Seed and Colony, add these at the same time as adding your initial fish. Hope that helps. I'm happy tp help if you need further advice. Best wishes, Mark
Hi, I have just been watching a lot of your videos so thank you - they have answered a lot of questions. I currently have 15ltr tank and am moving to a 30ltr biorb tube. I have got this second hand though and it also has the ceramic media in but the tank has been sitting for a while unused. How would you suggest I go about setting this up and moving my fish over in comparison to setting up a new tank. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Laura. Congrats on the 30l Tube. I would suggest that you throw away the old ceramic media in the Tube - as this avoids any previous issues that may have existed with the tank. Any beneficial bacteria associated with the Tube's ceramic media will have long perished anyway. If you plan to fully replace the 15l with the 30l, then it would make sense to use the ceramic media from your existing tank and transfer this to the 30. This media will have all the existing beneficial bacteria that have been supporting your fish in the 15. You will find it far easier to catch (net out) existing fish without any ceramic media in the tank. As you are moving up to a 30l size, I would suggest you purchase another 1 kilo of ceramic media to add along with your existing media (either the biOrb product or Alfagrog E25 - they are the same product). There are various ways of doing this but they all add up to being roughly the same. The steps I would take are: - Give the 30 tank a good rinse out with warm untreated tap water. Then towel dry. - Rinse and soak the brand new (purchased) ceramic media in warm dechlorinated tap water in a bucket. After rinsing, soak for about 15 to 30 mins. - Lower the water height of the 15l tank by about 50% - add the 7-8l of extracted tank water to the new tank - Leaving the fish in the 15, whilst carefully removing (by hand) the ceramic media from the 15l and add that material straight to the 30L. Add a further 1 kilo the new ceramic media that has been rinsed/soaked. - Add your decorations, air stone, filter, bubble tube, etc to the new tank. - Top-up the 30l with fresh (dechlorinated) water to about 3-4" from the top. - Add in your heater to the new tank and switch on and also switch on the air pump. The new tank should now be ready for your existing fish. Rather than catch and then add these directly to the new tank, I would suggest you instead add the fish to a plastic bag (a fish bag if you have one or use a large plastic food bag) containing some of the water from the 15l tank. Float the bag, containing the fish, on the surface of the water in the new tank. I would suggest acclimatising the fish to the new tank water (i.e. keep topping-up the bag with a small quantity of the 30l tank water every 5 mins for about 30 mins). After that you will be able to release the fish into the new tank. Hopefully the above covers everything... or at least the very main things. You might want to consider adding a bacterial product (e.g. such as Aquavitro Seed or ATM Colony Freshwater) to the new tank at the same time as adding the fish. I would do this, although it is probably not essential! The only thing I'd add relates to adding any new fish. If you intend to purchase and add further fish to the 30l I would suggest holding back on this idea for several weeks. This will allow the new tank and existing fish time to settle down. After several weeks the tank should then be fine for adding any further fish. Adding further fish is also best supported by the addition of a bacterial product (e.g. Colony or seed). I hope that helps. Best wishes, Mark
That’s great, thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I will also move the plastic plants etc from my 15l tank. They really need a clean - is it best to do the clean as I move them over or wait for a couple of weeks to let the tank / fish settle? Thanks again!
I would move the plastic plants as is (without cleaning). Beneficial bacteria cling to all surfaces within the tank and so they will certainly be on your plastic plants too. You may as well get the full benefit of the established bacteria whilst establishing the new tank. After that, give it a couple of weeks and then clean them. Use the bleach-dip method I describe to clean the plastic plants... they should all then look sparkly new!
Hey! Today I set up my 30ltr classic BiOrb, using your method! Went really well! No fish yet, will be leaving a few days. I have two questions, 1 - I notice instructions tell you to leave a 5cm gap at the top. I noticed in this video, you didn’t do this. Was there any reason why? I followed suit and filled to the same level you did. 2 - I note BiOrb state ‘do not expose to direct sunlight’ and this being a fire risk. I’ve noticed that at 6.30pm some sunshine hits my outside conservatory and that sunlight reflects back through my back door, slightly on to the BiOrb. It shines a little bit of light on the wall tiles at the back. I’ve never noticed this area of my kitchen getting this light before. I know I can get algae grow quicker, but do you think there is any real danger here? Thanks for your help.
Hey Victoria. Hope all is well. The height of the water is related to how much surface agitation you have from your air pump. The poorer the agitation the lower the water height needs to be, to some extent! So, if you have "reasonable/ average" air flow then it is up to you what height of water to to use. I have always fill my tanks to the higher level and have never had a problem in all 4 tanks. In terms of sunlight. If your tank is in prolonged and permanent direct (and very strong) sunlight then I suppose there could be a risk (although I really struggle to see exactly how!). The only shaped biOrb that provides any level of "magnification" of sunlight would be the orb (round) design. Even then I struggle to see how this would present a risk!! What you are describing, in terms of a 'short' period of time with direct/indirect light, (and in the evening) will not be an issue in the slightest. Best wishes to you, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks Mark for your help and advice. It’s much appreciated. How are your 4 tanks going? I meant to say, I was very pleased with my ceramic media, hardly any little bits! Haha 😆
No problem at all. All my tanks are doing well. Happy fish! I have the joy of doing 4 lots of water changes today, but will leave that until this evening (oh the joys of life!). Lol. Yes, just my luck to get the worst ever bags of ceramic media. I managed to get most of the small bits out during the video but some still went in that were smaller than i would have wanted. My vacs tend to pick them up when Im cleaning so I'm still taking smaller 'pea size' ones out. I hope you are having a great weekend x
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Hi Mark! It’s fish day today. After months of planning, setting up, today I have added 7 White Cloud Mountain Minnow to our tank. I’ve completely followed your methods and all went well so thank you ☺️ I’ve given a small feed, they seemed to like that and are enjoying exploring their new home. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they will do well and I will do my best. I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying looking at them already. Sometimes they shoal, sometimes not - fascinating! Hope you are having a great day.
Hey, that's really great news. It's really made my day! Your new fish will be so happy living in their new home. It's a great moment adding fish so... do enjoy it. I'm sure things will go really great, especially with White Cloud Minnows. As always... just shout if you need anything. You just need to keep and eye on ammonia initially (pulling off from feeding is the best means to keep that under control) and look out for the rise in nitrate. Easy! :) Have a really great day and say hello to your new fish from me. M
Hi Mark, me again! I can't find any dosage instructions for the colony Freshwater other than 118ml for 95 litre tank. I calculated 24.15ml I've looked at API calculator and this says 37.26 ml. Help!
Hi. For a 30L the initial dose of Colony would be 40ml (first day). Certainly, if you use a calculator it would be exactly 37.26. Good luck on measuring out that quantity though!! LoL! Don't panic... Colony is a completely natural product and you can't really over do it. Many people don't even measure it and just put a "good glug" of it into the tank. More is better than less in this case but just go with 40ml initially. I would tend to add another 20ml in a couple of days following that (day three). M
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks Mark, I went with the 40ml lol. Do you then does at each water change the amount of water your changing? I am doing weekly water changes as you suggest at 25%
Hi Julie. The main reason to use Colony is to cycle the aquarium (with fish present) and to speed up the tank's beneficial bacteria. Further use of Colony is fine during the cycling period though. Once the tank is fully cycled there is not a need to add any further doses of Colony. The only time you may need to add Colony to a cycled tank is if you are increasing (adding to) the number of fish you have. When adding more fish the existing colony of beneficial bacteria may take some time to naturally expand to support the removal of waste from the additional fish. The additional boost of Colony would help to speed-up the growth of tank's beneficial bacteria to help deal with the increased ammonia and nitrite produced by the increased fish number. Once a tank is fully cycled, weekly water changes are certainly the way to go. I've undertaken water changes on 5 tanks today... it's a tiring hobby!! :)
Hi. It depends. biOrbs function as an under gravel filter system. So, this requires a good water and oxygen flow down and through the media and then a flow towards the central filter/bubble tube. This water/oxygen flow is necessary to support the biological filter (beneficial bacteria) that occupy the biOrb's media. The use of fine/small/medium gravels etc, placed on top of the biOrb media, may very likely reduce the water/oxygen flow and make the under gravel filter system less efficient. In addition, either of the two types of biOrb media (Ceramic Media or the new Pearl Media) need to be regularly cleaned to remove waste, which gets trapped under the media. The best method for this is using a battery gravel vac (see my vid). Over time, the use of a gravel vac will ultimately result in the mixing of the decorative gravel and the biOrb media, so that the decorative gravel will end up no longer sitting on top of the biOrb media. The alternative would be to look at another alternative substrate material but ideally one that doesn't need a conversion of the biOrb system. Hope that helps. Mark
Yes, that is interesting. I seem to get a different pump each time I get a new tank! The one that came with the loop was a bit noisy but the air flow was too high for my liking. I added a regulator to drop the air flow a bit and that has done the normal thing and also reduced the pump noise so it is now not really noticeable.
