I made a dirted tank with organic topsoil and I did it 3 times in 1 day and it was super easy and fast. I also breed fish though so I redo tanks every year or so when I want to get new breeding fish so dirted is the way to go if u ask me
I decided to upgrade from a 5 gallon to 20 gallon, live plants, black sand, HOB and sponge filter, LED lights, water test kit, brine shrimp, flake food, some basic meds, hardscape, I’m over $500 into a 20 gallon! And I still havent bought a CO2 setup😩
Money saving tip: Buy potted aquarium safe plants at big box Home Improvement stores. I bought a pot of Golden Money wort (Organic) Rinsed the roots completely & split it between 4 tanks for less than $4! I also got some moss from my back yard for my tanks.
Hello so I'm trying to find shrimp that wont get killed by my betta I had young amano shrimp most were under an inch. But he killed the biggest one we had yesterday.
Mark shrimp tanks had a good tip for preparing sand for an aquarium. Put the sand in a bucket, then use the garden hose to fill overflow the bucket with water while stirring up the sand in the bottom. The overflowing water will carry all of those very fine particles away. And you’ll be left with sand that doesn’t cloud up the water. I used this method when doing sand in my tank, it worked very well.
NICREW Classic LED PLUS Planted. This is the light with the full light spectrum RGB, aluminum housing, 6500K, 1150 lm with the 30-36" one. Get this with the NICREW timer. I grow high difficulty plants with this light. Its a beast.
Get an easy fast growing plant, like guppy grass, then let it fill in the tank (this won't take long), then start selling chunks of it on craigslist and use the money to buy more new plants, straight up hustlin
One suggestion would be not to go overboard with the size of your first aquarium. No you don't need 100 gallons haha, lets say 10 or 20 gallon is perfect for a begginer and you will spend less because of the smaller size of the tank (less of everything that goes inside).
Smaller tanks r difficult due to parameter fluctuations; bigger ones have more capacity (U can add more fish etc), they cost less to buy & function (per volume unit), don't need much more effort to maintain, their parameters are more stable, so, they are easier (=>deaths r less likely).
I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but I love that green (algae?) background in your tank. It looks natural and really makes those dalmatian mollies and red platy pop out.
I think I save the most because the wood I have in the aquarium is the root of an apple that I boiled and now it is sterilized. The stones are next to a nearby lake. The substrate is I think I save the most because the wood I have in the aquarium is the root of an apple that I boiled and now it is sterilized. The stones are next to a nearby lake. The substrate is made of flower soil and gravel
One of my favorite tools is a regular cheap turkey baster! (not used with food, of course) Also, I'm kind of fangirling over your molly tank because we are pretty much running the same 20g setup right now
1. Buy gravel from a rock/stone company. Most actually sell an “aquarium gravel”. Or choose other colors. Any size. 2. 1$ per gallon sale 3. Build your own stand - super easy for 29g or less tanks. 4. Buy the best light you can afford. You may have low light plants now... but you will try others... 5. Don’t buy one of each type of plant. Buy multiples of 2 or 3 types and let them grow. See what works. Add a new type if your tank needs it. I don’t think aquariums are expensive. Phones are expensive. Coffee is expensive. Clothes can be expensive. For a fish nerd, aquariums are not! (Reef tanks on the other hand, are pricey...)
Oh trust me, IT IS EXPENSIVE. For example in the UK £1 per gallon is literally non-existent and you can expect to spend over £60 for just a bare 10 gallon tank. In pets at home (basically petsmart or something like that) literally the 2.5 gallons are £20. :[
Yes! You guys over in Canada and America are sooo lucky with your dollar per gallon sales. My 24l (6.6 gal) tank cost me over £20, and that was the cheapest I could find! From there, it gets even more expensive. I can expect to pay £100 for just a twenty gallon.
Interesting topic, the line between beginner aquarist and advanced. You mentioned several of what I consider advanced methods, though I do see how they apply to your topic of budget aquariums. So saving money can be for everyone :-)
I’m a simple Asian man... I see “save money” I hit like lol Oh btw I have a little input about using dirt from my experience: for the first few days I let hornworts float on the surface and block all the light. Overtime my dirt sticks and I see less and less cloud dust when I fiddle with the plants. They’re worth it but maybe more suitable for larger tanks that can handle slight error :) Thanks for the tips!!
In my limited experience, I’ve found going super cheap on equipment usually means I end up buying the better product later. As for substrate- I want to try an aqua soil, but I can’t find it locally and it is cost prohibitive. I’ve gotten good results from sand or eco complete. I will never do dirted. I’m also getting plants from other hobbiest online. So far that’s been really good.
One of the biggest misconceptions i see constantly being spread around is the concept of root feeding plants. Crypts and amazon swords don't actually need root fertilisers when underwater, water column fertilisers are fine too, as they can just as easilly take in nutrients through their leaves. Their roots are mainly for when they are emersed and also to hold them in place. Check out this video, where an experiment was done with half the tank recieving root fertilisation, while the other half did not, and in both sides the plants did fine, even the amazon swords: th-cam.com/video/AgXQ6mBvhK8/w-d-xo.html. There are benefits to root fertilisation though, such as not having to fertilise as often, as root fertilisers last way longer.
You know what’s so good about this underrated channel is that this beautiful lady puts time and effort into these videos just to help us and makes sure that they are a required standard. She listens to what we have to say and engages in her comments which I think is great.
Tip #1: I went to a local aquatic shop and asked for a "budget" tank. The guy went in the back and got me a 10 gallon they weren't using and sold it to me for $10. It was a little foggy, but cleaned up well and no leaks during my water test. Tip #2: I looked at the online stores for the shops in my vicinity (local aquatic shop, Walmart, Petco, Petsmart, Feeders Supply), as well as Amazon and Google shopping. I found the cheapest place to buy each thing I needed and made my list for each store. I was also going for quality when possible, since that will save you money in the long run, so I found it helpful reading through the online reviews and the ratings on Google shopping. Tip #3 (best for last): Since I knew the prices of the online stores, I took screen shots on my phone of each item before I went in the store. If the prices were different from their online store, I asked the cashier to price match. And I had the pictures handy if they needed the proof. Or you can pull it up on the site itself at the register, but that takes slightly longer ;) That alone saved me at least $30.
