Thank you for the video, definitely subscribing. Not only very informative but like the humor....so basically you rock. One question, the tank behind you with the Albino Oscar, what is the fish that comes up to eat at 12:12? Stay blessed and gonna watch your past videos. Starting an aquarium, which I used to have when I was like 14, then snakes and dogs took over and forgot so many things......just enjoy watching this and moreover learning new things.
I used to think my grandma was just being frugal when reusing decorations, gravel, filter pads, and other stuff in her mixed guppy/molly tanks. She even sent my brother home with a sandwich bag of gravel and some live plants from her tanks when we set up a 20 gallon goldfish tank at our house. She knew what she was doing. That was back in 1979. 🐟
I kept fish in the 60s and 70s and knew nothing of this, and neither did the fish-keeping books! I was so lucky that things just worked out. This series looks like it will be VERY helpful.
Very true! The fish-keeping books in those years recommended to excersize patience, start with planting and when all dust had settled, begin with a FEW fish. That's what I did, and I could enjoy a healthy aquarium
I started in the early 80s. It was a miracle anything survived in my care the first few years. I had a fancy goldfish that I got around ‘85 that lived over 25 years. Probably would’ve lived even longer but it got way over fed while I was hiking the Appalachian Trail and died on my fish sitter.
Yeah I see a couple of things in this video but nothing that's going to cause problems for a new fishkeeper. Some things are fun and nice to know but do nothing to make you a better fishkeeper. You know things like my fish is supposed to be red or yellow or maybe it's supposed to be blue but it came out white or maybe black. Well if it came out white it probably has to do with albino ism and if it came out black its melanistic. Nice to know but it's not going to help you take care of the fish.
Yeah me too. Had my first tank at 16,now I'm 66 and it was simpler back then. We just didn't need to do all these things back then,,don't know why lol.I still have a fish tank in my bedroom because it's very relaxing. They didn't tell us to do this stuff, you just read the little fish booklet!! I always had good luck with all of my tanks!!! I guess sometimes ignorance Is bliss!! Lolol
@@kathleeningram3880 Yeah i had tanks in the '60s-"70 also Back then, all you were told to do was to check water PH... and a filter would take care of everything.
Beginner fish keeper here, I realize this video is 3yrs old but out of the dozens that I have watched trying to learn this one is by far the best. Most of the things he has said, I have heard nowhere else. Not even talking with the fish people at pet stores. This video could save many people hundreds or even thousands of dollars, endless frustration, and tons of wasted time. I believe a first time aquarium owner could kick off without a hitch if this is the only video they ever watched on startup.
40 years in the hobby. What an insightful video. First I want to say is this. You have been involved for decades and you still have the energy and concern for the transfer of aquarium knowledge to the initiatives. God bless you. I could watch videos like this over and over. So simple and so basic yet so important. I just watched a video that Lisa made regarding heaters. You guys are awesome. Keep teaching it is so appreciated. Love our fish.
Kg, I am a 57 year (yikes 😳!) Aquarist. Got my first tank for my 12th birthday. Started watching your videos a couple of weeks ago. They are great and so needed. Years ago small privately owned shops wanted you to succeed so they educated you in the hopes you would enjoy the hobby and be a long term customer. Today they are far outnumbered by chain stores where good information like you are putting out is scarce to none. Just started setting up several Betta tanks (there are some real ones available on my area now.) and your tips on Betta keeping helped me set up a few of nicest small tanks for them I have ever had. You never stop learning in this hobby because while the glass box with water and fish stays the same, filtration, lighting, and water treatments improve all the time. So here's the old school way we practiced for years to set up a tank. Set your tank up, and add fish slowly. One or two at a time every week or so. It is an exercise in patience, but the rewards are great. I enjoy shopping carefully for the best examples of each fish I am looking for. Again, these videos are great. Thank You. Sharon from Michigan
This is incredible. I have been wanting fish for a long time, and have been doing my research and finally today bought stuff for my first tank! I have been going crazy trying to understand tank cycling - especially as a first time fish owner. And you have explained this SO INCREDIBLY WELL. I sincerely appreciate all the time and effort you put into this video. Thank you so so so much for helping me understand this process! Here's to my first fish tank!!
@@glenngent5465 trial and error, but good now! My tank stalled in the cycling process trying to cycle it several times without fish or any prior material. At the end of a frustrating few months, I ended up wiping down everything and trying again, but the last time I borrowed some decorations from my friend's already established tank. Honestly, this was the best way to get the tank to cycle properly, and I keep tabs on it often to make sure my sweet fish are safe (: research is the absolute best thing you can do, and I highly recommend getting some material that has already been established in a cycled tank.
Great to hear back I'm going to set up mine next week as I'm waiting on air pump and other things it's only a small tank for now as I don't want to mess things up for the first time. As I was thinking on buying a 200ltr tank then I had a think about it so I will be starting up with a smaller tank and hopefully all goes well with cycling ect.
I've had a couple of fish tanks, but always jumped into it on impulse and always had to go with the cheapest options (many years I wished I lived paycheck to paycheck! More like paycheck to four days before paycheck). I've wanted a Betta for years so now that I can actually afford it, I'm learning all I can so I can do it right this time! Thanks so much for all the great I formation!
That's one of the things I love about this hobby. You can keep fish for years and years, and you can still learn something new. Thanks for the informative video!
I'm a brand new Betta owner and this is so so helpful! I love my beautiful boy and I'm so glad I have videos like these to make sure he gets the best life possible! 👏🏻
If you dump the bottle of Fritz Zyme in the toilet, at least there is probably some ammonia to convert 🤣. Great video John, a stable cycle is so critical to a successful ecosystem in your tank. Years ago I learned all of this info from you and I have passed it on to many new (and successful) fishkeepers! Thank you!
As a child from the 80’s I remember people saying to buy a couple feeders to throw in in tanks to get your tank started off on the right foot after all they were meant to be eaten, your tips seem to be a much kinder safer way thank you ever so much for sharing and best wishes always.
I'm so excited about this series! I struggled with keeping fish alive when I was a kid, so I have been hesitant to try as an adult. I recently decided I'll give a betta fish a shot and got a 3 gallon aquarium on my desk. The fish will be upgraded to a 10 gallon within the next year when I move, but right now I'm in a 500sqft apartment, so we're all trapped in our own little boxes. I don't have the fish yet because I am trying to properly cycle my tank, so this video came at a great time! :)
I upgraded from a 5 gal to a 6 gal. The 5 gallon was a square. The 6 was wider and depth was about the same. The configuration gave the fish move room to swim.
@@NihilusTheGreat or better yet, let the plant mature. You can see signs of a mature tank, not a cycled tank. New plant growth, diatoms, and algae are proof that it is ready to sustain life.
I found this to be extremely helpful! Please please please!!!! Keep these vids coming in this series! You made everything so clear without making me feel like a dummy, you kept it entertaining and crucially informative.
So glad I found your videos. I'm about to take my daughter to get her first tank because she's been so insistent on getting one, and had no idea we needed to prep like this. She's going to be a little bummed, but I'll just redirect her towards building the tank, decorating, and learning how to keep happy fish in a healthy tank. Thanks for the series!
I’ve had aquariums most of my life. I never had live plants and have survived by water changes often. I am now going to live plants after learning so much from your videos, thanks
I've been a fishkeeper for a number of years. I'm quite familiar with the information presented and really feel that I'm well beyond this content . . . BUT . . . BUT . . . this was like watching my favorite action movie!! I already know how it's going to end but why was I watching it like I had never seen it before and was glued to every word presented?? This video was brilliant and I plan to forward it to friends and family I know (the list grows) that are looking to purchase their first aquarium. THANK YOU!!!!
I think the personality levels of both him and his wife are the reason i find myself watching a video I may already know the info on. Love a well delivered message personally and they make it fun like you mentioned.
Absolutely perfect video. I hope every beginner watches this before setting up their first aquarium. I honestly wish I watched this before jumping back into the hobby 8 months ago after 25 years away.