@Step-by-Step thanks Mark. I also gave fliw adjusters on. It has helped a bit. Just added 4 zebra danios and doing a fish in cycle with added bacteria. They look great
Great news from you on the cycling. In terms of the air reg, I would suggest you go for full air and flow in the tank to help speed up the cycling, then turn it down beyond that. Once the bacteria are established, a lower air flow makes little difference to the bacterial colony growth/productivity. Any problems just shout. M
Hi. The heater is at the back of the tank resting on the bottom/substrate: th-cam.com/video/1rM3JRR3Jds/w-d-xo.html. The tank is a Classic 60L with MCR lighting. Thanks, Mark
No Problem. Within reason, yes, you can. But this depends on the type of "pebble substrate" you are referring to? As long as the quantity of pebbles doesn't impede the filtration (i.e. water flow down and through the ceramic media). The only problem with adding too much additional media on top of the media is that: 1. The additional pebbles on the surface may not provide a suitable substrate for beneficial bacteria to colonise. What materials are the pebbles you refer to made of? If these are "biOrb pebbles" these do not really support bacterial colonisation. Beneficial bacteria always do far better with a good water flow around and over them (adding too much material on top, which doesn't support bacteria, may impede water flow to the substrate (below) which does support them. 2. The addition of material (pebbles) on the top of the biOrb ceramic media may make it far more difficult to clean and remove waste under the ceramic media using an aquarium vacuum. Alternatively, the use of the new biOrb substrate (Pearl Media) may be be something for you to consider is you don't like the look of the "traditional" biOrb Ceramic Media and if you are wanting an alternative media type. M
Hi Lee. It depends on the water conditioner product you are using (do you mean dechlorinator?). If it is what I recommend (i.e. AquaSafe) that should be applied at 2.5ml per each 5 litres of water added to the tank. Are you setting up a brand new tank and are you perhaps referring to the biOrb sachets that come with a new tank??
@Step-by-Step with the biorb tank I got a 5ml water conditioner and 5ml biological booster, wasn't sure if I add both of them while filling or even if there's enough for a 60l tank, I bought some API Stress coat from my local water Gardens, and didn't know if to just use that instead as I have a 100ml bottle and that says to add 5ml every 40l of water
Hi Lee. Yes, you can use the biOrb stuff, but it is all very short term. You basically need enough product for biOrb ownership and to fully cycle the aquarium. The biOrb quantities do not satisfy this requirement. For making tap water safe I would suggest AquaSafe as this is a straight forward water dechlorinator and doesn't have a negative impact on establishing a tank's beneficial bacteria (cycling). I would suggest getting this and adding it to your aquarium (2.5ml per 5 litres) when you get it. You can get it next day here: amzn.to/3iRaeFC. I personally would not use API Stress Coat as this may impede the growth of bacteria. If you are planning to do a fish in cycle, you will need to get either Aquavitro Seed (first choice) or ATM Colony bacteria and use this when you add fish. Best, Mark
@Step-by-Step the APi was suggested by the owner of the tropical fish department, so that's why I got it as planning on getting tropical fish, but if you think the aquasafe is better ill order a bottle, thank you very much
Hi. I have biOrb Intelligent Heaters in all 5 tanks. biOrb have stopped production of these though, although you can sometimes pick them up second hand. See my specific video on heaters here: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html. Best, Mark
Hi Patti. Betta would be fine with all of those species. But they would have slightly different water quality preferences. For example, tetras, betta and corydoras prefer softer water conditions and a pH generally up to about 7.5 (ideally less). Guppies on the other hand prefer harder water conditions and a higher pH up to about 8. Tetras, especially neon, can also be very sensitive to poorer water quality conditions or aquariums that have swings in their water conditions. It is always best to try to match fish species to your tap water quality. In terms of fish compatibility the chart here is useful: www.aquariumindustries.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Freshwater-Fish-Compatibility-Chart.pdf. Bear in mind the chart is about how well certain fish get on with each other rather than showing compatibility in terms of species preferences for water quality/conditions. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
Just checking… you mentioned you are 2.5ml for every 5L. But shouldn’t it be 1.32 for every 5L? 10mL (38L) x (5L/38L) = 10mL x 0.132 = 1.32mL for every 5L
Hi. Thanks for visiting the channel. If you are referring to AquaSafe dosage... it is 5 ml of AquaSafe for every 10 litres of newly added tap water (2.5ml per 5l). You could get away with less in terms of dealing with typical tap water chlorine/chloramine levels but AquaSafe also deals with metals such as copper, lead and zinc. Water suppliers also can boost chlorine/chloramine levels during maintenance periods so 5ml/10l covers that scenario.
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks for the reply! :) Oh, you must have different directions on your bottle for the AquaSafe. The Canadian bottle says 10mL for every 10 gallons (38L) of water.
I've checked on the Tetra website and established the difference. I recommend simple dechlorinators and I always use standard AquaSafe. At 5ml/10l it also has a more straightforward dilution rate that is better suited to the size of biOrbs and undertaking regular water changes. You probably have Tetra AquaSafe PLUS - it is this product that is prepared at 5ml/ 38l. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
Hi Mark, I finally figured out what was wrong, I rewatched this episode and I didn't remember I was supposed to change out the ceramic media after a year. So I got the pearl media and did a thorough cleaning and my biorb is crystal clear. Thanks for all your help!
New to this just bought Bioorb thank u for all the advice. Thank you.
Hi Gail. Nice to hear from you and congrats on the new biOrb. If you have any questions, issues etc... just drop me a line. Best wishes, Mark
So glad I found this channel had a booed for years but often had problems keeping it clean and staying clean I have took all your advice on board and am looking forward to a beautiful tank, thanks
Hi. I hope you are finding the channel of help.. Hopefully my videos cover all the basics needed to maintain a biOrb. The key things are to get an aquarium vac, do regular water changes and do not overload the tank with too many(or the wrong type of) fish. Get all those things about right and you should have a beautiful tank with happy fish. If you need any advice just shout. Best wishes, Mark
Wow!! Excited to see the beautiful Aquarium,,watching in Hongkong❤
Many thanks and really great to hear from you (in Hongkong). Keep an eye out for the next vide as I will be introducing fish. Thanks for visiting the Channel. Best wishes to you, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb thank you so much for your sub appreciated and I'm done mine too❤
It's a pleasure! Every little step helps :) xx
Hi mark, I’ve been patiently waiting to see your new aquarium, it is looking very good. Great video again too. I Just want to say thanks for all your help and advice with my aquarium. This man truly knows he’s stuff guys 👍 and has really helped me with cycling a new tank and to understand the process as a first time aquarium owner. I don’t know what I would of done without your previous videos and help cheers mark. All the best with the new aquarium
Thanks Steven. Your'e very welcome. Thanks for supportive comments... really appreciated, Best wishes, Mark
Hi Mark,
Enjoyed watching the recap of starting a new aquarium. Nice new tips.
Hi Peter. Many thanks, yes I do things slightly different compared my approach over a year ago. Hopefully the key one is avoiding the use of straight tap water to rinse the ceramic media (even though i did then soak after iin dechlorinated water before adding to the tank). I have seen improved cycling more recently, and I put this down to ensuring no trace of chlorine in the tank's ceramic media at the point of starting the cycling. Always great to hear from you and to get your support. Take care, Mark
Mark….. I faced my fear about using my Water Test Kit. It was very straightforward and very easy!! And you’re right, decor does cost a slight fortune!!!
I love when you tossed the starter water 💧 conditioner packets haha 😄 your just so Awesome brother!! Have a fabulous Weekend Mark ✌🌞🥳💯%🐠🐡🐠🐡🐠🐟 🦈🐌🐚
Lol. I can never understand why biOrb provide such small quantities of this stuff for a brand new aquarium. You might as well not bother with any of it and instead get bottles of suitable products suitable to properly start a new aquarium and deal with tap water. I was slightly disappointed that the box didn't include the biOrb "standard issue" packet of goldfish food! But, at least, it was one less thing for me to toss! Keep well brother! M
BTW.... if i would have known how bad (i.e small bits) the ceramic media was prior to doing the video,, I probably would have tossed those bags away too (and ordered some Alfagrog!) Pfft!
@@StepbyStep-biOrb yeah mine was pretty fragmented as well I actually add some Marine pure high performance media spheres as well it seemed to help alot and they look great too.✌💯
So impressed with the hygger pump. It is so quiet. Am now changing my others as they niw sound loud in comparison !!. Thanks for the advice Mark
See... I told you!! LOL :) They are much quieter than any other pumps I've tested to date. Many pumps make claim to having low noise, but they are very often not. Anyway, the hygger pump does what it says on the tin. Again, if airflow is a little bit higher than what you want just add a regulator to the air line. I'm glad I've helped! M
Great to have you back mate 👌
Thanks for this video Mark. Really helpful.
Many thanks Isabel. Thanks for watching. Não se esqueça de curtir todos os meus vídeos, isso ajuda! Best, Mark
Thank you for all your information so helpful
Absolutely beautiful set up of the my Biorb aquarium... New friend here, stay in contact
Nice video, I treated myself to a Biorb Tube 30, has been going well since February 12th
Many thanks, glad you liked it. Well done on the bOrb Tube - they are great tanks! Really great news to hear that everything has been going well since your mid Feb set-up. Sounds like you are doing everything spot on. Best wishes, Mark
I bought my first ever aquarium today - 30L classic tropical fish tank- after scrutinising many of your videos. I followed your instructions for set up to the letter and the Biorb looks great. I tried to add photos here but couldn’t seem to manage that. In a week I’ll be introducing one fish to the Biorb, a purple Betta fish. Looking forward to that. Anyway, thanks so much Mark for your videos which have really helped an absolute beginner like me!