I had the some of the same experiences with used equipment for aquariums as you have experienced, so I too have started shopping around for deals on new equipment. I have mostly 10 gallon tanks bought for ~$15.00/tank at Walmart. My “planted” tanks are not pretty like yours, because none of the plants are in the substrate. I use just enough Walmart packaged aquarium gravel on a portion of the bottom to maintain some beneficial bacteria, but so very easy to siphon debris when doing water changes. My plants, to make a comfortable living area for the small species I maintain, are guppy grass, hornwort, american frogbit, a few accidentally acquired amazon frogbit and duckweed. They all are free floating. I don’t consider my tanks truly “planted”, but my appear to feel secure and healthy, which was my primary consideration.
A couple of years ago I got a 5ft tank with a complete set up and a bunch of cichlids, a bristlenose and a catfish, for £140. I enjoyed that tank for quite a while before selling it on and start my own set ups from scratch. I didn't know barely anything about fishkeeping at the time and while I realized I made a mistake making an impulse buy, that first one really sparked my interest in the hobby and I learned an absolute ton before thinking about getting another. I then got my 50G second hand for £20! Still so happy with that deal. I think that is most often the biggest money saving thing you can do, getting a second hand tank. If you're patient enough and keep an eye on listings, one will always pop up. Awesome video as always, thanks Irene!
If you want the fast growing benefit of a dirted tank without a lot of the drawbacks, try potted plants. You can diy some small shallow pots that you can hide behind hardscaping and cap the soil with sand or small gravel. I have several potted plants in my 20 gal which are made from the cut-off bottom 2 inches of 2 liter bottles.
@@ryanrogers8211 that's a big can of worms you should research, but from my point of view, I'd say the main drawbacks are that you cannot have thin bits of soil, nor too many thick chunks of wood that would block off the substrate; and you'd still need to siphon off excess waste if you have large fish or lots of fish, plus maybe need some external filtration such as a sump or canister. A deep sand bed can only take so much poop.
In the old days we used to buy the 50 lb bag of pea gravel which is little round gravel bits and they worked absolutely great. But we also used under gravel filter back in those days You can make your own box filters just takes a little ingenious work and hot glue Most pet stores have a pile of used junk that you can refurbish and it just is elbow grease to put new diaphragms in air pumps for example Recently I found the exact same LED light for sale in a grow supply store that was in the local pet store $399 in the pet store and $79 at the gross supply.
I'm going to go with the Black Diamond sand but I am doing a dirted tank! I've been buying aquariums off of marketplace. I saved my most money on lighting. I went with an inexpensive MingDak lights off of Amazon.. and for some of my other tanks I just use LED desk lamps..😁 everything seems to be doing well!! Thank you so much Irene, you always give us great tips and tricks! You are awesome! Hope you have a very blessed day?👍🌱🐟🌿🙏
Yeah, it's kind of annoying that she didn't mention cheap lighting; All of my tanks are lit by the cheapest standard residential leds with the diffuser caps popped off, and they grow plants just fine. The intensity of the light is more important than the spectrum, unless you have immersed plants that you want to flower: Flowers need a good bit of red light to bloom, and you can get that from a typical warm white bulb around 2700 kelvin. I sometimes mix cool whites and warm whites for more varied spectrum and to create a brighter appearance than if I were just using warm whites.
@@WhatIsMisophonia thanks for sharing👍🥰 one thing for sure is LEDs has absolutely changed the game for me as far as growing plants 🙌😁🌿💪 I remember the first time around in the hobby trying to figure out fluorescent lights and never did have much luck!! It's amazing what you can do on a budget when it comes to lighting now!! Like you said learning the color spectrums and intensity can definitely enhance what you're trying to do, but yet you can use a little desktop light and still grow some great plants !! I hope you have a wonderful day🌿👍🥰🙏🌿🦐🌿
Like you said before waiting for a sale at petco or petsmart is a great way to save money. I was able to pick up a 29 gallon tank for 30 buck when they had their half off sale.
Definitely buy used if you only want a small tank to start with. There's a million 5 and 10 gallon tank kits being bought constantly and then getting abandoned by people months later. I'm not comfortable with getting a massive tank used (no giant exploding tanks please) but a small tank is pretty easy to test and even fix if necessary
Petco is having a huge sale right now (Aug. 25, 2020) on aquariums. Better than the $1. per gallon sale. It may only be online orders so check it out first. YW Rumor is they are getting rid of Aqueon for a different brand.
One of the cheapest ways to get an aquarium and some equipment is to get them free! It's amazing how many people just want to get rid of this stuff once they are done with it. Basic Aquarium stuff is one of those things that you almost can't even sell it for $10 or $20..People want it free! I also use a lot of dollar store items in my tank. For example, a soap basket with suction cup can act as an emersed growing area, or a long BBQ fork or something can be what I use to dig down into the substrate. I even used a 1/2" PVC pipe to direct my food to a certain spot, especially if it's something like wafers that you want to fall into a dish for the bottom feeders to come get.
If buying used lights make sure they are not old, both LED and Fluorescent tubes only last so long before they lose spectrum. When buying heaters buy new and buy the best you can afford your life and the life of your fish depend on it, do not trust cheap heaters. You can usually buy new tanks cheap Petco has dollar per gallon sales all the time a new 20 gallon is 20 dollars. I prefer small round gravel. Buy fast growing stem plants cut them in half and plant them. For basic tanks a good all in one fertilizer Like LCA all in one or Seachem flourish comprehensive is all you need. This is my tank It runs a Beamworks viva grow light the plants were all cuttings and I use an all in one fertilizer imgur.com/RCO7mUF
The “it’s not easy for plants to grow roots into sand” thing that Master Horticulturist Cory has been saying has just not been my experience. Since I switched to sand, all my plants are growing in faster and more densely.