Option 1: Put fish food into the aquarium Optional: Add Quick Start Wait a month/ Test the water High Ammonia= BAD (it's important to have ammonia at first. But, avoid putting the fish in just yet) High Nitrite Levels= WAIT (Good Bacteria is starting to form) High= Nitrate levels= READY! (add the fish) Option 2: Add the water +Start the filter Add the fish Feed the fish Fish die and gasp for air Change 30% of the water ONLY [don't touch filter, don't rinse/clean decorations] Important: Remove nitrate by doing 20-30% water changes every 2-3 weeks
Thank you for this video. It helps a lot. I had my first fish tank when I was 12 years and I didn’t know anything and they died and until after 17 years later I tried to get a new fish. I started with a male betta that I love and started the wrong way with a bowl and now I am with a 10 gallon tank thanks to your videos. It was not longer thank 4 days after I changed to the 10 gallon tank. I love how you make it easy to understand the cycle when I had a hard time to understand it. I am still learning to take care of my fish. Thank you for all the videos that are so helpful to me now that I have 3 more fish with my betta. I took the advice from the 10 betta mates that could go with a betta and they live well together. I love to watch over and over your videos for any little thing I might have missed and see what else I can learn. Also I want to say thank you to Lisa for the Betta fish videos because I have learned so much from her specially to see her beautiful heart on how she helped a betta that was almost dying. God bless you both with health and happiness.
Wow, I’ve been looking for a video that explains the WHOLE process of the nitrogen cycle- I’ve searched all over the internet and I’ve finally found a video that makes sense! Thank you so much, I’m looking forward for more videos of this series!!!!
"There is no bacteria that removes nitrate." There is anaerobic bacteria that completes the nitrogen cycle and turned the nitrate into nitrogen gas. This type of bacteria is the opposite of aerobic bacteria and does not like oxygen so it requires different circumstances to grow.
Exactly. The best way to grow anaerobic bacteria is to have a nice 2” substrate bed. The anaerobic bacteria will grown under the substrate and create Nitrogen. Having live plants will love to have their roots buried in this substrate and grow nice and healthy.
I'm the beginner, just acquired a 55 gallon tanks, re-finished the stand, and have been watching alot of videos from you guys...thanks so much....getting close to start the cycling process
Good video, it really makes the whole process easier to understand. It was 69 or 1970 when I started my first aquarium. All I knew about was treating the chlorine in our tap water. Amazingly my fish flourished,, and bred. So in my mid teens I got into Cichlids. What a rewarding experience! Successfully raised Jack Dempseys, all while knowing nothing of the nitrite - nitrate cycles. These days I've expanded to outdoor ponds. Those Koi & big Goldfish are so full of personality. Takes me back to when I kept big Oscars, they would get so excited when they saw me come in from work, their tank water would literally splash out of the tanks. Like dogs wag their tails - fish wag their whole bodies. Back to ponds, many fellow pond keepers in the area freak out when they get algae blooms. I'm more worried if I don't get any. The beneficial bacteria keep the water clear and I have a vast combination of water plants & marginals. However I have not been testing my pond & I know I should. So next on my shopping list is an API test kit for ponds. Unless of course you know of another that I can get here in Canada. Thanks again for posting this informative video.
Thanks to yall channel, it kept me from giving up. Recently I bought some Val from etsy and I put them in 2 of my tanks. It completely infected my tanks with ich and I lost half of fish because of it. I got so stressed and depressed that I wanted to give up but after binge watching yall channel I decided to not give up and use this experience as a learning lesson.
If ever your fish get ich, try "Esha Exit" and "Esha 2000" and use them combined. You use the product for 3 days, but you can extend it to 6 days if the treatment is needed for longer! Then once all fish look ich free, then water change 25%. Then to help give the fish a health booster, add in "Esha Optima" health booster. Makes the fish feel amazing and they colour up fantastic! I never had and deaths with ich during this treatment. And it's soooooo cheap to buy, meds are measured in drops with a dropper. If ever this happens try this method! 😁
I think the "Dummies Guide..." is a great idea! For those beginners they'll learn how to fish keep correctly, and the advanced fish keepers might learn something they didn't know or have forgotten 😀. I for one hope to see it. Especially something like what is a must have emergency kit, like an absolute to get you through until morning...thanks you two for all you do!
I watched this video 3 years ago, soon after starting my freshwater fish hobby. Yes, this is the most valuable video I watched on fish keeping. The animations were great, the products suggested are great, the plant explanation was great, smoke analogy...great. Everything was valuable.
This is the second time I watched this video. The first time I, when I first set up my tank, I was so confused! Now this makes so much more sense. Thank you!
Had a tank for 7 years and never knew most of this. Very valuable information and also explains a few things I've encountered over those 7 years. Thank you!
This series is a great idea. 😊 I did a fishless cycle (I 'fed' it flake food) and it took 3 months, in which time I read about the species I wanted to keep. I probably used an over-abundance of caution but I'm glad I did it that way and I'd do it again in future. 😊
You guys are thee reason that I am still in this hobby so you guys are doing something and I am grateful that you guys are sharing your wisdom on this hobby.
This was super helpful as someone coming back to aquariums mid life, funny we had these in the different houses I lived but I think we were always doing it wrong lol. Keeping goldfish in 10 gallon tanks for 5 years and keeping them stunted at 2"....I'm trying this again with a real strategy to get big healthy fish, that will outlive my mammalian pets. Thanks for the help!!
I have been on TikTok for days trying to find this information, I’ve been so confused and overwhelmed and you’ve helped explain everything so so well. Thank you so much. Subscribed !
I really enjoyed the clear and simple way you explained this, John. I’m getting back into this hobby after a 35 year hiatus and love your channel . I especially like your emphasis on the fact that these are living things and we want to give them the best life possible. You and Lisa have been a huge help in making me much better at giving my fish friends a healthy environment. I wish I’d had this help in 1985! Keep up the good (and entertaining) work! Absolutely brilliant!
I have been in the hobby all of my life and I am 51 years old. This video was excellent for beginners. On the point of "you have already have fish added but they are dying", do a partial water change 30% and just add in a bottle of bacteria and it should reverse the track your tank is on.
This was the most helpful video I've seen in all my researching in the past month. I never had this kind of information at my fingertips in the (distant) past when I struggled with keeping fish. I am helping my teenage daughter with her new axolotl, and I am truly fascinated at how enjoyable an aquarium could be when you have all the appropriate information. I am now considering setting up a tank in my home office, and I am definitely going to continue to do my research and do it right from the start! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience!
John and Lisa, I am going to LOVE this series!!!! It hopefully will educate the new hobbyists.... Keeping it fresh and simple!!! Great video on the Nitrogen Cycle!!!
I'm so excited, I'm getting my first tank on Friday. Not new to fish keeping as used to look after a few aquariums in a zoo I worked at. But excited to have my first one in my home. Going to do a planted tank with female Betta's and Kuhli loaches. Because we are getting 4 female Bettas we going to name them after characters from Labyrinth because we love a subtle pun. Thanks for the video great info.
This is a great video about the cycle! What I do with tanks is deep substrate and a lot of wood to provide bacteria surface area. Also I add an used external filter to my new tank that I lend from another tank. I don’t add bacteria or ammonia. Just a bit of fish food in the beginning.
This is the best video ever made on this important topic. !!!! Thanks for making it so easy to understand, I share it very often in different fish groups where many have problems and questions about the subject. it is much easier to share the link to your video than to have to explain it every time. you come all the way around the subject - so thank you I'm sure it will help many when they see it. 🤗
Please keep the ‘dummies guide’ videos coming. I was one who set up my tank, 3 days later took in my water sample and was told ‘it looks fine’ so I got my fish. Now I’m doing a fish-In cycle and the struggle is real! But so far, my 5 guppies (one mamma soon to give birth) and my 3 nerite snails are all hanging in as I’m learning. Thank you!!! for making these videos and please keep them coming. I love this hobby more than any other, but my goodness it’s not easy!
I had a betta and a goldfish in a 2 gallon tank in college. Just bought them and threw them in the tank all in the same afternoon...I don't know how they survived, but they did for at least a year. I am retired now and would like to have a "real" tank set up properly. Thank you sooo much for this video! Your videos are a great help!!!
Another caviot....the bacteria will only grow based on the amount of "food" for the bacteria. Thats why only introduce a few fish at a time over a few weeks. That gives time for more bacteria to grow to compensate for the new ammonia load.
Forever grateful for Angel the PetSmart employee with pink hair that explained this to me when I first started. I had no clue about the nitrogen cycle and she stopped me from killing fish. I’ve been in the hobby for about 6 years and have 6 planted tanks and working on a pond. I’m obsessed! Looking forward to this series!
I’ve read books and watched other videos about cycling your tank but this is the most clear and helpful explanation I’ve heard so far! I’m in the waiting phase, and I’m glad to see that PATIENCE is the only ingredient I’m short on at this point!