Hi Frankie. TH-cam are really (really!) weird over adding photos on comments. So, I can't access them. You can probably add them to your Channel easier (and then send me a link).
Thanks for watching and supporting my Channel. Really glad you've found it helpful.
Well done on your 30l. A single Betta sounds great. Purple? Wow! Really stunning!
He will love the space of a 30L.
They are really great fish and full of personality.
If I can help with anything... just shout!
Best wishes,
Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb I just watched your video on reducing airflow and have ordered those valves, so thanks again!
So, a reduced airflow, on a new tank, is best applied when the tank is fully cycled. During the initial setting-up of a tank, beneficial bacteria colonise best in highly oxygenated tank conditions. But, once the tank is cycled, it is then relatively easy to then fine tune (down) the tank to the conditions that suit your fish. In terms of Betta, a reduced airflow is the way to go once you have a cycled tank. Hope that makes sense. M
So Kool Mark Thanks for the Awesome share very helpful information here and I just Absolutely love my Biorb aquarium its so wild and fun to own. Happy Sunday brother M*✌ 🐟🐠🐡🐟🐡🐠🐌🐚🐸🤑🤲
It's always a please Mark, glad you like it. I thought i'd balance up you orb with one sat here :) Lol
This was so helpful. Thank you so much!
Hi, Glad you found it of help. If you have any issues or need any advice just drop me a line. Best wishes, Mark
I love it! It looks fantastic. I’m curious why you’re cycling differently this time. Maybe that will be in the next video!
Hi Tracy. Many thanks. Yes, the video doesn't cover the cycling as it is just the set up prior to adding fish. I will be applying my normal approach to cycling the aquarium in the next video. I generally prefer to wait several days (ideally a week) to let the tank settle down before commencing the cycling adding fish etc. Best wishes, Mark
Congratulations on your new tank, it looks great, at first I thought it was the 105l as it looks so huge, this video came just in time for me as I just set up my 35l tube , had to wait such a long long time as always out of stock but def worth the wait, I love that the whole lid comes off. Look forward to seeing your next video and which fish you decide on . I'm thinking of getting long fin zebra danios.
Thanks Pam. Glad you like it. Yes, the 60l is a big tank and looks huge compared to my 30s. I'm glad I didn't get a 105! The water has fully calmed down in the tank now and it looks so nice. It will be good to get some fish in there soon... but I'm not going to rush it though. Great to hear that your Tube arrived (eek that's taken ages!). The Tube is a wonderful tank and being able to take off the whole lid is a big benefit for setting up and ongoing maintenance. Long fin zebras are really nice fish and they would look great as a group in your tank. I have standard zebra danios and I don't think I've known fish to be so active (they never seems to stop). Lol. Are you going to mix fish colours or go for a single colour?
@@StepbyStep-biOrb love that you always reply to every message. The 60l looks lovely and I look forward to seeing what fish you add. You are absolutely right about the zebra danios, I'm hoping they bring a lot of movement to the tank, I will be picking them up over the next week or two from San Francisco, once cycled for a few months I would like to add a dwarf gourami and a few platinum red dumbo ears which will add lots of color.
Lol. Yes, I always reply. :) Sounds like you've got everything nicely planned. Danios are a first choice as they will easily cope with the ups and downs typical of establishing a new tank.
Hi again Pam. Just a comment on dwarf gourami (DG), although I'm sure you are probably aware anyway. Many DG can suffer from Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (disease). There is no cure, with this likely to be the product of endless fish trade inbreeding. It is typically shown by fading body colours and dorsal/anal fin reduction (many fish finally going to "fish heaven" between 6 to 12 months rather than an expected 4 year life span). Male DG individuals can also be moody too, and may have a tendency to stalk/chase other fish (although nothing ever really comes of this!) and may also be prone to endless 'glass surfing' (probably thinking their reflection is another male). However, Honey Gourami tend to be less impacted by DGD (in my view) and tend to be more social (less moody... in my view). Some suppliers may offer certification relating to the source of all their Gourami stock. Certification is certainly something that is useful to have, prior to purchase. Best, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thank you Mark, that is great advice and I will certainly look into that, I find with certain strains of Guppies they can be aggressive too. I get my fish directly from breeders, it works out more expensive but worth it as local fish stores have poor quality and often sick fish. I quarantine new fish for a few weeks before adding ( I use my baby Biorb for this) as I do worry about introducing diseases. Thankfully I have not had to deal with sick fish, and the key is purchasing fish from a good source.
Hi Mark, how many and what types of fish do you suggest for the 30L Halo? Thanks!
Hi Stacy. Fish choice is mainly driven by your tap water quality. It is always best to choose fish species that are a good match to your water supply. Fish number is also driven by water quality but is mainly dependent on fish size. I would normally say, in a 30L, to start off with 6 guppy size fish initially... the number can be increased later when the tank is cycled/matured. Have a look at this video as it might help and also read the videos Description section as that also provides advice: th-cam.com/video/aV9bqeHyY3M/w-d-xo.html. Best wishes, Mark
Ps... the orb looks awesome 👌
Thanks my friend :)
Hi Mark, great video as always. I'm setting up a new 30ltr Flow Biorb and have the pearl media, which I have washed as you recommend in your other video. The 2kg recommended by Biorb only comes up half way around the bottom area of the filter in the middles, does this matter or should I buy a further kg? Also when do you add the colony liquid, is it at this stage of when you add your water or do you leave it until the tank has sat for a few days? Thanks!
Hi Julie. Yes, 2 kilos is correct for a 30L Flow. There is no need for it to come up higher around the filter canister. The only real function of the Pearl Media is to act as the aquarium's biological filter and 2kg is more than enough to support the beneficial bacteria needed to support fish in a 30L.
The best thing to do is to let the tank run (without fish) for a couple of days. This allows the water temp to balance out and allows you to check that everything is working before adding your first fish. Colony should be added to the water on the same day or at the same time as adding your first fish. The day before is probably okay though. The bacteria in Colony will only begin to colonise (expand in number) when they have settled on surfaces and when there is a food supply to support their growth (the food supply being the ammonia that comes from your fish and initial feeding of fish food). Adding the colony prior to adding the fish wouldn't provide any real advantages as there would be no nutrients to support bacterial growth. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
It's been a week since I first set up the tank and I didn't add any more Colony. Just watched your original 2 part set up and the revisited. Also read the details which all makes sense now! THANKS SO MUCH - I made notes this time so I wouldn't forget!
Tap water readings: Alkalinity 300. PH 7.8, Carbonate 120, Hardnss (grey colour not on scale), Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Fee Chlorine 0.
my tank readings Alkalinity 300, PH 8.4, Carbonate 300, Hardness (grey colour not on scale), Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Free Chlorine 0
I'm guessing that as some of the readings are way of the required levels I need to wait before adding fish. How do I get the other levels into the normal levels?
I also had a concern about the main ornament in a Biorb set called Forest Rhythm. I noticed a strong plastic/resin smell when I unboxed them soaked them all for a couple of hours then added to the tank. When I checked the temperature there was a really strong plastic smell in the tank, I left it a few days but the smell didn't improve. I removed the main ornament and have had it soaking in a bucket for about 4 days now. Is this something that could taint the water and affect the readings? Should I do a full water change?
Coffee on it's way!,
Hi Julie.
Those readings are fine... it is just that you have hard water in your area (but it is not "very hard"). The pH in the tank reflects what is called "true pH". When your tap water (with pH 7.8) is left to stand for a couple of days the pH will adjust when exposed to air (normally it will rise). In your case to 8.4.
So, all the readings you have are what I would expect with a hard water supply and higher pH level. BTW - you are lucky to have zero nitrates!!
Rather than adjust water... it is far easier to go with the water you have. To alter your tap water you would need to filter it through a RODI water system and then remineralise it. I suggest you avoid trying to chase a water quality you don't have, especially when you don't really need to.
The very key thing is ensure that you only choose fish species naturally suited to high pH/ hard water conditions. Examples of the typical fish suited to your water would be: Guppy; Molly; Platy; X-Ray Tetras; Endler's. All of those would be happy with the water supply you have.
In terms of the ornament smell. It's the first time I've heard of that! It might be coming from the "paint" that biOrb apply to colour their resin moulds. I don't think this is a problem to be honest. But, as you have not added any fish yet it might be worth you replacing 50% of the tank water with fresh.
A really good product to remove impurities, odors etc in a tank's water is activated carbon: amzn.to/3wE8k1p. Activated carbon filters the water that passes though it and I'm sure this will help to reduce the issue you have. If it was me, I would throw away the biOrb filter medium that comes with a new tank (held in the central canister tray part of the central bubble tube filter) and replace this material with pure activated carbon. I would also suggest using activated carbon in the future, every time you clean and replace the filter medium. So, you might as well start doing that now.
I hope that helps. Speak soon.
Best, Mark
Mark you are an absolute star! Thank you so much for all the information, very much appreciated! I've made a note of the fish, thanks
When you say replace with pure activated carbon, is that the same stuff that is in the packs of 10 sponges and carbon you show in one of your videos? I was just about to order those!
Not a problem. Always happy to help. :)
Forgetting the overly priced biOrb Service Kits, there are two basic ways of replacing the sponges and filter medium in a biOrb.