The diamond blasting sand works for stronger plants that can take a beating. I use it in my 55g and almost a year later I already want to take it down and redo it. I now want to use an affordable lava rock base(eco complete) and cap it with a more expensive aquasoil(fluval stratum/Controsoil). The black sand would cut my stem plants when my corys would move the sand and plants around and the plants would be holding on by it strings like how celery gets. Would recommend if you don’t have bottom dwellers.
i put "hoticultural sand" through a seive to end up with a gravelly sand so i could see the bottom of my black tote pond. Got bags of it for free on craigslist. I mixed ir with crushed coral for the bottom of my new 9.00 petco ten gallons. I used my favorite 4/14.00 foam filters on all my tanks.
Dear someone who is great at taking care of fish, Recently, my fish has been sad and sleepy afther I cleaned my fish tank. He is so sad and I'm worried. :( I know this is not about the video, but I just want to say it on this video. I hope you can make a video or you already made a video about how to keep you fish not stressed. I love your videos and I hope you reply to my comment.
@@RamaNasikkar My tank is a 5 gallon tank and all my deco is smooth and they have no pointy edges. I have all the medicane. I feed my betta blood worms shrimp and bug bites plus any pelets that is good for him. He is doing better and I clean my water every weekend.
I have no local fish clubs or fish stores. 😕 I ordered a lovely piece of driftwood from Etsy, as I could select my piece rather than being shipped a random one. Two 50 lb bags of pea gravel from a big box store was < $10 when I redid the substrate in my 125g with some left over. As my severum ate all my plants, I’m considering setting up my 10g just for plants, a couple of snails and shrimp.
Setting up planted tank in tropical country ( my experience is from Indonesia ) setting up tank costs less than 30 dollars because of how cheap the stuff are ( excluding the tank ) great video 🔥
SafeTsorb is also a great substrate. It's $6 for a 40 lb bag. It's basically Seachem Flourite. It's calcined clay. It doesn't have nutrients....other than iron but it absorbs them and slowly releases them.
I think the best money saver is lots of planning & research beforehand. So you know what you need & what you don't and what the going rate is for it all. And the total you need to save up. That way you can grab bargains as you see them and don't waste money on plants that aren't going to survive in your setup, for example.
I hear alot on melt back on plants, but I haven't experienced that. My tank is only about a month old, and I started with live plants. I just put them in and ignored the plants for a few weeks, and only recently started fertilizing. Will I run into problems later?
Hey there, i also love the algea look, but dont let it take up more than 80% of the back wall and not other sides, if you have a light color substrate on the bottom that may be even worse for algea (reflection), the more algea you have, i find the easier it spreads in my opinion, also be careful for blue algea/ diatom with a newer tank, use a phosphate pad :) more water changes the better
l learnt to save my money and then invest and it works for me. It also motivates me to save money. As you see your net worth growing as well......... I've much more calmer this year..... Being with family and having a grip with finances has been a blessing.💪
Haha, I actually have a couple of videos that I filmed for that channel but haven't gotten around to editing. I'll try my best this weekend to work on it!
@@GirlTalksFish awww its really sweet how much you do for us and just in between us two...I only watch aquarium coop because of you. COREY U HEARD NOTHING
Agreed with everything said here! I actually received a really cheap stainless steel "professional" aquascaping tool kit for Christmas! It was on sale for $6 and came with two tweezers, a substrate spatula, and little scissors, all safely wrapped in packaging in a nice bag! Still probably the best gift I've ever received :D
Good video but I have one issue. Your claim about dirt losing it's nutrients is true if you are using less than about 3 inches of substrate but in a deep bed substrate of >3 inches the substrate can maintain its nutrients indefinitely. I have a number of low-tech dirted tanks with deep sand caps on them that grow plants amazingly well and are really stable even at 5+ years. I use mostly sponge filters that I hardly ever clean and I only change enough water to prevent salt creep due to evaporation. I don't vacuum mulm from them ever. I don't move plants very often but if I turn off the filter and take my time I don't make any noticeable mess. I have minimum 3 inches of sand on 1 inch of dirt. If I don't want that much substrate at the front of the tank then I put no dirt at the front. I have used this method for decades now with fantastic results. I can make/collect substrate for 20 x 20 gallon aquariums for the cost of 1 bag of Fluval Stratum in Canada. My technique is similar to Father Fish's and while it's not for everyone it works really, really well and it is "dirt" cheap.
If you know about father fish and the walstad method, you should know that the main reason for adding 2 inches or more of cap sand vs. 1 inch of small gravel as in a walstad tank is because father fish is less concerned about anoxic conditions and the thick sand cap holds in nutrients so that they don't flow into the water column. Father fish also feeds lightly so as not to overload the substrate while Walstad feeds heavily (her method allows for a more open oxygenated substrate which can more quickly break down waste), and she does not have to worry about a lack of nutrients for the plants over time. She also often uses potted plants filled with garden top soil in her aquariums just as most people would for a pond, though the soil in pots will give out in time just as in potted pond plants because the pots don't collect as much mulm as the flat even surface in a dirted tank, even though the pots are 3 or more inches tall.
I used driftwood I got on the beach for a new tank. I boiled it, scrubbed it , let it dry out, boiled it again. Did you know that ocean algae’s will grow in fresh water. I do now. Nothing but problems.
Your videos are always so informative and helpful! I’m definitely on a super tight budget so this is SO helpful. I have pool filter sand in my planted paludarium and my betta aquarium and it works super well and I love how naturalistic it is 😊
Great info! I have been keeping fish for years but not too good with plants. I do have java and Anubis’s growing on rocks and wood. I use a small pebble Caribsea substrate Called peace river. Very small almost like large sand. I don’t want to take it out. Is there anyway to grow plants in this by added fertilizer? Root tabs? I really like the look Of it and it’s been in my tank for 15 years
Love your tank. Got a question to ask u. I really want to get some green neon tetras but I have hard water. Can those tetras do ok in hard water? If not, how can I soften it, do u know?
I am using pool filter sand/root tabs from aquarium co-op and my plants are growing out of control. My amazon swords are HUGE! My main issue is where to trim everything because I have the too much gene so I just do small bits here and there. My cherry and amano shrimp absolutely love hanging out in what has become a mini jungle though.