An extra word of warning to new fish keepers, if you go the route of putting fish food in and letting it decay, make sure to use small amounts that will break down quickly or remove what you put in there and replace it with more after a day or so. I tried just dropping a few large sinking pellets into my tank and leaving them when I was cycling my first tank and they started to grow mold after a few days which I then had to thoroughly clean and basically start the process from scratch because white mold is dangerous to fish, so I ended up having to wait for about 10 weeks instead of six cause I had to restart the cycle partway through due to mold. Not sure if it is a common issue or if I just got unlucky but probably best to play it safe and just use the ammonia boosters or replace the rotting food every day or two so it doesn't start growing mold.
awesome video! You had many great points and I did learn some stuff. I have a 100 gallon pond in the back yard with healthy fish and clean water and water condition is great. It has been running all season and only lost one fish before I bought my Master Pond testing kit only to find out my Nitrite was at the end of the scale. I should have bought the test kit day one. Once I did a major water change and got the levels down to where they should be it has been a breeze to keep everything in check. My plan for winter is to transfer the water from the pond into the winter inside tank and bring some of the plants from the pond into the aquarium. I will bring in some of the medium that is my filters to help the new filtration system to continue the cycle that is working well in the pond. Thanks for making this video. I'm sure it helped the people who saw it. Cheers from Canada
You are the best! Thanks for incorporating all of the info which takes significant amount of time for new aquarium keepers to find. Especially when you’re not yet familiar with the subject. If that’s the first part in a series, I’m both hands for that! ❤❤❤
Great video! You mentioned that you can add fish food to the new set up to get ammonia going? Though how long does it take the ammonia process to begin once you have added some food in the water? Do you wait for that to take place before adding fritz or any other product?
I'm just about to set up a tank. I've been doing all types of research and kept hearing about cycling the tank but did not understand what it meant. This video made it very simple and easy to understand! Thank you!
Great video, I wish this info existed during my first run in the hobby 24 years ago; life would have been so much easier; should come with every new fish tank
Great video!! I'd like to add that some LFS are recommending a prime at start up, which new hobbyists need to understand prime binds those toxins that your tank needs to properly cycle. While a great emergency product, it prevents your tank from going through a true cycle and delaying that needed ammonia spike to grow that beneficial bacteria.
Could someone please help explain when to do the first water change when cycling. And how much food should be used and how often for a 40 gallon tank. I'm picking mine up in 2 days and have been researching for the last 3 months so have a pretty good understanding of it all. But if anyone can answer that. 1. When should first water change be done 2. How much food and bacterial supplement. 1 pinch per week?
I've always done well when starting a new aquarium. I'll cycle out my tank and fully plant my aquarium before adding fish. I never understood the whole ammonia and nitrites and nitrate processes or even used water testing kits before. I just started a 500-gallon pond tank for bait fish and am having issue with the whole cycle process. I'm glad that I found this video. This is just what I need to hear after watching a tons of video. This one breaks down everything of what I was doing wrong. Thanks
Very good explanation for beginning fishkeepers. Good analogy comparing it to a smoked filled room. There's also always the option of adding media form an established tank if it available.
Thx for all of the tips John, new fish keeper here that bought the tank and fish same day. And yes, I had a disaster! Fish were dying and the nitrates where high. I didn't clean the tank, water changes only but, I did get the gravel out and replaced the gravel with large river stones. I'm able to vacuum the tank much easier now and the water nitrates are so far so good... Thx for this video, it sure helped out alot! 👍
Thank you, this is an incredibly helpful, thorough, and easy to understand explanation of how the cycle works! I’m so spanking brand new to all of this that I’m still spanking, so I’ll take every tidbit of wisdom that you have to share! Thanks again! 🐟♥️
this is so helpfull as i didnt have a clue what i was doing and set up a new aquarium then put fish in two days later. lets hope they all make it through its been five days so far
This is a great video! As someone who wants to start fish keeping but has no real experience, this was much needed. Not only for me, but for the fish that will benefit from being in a properly cycled tank.
I am new to fish keeping and your videos are so helpful to me. Thank you for breaking this down and making it super simple to understand! Maybe next you could do a video on patience 😂 because I have NONE!
Ok, so here. Water is cloudy as heck. Fish act fine. None are gasping for air. I was taught old school. No, I didn't urinate in my tank. I set the tank up, put fish food in the tank. Tested it every day. Tank got dirty, then cleared up. Then, I added live plants. Tested it for about 3 days. Tank was stable. Started adding my fish. Tank was great about a month. Now, tank is even cloudier than when I sat it up. I just did a water only change yesterday. However, today I Tested it and I still have a nitrite level that is slightly elevated. But my nitrate level is at the top of the chart. I am very patient. I'm on no big rush here. I just dont want to harm the fish. But I thought the plants and the water changes would cover it. I grew up with tanks. So I've probably had fish longer than you have been alive. Not kidding. But I can't ever remember having to change my water this much. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
I've had aquariums since the 60s. I learned by trial an error how to care for each type of species (and I almost had them all) your video is the best one I've seen so far on ease of cycling. I always cheat by throwing a few goldfish in to get the cycle going, monitor with API, and then yank the goldies out and put them back in their tank that I've done a water change on. Test my cycle process again and go from there. Don't know if this is the right thing to do but it's worked so far! Love your videos. Great explanations in every one. Thanks for all your help on everything and keep up the great work! Love you guys!🐳
This series is a great idea. I have kept fish for 40 years and there are still holes in my keeping knowledge because a lot of us were self taught back then. I never fail to learn something new in your videos.
Man where was this video back in June. I did all the don’ts. I had just the water for weeks with no test kits. Added fish and no problems. I completely cleaned the tank because it was dirty. After many spikes in ammonia and nitrite i finally got control of it all. I am sad to say that i have only lost one fish throughout my battle of being a beginner fish keeper. Your videos helped a lot. Thank you!
Being a Newby to Fish Keeping, I followed KG Tropicals advise on setting up a Tropical Tank, Never spent a fortune on the setup - have 150Ltr Tropical Freshwater Tank, with Mollys, Tetras, Danios, Elders and Loaches. Never had an Aquarium before. After 6 weeks Tanks is fully cycled and thriving, see results so far below, Thanks John, am sure if not had this advise all my fish would be dead.
I have been into aquariums for over 20 years now. I am glad people like you and your wife are making such excellent beginner video's because this didn't exist back when I started out in 1996. It would have saved so many innocent fish, amphibia and reptile lives :p
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the videos aimed towards beginners! I started out wanting to do a small tank to just get my head wrapped around the nitrogen cycle with the ultimate goal of doing a koi fish/gold fish pond in my backyard. But in doing my research to figure out where to start I developed a huge passion for Aquascaping and Aquarium life in general. I'm a week in and have "cycled" my tank. Given my unpredictable weekday work schedule I will be waiting until friday after work (if I have time) or saturday to get my first couple of fish! (Just so I can be sure to monitor levels over the weekend when I know I'll have time)
Thank you! I kept Cichlids 10+ years.... 15 years ago. I'm just getting back into the hobby and it seems quite a bit has changed. I appreciate these videos very much.
Thanks so much for putting out this video! I have a tank that’s about a week and a half old and everything was looking great. I thought I was doing everything perfectly, and I was doing most things right. But, when you talked about how things might look really good and then suddenly everything takes a turn for the worst after a couple of weeks I quickly went over and did a test of my water. Wouldn’t you know it, things were a little bit out of whack. Not abnormal, as you pointed out, but something that I had to deal with. So, I immediately did a water change to “open a window” for the fish and added some more bacteria (which is recommended during water changes according to the bottle). I’ll be sure to check the water every day, but I feel like you saved my fish with this video! Thanks so much for being so practical.
Ammonia can be found in most city's tap water. So fill your tank. Dechlorinate first, then add your bottled bacteria and add a couple hardy fish. Please no cardinals or discus the first month or two. Every week slowly add a couple more fish. Do 20% water changes once a week for the first 6 weeks and you will be fine. Then do biweekly water changes to control nitrates. Unless you have live plants. Then you may be able to get away with once a month and that depends on how densely you have your tank stocked and how much you feed them. That is why testing your pH and Ammonia once or twice a week is highly recommended.
I'm so I was turned onto this video. I did the one thing you said not to do. I took everything out of the tank and cleaned it in a bathtub with bleach. I thought I was doing good...Thank you for setting me straight. I'm going to see how things go to get back to that crystal clear aquarium water.