1. Get the alternative packs that combine sponges along with small individual bags of activated carbon (often mixed with another natural product called zeolite). These often come with replacement air stones. Such as: amzn.to/3uRTggd
2. Alternatively you can just get the sponges by themselves, such as amzn.to/49OgPWc, and then separately purchase a high grade activated carbon product such as this amzn.to/3T9agXw
Option 1 is probably the simplest approach as you get everything you need in one order. The main drawback is that you don't have any say in the quality of the activated carbon supplied in the bags. I prefer to use Option 2 as I tend to want to get higher grade activated carbon. I also need to get individual air stones: amzn.to/3TimrCv.
Generally though it doesn't really matter as both option 1 or 2 work well and are far more economical compared to purchasing the biOrb product. The biOrb product seems to lack much in the way of activated carbon and instead uses zeolite and "other" resin materials to support filtration. Most of these materials are not of much use (in my opinion).
Activated carbon is always the key ingredient needed for most aquariums and for most types of water supply.
Best, Mark
Hi, do you need to use a bi orb heater with the biorb aquarium? Or can you use another branded heater?
Thanks
Hi. Not at all :).
You just need to choose a heater that is the correct power for the size of your tank. My video on heaters should cover the things you need to consider: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html. If not, just shout.
Hope that helps. Best wishes, Mark
Hi there! I've been given a 60 litre BioOrb - we used to have a large Tropical tank but during our move 5 years ago, the tank didn't make it! The Bio Orb has a tube hanging underneath it - I was told that 'he had to cut it! " I've now bought 2 mtrs of clear tubing which is slightly narrow than the one hanging down underneath - there's a couple of plastic connectors which came with the airshow sets I bought. I'm worried that the water might start coming out of the bottom! What is it used for please? Thank you.
Hi Anne. Sorry for the delay. I've been out of the UK on vacation with limited access to wifi. You might be better getting the biOrb product as this would work best and is designed for these aqariums. amzn.to/4819gvc. It is basically a simple tube that is best fitted when the tank is empty. One end is pushed on to the small pipe underneath the aquarium, the other end hangs down and connects directly to the air pump. Note that all air tubes (air lines) must have a one way valve fitted (the biOrb product has this already fitted). This stops the tanks water draining down the airline (which will damage your air pump and could also result in the tank completely draining). The one way valve sits at the end of the airline nearest to your air pump. I hope that helps but please let me know if i can help further. Best wishes, Mark
Where is the best place to buy the vacum from? I am starting out and struggling to find a similar model.
Hi Faye. I would say Amazon. If you go to my video here: th-cam.com/video/wtU0Cqx9yes/w-d-xo.html and click on 'Show more', the links I added within the Description should still be working. Let me know if you are still struggling. Thanks, M
What kind of heater do you use with these biOrb? How do they hook on the tank? Thank you!
Hi Kelleen. I use biOrb Intelligent Heaters in all my tanks (five!). These can be placed at the back of the tank and just lay on the ceramic media. However, biOrb have stopped producing these and they are no longer available. I produced a video about choosing a heater which might be worth you watching: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html. The best heaters for a biOrb are ones that are fully submersible and can be placed at the back of the aquarium so they are less obvious. Best wishes, Mark
Fantastic, thank you so very much!!@@StepbyStep-biOrb
Great imformative video, however now its all set up full of water etc, how do you lift it onto the Bio Orb stand?
Would it not have been better to place the stand where its home is going to be and sett the tank up on the stand.
Thanks for watching.
Yes I agree with your comment BUT in my case I was using the tank to produce videos for this Channel throughout the period March to April of that year. So the tank was set up for undertaking those videos. A 60L tank can't be moved when full and, to do so, the water level needs to be dropped to about 1/4 on a 60L to allow relocation before re-filling the tank back up with the water extracted. And, of course, the tank is now set up on its stand. Best, Mark
Any particular heater you used, our biorb didn’t come with one?
Hi. I use biOrb Intelligent heaters in all my tanks. th-cam.com/video/1rM3JRR3Jds/w-d-xo.html
biOrb seem unable to decide whether they are supplying it or not! Production seems to have stopped recently and you will really struggle to find a new one.
For alternative heaters this video covers reasonable alternatives: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html.
Best, Mark
I have a Halo tank and the light has stopped working. Do you know if you can replace just the light or do I have to replace the whole lid? I can’t see where you can get the light itself out.
Hi. I'm afraid you will need to replace the whole lid. Are you absolutely sure the lights are not working though? LEDs have a very long life expectancy. Anyway, if replacing, you need to make sure you get the correct size and colour lid for your biOrb. The replacement range includes standard lighting and MCR upgrades. I suggest contacting your local biOrb office first though, and see if they could help/replace/ repair. Sorry to hear you've had problems with it... it's unusual to hear that!
Best wishes, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb I have put 3 different batteries in the remote thinking that was the problem with no fix. How I get the light to come on now is I press the on/off switch on the cord several times and it eventually will turn on to white but that’s all I get. I still can’t change the color or anything with the remote. I’m not sure what else to try beside a new remote maybe? I will contact my local dealer and see what they think. Thanks for the response!
Thanks Alex. Yes, that"s annoying! Sounds a bit like sort of working, but not properly. See what biOrb say. They can be very helpful... if you contact them directly. :)
BTW - When you get through to biOrb, say you have an intermittent fault with your lighting and that you MUST speak to someone in their Technical Department. That should then get you through to someone that might be more helpful.
Hi Mark,
Need some advice if possible. I have recently purchased the biorb classic 60L and being a novice to keeping fish I followed the instructions in the biorb booklet. I have only got as far as rinsing the ceramic media and the decorations in normal tap water (then I found this video). Would you recommend rinsing the ceramic media and decorations in aqua safe water now or is the damage already done? I haven’t got any actual water in the tank yet but will follow your method of treating that water before it goes into the aquarium.
Thanks in advance 😊
Hi Mathew. My preference is to rinse everything in tap water treated with aquasafe. Saying that, chlorine does have a "life span". With straight tap water, left to stand for about 5 days, the chlorine will have almost disappeared (evaporated). I don't think you have caused any damage at all. It isn't a problem! But, it is worth setting up the tank, filling it with treated water and then let it run for 4-5 days before commencing with cycling and adding your fish. Hope that helps. Feel free to contact me if you need any help at all with setting-up/ establishing the tanks. Best wishes, Mark
Thank you for your videos. They are really helpful and lovely to watch.
I have been given a Second-hand 60l biorb. I have a couple of queries. Should I buy new ceramic media? The previous owner gave me the ceramic media they used. It’s in a carrier bag. It doesn’t look nearly as much as what you have. Secondly - do you have to buy biorb branded accessories? There are cheaper ones on Amazon.
Thanks!
Hi Sian. Good news to hear you’ve gone for a 60l… it’s a great sized tank. In terms of the ceramic media, I would certainly look to ordering new media. Get either the biOrb version or Alfragrog. You can get both from Amazon, on next day delivery, and they are basically the same stuff! For a 60l, you will need 1 kilo.
No, you are not limited to buying biOrb products. There are alternative versions that work equally well. I cover a range of suitable products in my videos and also provide links to those that I’ve tested and also use myself. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
Thanks for making my Saturday! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your wonderful videos! I am super excited to see you add fish to your 60ltr! I have not yet got my BiOrb but have been making a list of all the things to buy and your videos have really helped with this. I see a lot of tanks being sold with scratched up acrylic. What’s best to have to clean inside? Just the BiOrb pads? :)
Hi Victoria. Thanks very much for the positive comments... they keep me going! :) I've fully cycled the new tank now (using some of my zebra danios). So now that's done I can go and get the fish I want to add in as the intended fish population. I'm hoping that the next video will help bring together a range of things I've discussed in a number of previous videos. All will be revealed in the next vid. :) To minimise scratches on the inside of the tank I strongly suggest you use the biOrb Cleaning Pads (the soft side of the pad is the side to use for the most part, unless you need to get rid of stubborn stains or algae (then use the rough side of the pad to deal with those). The pads should only be used on the inside - not the outside of the tank. Use the biOrb polish and polishing cloth for the outside and your tank will always sparkle! You can get alternative products (cheaper versions) of the biOrb Cleaning Pads but you may as well stick with the proper biOrb product. A pack of three will last you for ages as you can clean them out under tap water, dry them on a radiator and then keep re-using them. Generally, most products can scratch acrylic but the vast majority of scratches cannot be seen with the tank full of water (due to the relationship between acrylic and water). Scratches tend to be more obvious when a tank is dry/empty (add water and they disappear). Anyway, I hope that helps. Thanks for your support to the Channel. Best wishes, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks Mark! Look forward to further videos! :) I can’t decide on whether to go for a 30ltr like your white one with blue plants or a classic round 30ltr. I’m having minnows.
Tank choice? That's easy Victoria... Just get one of each! Ha Ha. Good choice with minnows - as they are from temperate climates you probably wouldn't need a heater and they are very hardy The only slight issue relates to cycling a cold water tank... they tend to lake longer to cycle as the colder temp is not ideal for rapid cycling (developing the beneficial bacteria). The product I always use (ATM Colony) demands a heated tank. But there are bacterial products that don't seem to be so reliant on temp. The best approach, if you are going to cycle without a heater, would be to add only two minnows initially - to support the initial cycling - and once the tank has cycled add another couple, and so on! M
@@StepbyStep-biOrb brilliant thank you! 😊 though think I’ll get the hang of 1 tank before I think about 2! Haha 😂
Not a problem. Let me know when you are starting your tank and planning to commence cycling etc. I'm very happy to support you throughout the whole process... don't hesitate to drop me a line. Cycling is probably the worst bit of anything to do with an aquarium. After that... easy street! x
Wow. The way you have set up this classic tank is totally amazing Mark. I plan to get another tank and it will probably be one of these (60 litre) afer seeing your one. I've tried to find the same ornament you have in the tank (the wooden one). Is this a biorb product and can you let me know where I can get one from? Thanks Mark.