I'm more and more reluctanat to buy certain thigns used for aquariums. I'm tending to stick more to the decor and substrate, and maybe a pump if it looks newer and it has good reviews. The canadian brand Top Fin is awful. They have at leasts a couple of recalls, if not more. I've come across dangerous circumstances with some used equipment. I'd love to get the Nat Geo 20 gallon pump if I saw it used and it looked in good condition. I'm blown away at how quiet it is. Quiestes pumps ever. They seem to have been discontinued, along with other of their products, perhaps their whole line in general :( I always rinse used decor too, in case of silts, possible little buggers,etc.
I agree on buying new. Although my first tank was used, I preferred buying a new heater, filter and substrate, just so I could learn it all from scratch. The other three tanks were brand new and so is the gear that went into them. I have only been fish keeping for 8 months but I have learned a ton.
These are always super helpful! Very relative to my current situation since I got a 5.5g tank from a neighbor recently. It would have cost me around $50 at my LFS, which always has their prices jacked up 3x what you could find the same thing for anywhere else. Definitely a much better idea :)
For bright lights that can grow plants, I like buying white led bulbs and screw them into cheap lamp sockets that come with a cable and a plug from ebay. I find this much cheaper than buying led lights made specifically for planted aquariums.
I have three 10 gallon tanks and one 20 gallon long. All four tanks are heavily planted and house shrimp and some have mystery snails. In my 20 gal I also have a couple Otocinclus catfish. Three of the tanks are scaped with lots of rocks and driftwood. I wouldn’t get any used equipment other than lights bc idk what those equipment have gone thru in their previous environment. You don’t know what the previous owner has dosed in their tanks or how well they were maintained. Also many big companies such as fluvial and tetra offer life time guarantee on their products. You will need to submit a proof of purchase when you contact them for replacement, and that wouldn’t be possible if you purchase your equipment from another person second-handedly. I am very into getting plants from local hobbyists for the reasons she has stated in the video: cheap, more adaptable and cleaner than most wholesalers (if you are against pest snails like me). I also would recommend purchasing shrimp from local breeders for basically the same reasons: cheaper, more easily adaptable to ur water and healthier. All in all my four tanks cost me $1400, including the shrimp that are so expensive even when purchased from local breeders. I have four different kinds of shrimp and they cost me nearly $350 for their colony starters. For the tanks I would recommend ppl to check out petco or pet supplies plus, they have dollar per gallon sale about three times a year. I bought all of my tanks during the sale and that saved me a lot of money. Idk why Irene says that one planted tank would cost $500. Maybe she meant large tanks? Even my most expensive 20 gal only costed me $425 including the $120 shrimp.
Same experience here. My Buy Nothing Group has gifted me bags of plant trimmings and even some baby Mollies (who are all grown up now). It's been fun during the pandemic to grab a ziplock from a neighbor and beautify my new little tank.
Thanks for making me feel better about not using dirt! I set up a new tank a month ago and was looking into it but was worried about the mess. It hasn’t mattered so far because the plants in there anchor to rocks and driftwood and feed from the water column.
*Need some more help with your planted tank? Check out my favorite tutorials here: **th-cam.com/play/PLlBBJ7xBuquZWUAQTV_qV-4RT526rh1sy.html*
1000 views in an hour!!!..........WOW :)
Any info on how you keep your alkalinity stable? I have the beta and the plants but im having trouble with my high ph. Help !!!
TOP Money Saving Tip............Make your Birthday and Christmas wishes WELL KNOWN, and see those gifts pile up :)
Lol! 🎄🎅⛄
👍🤗😂🙏
Done that so many times, but you can’t really hint because they’ll give you the wrong thing.
haha! I will!
@@hannahsms3816 ask for a gift card to your favorite pet store or online store. That way you can buy what you want/need.
I made a dirted tank with organic topsoil and I did it 3 times in 1 day and it was super easy and fast. I also breed fish though so I redo tanks every year or so when I want to get new breeding fish so dirted is the way to go if u ask me
I've also found that if u cao dirt with sand its a lot easier to keep the root tabs down
What brand of substrate do you use?
I decided to upgrade from a 5 gallon to 20 gallon, live plants, black sand, HOB and sponge filter, LED lights, water test kit, brine shrimp, flake food, some basic meds, hardscape, I’m over $500 into a 20 gallon! And I still havent bought a CO2 setup😩
Money saving tip: Buy potted aquarium safe plants at big box Home Improvement stores. I bought a pot of Golden Money wort (Organic) Rinsed the roots completely & split it between 4 tanks for less than $4! I also got some moss from my back yard for my tanks.
Hello so I'm trying to find shrimp that wont get killed by my betta I had young amano shrimp most were under an inch. But he killed the biggest one we had yesterday.
Be patient, buy a few plants and let them grow in. Happy plants reproduce.
Some cheap LEDs on amazon amazon nowadays makes me happy c:
Nicrew not bad
CHRISSSSSSS😂
sup Chris
well well isn't Fishi fishi endler boi
I have a few of the MingDak lights from Amazon and they work incredibly well..😁🌱🐟🌿
You always give good info. Especially for those of us who are new. 🐠🐟❤
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the video. 😊
Mark shrimp tanks had a good tip for preparing sand for an aquarium.
Put the sand in a bucket, then use the garden hose to fill overflow the bucket with water while stirring up the sand in the bottom. The overflowing water will carry all of those very fine particles away. And you’ll be left with sand that doesn’t cloud up the water. I used this method when doing sand in my tank, it worked very well.
That worked for me. I live in Florida and can't justify buying sand, lol.
I agree. Just be patient and buy things when they’re on sale for a steal.
Keke, what can I say? I like brand new. 🤭
The best deals I ever got was when a fish store was liquidating its old stock so it could have a makeover.
Amanda Lin
I can’t wait to come back to the states and go to a fish store where I can read and speak the language lol.
NICREW Classic LED PLUS Planted. This is the light with the full light spectrum RGB, aluminum housing, 6500K, 1150 lm with the 30-36" one. Get this with the NICREW timer. I grow high difficulty plants with this light. Its a beast.