I'm really late here, but I'm really really glad I've found your video. I didn't know anything about this, and nobody at the store told me. I've had three tiger barbs die on me so far, and when I realized the water was a lot cloudier, I wasn't sure what to do so I did probably a 60% water only change (I luckily bought a top fin tank that has a built in automatic siphon). I'm going to continue that as there are still a few that quickly revived once I changed the water, and I'm going to add some live bacteria to speed this process up. I've been in panic mode for about 24 hours now trying to figure out what happened, as well as trying to be a fish er physician and keep them alive. You've earned my sub and I'll be binge watching some of your videos for more knowledge. Thanks a million brother.
Maybe this is a dumb question but how does the bottled product version of beneficial bacteria not starve while it's in the bottle? I use Quickstart, but I never thought about how the bacteria stays alive on the shelf.
Since 2011...Happy 10 year TH-cam anniversary ❤ I just found your channel a few months ago. Been busy watching all the videos and making it to Thursdays live stream. Thank you John and Lisa. 💖
About 30 y ago when I used to have aquarium, I had no clue of all of this. We just used to fill the tank with tap water, let it sit for 24 hr to dechlorinate on its own and add fish. I think the only mistake I made was to add too many fish, but other than that everything turned out okay. Your video is THE BEST explaining the cycle!
Thank you for your help! I went to a local fish store that gave me the live bacteria, but didn't say anything about needing to add the ammonia. Probably should have realized sooner, but a week of waiting and a water test later and I see what the issue was. Ordered some aquarium ammonia and I'll add that and see what happens next! Thank you so much for your help!!!
I’ve been keeping fish for many years. Just recently had my tank turn upside down. My convict cichlids had two generations of fry..it got out of control fast. My canister filter went out.. lost 4 fish, plants started dying.. it got wild. Thank you for the brush up on fish tank education. Life got busy and it got away from me sad😢
I never do water changes and have perfect water. The key is deep sand substrate 2-4 inches with a soil base, lots of plants, a heater, an LED light, a hang on the back filter and some tetras. Feed 2-3 times a week max and let nature do the rest. Healthy fish with crystal clear water..
This is great info for a complete newbie like me! THANK YOU so very much. I’m putting fish food in and waiting 😪 I watch videos to make me feel good until I get my tank cycled. I do have plants 🌱 so it still is nice to look at. One day I will get my little fishy 😅 all this info is so easy to understand ❤️
Great video! It's super hard to be able to stomach learning about the nitrogen cycle when setting up a new tank. It seems as if it only becomes relevant after already struggling from an unsuccessful tank with sick fish trying to combat the problems as they arise one by one. I was forced into understanding the nitrogen cycle when i couldn't figure out how to get my nitrite levels down even after partial water changes and additional good bacteria..... I came across a pretty comprehensive read detailing the nitrogen cycle, sticthing together all the bits I had learned, adding missing puzzle pieces and incorperating product recommendations and tips (such as borrowing one of the sponge filters from an already cycled tank- etc etc). I ended up setting up a hospital tank for my remaining fish and waited. After a week my nitrites were nonexistent. My hospitalized fish on their deathbed regained their gusto and I just reintroduced them to the now cycled bigger tank... I should've watched your video from the start!!!
Thanks just starting my first tank now. I will take on this info and make sure that I get my tank planted and add fish food/ammonia so that I can kick things off well. Only have filtration and air running at this stage. I have a 140 litre tank and just finished washing stones today 60kg worth this gives me a good 2 1/2-3 inches of substrate to work with. Greatly appreciate your series starting now. Looking forward to next videos, have liked and subscribed!
thank you so much for this information. i am setting up a 29 gallon tank with my dad and i was just wandering about how to start a new tank. i saw your video and now i know. thank you so much kgtropicals.
I started fish keeping some 40 plus years ago, and I do think things were actually a lot easier back then. There was no Internet, no TH-cam, no chat room forums... you went to the library and checked out a real book! A book typically written by an experienced aquarist... containing solid facts and correct information. Producing thousands and thousands of books is expensive, so no publisher was going to waste money printing hundreds and hundreds of pages of nonsense written by some clueless individual. You could be reasonably confident that if a book was on a bookshelf, some thorough checks had been done to ensure the material within was accurate. Fast forward to today... anybody can say pretty much anything on any topic online and release it upon the masses with no requirement to undergo any checks to validate the accuracy of the content... The onus is on the viewer to try to gauge if the writer is truly knowledgeable. Still today, I see German Blue Rams touted as 'Community Fish'. They are not. They require pristine water: more acidic than the 'typical' community tank and quite a lot warmer than 'typical' tropical tank temperatures. And they can be quite delicate: if those conditions aren't met - they are probably gonna suffer and maybe die. I did like this presentation: it covered most of the key basics about the nitrogen cycle. The nitrogen cycle is quite complex - but fundamentally simple... this presentation shows the real simplicity very well. The only 2 things that should be mentioned: 1. If you are using tap water to fill the tank and perform water changes - test the tapwater prior to use (or at least periodically). Many different countries have many different legal requirements for the chemistry of the water that comes out of your tap... It is worth firstly checking what your own government legally requires your water authorities to provide... I do believe that some, if not all, of the US has a legal limit of 5ppm nitrate: anything over 10ppm is considered harmful to human health? But in the UK - the legal limit for nitrate is 50ppm! (trace amounts of nitrite and ammonia are also legally acceptable!) 2. pH has a huge impact on cycling, so it is worth checking what the pH of your water is as well... Below 6, and it stops the cycling process cold. pHs above 8.6 can also significantly impede cycling. We're now moving into the 'complex' part of my statement "The nitrogen cycle is quite complex - but fundamentally simple..." There are some good papers online that explain why this happens, if you really feel the urge to learn more... Needless to say, this problem won't exist if your water doesn't hit or go outside of those limits. If it does, you are certainly going to need to address that problem. Keeping those 2 points in mind can save a lot of grief! I advised one aquarist, who was having huge nitrate problems... despite numerous water changes, the nitrates just wouldn't drop below 40 to 50ppm. I advised him to test the tapwater: it came back at 40ppm! Therefore, no amount of water-changes would ever get the tank water below 40ppm. His solution was an RO/tapwater mix to bring the nitrates down prior to changing the water. The above also highlights the need to do periodic tests of the pH in the aquarium itself... It can change over a period of time, And that change can be quite slow, albeit steady... If you don't test and notice the PH raising or dropping - your 1st hint of a problem will probably be when half of the fish are suddenly dead one morning because the pH has crashed below 6...
One other hard part about explaining this to people is "but my tank is so cloudy!". My answer was always "GOOD!" wait a few days to a week or so. "But my tank is cloudy and the fish are gonna die!". The cloudiness is about 99.999% likely free floating bacteria looking to settle on surfaces. "but the cloudiness is killing my fish!". "no, no it is not, other things might be, like you cleaning everything in the tank". "That doesn't seem right to me so I'm gonna start all over because my tank is cloudy!". "I'll wait 2 weeks to hear back from you when it happens again". Ugh!
Your wife is so pretty and relatable. I also like the no bs approach. I don’t need my ego stroked. I need valid straightforward info and how to’s. Thanks so much for your info and help!
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Thank you for the video.
Thank you for the video, definitely subscribing. Not only very informative but like the humor....so basically you rock.
One question, the tank behind you with the Albino Oscar, what is the fish that comes up to eat at 12:12?
Stay blessed and gonna watch your past videos. Starting an aquarium, which I used to have when I was like 14, then snakes and dogs took over and forgot so many things......just enjoy watching this and moreover learning new things.
So do I have to wait another 6 weeks after a water change!?!?! I’m confused
O I hadn’t made it that far in the video ☹️ clearly I’m not patient
I wish I could...but I cannot order from the UK (it would also be cruel to ship any fish that long.) I order from suppliers in the uk
I used to think my grandma was just being frugal when reusing decorations, gravel, filter pads, and other stuff in her mixed guppy/molly tanks. She even sent my brother home with a sandwich bag of gravel and some live plants from her tanks when we set up a 20 gallon goldfish tank at our house.
She knew what she was doing. That was back in 1979.
🐟
Fishkeeper for 52 yrs, the best explanation of the cycle I have seen. A must view for anyone interested in the hobby.
I kept fish in the 60s and 70s and knew nothing of this, and neither did the fish-keeping books! I was so lucky that things just worked out. This series looks like it will be VERY helpful.
Very true! The fish-keeping books in those years recommended to excersize patience, start with planting and when all dust had settled, begin with a FEW fish. That's what I did, and I could enjoy a healthy aquarium
I started in the early 80s. It was a miracle anything survived in my care the first few years. I had a fancy goldfish that I got around ‘85 that lived over 25 years. Probably would’ve lived even longer but it got way over fed while I was hiking the Appalachian Trail and died on my fish sitter.