Hi Peter. I'm afraid the ornament (which is biOrb) is no longer in production. You can occasionally pick-up second hand ones. Would be great if biOrb start producing it again though.
Hi mark. I set up my flow30 on Saturday. Did everything as instructed. The water was lovely and clear. Today it’s a little cloudy???? No fish yet. Have I not done something? Or will it settle down?
Hi. Well done on getting it set up. Cloudy water is a very common new tank thing ...It's nothing to worry about in terms of adding any fish (adding fish is part of the solution). Your filled tank is providing a free-for-all for waterborne bacteria and they are having a field day with the water nutrients. There is currently nothing to compete with them so they really go to town. You should find that when left alone they will eventually consume all there is for them and then the tank will move to becoming clear again. When you add the beneficial bacteria (BB) and start to cycle with fish, the BB will become the new kids on the block and will outcompete the current bloom you have. Doing water changes will not really help and would simply prolong it - i.e. you would be adding more fresh nutrients.
@@StepbyStep-biOrb thanks Mark. I’m hoping to add my fish today if that’s the case. I just wanted to check it was nothing wrong.
Re adding fish... that's good news. Let me know if there is anything I can advise on. What fish species and number did you decide to add? Did you go with green barbs? Also, what product are you using to cycle (i.e. bacterial product)?
@@StepbyStep-biOrb goodness you have a good memory. Yes I did 6 green barbs and I’ve used the colony like you said. Light feed and then nothing for 4 days you said didn’t you?
Hey, great fish choice! :) The best thing to try to do when cycling is initially keep water ammonia levels at around 0.25 (up to max 0.50ppm). This will really help speed-up the cycle. The reason to keep a small level of ammonia is to provide the necessary food source to promote bacterial growth/expansion. If ammonia is too low it will prolong the cycle (slow down the bacterial colony expansion due to the lack of food). Daily ammonia checks are a really key thing to do at this stage as these inform whether to add any food or not. If ammonia remains too low then add a very tiny (and I mean small!) bit more food. Adding food each day is fine in order to keep some ammonia in the tank. If the ammonia levels start to rise up over 0.25 then cease feeding. The added bacteria will only begin to convert ammonia and expand after they have adhered to surfaces within the tank. Initially, when you add Colony to the tank, the bacteria remain within the water column, for up to say 24 hours, and are not doing a great deal.
I have my Biorb 35L tube set up. I have a betta in the tank with 2 nerite snails. I am using a control valve for the pump to calm the water for my fish. If I empty 25 percent of the water after a week or 2 weeks do I use the Biorb service kit and pour the water conditioner in and the biological packet? Or can I get away with just aqua safe? And can I use the sponge filters that are compatible to Biorb ones? I will use the water optimizer each week. I do test my water. Thank you for help
Hi Kim. Nice to hear from you. One of the first thing I do when I get a new biOrb is throw away the free samples! Lol.
I would keep it very simple and avoid adding any products that make huge claim (hype!) to all sorts of beneficial things and might actually end up interfering with natural processes! For water changes use a simple dechlorinator - I normally suggest AquaSafe (not AquaSafe +). This is best applied to warmed tap water before being added to the tank. So, yes, just using dechlorinator is fine and all you really need to do.
In terms of sponges etc. Alternative/compatible sponge (kits) are perfectly fine and are will reduce costs. You just need to retain and keep using the existing plastic components of the biOrb filter canister. It seems to be a total waste of natural resources to replace this plastic canister with a new one every time a sponge is changed. Sorry Oase biOrb... but it's true!!
The role of the sponge is to simply trap waste (i.e. the sponge has a mechanical function in a biOrb, not biological). In the majority of cases, the role of activated carbon is mainly included to reduce aquarium water odour (if you have it!)! It is true, and sometimes overly claimed by manufacturers, that activated carbon will do a list of wonderful things and will remove some "other" impurities, But, to be honest, these impurities (such as heavy metals) shouldn't be in your tap drinking water anyway!
I would normally suggest replacing the sponge filter every couple of months (but instead, every two weeks, remove it and squeeze it clean in a small amount of aquarium water, then add back in). With the single Betta you have, you should not be getting too much waste, unless you are over feeding. In your case, the sponge would probably last a good three months before being replaced with new! Just add a basic activated carbon (but not too small in "grain" size) to the filter's canister every month (using a teaspoon to add the fresh carbon in).
That's it! Keep it simple! Best wishes, Mark
Thank you
Hi. Is the pump below or above the water line?
Hi Caroline. Typically, an air pump is placed on the ground, so therefore well below the waterline. There may be some advantages of having the pump elevated above the waterline but these are very small. All mine are placed on the ground. Best, Mark
Hello Mark, I just got a New BiorB 30 tube, at the moment i have still an normal 30 liter aquarium running with fishes. The Biorb i bought is to replace the other aquarium. Is it smart to use the old water from my current aquarium to start up the biorb faster or what is the best way to start up the biorb and put there my fishes from my current aquarium. Should I use old water or should i start up completly with new tap water and then wait some days? What is the smartest to do, hope you could give me some advice. Thank you your videos are really good and full of information.
Best regards
Hello Mike. Really great to hear from you. The key to speeding-up the cycling of the new tank lies in the materials/items within the existing tank. If it is a standard aquarium, a key thing will be probably be the existing filter system (sponges), the dirtier the better! Anything like existing gravel, rocks etc are very good too. Beneficial bacteria exist and grow on surfaces and are not really present in the water column. I'm not sure there would be a great deal of benefit from re-using the existing tank water. It would probably be easier to start a fresh and get the new tank up and running whilst still running the existing tank with fish in (if that is possible, that is what I would do). You could then transfer a few of the existing fish into the new tank to help kick-start everything. After a few days add a few more.
In terms of transferring some of your existing tank gravel, zipped filter bags are perfect: amzn.to/3d9dRng. Add a good handful of existing gravel from the existing tank into one of these bags, zip it up and then add it to your biOrb. The bags would allow you to then remove the gravel from the new tank once everything is cycled. In a similar way it would be good to put a large handful of the your new biOrb ceramic media into one of these bags and then add that to the existing tank. After a few days this biOrb media can be removed and emptied into the new tank. If your existing tank uses a sponge filter it would be worth cutting off some of it and adding this to the new tank (weigh it down at the bottom of the tank to speed up transfer of bacteria on to the new substrate. Getting a small bottle of bacterial booster would probably be a good thing to add to the new tank. Either Aquavitro Seed or ATM Colony (Freshwater), follow the dosing instructions on the bottle. All (or much) of the above will get your new tank cycled very quickly. Hope that points you in the right direction. Best wishes, Mark
Mark: I've done everything I should to my 15 L biOrb according to your instructions. It's been running (without fish) for 5 days. It is still cloudy! Ugh. What should I do?
Hi Denise. That isn't an issue. Can you confirm what you have added to the tank to date? Is it just tap water, treated with dechlorinator (e.g. aquasafe?)
Anything else?
Is the water white/ greyish?
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Hi Mark. Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! Yes, tap water w/ AquaSafe as directed I haven’t received my tap water tester yet from Amazon. But I have tested the PH (6.8) Ammonia (0.25 ppm) Nitrate (0) and Nitrite (0ppm). Water temp is 79 F
Perfect!
The are two main causes of cloudy water.
The first happens if the substrate added to the tank hasn't been properly rinsed to remove dust residues etc. This can be easily tested by turning off the air pump for about 15 mins to see if the coloration goes. Turning off the air supply allows any particles, held within the water, to sink to the bottom of the tank. This will then leave clearer tank water.
But, the main reason relates to the initial stage of the aquarium cycling. With a brand new tank, it is EXTREMELY common to have a bacterial bloom (mainly caused by heterotroph bacteria). These are very early bacteria that are taking advantage of the conditions created in the tank (no chlorine and lots of minerals in the water). The ideal conditions you've created cause them to rapidly increase in number. The bacteria are basically having a free for all, as they have no other bacterial competition in the tank... they are having a party! They are not an issue for the tank/water. If left long enough they will eventually consume all the available minerals... and then it's party over! But, if you were to undertake a water change, you would simply be helping them bloom all over again by adding more nutrients. Party time again and the continuation of cloudy water!
These initial bacteria are very easily out-competed by other bacteria that will form in your tank (beneficial bacteria) so when you start to cycle the tank, add a bacterial booster, and a few fish you will find they will go almost overnight!
For now, I suggest you sit back and try to enjoy the very first signs of life in your new tank :)
It’s great to have you back! I’ve been waiting for a new video from you. This new tank is massive! I’ve been curious about this classic style. I’ve heard it kind of distorts the view because of the round shape. Has that been an issue for you? On another note I successfully set up, cycled, and added fish to my 30L Flow. I had a small issue with snails hitchhiking in on live plants. (Even with the bleach dip. Turns out my bleach was expired. Rookie mistake) I tore it down, started over and now have a beautiful fully planted tank with 1 betta and 0 snails. All thanks to your helpful videos. I love the way you filled this new tank with water. I’m going to implement this method going forward. My plants get tossed about when I add water. Thanks for your knowledge! Look forward to seeing what fish you add to this one.