Get an easy fast growing plant, like guppy grass, then let it fill in the tank (this won't take long), then start selling chunks of it on craigslist and use the money to buy more new plants, straight up hustlin
Lol, were thinking the same
Well don’t start with guppy grass I hear it ships terribly
buying a used filter was the best decision ever!! I got an Eheim 2213 with cycled media and double taps for just 40 bucks!!
NICE :)
Luckyyy, cycled media Is hard to find because most people wash I with tap water before giving it to you, and sometimes they even wash it with chlorine
Thanks 😌
-broke person
One suggestion would be not to go overboard with the size of your first aquarium. No you don't need 100 gallons haha, lets say 10 or 20 gallon is perfect for a begginer and you will spend less because of the smaller size of the tank (less of everything that goes inside).
Smaller tanks r difficult due to parameter fluctuations; bigger ones have more capacity (U can add more fish etc), they cost less to buy & function (per volume unit), don't need much more effort to maintain, their parameters are more stable, so, they are easier (=>deaths r less likely).
I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but I love that green (algae?) background in your tank. It looks natural and really makes those dalmatian mollies and red platy pop out.
Yeah, baby! I originally grew my algae wall to keep the algae eaters well-fed, but now I love the look. 💚
I have officially started the journey to get a fully planted tank for my bettas.
I think I save the most because the wood I have in the aquarium is the root of an apple that I boiled and now it is sterilized. The stones are next to a nearby lake. The substrate is I think I save the most because the wood I have in the aquarium is the root of an apple that I boiled and now it is sterilized. The stones are next to a nearby lake. The substrate is made of flower soil and gravel
That's awesome! Sounds like a beautiful budget tank.
One of my favorite tools is a regular cheap turkey baster! (not used with food, of course)
Also, I'm kind of fangirling over your molly tank because we are pretty much running the same 20g setup right now
1. Buy gravel from a rock/stone company. Most actually sell an “aquarium gravel”. Or choose other colors. Any size.
2. 1$ per gallon sale
3. Build your own stand - super easy for 29g or less tanks.
4. Buy the best light you can afford. You may have low light plants now... but you will try others...
5. Don’t buy one of each type of plant. Buy multiples of 2 or 3 types and let them grow. See what works. Add a new type if your tank needs it.
I don’t think aquariums are expensive. Phones are expensive. Coffee is expensive. Clothes can be expensive. For a fish nerd, aquariums are not! (Reef tanks on the other hand, are pricey...)
Oh trust me, IT IS EXPENSIVE. For example in the UK £1 per gallon is literally non-existent and you can expect to spend over £60 for just a bare 10 gallon tank. In pets at home (basically petsmart or something like that) literally the 2.5 gallons are £20. :[
Yes! You guys over in Canada and America are sooo lucky with your dollar per gallon sales. My 24l (6.6 gal) tank cost me over £20, and that was the cheapest I could find! From there, it gets even more expensive. I can expect to pay £100 for just a twenty gallon.
its more cheaper in India. 10 Gallon is 700rs(10$) and everything is cheaper
Interesting topic, the line between beginner aquarist and advanced. You mentioned several of what I consider advanced methods, though I do see how they apply to your topic of budget aquariums. So saving money can be for everyone :-)
I’m a simple Asian man... I see “save money” I hit like lol
Oh btw I have a little input about using dirt from my experience: for the first few days I let hornworts float on the surface and block all the light. Overtime my dirt sticks and I see less and less cloud dust when I fiddle with the plants. They’re worth it but maybe more suitable for larger tanks that can handle slight error :)
Thanks for the tips!!
In my limited experience, I’ve found going super cheap on equipment usually means I end up buying the better product later. As for substrate- I want to try an aqua soil, but I can’t find it locally and it is cost prohibitive. I’ve gotten good results from sand or eco complete. I will never do dirted. I’m also getting plants from other hobbiest online. So far that’s been really good.
One of the biggest misconceptions i see constantly being spread around is the concept of root feeding plants. Crypts and amazon swords don't actually need root fertilisers when underwater, water column fertilisers are fine too, as they can just as easilly take in nutrients through their leaves. Their roots are mainly for when they are emersed and also to hold them in place. Check out this video, where an experiment was done with half the tank recieving root fertilisation, while the other half did not, and in both sides the plants did fine, even the amazon swords: th-cam.com/video/AgXQ6mBvhK8/w-d-xo.html. There are benefits to root fertilisation though, such as not having to fertilise as often, as root fertilisers last way longer.
Fertilizing the soil rather than the water column helps to keep down algae, which is one of the main selling points of dirted tanks.
@@WhatIsMisophonia yea that is another benefit to root fertilisation
I would have driven back to that Craigslist guy’s house and chuck that yucky canister filter at his front door!
I know, right? I was so mad, but mostly at myself for being so gullible. Lesson learned!
You know what’s so good about this underrated channel is that this beautiful lady puts time and effort into these videos just to help us and makes sure that they are a required standard. She listens to what we have to say and engages in her comments which I think is great.
Tip #1: I went to a local aquatic shop and asked for a "budget" tank. The guy went in the back and got me a 10 gallon they weren't using and sold it to me for $10. It was a little foggy, but cleaned up well and no leaks during my water test.
Tip #2: I looked at the online stores for the shops in my vicinity (local aquatic shop, Walmart, Petco, Petsmart, Feeders Supply), as well as Amazon and Google shopping. I found the cheapest place to buy each thing I needed and made my list for each store. I was also going for quality when possible, since that will save you money in the long run, so I found it helpful reading through the online reviews and the ratings on Google shopping.
Tip #3 (best for last): Since I knew the prices of the online stores, I took screen shots on my phone of each item before I went in the store. If the prices were different from their online store, I asked the cashier to price match. And I had the pictures handy if they needed the proof. Or you can pull it up on the site itself at the register, but that takes slightly longer ;) That alone saved me at least $30.
I had the some of the same experiences with used equipment for aquariums as you have experienced, so I too have started shopping around for deals on new equipment. I have mostly 10 gallon tanks bought for ~$15.00/tank at Walmart.