Yeah I see a couple of things in this video but nothing that's going to cause problems for a new fishkeeper.
Some things are fun and nice to know but do nothing to make you a better fishkeeper. You know things like my fish is supposed to be red or yellow or maybe it's supposed to be blue but it came out white or maybe black. Well if it came out white it probably has to do with albino ism and if it came out black its melanistic. Nice to know but it's not going to help you take care of the fish.
Yeah me too. Had my first tank at 16,now I'm 66 and it was simpler back then. We just didn't need to do all these things back then,,don't know why lol.I still have a fish tank in my bedroom because it's very relaxing. They didn't tell us to do this stuff, you just read the little fish booklet!! I always had good luck with all of my tanks!!! I guess sometimes ignorance Is bliss!! Lolol
@@kathleeningram3880
Yeah i had tanks in the '60s-"70 also
Back then, all you were told to do was to check water PH... and a filter would take care of everything.
Beginner fish keeper here, I realize this video is 3yrs old but out of the dozens that I have watched trying to learn this one is by far the best. Most of the things he has said, I have heard nowhere else. Not even talking with the fish people at pet stores. This video could save many people hundreds or even thousands of dollars, endless frustration, and tons of wasted time. I believe a first time aquarium owner could kick off without a hitch if this is the only video they ever watched on startup.
This is by far the best video made that explains how the cycle works! I will share this all my fellow fish keepers…
is that right - does not say much about the other videos - are a lot of fish bloggers and vloggers dumb or what?
@@SteveW84 what type of person gets on and makes these kind of comments? Be a man. He kind.
40 years in the hobby. What an insightful video. First I want to say is this. You have been involved for decades and you still have the energy and concern for the transfer of aquarium knowledge to the initiatives. God bless you. I could watch videos like this over and over. So simple and so basic yet so important. I just watched a video that Lisa made regarding heaters. You guys are awesome. Keep teaching it is so appreciated. Love our fish.
Kg,
I am a 57 year (yikes 😳!) Aquarist. Got my first tank for my 12th birthday. Started watching your videos a couple of weeks ago. They are great and so needed. Years ago small privately owned shops wanted you to succeed so they educated you in the hopes you would enjoy the hobby and be a long term customer. Today they are far outnumbered by chain stores where good information like you are putting out is scarce to none. Just started setting up several Betta tanks (there are some real ones available on my area now.) and your tips on Betta keeping helped me set up a few of nicest small tanks for them I have ever had.
You never stop learning in this hobby because while the glass box with water and fish stays the same, filtration, lighting, and water treatments improve all the time.
So here's the old school way we practiced for years to set up a tank. Set your tank up, and add fish slowly. One or two at a time every week or so. It is an exercise in patience, but the rewards are great. I enjoy shopping carefully for the best examples of each fish I am looking for. Again, these videos are great. Thank You.
Sharon from Michigan
I’m 59 this year and just starting lol
This is incredible. I have been wanting fish for a long time, and have been doing my research and finally today bought stuff for my first tank! I have been going crazy trying to understand tank cycling - especially as a first time fish owner. And you have explained this SO INCREDIBLY WELL. I sincerely appreciate all the time and effort you put into this video. Thank you so so so much for helping me understand this process! Here's to my first fish tank!!
How is your tank doing as I'm thinking of starting up
@@glenngent5465 trial and error, but good now! My tank stalled in the cycling process trying to cycle it several times without fish or any prior material. At the end of a frustrating few months, I ended up wiping down everything and trying again, but the last time I borrowed some decorations from my friend's already established tank. Honestly, this was the best way to get the tank to cycle properly, and I keep tabs on it often to make sure my sweet fish are safe (: research is the absolute best thing you can do, and I highly recommend getting some material that has already been established in a cycled tank.
Great to hear back I'm going to set up mine next week as I'm waiting on air pump and other things it's only a small tank for now as I don't want to mess things up for the first time. As I was thinking on buying a 200ltr tank then I had a think about it so I will be starting up with a smaller tank and hopefully all goes well with cycling ect.
@@glenngent5465 I wish you luck!!
I've had a couple of fish tanks, but always jumped into it on impulse and always had to go with the cheapest options (many years I wished I lived paycheck to paycheck! More like paycheck to four days before paycheck). I've wanted a Betta for years so now that I can actually afford it, I'm learning all I can so I can do it right this time! Thanks so much for all the great I formation!
That's one of the things I love about this hobby. You can keep fish for years and years, and you can still learn something new. Thanks for the informative video!
I'm a brand new Betta owner and this is so so helpful! I love my beautiful boy and I'm so glad I have videos like these to make sure he gets the best life possible! 👏🏻
If you dump the bottle of Fritz Zyme in the toilet, at least there is probably some ammonia to convert 🤣.
Great video John, a stable cycle is so critical to a successful ecosystem in your tank. Years ago I learned all of this info from you and I have passed it on to many new (and successful) fishkeepers!
Thank you!
As a child from the 80’s I remember people saying to buy a couple feeders to throw in in tanks to get your tank started off on the right foot after all they were meant to be eaten, your tips seem to be a much kinder safer way thank you ever so much for sharing and best wishes always.
I'm so excited about this series! I struggled with keeping fish alive when I was a kid, so I have been hesitant to try as an adult. I recently decided I'll give a betta fish a shot and got a 3 gallon aquarium on my desk. The fish will be upgraded to a 10 gallon within the next year when I move, but right now I'm in a 500sqft apartment, so we're all trapped in our own little boxes. I don't have the fish yet because I am trying to properly cycle my tank, so this video came at a great time! :)
I upgraded from a 5 gal to a 6 gal. The 5 gallon was a square. The 6 was wider and depth was about the same. The configuration gave the fish move room to swim.
Update?
Timing of this series couldn’t be better for me - I’m just setting up a new 150 litre aquarium for the first time!
Remember to cycle before adding fish :)
@@NihilusTheGreat or better yet, let the plant mature. You can see signs of a mature tank, not a cycled tank.
New plant growth, diatoms, and algae are proof that it is ready to sustain life.
I found this to be extremely helpful! Please please please!!!! Keep these vids coming in this series! You made everything so clear without making me feel like a dummy, you kept it entertaining and crucially informative.
So glad I found your videos. I'm about to take my daughter to get her first tank because she's been so insistent on getting one, and had no idea we needed to prep like this. She's going to be a little bummed, but I'll just redirect her towards building the tank, decorating, and learning how to keep happy fish in a healthy tank. Thanks for the series!
I’ve had aquariums most of my life. I never had live plants and have survived by water changes often. I am now going to live plants after learning so much from your videos, thanks
00:10 Nope, I'm here because I'd like inform myself BEFORE I buy an animal. :) Thanks for this great video!
I've been a fishkeeper for a number of years. I'm quite familiar with the information presented and really feel that I'm well beyond this content . . . BUT . . . BUT . . . this was like watching my favorite action movie!! I already know how it's going to end but why was I watching it like I had never seen it before and was glued to every word presented?? This video was brilliant and I plan to forward it to friends and family I know (the list grows) that are looking to purchase their first aquarium. THANK YOU!!!!
I think the personality levels of both him and his wife are the reason i find myself watching a video I may already know the info on. Love a well delivered message personally and they make it fun like you mentioned.
I'm exactly the same, been keeping tropicals for many years. It does you good to refresh your knowledge every once in a while
❤
Absolutely perfect video.
I hope every beginner watches this before setting up their first aquarium.
I honestly wish I watched this before jumping back into the hobby 8 months ago after 25 years away.
Option 1:
Put fish food into the aquarium
Optional: Add Quick Start
Wait a month/ Test the water
High Ammonia= BAD (it's important to have ammonia at first. But, avoid putting the fish in just yet)
High Nitrite Levels= WAIT (Good Bacteria is starting to form)
High= Nitrate levels= READY! (add the fish)
Option 2:
Add the water +Start the filter
Add the fish
Feed the fish
Fish die and gasp for air
Change 30% of the water ONLY [don't touch filter, don't rinse/clean decorations]
Important: Remove nitrate by doing 20-30% water changes every 2-3 weeks
hello, how do you know how much fish food to put in? 🤔
Thank you for this video. It helps a lot. I had my first fish tank when I was 12 years and I didn’t know anything and they died and until after 17 years later I tried to get a new fish. I started with a male betta that I love and started the wrong way with a bowl and now I am with a 10 gallon tank thanks to your videos. It was not longer thank 4 days after I changed to the 10 gallon tank. I love how you make it easy to understand the cycle when I had a hard time to understand it. I am still learning to take care of my fish. Thank you for all the videos that are so helpful to me now that I have 3 more fish with my betta. I took the advice from the 10 betta mates that could go with a betta and they live well together. I love to watch over and over your videos for any little thing I might have missed and see what else I can learn. Also I want to say thank you to Lisa for the Betta fish videos because I have learned so much from her specially to see her beautiful heart on how she helped a betta that was almost dying. God bless you both with health and happiness.