Hey Amy. Always so lovely to hear from you. Yes, the new tank seems so big! I've never had an orb shape before so wasn't sure it was the best way to go (seemed like a backward step). But, now I have one, I really love it (I might even say it is the best looking tank I have!). Yes, it distorts, but in a really good way. There is something about it that makes you feel the tank is endless in depth - makes you want to jump in and swim in it! Hard to explain that comment really (unusually for me to say....it's hard to put into words. Lol). Really great to hear that you managed to cycle your 60l. A very big well done. Re my method to fill etc, I often have to relocate existing tanks to a table for the Channel's videos, the method I show for filling and un-filling etc is basically what I've been doing for over a year to reduce the tank water weight prior to allowing the tank to be lifted and moved. It's a great way to gently extract and add water. Those cheap vacs I suggest are really worth their weight in gold! Sorry to hear about your snail issue, but you seem to have dealt with that wonderfully! As always, take care and thanks for your support. Best wishes, Mark
Hi Mark, I am having a problem with the GH level in my fishless classic Biorb 10 gallon- it was 60 at initial set up, then increased to 120 and then to 180 for the past 3 days. What product do you recommend for use? I can only find the pillows and they are square so I won’t fit in the Biorb filter. Thank you for your time!
Forgot to add that I would like it to be around 60. Thanks again!
Hi Dawnie. Well, you will at need at least 60ppm for cycling an aquarium with a higher level being much better (say 90ppm). Generally, 70-140 GH is typical for a mixed fish freshwater aquarium, and up to 200ppm. Is there a specific reason you want to lower GH (beyond cycling the tank) Are you wanting to target soft water species? Have you managed to establish the reason for the GH rise... did you add anything 'non-biOrb', such as natural rock etc, into the tank that is leaching? I assume your tap water is reading 60ppm? The best way to reduce GH is with the use of reverse osmosis (RO) water (cutting tap water with RO) For a biOrb, the use of the ZeroWater system is probably the best way to go (see my video on Poor Tap Water). Best, Mark
Hi again. Can you let me know what method you are using to test GH? Is it strips or liquid testing? Also, can you let me know the pH of your tank and if that is changing too (to reflect the GH changing). If pH remains reasonably stable i would question the accuracy of the GH test with the level of rise you are indicating (unless you have added something to the tank that is lifting calcium/magnesium). Silly question, but can i just check if your tap water supply is passing through a water softening treatment. Best, Mark
We have a biorb 30liter can u change the air filter tube thanks
Hi. I'm not sure if you mean get a replacement bubble tube or if you mean replace the airline from the air pump? Either way, replacements parts etc are available from most larger biOrb suppliers. For example, for UK Amazon, from here: amzn.to/3LjLjoG. Hope that is what you needed to know. Thanks, Mark
Hi there. Just bought a bio orb 30 classic. You are right, the "instructions" are rubbish. Thank you for this video ( and others I'm going to watch). Question....I want to make this a planted tank. Can I add some aquasoil and sand on top of the ceramic media and be successful? I have a regular 37 gallon planted tank and it's doing well ( finally) with the soil and sand. Thanks for the advice!!
Hi there. The biOrb biological filter is an under gravel filter system that relies on a good flow of water/oxygen down and through the ceramic media and back towards the central filter/bubble tube. This water and oxygen flow is essential for beneficial bacteria and the better the flow through the media the better the biological filtration. Adding a layer of soils or sand would impede/reduce the flow of water down through the media.
If you are going to add a layer of sand/soil you would certainly need to convert the biOrb using external sponge rings around the base of the biOrb central filter to avoid these finer materials getting drawn into (and clogging) the mechanical filter. This sort of thing: amzn.to/49eZANE . You may need to add two of these (stacked). This MAY help reduce the amount of material getting drawn into the filter.
The alternative is to go heavy on using real plants that are not reliant on (don't even like!) a soil substrate material such as anubias and java fern. This allows plants within the tank but retains the correct use of ceramic media as the biological filter.
I hope that helps.
Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thank you!!
Hi Mark, good to have your vídeos back! Despite that aquarium is the less beatiful from the Biorb collection, it looks great! Keep up with good vídeos and helpful information!
PS: Did you already announced the january prize draw winners?
Hi Goncalo. Many thanks for watching Actually, now that I own an orb shape tank, I can really say they look stunning. So, I'm looking forward to cycling and adding fish. I will cover that in another video. The January Prize Draw winner was Paul. I've decided to limit the number of prize draws I undertake as i did receive a few negative comments about doing them (some thought they were too commercial). I might look to change to a Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter version, rather than having them monthly. Best wishes to you. Mark
Hiya how often does the ceramic media need replacing. I replace my big tanks every year. But obviously this is a smaller tank. I dont want a dirty tank or new tank syndrome either.
Hi Erika. In a biOrb the ceramic media acts as the tanks biological filter. This is unlike most other aquariums where the biological filtering is carried out through sponge filter systems etc and less so the substrate material. I still have ceramic media in a couple of my tanks that are over 5-years old and haven't had a reason to change them. Water parameters are still excellent. But, saying that you could change the media every couple of years especially if the media is heavily stained. Caution needs to be applied when changing the biOrb's media to avoid new tank syndrome. It needs to be undertaken in stages to maintain beneficial bacteria. The method I describe in this video allows successful changing of media and avoiding new tank syndrome: th-cam.com/video/M-SNTgG_-2I/w-d-xo.html. In small tanks, the key. to maintaining a clean and healthy substrate (and tank water) is to use a gravel vac and combine this with regular water changes of 25-50% (depending on numbers and types of fish held). Hope that helps. Best wishes, Mark
You have inspired me to get a third biorb, classic 30l. I plan to set it up like yours but smaller scale obviously. Can you remember what decor you used?
Hi Paula. Yes, it is a great tank and is always the one that visitors to my house always head to look at (compared to any other tank!)
For my Classic 60, I have the following items. Note: Where available, I have added amazon links so that you can find the products. Products that are described as Large would not normally fit a 30.
1 x Moorwood Ornament Large (this is no longer produced but wouldn't fit a 30 anyway). You would need to get the smaller size of the Moorwood which is for a 30 amzn.to/3IFFBx1
1 x Easy plant Set Small Green
1 x Easy Plant set Large Green amzn.to/3XiJkF2
1 x Marble Pebble Set (green) amzn.to/3QtTUqx
1 x Silk Plant Set Medium Green amzn.to/3IHCUv4
1 x Aquatic Caulerpa green amzn.to/3vSO9sP
1 x Thistle Fern Grey/Green Small. amzn.to/3Wb7K2s
1 x Topiary Balls set (I only used the two smaller sizes in this pack) amzn.to/3k71MCa
I hope that helps.
Best, Mark
Many thanks Mark. All set up and cycling
Love my classic ...but pitched the rocky substrate...there are better options...hope the company updates to something safer for marine life
Hi. biOrb produced Pearl Media sometime back which is designed to support bottom feeding fish and, most importantly, to work with the biOrb filter system. As you say there are numerous alternative options on the market but it is important to choose a substrate that supports good colonisation by beneficial bacteria and allows for good water flow though and under it. Here is the video I did on Pearl: th-cam.com/video/M-SNTgG_-2I/w-d-xo.html.
Hope that helps. Best, Mark
Can you put live plants in this tank ir only plastic.
Hi. Yes, you can. But they really need to be plants that do not rely on a soil substrate for growth. The most obvious plants for a biOrb are the ones described in my video here: th-cam.com/video/jO088r2mmmw/w-d-xo.html. The plants described in my video are those that will not over-run your tank and they do not like being pushed into soil. Anubias are probably the best option. If getting plants supplied that are attached to material go with those attached to rock (normally volcanic rock) . Plants attached to wood (normally bog wood) will leach tannin into your water. Tannins, released from the bog wood, will not impact your aquarium or fish but they will add a brownish colour to your tank's water colour. Hope that helps. Mark
Thankyou.
On the video where you set up the classic you said it was your 4th biorb. I have seen your life and flow. What is the other one. I'm just being nosy. I have a cube and a life. Tempted to get a 3rd. They are rather addictive 😆
Hi Paula. I have classic 60, 2 x flow 30 and 1 life 30. BTW I also have a Loop but yet to do a video on that (shortly). The Loop will replace one of my Flows. M
@@StepbyStep-biOrb ooh I'll look forward to seeing the loop video when you've done it.
Hi again. My new pump is very loud even with flow valve on. Can I change it for another one? Does it have to be the same voltage? I guess it would have to be plugged in separately. By the way my classic is now clear as a bell. Looks lovely and happy lively danios and minnows. Thanks once again
Hi Paula. Yes, certainly, you can change. No need to be stuck to biOrb. All air pumps work off standard household voltage. But, you will need a separate socket for it. It is best to use a short extension lead, like I do, and then run things from that.
I have tested a range of air pumps. If you want quiet one that works really well I reckon this Hygger one: amzn.to/3ZFyuea. You can get them in black or white. I have had one working on my FLOW for ages and it is still great with a very low sound level (the quietest pump of all the ones I've tested). If I needed another pump I would certainly get another!