My “planted” tanks are not pretty like yours, because none of the plants are in the substrate. I use just enough Walmart packaged aquarium gravel on a portion of the bottom to maintain some beneficial bacteria, but so very easy to siphon debris when doing water changes. My plants, to make a comfortable living area for the small species I maintain, are guppy grass, hornwort, american frogbit, a few accidentally acquired amazon frogbit and duckweed. They all are free floating.
I don’t consider my tanks truly “planted”, but my appear to feel secure and healthy, which was my primary consideration.
A couple of years ago I got a 5ft tank with a complete set up and a bunch of cichlids, a bristlenose and a catfish, for £140. I enjoyed that tank for quite a while before selling it on and start my own set ups from scratch. I didn't know barely anything about fishkeeping at the time and while I realized I made a mistake making an impulse buy, that first one really sparked my interest in the hobby and I learned an absolute ton before thinking about getting another. I then got my 50G second hand for £20! Still so happy with that deal.
I think that is most often the biggest money saving thing you can do, getting a second hand tank. If you're patient enough and keep an eye on listings, one will always pop up.
Awesome video as always, thanks Irene!
I have petsmart black ssnd and I love it but also hate it gravel vacumeing takes more time and if I take decor out it has sand on it
isn´t it funny how she used to wear glasses inside? :)
If you want the fast growing benefit of a dirted tank without a lot of the drawbacks, try potted plants. You can diy some small shallow pots that you can hide behind hardscaping and cap the soil with sand or small gravel. I have several potted plants in my 20 gal which are made from the cut-off bottom 2 inches of 2 liter bottles.
what is the drawback of a dirted with sand cap tank?
@@ryanrogers8211 that's a big can of worms you should research, but from my point of view, I'd say the main drawbacks are that you cannot have thin bits of soil, nor too many thick chunks of wood that would block off the substrate; and you'd still need to siphon off excess waste if you have large fish or lots of fish, plus maybe need some external filtration such as a sump or canister. A deep sand bed can only take so much poop.
In the old days we used to buy the 50 lb bag of pea gravel which is little round gravel bits and they worked absolutely great. But we also used under gravel filter back in those days
You can make your own box filters just takes a little ingenious work and hot glue
Most pet stores have a pile of used junk that you can refurbish and it just is elbow grease to put new diaphragms in air pumps for example
Recently I found the exact same LED light for sale in a grow supply store that was in the local pet store $399 in the pet store and $79 at the gross supply.
I'm going to go with the Black Diamond sand but I am doing a dirted tank! I've been buying aquariums off of marketplace. I saved my most money on lighting. I went with an inexpensive MingDak lights off of Amazon.. and for some of my other tanks I just use LED desk lamps..😁 everything seems to be doing well!! Thank you so much Irene, you always give us great tips and tricks! You are awesome! Hope you have a very blessed day?👍🌱🐟🌿🙏
Yeah, it's kind of annoying that she didn't mention cheap lighting; All of my tanks are lit by the cheapest standard residential leds with the diffuser caps popped off, and they grow plants just fine. The intensity of the light is more important than the spectrum, unless you have immersed plants that you want to flower: Flowers need a good bit of red light to bloom, and you can get that from a typical warm white bulb around 2700 kelvin. I sometimes mix cool whites and warm whites for more varied spectrum and to create a brighter appearance than if I were just using warm whites.
@@WhatIsMisophonia thanks for sharing👍🥰 one thing for sure is LEDs has absolutely changed the game for me as far as growing plants 🙌😁🌿💪
I remember the first time around in the hobby trying to figure out fluorescent lights and never did have much luck!! It's amazing what you can do on a budget when it comes to lighting now!! Like you said learning the color spectrums and intensity can definitely enhance what you're trying to do, but yet you can use a little desktop light and still grow some great plants !! I hope you have a wonderful day🌿👍🥰🙏🌿🦐🌿
Like you said before waiting for a sale at petco or petsmart is a great way to save money. I was able to pick up a 29 gallon tank for 30 buck when they had their half off sale.
Definitely buy used if you only want a small tank to start with. There's a million 5 and 10 gallon tank kits being bought constantly and then getting abandoned by people months later. I'm not comfortable with getting a massive tank used (no giant exploding tanks please) but a small tank is pretty easy to test and even fix if necessary
Petco is having a huge sale right now (Aug. 25, 2020) on aquariums. Better than the $1. per gallon sale. It may only be online orders so check it out first. YW Rumor is they are getting rid of Aqueon for a different brand.
One of the cheapest ways to get an aquarium and some equipment is to get them free! It's amazing how many people just want to get rid of this stuff once they are done with it. Basic Aquarium stuff is one of those things that you almost can't even sell it for $10 or $20..People want it free!
I also use a lot of dollar store items in my tank. For example, a soap basket with suction cup can act as an emersed growing area, or a long BBQ fork or something can be what I use to dig down into the substrate. I even used a 1/2" PVC pipe to direct my food to a certain spot, especially if it's something like wafers that you want to fall into a dish for the bottom feeders to come get.
If buying used lights make sure they are not old, both LED and Fluorescent tubes only last so long before they lose spectrum. When buying heaters buy new and buy the best you can afford your life and the life of your fish depend on it, do not trust cheap heaters. You can usually buy new tanks cheap Petco has dollar per gallon sales all the time a new 20 gallon is 20 dollars. I prefer small round gravel. Buy fast growing stem plants cut them in half and plant them. For basic tanks a good all in one fertilizer Like LCA all in one or Seachem flourish comprehensive is all you need. This is my tank It runs a Beamworks viva grow light the plants were all cuttings and I use an all in one fertilizer imgur.com/RCO7mUF
Totally agree 👍🙏
The “it’s not easy for plants to grow roots into sand” thing that Master Horticulturist Cory has been saying has just not been my experience. Since I switched to sand, all my plants are growing in faster and more densely.
Have you ever tried that Black Moon Sand that Doctors Foster and Smith sells?
The diamond blasting sand works for stronger plants that can take a beating. I use it in my 55g and almost a year later I already want to take it down and redo it. I now want to use an affordable lava rock base(eco complete) and cap it with a more expensive aquasoil(fluval stratum/Controsoil). The black sand would cut my stem plants when my corys would move the sand and plants around and the plants would be holding on by it strings like how celery gets. Would recommend if you don’t have bottom dwellers.
i put "hoticultural sand" through a seive to end up with a gravelly sand so i could see the bottom of my black tote pond. Got bags of it for free on craigslist. I mixed ir with crushed coral for the bottom of my new 9.00 petco ten gallons. I used my favorite 4/14.00 foam filters on all my tanks.