Wow, I’ve been looking for a video that explains the WHOLE process of the nitrogen cycle- I’ve searched all over the internet and I’ve finally found a video that makes sense! Thank you so much, I’m looking forward for more videos of this series!!!!
"There is no bacteria that removes nitrate."
There is anaerobic bacteria that completes the nitrogen cycle and turned the nitrate into nitrogen gas. This type of bacteria is the opposite of aerobic bacteria and does not like oxygen so it requires different circumstances to grow.
Exactly. The best way to grow anaerobic bacteria is to have a nice 2” substrate bed. The anaerobic bacteria will grown under the substrate and create Nitrogen. Having live plants will love to have their roots buried in this substrate and grow nice and healthy.
I'm the beginner, just acquired a 55 gallon tanks, re-finished the stand, and have been watching alot of videos from you guys...thanks so much....getting close to start the cycling process
stock ideas buddy?
Good video, it really makes the whole process easier to understand. It was 69 or 1970 when I started my first aquarium. All I knew about was treating the chlorine in our tap water. Amazingly my fish flourished,, and bred. So in my mid teens I got into Cichlids. What a rewarding experience! Successfully raised Jack Dempseys, all while knowing nothing of the nitrite - nitrate cycles. These days I've expanded to outdoor ponds. Those Koi & big Goldfish are so full of personality. Takes me back to when I kept big Oscars, they would get so excited when they saw me come in from work, their tank water would literally splash out of the tanks. Like dogs wag their tails - fish wag their whole bodies.
Back to ponds, many fellow pond keepers in the area freak out when they get algae blooms. I'm more worried if I don't get any. The beneficial bacteria keep the water clear and I have a vast combination of water plants & marginals. However I have not been testing my pond & I know I should. So next on my shopping list is an API test kit for ponds. Unless of course you know of another that I can get here in Canada. Thanks again for posting this informative video.
Thanks to yall channel, it kept me from giving up. Recently I bought some Val from etsy and I put them in 2 of my tanks. It completely infected my tanks with ich and I lost half of fish because of it. I got so stressed and depressed that I wanted to give up but after binge watching yall channel I decided to not give up and use this experience as a learning lesson.
They are amazing, and so glad your binge watching kept you with us in the hobby!! #keepgoing
If ever your fish get ich, try "Esha Exit" and "Esha 2000" and use them combined. You use the product for 3 days, but you can extend it to 6 days if the treatment is needed for longer! Then once all fish look ich free, then water change 25%. Then to help give the fish a health booster, add in "Esha Optima" health booster. Makes the fish feel amazing and they colour up fantastic! I never had and deaths with ich during this treatment. And it's soooooo cheap to buy, meds are measured in drops with a dropper. If ever this happens try this method! 😁
Are you in the UK I’m having a hard time finding Esha in the states
These guys got me back into the hobby after YEARS! ✊🏾✌🏾
@@joshuastover1047 yes I am in the UK. I order from eBay...
I think the "Dummies Guide..." is a great idea! For those beginners they'll learn how to fish keep correctly, and the advanced fish keepers might learn something they didn't know or have forgotten 😀. I for one hope to see it. Especially something like what is a must have emergency kit, like an absolute to get you through until morning...thanks you two for all you do!
Literally this guy's explanation is marvelous and in a funny way. : )
Love to watch this guy's vid 💕
I watched this video 3 years ago, soon after starting my freshwater fish hobby. Yes, this is the most valuable video I watched on fish keeping. The animations were great, the products suggested are great, the plant explanation was great, smoke analogy...great. Everything was valuable.
This is the second time I watched this video. The first time I, when I first set up my tank, I was so confused! Now this makes so much more sense. Thank you!
Had a tank for 7 years and never knew most of this. Very valuable information and also explains a few things I've encountered over those 7 years. Thank you!
This series is a great idea. 😊
I did a fishless cycle (I 'fed' it flake food) and it took 3 months, in which time I read about the species I wanted to keep. I probably used an over-abundance of caution but I'm glad I did it that way and I'd do it again in future. 😊
Same here…6 weeks i had a tank running with just live plants…
You guys are thee reason that I am still in this hobby so you guys are doing something and I am grateful that you guys are sharing your wisdom on this hobby.
This was super helpful as someone coming back to aquariums mid life, funny we had these in the different houses I lived but I think we were always doing it wrong lol. Keeping goldfish in 10 gallon tanks for 5 years and keeping them stunted at 2"....I'm trying this again with a real strategy to get big healthy fish, that will outlive my mammalian pets. Thanks for the help!!
I have been on TikTok for days trying to find this information, I’ve been so confused and overwhelmed and you’ve helped explain everything so so well. Thank you so much. Subscribed !
I really enjoyed the clear and simple way you explained this, John. I’m getting back into this hobby after a 35 year hiatus and love your channel . I especially like your emphasis on the fact that these are living things and we want to give them the best life possible. You and Lisa have been a huge help in making me much better at giving my fish friends a healthy environment. I wish I’d had this help in 1985! Keep up the good (and entertaining) work! Absolutely brilliant!
I have been in the hobby all of my life and I am 51 years old. This video was excellent for beginners. On the point of "you have already have fish added but they are dying", do a partial water change 30% and just add in a bottle of bacteria and it should reverse the track your tank is on.
This was the most helpful video I've seen in all my researching in the past month. I never had this kind of information at my fingertips in the (distant) past when I struggled with keeping fish. I am helping my teenage daughter with her new axolotl, and I am truly fascinated at how enjoyable an aquarium could be when you have all the appropriate information. I am now considering setting up a tank in my home office, and I am definitely going to continue to do my research and do it right from the start! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience!
John and Lisa, I am going to LOVE this series!!!!
It hopefully will educate the new hobbyists....
Keeping it fresh and simple!!!
Great video on the Nitrogen Cycle!!!
I've had some trouble researching nitrates building up in mature, heavily planted tanks from decomposing plant material.
Very well done! I as a fish keeper for 40-plus years now have a deeper understanding of a well-cycled tank and how to keep my little friends healthy
I'm so excited, I'm getting my first tank on Friday. Not new to fish keeping as used to look after a few aquariums in a zoo I worked at. But excited to have my first one in my home. Going to do a planted tank with female Betta's and Kuhli loaches. Because we are getting 4 female Bettas we going to name them after characters from Labyrinth because we love a subtle pun. Thanks for the video great info.
Are your female bettas getting along?
This is a great video about the cycle! What I do with tanks is deep substrate and a lot of wood to provide bacteria surface area. Also I add an used external filter to my new tank that I lend from another tank. I don’t add bacteria or ammonia. Just a bit of fish food in the beginning.
This is one of the most understandable explanation I have heard about the nitrogen cycle.
This is the best video ever made on this important topic. !!!!
Thanks for making it so easy to understand, I share it very often in different fish groups where many have problems and questions about the subject.
it is much easier to share the link to your video than to have to explain it every time. you come all the way around the subject - so thank you I'm sure it will help many when they see it. 🤗
Please keep the ‘dummies guide’ videos coming. I was one who set up my tank, 3 days later took in my water sample and was told ‘it looks fine’ so I got my fish. Now I’m doing a fish-In cycle and the struggle is real! But so far, my 5 guppies (one mamma soon to give birth) and my 3 nerite snails are all hanging in as I’m learning. Thank you!!! for making these videos and please keep them coming. I love this hobby more than any other, but my goodness it’s not easy!
I had a betta and a goldfish in a 2 gallon tank in college. Just bought them and threw them in the tank all in the same afternoon...I don't know how they survived, but they did for at least a year. I am retired now and would like to have a "real" tank set up properly. Thank you sooo much for this video! Your videos are a great help!!!
Another caviot....the bacteria will only grow based on the amount of "food" for the bacteria. Thats why only introduce a few fish at a time over a few weeks. That gives time for more bacteria to grow to compensate for the new ammonia load.
I always put some type of catfish in first.
Almost all species of catfishes are tough.
Or some Plecos are good also.