Great to hear the Classic's water is now clear. It can take a little while sometimes (cloudy/milky water is just an initial "new tank" thing that often happens). Great also that your fish are happy and lively and are settled into their new home.
How's the cycling going?
@Step-by-Step all good. Water parameters all in range thanks s much 👍
Perfect Paula. Great news, very well done! Please do shout if any parameters go a bit weird xx
I've ordered the hygger pump thankyou for the advice. I also treated myself to the intelligent heater and turned my cube tropical. Great little heater and so discreet. Like you I hate the appearance of traditional heaters. A whole new world of fish has opened up to me!!!
Hi. Hopefully you will like the hygger and you'll find a noise reduction. Yes, the biOrb intel. heater is hard to beat in a biOrb... despite it being very expensive.
Hello, question, when u move this tank to the stand will you remove 1/2 the water?
Great video 👍
Hi Donna. Yes, every time I do a video, with one of my tanks on my dining room table, it is because I've relocated it from another location I then move it all back again. So, if moving a 30 I would quickly extract 50% of the water (using a vac). Move the tank and then refill it straight back up with the very same water I took out. If relocating it is important to do this quickly - to avoid a drop in the extracted water temp and it also important to ensure you add the same (not new) water back in. In the terms of the 60, I extracted 2/3rds of tank water and then relocated the tank to the stand and then added back same water. I'm just glad i didn't opt for a 105l!! :-)
Thank you 😊
It's OK to move the biorb with water in it? I know with all glass tanks they say not to move with water in? Thanks again, Donna
With an acrylic tank (biOrb), I've never had an issue with doing this. I wouldn't move (lift) more than quantities I've indicated though. It is always best done with two people. I'm not sure I'd be keen on moving a glass tank in the same way though - a glass tank weight is far different and so is the way the glass tank is constructed/bonded. Best, Mark
Ok thanks I was just checking, I have to move 3 of my Biorbs, having some work done in the house and person doing it wanted me to move them, just worried about moving them.
Was hoping I could just cover them🙃
Moving three is a fair handful (I find it bad enough to do just one!). Lol. As I mentioned, I have never had a problem doing this and it is something i have to do for the majority of my videos. Although, in my case, the tanks are only being moved very short distances. The 60l is now on a stand - that's less than 6 feet away from where it stood on the table in the video. It is a matter of just removing the bulk of the water and then quickly moving the tank and then filling it back up with the very same water you took out. Although it's a lot of work to do with three tanks (with fish), if the tanks are at risk due to the work you are planning it might be safer to move them. The key thing it to retain the temp of the extracted water and to then get it back in the tank as soon as possible. I hope that helps. M
Hi mark. Great video. I set up a 30l tube yesterday and have already added the water conditioner provided by biorb. I’ll go and pick up some colony today! Would you suggest grabbing some aqua safe and adding it to the pre- conditioner water? Thanks
Hi Keith. Congrats on the 30 Tube. A really great tank and a lovely sized tank to have within the home. You may struggle to get Colony locally as not all shops stock it. So, you might end up coming back home with another product that isn't so good. The other product I would very strongly suggest is Aquavitro Seed (I've recently found this works better than Colony in certain scenarios i.e. local water quality. Seed works under a wider set of water parameters. I would always go to Amazon for either of these as you should easily get next day delivery. Yes, get AquaSafe (not AquaSafe Plus!) Normal Aquasafe is a great product that doesn't contain things that can mess around with your water (many other products add fancy things that I think end up being problematic). Most local stockists should have this... or also get it from Amazon. You would be fine to add a further dose of AquaSafe, on top of the biOrb products you've already added. They are all safe to use, even at high levels. Add Aquasafe at a dose of 2.5ml per 5l of tank water. For Seed and Colony, add these at the same time as adding your initial fish. Hope that helps. I'm happy tp help if you need further advice. Best wishes, Mark
Hi, I have just been watching a lot of your videos so thank you - they have answered a lot of questions.
I currently have 15ltr tank and am moving to a 30ltr biorb tube. I have got this second hand though and it also has the ceramic media in but the tank has been sitting for a while unused. How would you suggest I go about setting this up and moving my fish over in comparison to setting up a new tank.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Laura. Congrats on the 30l Tube. I would suggest that you throw away the old ceramic media in the Tube - as this avoids any previous issues that may have existed with the tank. Any beneficial bacteria associated with the Tube's ceramic media will have long perished anyway.
If you plan to fully replace the 15l with the 30l, then it would make sense to use the ceramic media from your existing tank and transfer this to the 30. This media will have all the existing beneficial bacteria that have been supporting your fish in the 15. You will find it far easier to catch (net out) existing fish without any ceramic media in the tank. As you are moving up to a 30l size, I would suggest you purchase another 1 kilo of ceramic media to add along with your existing media (either the biOrb product or Alfagrog E25 - they are the same product).
There are various ways of doing this but they all add up to being roughly the same. The steps I would take are:
- Give the 30 tank a good rinse out with warm untreated tap water. Then towel dry.
- Rinse and soak the brand new (purchased) ceramic media in warm dechlorinated tap water in a bucket. After rinsing, soak for about 15 to 30 mins.
- Lower the water height of the 15l tank by about 50% - add the 7-8l of extracted tank water to the new tank
- Leaving the fish in the 15, whilst carefully removing (by hand) the ceramic media from the 15l and add that material straight to the 30L. Add a further 1 kilo the new ceramic media that has been rinsed/soaked.
- Add your decorations, air stone, filter, bubble tube, etc to the new tank.
- Top-up the 30l with fresh (dechlorinated) water to about 3-4" from the top.
- Add in your heater to the new tank and switch on and also switch on the air pump.
The new tank should now be ready for your existing fish.
Rather than catch and then add these directly to the new tank, I would suggest you instead add the fish to a plastic bag (a fish bag if you have one or use a large plastic food bag) containing some of the water from the 15l tank. Float the bag, containing the fish, on the surface of the water in the new tank. I would suggest acclimatising the fish to the new tank water (i.e. keep topping-up the bag with a small quantity of the 30l tank water every 5 mins for about 30 mins).
After that you will be able to release the fish into the new tank.
Hopefully the above covers everything... or at least the very main things.
You might want to consider adding a bacterial product (e.g. such as Aquavitro Seed or ATM Colony Freshwater) to the new tank at the same time as adding the fish. I would do this, although it is probably not essential!
The only thing I'd add relates to adding any new fish. If you intend to purchase and add further fish to the 30l I would suggest holding back on this idea for several weeks. This will allow the new tank and existing fish time to settle down. After several weeks the tank should then be fine for adding any further fish. Adding further fish is also best supported by the addition of a bacterial product (e.g. Colony or seed).
I hope that helps. Best wishes, Mark
That’s great, thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I will also move the plastic plants etc from my 15l tank. They really need a clean - is it best to do the clean as I move them over or wait for a couple of weeks to let the tank / fish settle?
Thanks again!
I would move the plastic plants as is (without cleaning). Beneficial bacteria cling to all surfaces within the tank and so they will certainly be on your plastic plants too. You may as well get the full benefit of the established bacteria whilst establishing the new tank. After that, give it a couple of weeks and then clean them. Use the bleach-dip method I describe to clean the plastic plants... they should all then look sparkly new!
That’s what I thought! Thank you :-) I’m starting to do it all now!
Hey! Today I set up my 30ltr classic BiOrb, using your method! Went really well! No fish yet, will be leaving a few days. I have two questions, 1 - I notice instructions tell you to leave a 5cm gap at the top. I noticed in this video, you didn’t do this. Was there any reason why? I followed suit and filled to the same level you did. 2 - I note BiOrb state ‘do not expose to direct sunlight’ and this being a fire risk. I’ve noticed that at 6.30pm some sunshine hits my outside conservatory and that sunlight reflects back through my back door, slightly on to the BiOrb. It shines a little bit of light on the wall tiles at the back. I’ve never noticed this area of my kitchen getting this light before. I know I can get algae grow quicker, but do you think there is any real danger here? Thanks for your help.
Hey Victoria. Hope all is well. The height of the water is related to how much surface agitation you have from your air pump. The poorer the agitation the lower the water height needs to be, to some extent! So, if you have "reasonable/ average" air flow then it is up to you what height of water to to use. I have always fill my tanks to the higher level and have never had a problem in all 4 tanks.
In terms of sunlight. If your tank is in prolonged and permanent direct (and very strong) sunlight then I suppose there could be a risk (although I really struggle to see exactly how!). The only shaped biOrb that provides any level of "magnification" of sunlight would be the orb (round) design. Even then I struggle to see how this would present a risk!! What you are describing, in terms of a 'short' period of time with direct/indirect light, (and in the evening) will not be an issue in the slightest.
Best wishes to you, Mark
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks Mark for your help and advice. It’s much appreciated. How are your 4 tanks going? I meant to say, I was very pleased with my ceramic media, hardly any little bits! Haha 😆
No problem at all. All my tanks are doing well. Happy fish! I have the joy of doing 4 lots of water changes today, but will leave that until this evening (oh the joys of life!). Lol. Yes, just my luck to get the worst ever bags of ceramic media. I managed to get most of the small bits out during the video but some still went in that were smaller than i would have wanted. My vacs tend to pick them up when Im cleaning so I'm still taking smaller 'pea size' ones out. I hope you are having a great weekend x
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Hi Mark! It’s fish day today. After months of planning, setting up, today I have added 7 White Cloud Mountain Minnow to our tank. I’ve completely followed your methods and all went well so thank you ☺️ I’ve given a small feed, they seemed to like that and are enjoying exploring their new home. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they will do well and I will do my best. I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying looking at them already. Sometimes they shoal, sometimes not - fascinating! Hope you are having a great day.