I will have to say, having giant metal tweezers IS worth the investment.
Dear someone who is great at taking care of fish, Recently, my fish has been sad and sleepy afther I cleaned my fish tank. He is so sad and I'm worried. :( I know this is not about the video, but I just want to say it on this video. I hope you can make a video or you already made a video about how to keep you fish not stressed. I love your videos and I hope you reply to my comment.
Could you give me details of your tank? How big, decorations, feeding, light, water changes, etc?
@@RamaNasikkar My tank is a 5 gallon tank and all my deco is smooth and they have no pointy edges. I have all the medicane. I feed my betta blood worms shrimp and bug bites plus any pelets that is good for him. He is doing better and I clean my water every weekend.
@@evywevvypoo Glad he's doing better! Sounds like you're taking great care of him. All the best to you and your fish
@@RamaNasikkar Thank you so much! :)
You left out something that you only learn when it goes wrong. Some rocks or gravel from landscaping stores could be very high in metals or salt.
Please can u say me that is bore water suitable for mollies
Plzz say me
Great video but why isn't the sponge filter air turned on?? Lol
I wouldn't buy a used heater as they can be really faulty
I have no local fish clubs or fish stores. 😕 I ordered a lovely piece of driftwood from Etsy, as I could select my piece rather than being shipped a random one. Two 50 lb bags of pea gravel from a big box store was < $10 when I redid the substrate in my 125g with some left over. As my severum ate all my plants, I’m considering setting up my 10g just for plants, a couple of snails and shrimp.
Setting up planted tank in tropical country ( my experience is from Indonesia ) setting up tank costs less than 30 dollars because of how cheap the stuff are ( excluding the tank ) great video 🔥
Something about black substrate against green plants. Just does it for me 😍
That's definitely my favorite combo too. 💚🖤
SafeTsorb is also a great substrate. It's $6 for a 40 lb bag. It's basically Seachem Flourite. It's calcined clay. It doesn't have nutrients....other than iron but it absorbs them and slowly releases them.
Oh, I've heard it mentioned in passing but never tried it before. Thanks for the suggestion!
What brand would you recommend?
What brand and stores
@@do1du it's made by Molton Company and it's the one in the green and white packaging. I bought mine at Tractor Supply Company
Todd Schweitzer how long have you use it i hear it Break down after a while thanks
I think the best money saver is lots of planning & research beforehand.
So you know what you need & what you don't and what the going rate is for it all. And the total you need to save up.
That way you can grab bargains as you see them and don't waste money on plants that aren't going to survive in your setup, for example.
Can you do a video on brackish fish tanks?
I hear alot on melt back on plants, but I haven't experienced that. My tank is only about a month old, and I started with live plants. I just put them in and ignored the plants for a few weeks, and only recently started fertilizing. Will I run into problems later?
Hey there, i also love the algea look, but dont let it take up more than 80% of the back wall and not other sides, if you have a light color substrate on the bottom that may be even worse for algea (reflection), the more algea you have, i find the easier it spreads in my opinion, also be careful for blue algea/ diatom with a newer tank, use a phosphate pad :) more water changes the better
l learnt to save my money and then invest and it works for me. It also motivates me to save money. As you see your net worth growing as well......... I've much more calmer this year..... Being with family and having a grip with finances has been a blessing.💪
I am DIYing a filter, substrate, and stone. Its super rewarding but i wouldnt suggest it for saving money.
Irene can you pls start posting videos in your gamers wife channel again?we would all love to know more about your life
Haha, I actually have a couple of videos that I filmed for that channel but haven't gotten around to editing. I'll try my best this weekend to work on it!
@@GirlTalksFish awww its really sweet how much you do for us and just in between us two...I only watch aquarium coop because of you. COREY U HEARD NOTHING
Agreed with everything said here! I actually received a really cheap stainless steel "professional" aquascaping tool kit for Christmas! It was on sale for $6 and came with two tweezers, a substrate spatula, and little scissors, all safely wrapped in packaging in a nice bag! Still probably the best gift I've ever received :D
You are right 😁😁👍
Good video but I have one issue. Your claim about dirt losing it's nutrients is true if you are using less than about 3 inches of substrate but in a deep bed substrate of >3 inches the substrate can maintain its nutrients indefinitely.
I have a number of low-tech dirted tanks with deep sand caps on them that grow plants amazingly well and are really stable even at 5+ years. I use mostly sponge filters that I hardly ever clean and I only change enough water to prevent salt creep due to evaporation. I don't vacuum mulm from them ever.
I don't move plants very often but if I turn off the filter and take my time I don't make any noticeable mess. I have minimum 3 inches of sand on 1 inch of dirt. If I don't want that much substrate at the front of the tank then I put no dirt at the front.
I have used this method for decades now with fantastic results. I can make/collect substrate for 20 x 20 gallon aquariums for the cost of 1 bag of Fluval Stratum in Canada.
My technique is similar to Father Fish's and while it's not for everyone it works really, really well and it is "dirt" cheap.
If you know about father fish and the walstad method, you should know that the main reason for adding 2 inches or more of cap sand vs. 1 inch of small gravel as in a walstad tank is because father fish is less concerned about anoxic conditions and the thick sand cap holds in nutrients so that they don't flow into the water column. Father fish also feeds lightly so as not to overload the substrate while Walstad feeds heavily (her method allows for a more open oxygenated substrate which can more quickly break down waste), and she does not have to worry about a lack of nutrients for the plants over time. She also often uses potted plants filled with garden top soil in her aquariums just as most people would for a pond, though the soil in pots will give out in time just as in potted pond plants because the pots don't collect as much mulm as the flat even surface in a dirted tank, even though the pots are 3 or more inches tall.
LOL..if you like playing with mud, LOL..that made me laugh!