Best video on TH-cam on this subject. Straight to the point and easy. I’m more confident about starting a betta tank for my son now.
Forever grateful for Angel the PetSmart employee with pink hair that explained this to me when I first started. I had no clue about the nitrogen cycle and she stopped me from killing fish. I’ve been in the hobby for about 6 years and have 6 planted tanks and working on a pond. I’m obsessed! Looking forward to this series!
I’ve read books and watched other videos about cycling your tank but this is the most clear and helpful explanation I’ve heard so far! I’m in the waiting phase, and I’m glad to see that PATIENCE is the only ingredient I’m short on at this point!
So glad I watched this today! My husband is getting back into the hobby and needs this content. Thank you! 👍😁🎉
I like this guide.. please continue!!! I'm deff Watching constantly. New to the hobby!! I need all the help!!!
I love this idea! I've been doing this for over a year now but it seems I can still learn plenty. I'll be sure to watch all these videos.
An extra word of warning to new fish keepers, if you go the route of putting fish food in and letting it decay, make sure to use small amounts that will break down quickly or remove what you put in there and replace it with more after a day or so. I tried just dropping a few large sinking pellets into my tank and leaving them when I was cycling my first tank and they started to grow mold after a few days which I then had to thoroughly clean and basically start the process from scratch because white mold is dangerous to fish, so I ended up having to wait for about 10 weeks instead of six cause I had to restart the cycle partway through due to mold. Not sure if it is a common issue or if I just got unlucky but probably best to play it safe and just use the ammonia boosters or replace the rotting food every day or two so it doesn't start growing mold.
This is great, I look forward to every one of your videos, and this would have been really helpful while setting up my aquarium.
awesome video! You had many great points and I did learn some stuff. I have a 100 gallon pond in the back yard with healthy fish and clean water and water condition is great. It has been running all season and only lost one fish before I bought my Master Pond testing kit only to find out my Nitrite was at the end of the scale. I should have bought the test kit day one. Once I did a major water change and got the levels down to where they should be it has been a breeze to keep everything in check. My plan for winter is to transfer the water from the pond into the winter inside tank and bring some of the plants from the pond into the aquarium. I will bring in some of the medium that is my filters to help the new filtration system to continue the cycle that is working well in the pond. Thanks for making this video. I'm sure it helped the people who saw it.
Cheers from Canada
That Masters test kit is totally worth it!!
You are the best!
Thanks for incorporating all of the info which takes significant amount of time for new aquarium keepers to find. Especially when you’re not yet familiar with the subject.
If that’s the first part in a series, I’m both hands for that! ❤❤❤
Great video! You mentioned that you can add fish food to the new set up to get ammonia going? Though how long does it take the ammonia process to begin once you have added some food in the water? Do you wait for that to take place before adding fritz or any other product?
Came here to ask the same question. Have you found out the answer yet?
I'm just about to set up a tank. I've been doing all types of research and kept hearing about cycling the tank but did not understand what it meant. This video made it very simple and easy to understand! Thank you!
Great video, I wish this info existed during my first run in the hobby 24 years ago; life would have been so much easier; should come with every new fish tank
Great video!! I'd like to add that some LFS are recommending a prime at start up, which new hobbyists need to understand prime binds those toxins that your tank needs to properly cycle. While a great emergency product, it prevents your tank from going through a true cycle and delaying that needed ammonia spike to grow that beneficial bacteria.
Could someone please help explain when to do the first water change when cycling. And how much food should be used and how often for a 40 gallon tank. I'm picking mine up in 2 days and have been researching for the last 3 months so have a pretty good understanding of it all. But if anyone can answer that.
1. When should first water change be done
2. How much food and bacterial supplement. 1 pinch per week?
1. u will know when, typicaly when ur tank not crystal clear, or cloudy, i think u will know.
2. food, none to finish in under 30 second.
I've always done well when starting a new aquarium. I'll cycle out my tank and fully plant my aquarium before adding fish. I never understood the whole ammonia and nitrites and nitrate processes or even used water testing kits before. I just started a 500-gallon pond tank for bait fish and am having issue with the whole cycle process. I'm glad that I found this video. This is just what I need to hear after watching a tons of video. This one breaks down everything of what I was doing wrong. Thanks
Very good explanation for beginning fishkeepers. Good analogy comparing it to a smoked filled room. There's also always the option of adding media form an established tank if it available.
Thx for all of the tips John, new fish keeper here that bought the tank and fish same day. And yes, I had a disaster! Fish were dying and the nitrates where high. I didn't clean the tank, water changes only but, I did get the gravel out and replaced the gravel with large river stones. I'm able to vacuum the tank much easier now and the water nitrates are so far so good... Thx for this video, it sure helped out alot! 👍
Thank you, this is an incredibly helpful, thorough, and easy to understand explanation of how the cycle works! I’m so spanking brand new to all of this that I’m still spanking, so I’ll take every tidbit of wisdom that you have to share! Thanks again! 🐟♥️
this is so helpfull as i didnt have a clue what i was doing and set up a new aquarium then put fish in two days later. lets hope they all make it through its been five days so far
This is a great video! As someone who wants to start fish keeping but has no real experience, this was much needed. Not only for me, but for the fish that will benefit from being in a properly cycled tank.
I am new to fish keeping and your videos are so helpful to me. Thank you for breaking this down and making it super simple to understand! Maybe next you could do a video on patience 😂 because I have NONE!
Ok, so here. Water is cloudy as heck. Fish act fine. None are gasping for air. I was taught old school. No, I didn't urinate in my tank. I set the tank up, put fish food in the tank. Tested it every day. Tank got dirty, then cleared up. Then, I added live plants. Tested it for about 3 days. Tank was stable. Started adding my fish. Tank was great about a month. Now, tank is even cloudier than when I sat it up. I just did a water only change yesterday. However, today I Tested it and I still have a nitrite level that is slightly elevated. But my nitrate level is at the top of the chart. I am very patient. I'm on no big rush here. I just dont want to harm the fish. But I thought the plants and the water changes would cover it. I grew up with tanks. So I've probably had fish longer than you have been alive. Not kidding. But I can't ever remember having to change my water this much. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
I've had aquariums since the 60s. I learned by trial an error how to care for each type of species (and I almost had them all) your video is the best one I've seen so far on ease of cycling. I always cheat by throwing a few goldfish in to get the cycle going, monitor with API, and then yank the goldies out and put them back in their tank that I've done a water change on. Test my cycle process again and go from there. Don't know if this is the right thing to do but it's worked so far! Love your videos. Great explanations in every one. Thanks for all your help on everything and keep up the great work! Love you guys!🐳
Thank you for this. Our tanks have never really had problems. We just vacuum once a month and put new water and water conditioner. Never had an issue.
This series is a great idea. I have kept fish for 40 years and there are still holes in my keeping knowledge because a lot of us were self taught back then. I never fail to learn something new in your videos.
Man where was this video back in June. I did all the don’ts. I had just the water for weeks with no test kits. Added fish and no problems. I completely cleaned the tank because it was dirty. After many spikes in ammonia and nitrite i finally got control of it all. I am sad to say that i have only lost one fish throughout my battle of being a beginner fish keeper. Your videos helped a lot. Thank you!
Being a Newby to Fish Keeping, I followed KG Tropicals advise on setting up a Tropical Tank, Never spent a fortune on the setup - have 150Ltr Tropical Freshwater Tank, with Mollys, Tetras, Danios, Elders and Loaches. Never had an Aquarium before.
After 6 weeks Tanks is fully cycled and thriving, see results so far below, Thanks John, am sure if not had this advise all my fish would be dead.
I have been into aquariums for over 20 years now. I am glad people like you and your wife are making such excellent beginner video's because this didn't exist back when I started out in 1996. It would have saved so many innocent fish, amphibia and reptile lives :p
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the videos aimed towards beginners! I started out wanting to do a small tank to just get my head wrapped around the nitrogen cycle with the ultimate goal of doing a koi fish/gold fish pond in my backyard. But in doing my research to figure out where to start I developed a huge passion for Aquascaping and Aquarium life in general. I'm a week in and have "cycled" my tank. Given my unpredictable weekday work schedule I will be waiting until friday after work (if I have time) or saturday to get my first couple of fish! (Just so I can be sure to monitor levels over the weekend when I know I'll have time)
Thank you! I kept Cichlids 10+ years.... 15 years ago. I'm just getting back into the hobby and it seems quite a bit has changed. I appreciate these videos very much.