Hey, that's really great news. It's really made my day! Your new fish will be so happy living in their new home. It's a great moment adding fish so... do enjoy it. I'm sure things will go really great, especially with White Cloud Minnows. As always... just shout if you need anything. You just need to keep and eye on ammonia initially (pulling off from feeding is the best means to keep that under control) and look out for the rise in nitrate. Easy! :) Have a really great day and say hello to your new fish from me. M
Hi Mark, me again! I can't find any dosage instructions for the colony Freshwater other than 118ml for 95 litre tank. I calculated 24.15ml I've looked at API calculator and this says 37.26 ml. Help!
Hi. For a 30L the initial dose of Colony would be 40ml (first day). Certainly, if you use a calculator it would be exactly 37.26. Good luck on measuring out that quantity though!! LoL!
Don't panic... Colony is a completely natural product and you can't really over do it. Many people don't even measure it and just put a "good glug" of it into the tank. More is better than less in this case but just go with 40ml initially. I would tend to add another 20ml in a couple of days following that (day three). M
Thanks so much Mark, really appreciate your help!
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks Mark, I went with the 40ml lol. Do you then does at each water change the amount of water your changing? I am doing weekly water changes as you suggest at 25%
Hi Julie. The main reason to use Colony is to cycle the aquarium (with fish present) and to speed up the tank's beneficial bacteria. Further use of Colony is fine during the cycling period though. Once the tank is fully cycled there is not a need to add any further doses of Colony.
The only time you may need to add Colony to a cycled tank is if you are increasing (adding to) the number of fish you have. When adding more fish the existing colony of beneficial bacteria may take some time to naturally expand to support the removal of waste from the additional fish. The additional boost of Colony would help to speed-up the growth of tank's beneficial bacteria to help deal with the increased ammonia and nitrite produced by the increased fish number.
Once a tank is fully cycled, weekly water changes are certainly the way to go. I've undertaken water changes on 5 tanks today... it's a tiring hobby!! :)
Can you add decorative gravel ontop of the media
Hi. It depends. biOrbs function as an under gravel filter system. So, this requires a good water and oxygen flow down and through the media and then a flow towards the central filter/bubble tube. This water/oxygen flow is necessary to support the biological filter (beneficial bacteria) that occupy the biOrb's media. The use of fine/small/medium gravels etc, placed on top of the biOrb media, may very likely reduce the water/oxygen flow and make the under gravel filter system less efficient. In addition, either of the two types of biOrb media (Ceramic Media or the new Pearl Media) need to be regularly cleaned to remove waste, which gets trapped under the media. The best method for this is using a battery gravel vac (see my vid). Over time, the use of a gravel vac will ultimately result in the mixing of the decorative gravel and the biOrb media, so that the decorative gravel will end up no longer sitting on top of the biOrb media. The alternative would be to look at another alternative substrate material but ideally one that doesn't need a conversion of the biOrb system. Hope that helps. Mark
Interestingly the pump on my new biob classic is really noisy. My other 2 identical pumps are much quieter. I wonder if they improved with use???
Yes, that is interesting. I seem to get a different pump each time I get a new tank! The one that came with the loop was a bit noisy but the air flow was too high for my liking. I added a regulator to drop the air flow a bit and that has done the normal thing and also reduced the pump noise so it is now not really noticeable.
@Step-by-Step thanks Mark. I also gave fliw adjusters on. It has helped a bit. Just added 4 zebra danios and doing a fish in cycle with added bacteria. They look great
Great news from you on the cycling. In terms of the air reg, I would suggest you go for full air and flow in the tank to help speed up the cycling, then turn it down beyond that. Once the bacteria are established, a lower air flow makes little difference to the bacterial colony growth/productivity. Any problems just shout. M
Where did you put the heater and what kind for the classic biorb thanks!
Hi. The heater is at the back of the tank resting on the bottom/substrate: th-cam.com/video/1rM3JRR3Jds/w-d-xo.html.
The tank is a Classic 60L with MCR lighting. Thanks, Mark
To see a wide range of videos about biOrbs visit my full video library here:
th-cam.com/users/StepbyStep-biOrb-Aquariumsvideos
One other question can I add additional pebble substrate over the existing bio media? Cheers
No Problem. Within reason, yes, you can. But this depends on the type of "pebble substrate" you are referring to?
As long as the quantity of pebbles doesn't impede the filtration (i.e. water flow down and through the ceramic media). The only problem with adding too much additional media on top of the media is that:
1. The additional pebbles on the surface may not provide a suitable substrate for beneficial bacteria to colonise. What materials are the pebbles you refer to made of? If these are "biOrb pebbles" these do not really support bacterial colonisation. Beneficial bacteria always do far better with a good water flow around and over them (adding too much material on top, which doesn't support bacteria, may impede water flow to the substrate (below) which does support them.
2. The addition of material (pebbles) on the top of the biOrb ceramic media may make it far more difficult to clean and remove waste under the ceramic media using an aquarium vacuum.
Alternatively, the use of the new biOrb substrate (Pearl Media) may be be something for you to consider is you don't like the look of the "traditional" biOrb Ceramic Media and if you are wanting an alternative media type.
M
@@StepbyStep-biOrb thank you so much for the time and effort at helping me.👌👌👌👌
Please help!! How much water conditioner do I add? Also do I add the biological booster at the same time?
Hi Lee. It depends on the water conditioner product you are using (do you mean dechlorinator?). If it is what I recommend (i.e. AquaSafe) that should be applied at 2.5ml per each 5 litres of water added to the tank. Are you setting up a brand new tank and are you perhaps referring to the biOrb sachets that come with a new tank??
@Step-by-Step with the biorb tank I got a 5ml water conditioner and 5ml biological booster, wasn't sure if I add both of them while filling or even if there's enough for a 60l tank, I bought some API Stress coat from my local water Gardens, and didn't know if to just use that instead as I have a 100ml bottle and that says to add 5ml every 40l of water
Hi Lee. Yes, you can use the biOrb stuff, but it is all very short term. You basically need enough product for biOrb ownership and to fully cycle the aquarium. The biOrb quantities do not satisfy this requirement. For making tap water safe I would suggest AquaSafe as this is a straight forward water dechlorinator and doesn't have a negative impact on establishing a tank's beneficial bacteria (cycling). I would suggest getting this and adding it to your aquarium (2.5ml per 5 litres) when you get it. You can get it next day here: amzn.to/3iRaeFC. I personally would not use API Stress Coat as this may impede the growth of bacteria. If you are planning to do a fish in cycle, you will need to get either Aquavitro Seed (first choice) or ATM Colony bacteria and use this when you add fish. Best, Mark
@Step-by-Step the APi was suggested by the owner of the tropical fish department, so that's why I got it as planning on getting tropical fish, but if you think the aquasafe is better ill order a bottle, thank you very much
Did he say what type of heater he got for his BiOrb?
Hi. I have biOrb Intelligent Heaters in all 5 tanks. biOrb have stopped production of these though, although you can sometimes pick them up second hand. See my specific video on heaters here: th-cam.com/video/6DHXGfAgyI4/w-d-xo.html. Best, Mark
Can you add 1 Betta fish with guppies, tetra and catfish?
Hi Patti. Betta would be fine with all of those species. But they would have slightly different water quality preferences. For example, tetras, betta and corydoras prefer softer water conditions and a pH generally up to about 7.5 (ideally less). Guppies on the other hand prefer harder water conditions and a higher pH up to about 8. Tetras, especially neon, can also be very sensitive to poorer water quality conditions or aquariums that have swings in their water conditions.
It is always best to try to match fish species to your tap water quality.
In terms of fish compatibility the chart here is useful: www.aquariumindustries.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Freshwater-Fish-Compatibility-Chart.pdf. Bear in mind the chart is about how well certain fish get on with each other rather than showing compatibility in terms of species preferences for water quality/conditions. Hope that helps. Best, Mark
Just checking… you mentioned you are 2.5ml for every 5L. But shouldn’t it be 1.32 for every 5L?
10mL (38L) x (5L/38L) = 10mL x 0.132 = 1.32mL for every 5L
Hi. Thanks for visiting the channel. If you are referring to AquaSafe dosage... it is 5 ml of AquaSafe for every 10 litres of newly added tap water (2.5ml per 5l). You could get away with less in terms of dealing with typical tap water chlorine/chloramine levels but AquaSafe also deals with metals such as copper, lead and zinc. Water suppliers also can boost chlorine/chloramine levels during maintenance periods so 5ml/10l covers that scenario.
@@StepbyStep-biOrb Thanks for the reply! :) Oh, you must have different directions on your bottle for the AquaSafe. The Canadian bottle says 10mL for every 10 gallons (38L) of water.
I've checked on the Tetra website and established the difference. I recommend simple dechlorinators and I always use standard AquaSafe. At 5ml/10l it also has a more straightforward dilution rate that is better suited to the size of biOrbs and undertaking regular water changes. You probably have Tetra AquaSafe PLUS - it is this product that is prepared at 5ml/ 38l. Hope that helps. Best, Mark