Great info! Thank you! 👍🏼💕🌿🐠
Hello from your new subscriber 😊 loving your channel so far! 💓
What keyworkds would I use to find a local planted aquarium swap group?
Got a 30g with a filter and lid for 15$ at a yardsale
I used driftwood I got on the beach for a new tank. I boiled it, scrubbed it , let it dry out, boiled it again. Did you know that ocean algae’s will grow in fresh water. I do now. Nothing but problems.
Driftwood is from trees beside rivers and lakes, taken to the sea by the river's flow. It's possibly freshwater algae.
Always an entertaining video 😊 I got a new guppy strain and some Limia Perugiae uploading the video tonight 😃
Your videos are always so informative and helpful! I’m definitely on a super tight budget so this is SO helpful. I have pool filter sand in my planted paludarium and my betta aquarium and it works super well and I love how naturalistic it is 😊
When I get pond plants I like to put them in an immersed setup and that kills all the worms and bugs while also making the plant grow bigger with Co2.
Great info! I have been keeping fish for years but not too good with plants. I do have java and Anubis’s growing on rocks and wood. I use a small pebble Caribsea substrate Called peace river. Very small almost like large sand. I don’t want to take it out. Is there anyway to grow plants in this by added fertilizer? Root tabs? I really like the look Of it and it’s been in my tank for 15 years
Another nice video!
Just a question do shrimp eggs survive in freshwater or do they need brackish water
Amano shrimp need brackish water, not (almost all, I suppose) the others.
Love your tank. Got a question to ask u. I really want to get some green neon tetras but I have hard water. Can those tetras do ok in hard water? If not, how can I soften it, do u know?
Oh and shop lights are pretty great to I got one for my 55 gallon for $20 it does grow a bit of algea but I don't mind because it looks natural
I am using pool filter sand/root tabs from aquarium co-op and my plants are growing out of control. My amazon swords are HUGE! My main issue is where to trim everything because I have the too much gene so I just do small bits here and there. My cherry and amano shrimp absolutely love hanging out in what has become a mini jungle though.
Hi
I'm more and more reluctanat to buy certain thigns used for aquariums. I'm tending to stick more to the decor and substrate, and maybe a pump if it looks newer and it has good reviews. The canadian brand Top Fin is awful. They have at leasts a couple of recalls, if not more. I've come across dangerous circumstances with some used equipment. I'd love to get the Nat Geo 20 gallon pump if I saw it used and it looked in good condition. I'm blown away at how quiet it is. Quiestes pumps ever. They seem to have been discontinued, along with other of their products, perhaps their whole line in general :( I always rinse used decor too, in case of silts, possible little buggers,etc.
You have a ever nice tank is your tank a 65 that’s what I have
I agree on buying new. Although my first tank was used, I preferred buying a new heater, filter and substrate, just so I could learn it all from scratch. The other three tanks were brand new and so is the gear that went into them. I have only been fish keeping for 8 months but I have learned a ton.
Getting plants or even fish from local club members helps alot. Great video!
These are always super helpful! Very relative to my current situation since I got a 5.5g tank from a neighbor recently.
It would have cost me around $50 at my LFS, which always has their prices jacked up 3x what you could find the same thing for anywhere else. Definitely a much better idea :)
Just this morning I added a ton of perl weed in to my tank
If you wash wild aquarium plants it should be fine
How I saved money was by making a list of products that I need then did lots of comparing prices to find the best deal. Don’t forget it add shipping!
Every day is a new lesson, every video is a master class!!! TYSM, pls, pls keep uploading!
For bright lights that can grow plants, I like buying white led bulbs and screw them into cheap lamp sockets that come with a cable and a plug from ebay. I find this much cheaper than buying led lights made specifically for planted aquariums.
Hello. I was waiting for the part where you would suggest cheap plants for the poor planted aquarium. Awesome video. :)
This video was useful as a fish🐠🐠🐠
Are the fish cgi?
I have three 10 gallon tanks and one 20 gallon long. All four tanks are heavily planted and house shrimp and some have mystery snails. In my 20 gal I also have a couple Otocinclus catfish. Three of the tanks are scaped with lots of rocks and driftwood. I wouldn’t get any used equipment other than lights bc idk what those equipment have gone thru in their previous environment. You don’t know what the previous owner has dosed in their tanks or how well they were maintained. Also many big companies such as fluvial and tetra offer life time guarantee on their products. You will need to submit a proof of purchase when you contact them for replacement, and that wouldn’t be possible if you purchase your equipment from another person second-handedly. I am very into getting plants from local hobbyists for the reasons she has stated in the video: cheap, more adaptable and cleaner than most wholesalers (if you are against pest snails like me). I also would recommend purchasing shrimp from local breeders for basically the same reasons: cheaper, more easily adaptable to ur water and healthier. All in all my four tanks cost me $1400, including the shrimp that are so expensive even when purchased from local breeders. I have four different kinds of shrimp and they cost me nearly $350 for their colony starters. For the tanks I would recommend ppl to check out petco or pet supplies plus, they have dollar per gallon sale about three times a year. I bought all of my tanks during the sale and that saved me a lot of money. Idk why Irene says that one planted tank would cost $500. Maybe she meant large tanks? Even my most expensive 20 gal only costed me $425 including the $120 shrimp.
Tip 4 is the best! Everyone in our local FB group is super willing to give away their plant trimming, and live bearers.
Oh man, that's the best! I love that the members of our local fish club are so helpful and generous with each other.
Same experience here. My Buy Nothing Group has gifted me bags of plant trimmings and even some baby Mollies (who are all grown up now). It's been fun during the pandemic to grab a ziplock from a neighbor and beautify my new little tank.
shark pog
Super good video😁
I like how you make it simple for everybody to keep fish or planted tank ❣ and thank you for sharing the knowledge ❣
Oh look. Another Aquarium Coop commercial disguised as a FishTube video. How totally unexpected.
Just turn on your TV and put something about fish and wait for Christmas and I guess You have a couple more tanks!
Thanks for making me feel better about not using dirt! I set up a new tank a month ago and was looking into it but was worried about the mess. It hasn’t mattered so far because the plants in there anchor to rocks and driftwood and feed from the water column.