Thanks so much for putting out this video! I have a tank that’s about a week and a half old and everything was looking great. I thought I was doing everything perfectly, and I was doing most things right. But, when you talked about how things might look really good and then suddenly everything takes a turn for the worst after a couple of weeks I quickly went over and did a test of my water. Wouldn’t you know it, things were a little bit out of whack. Not abnormal, as you pointed out, but something that I had to deal with. So, I immediately did a water change to “open a window” for the fish and added some more bacteria (which is recommended during water changes according to the bottle). I’ll be sure to check the water every day, but I feel like you saved my fish with this video! Thanks so much for being so practical.
Ammonia can be found in most city's tap water. So fill your tank. Dechlorinate first, then add your bottled bacteria and add a couple hardy fish. Please no cardinals or discus the first month or two. Every week slowly add a couple more fish. Do 20% water changes once a week for the first 6 weeks and you will be fine. Then do biweekly water changes to control nitrates. Unless you have live plants. Then you may be able to get away with once a month and that depends on how densely you have your tank stocked and how much you feed them. That is why testing your pH and Ammonia once or twice a week is highly recommended.
I'm so I was turned onto this video. I did the one thing you said not to do. I took everything out of the tank and cleaned it in a bathtub with bleach. I thought I was doing good...Thank you for setting me straight. I'm going to see how things go to get back to that crystal clear aquarium water.
I'm really late here, but I'm really really glad I've found your video. I didn't know anything about this, and nobody at the store told me. I've had three tiger barbs die on me so far, and when I realized the water was a lot cloudier, I wasn't sure what to do so I did probably a 60% water only change (I luckily bought a top fin tank that has a built in automatic siphon). I'm going to continue that as there are still a few that quickly revived once I changed the water, and I'm going to add some live bacteria to speed this process up. I've been in panic mode for about 24 hours now trying to figure out what happened, as well as trying to be a fish er physician and keep them alive. You've earned my sub and I'll be binge watching some of your videos for more knowledge. Thanks a million brother.
Maybe this is a dumb question but how does the bottled product version of beneficial bacteria not starve while it's in the bottle? I use Quickstart, but I never thought about how the bacteria stays alive on the shelf.
Since 2011...Happy 10 year TH-cam anniversary ❤
I just found your channel a few months ago. Been busy watching all the videos and making it to Thursdays live stream. Thank you John and Lisa. 💖
About 30 y ago when I used to have aquarium, I had no clue of all of this. We just used to fill the tank with tap water, let it sit for 24 hr to dechlorinate on its own and add fish. I think the only mistake I made was to add too many fish, but other than that everything turned out okay. Your video is THE BEST explaining the cycle!
Thank you for your help! I went to a local fish store that gave me the live bacteria, but didn't say anything about needing to add the ammonia. Probably should have realized sooner, but a week of waiting and a water test later and I see what the issue was. Ordered some aquarium ammonia and I'll add that and see what happens next! Thank you so much for your help!!!
I’ve been keeping fish for many years. Just recently had my tank turn upside down. My convict cichlids had two generations of fry..it got out of control fast. My canister filter went out.. lost 4 fish, plants started dying.. it got wild. Thank you for the brush up on fish tank education. Life got busy and it got away from me sad😢
I never do water changes and have perfect water. The key is deep sand substrate 2-4 inches with a soil base, lots of plants, a heater, an LED light, a hang on the back filter and some tetras. Feed 2-3 times a week max and let nature do the rest. Healthy fish with crystal clear water..
This is great info for a complete newbie like me! THANK YOU so very much. I’m putting fish food in and waiting 😪 I watch videos to make me feel good until I get my tank cycled. I do have plants 🌱 so it still is nice to look at. One day I will get my little fishy 😅 all this info is so easy to understand ❤️
Great video!
It's super hard to be able to stomach learning about the nitrogen cycle when setting up a new tank. It seems as if it only becomes relevant after already struggling from an unsuccessful tank with sick fish trying to combat the problems as they arise one by one.
I was forced into understanding the nitrogen cycle when i couldn't figure out how to get my nitrite levels down even after partial water changes and additional good bacteria.....
I came across a pretty comprehensive read detailing the nitrogen cycle, sticthing together all the bits I had learned, adding missing puzzle pieces and incorperating product recommendations and tips (such as borrowing one of the sponge filters from an already cycled tank- etc etc).
I ended up setting up a hospital tank for my remaining fish and waited. After a week my nitrites were nonexistent.
My hospitalized fish on their deathbed regained their gusto and I just reintroduced them to the now cycled bigger tank...
I should've watched your video from the start!!!
Thanks just starting my first tank now. I will take on this info and make sure that I get my tank planted and add fish food/ammonia so that I can kick things off well. Only have filtration and air running at this stage. I have a 140 litre tank and just finished washing stones today 60kg worth this gives me a good 2 1/2-3 inches of substrate to work with. Greatly appreciate your series starting now. Looking forward to next videos, have liked and subscribed!
thank you so much for this information. i am setting up a 29 gallon tank with my dad and i was just wandering about how to start a new tank. i saw your video and now i know. thank you so much kgtropicals.
I started fish keeping some 40 plus years ago, and I do think things were actually a lot easier back then. There was no Internet, no TH-cam, no chat room forums... you went to the library and checked out a real book!
A book typically written by an experienced aquarist... containing solid facts and correct information. Producing thousands and thousands of books is expensive, so no publisher was going to waste money printing hundreds and hundreds of pages of nonsense written by some clueless individual.
You could be reasonably confident that if a book was on a bookshelf, some thorough checks had been done to ensure the material within was accurate.
Fast forward to today... anybody can say pretty much anything on any topic online and release it upon the masses with no requirement to undergo any checks to validate the accuracy of the content... The onus is on the viewer to try to gauge if the writer is truly knowledgeable.
Still today, I see German Blue Rams touted as 'Community Fish'. They are not. They require pristine water: more acidic than the 'typical' community tank and quite a lot warmer than 'typical' tropical tank temperatures. And they can be quite delicate: if those conditions aren't met - they are probably gonna suffer and maybe die.
I did like this presentation: it covered most of the key basics about the nitrogen cycle. The nitrogen cycle is quite complex - but fundamentally simple... this presentation shows the real simplicity very well.
The only 2 things that should be mentioned:
1. If you are using tap water to fill the tank and perform water changes - test the tapwater prior to use (or at least periodically). Many different countries have many different legal requirements for the chemistry of the water that comes out of your tap... It is worth firstly checking what your own government legally requires your water authorities to provide... I do believe that some, if not all, of the US has a legal limit of 5ppm nitrate: anything over 10ppm is considered harmful to human health? But in the UK - the legal limit for nitrate is 50ppm! (trace amounts of nitrite and ammonia are also legally acceptable!)
2. pH has a huge impact on cycling, so it is worth checking what the pH of your water is as well...
Below 6, and it stops the cycling process cold.
pHs above 8.6 can also significantly impede cycling.
We're now moving into the 'complex' part of my statement "The nitrogen cycle is quite complex - but fundamentally simple..."
There are some good papers online that explain why this happens, if you really feel the urge to learn more... Needless to say, this problem won't exist if your water doesn't hit or go outside of those limits. If it does, you are certainly going to need to address that problem.
Keeping those 2 points in mind can save a lot of grief!
I advised one aquarist, who was having huge nitrate problems... despite numerous water changes, the nitrates just wouldn't drop below 40 to 50ppm. I advised him to test the tapwater: it came back at 40ppm! Therefore, no amount of water-changes would ever get the tank water below 40ppm. His solution was an RO/tapwater mix to bring the nitrates down prior to changing the water.
The above also highlights the need to do periodic tests of the pH in the aquarium itself... It can change over a period of time, And that change can be quite slow, albeit steady... If you don't test and notice the PH raising or dropping - your 1st hint of a problem will probably be when half of the fish are suddenly dead one morning because the pH has crashed below 6...
One other hard part about explaining this to people is "but my tank is so cloudy!". My answer was always "GOOD!" wait a few days to a week or so. "But my tank is cloudy and the fish are gonna die!". The cloudiness is about 99.999% likely free floating bacteria looking to settle on surfaces. "but the cloudiness is killing my fish!". "no, no it is not, other things might be, like you cleaning everything in the tank". "That doesn't seem right to me so I'm gonna start all over because my tank is cloudy!". "I'll wait 2 weeks to hear back from you when it happens again". Ugh!
Your wife is so pretty and relatable. I also like the no bs approach. I don’t need my ego stroked. I need valid straightforward info and how to’s. Thanks so much for your info and help!
Thank you! Just lost a fish today and I'm trying to keep the other two alive