📱Download my brand new FREE Aquarium Keeping App! - Aquabuildr is a one-stop shop designed for beginners to learn and veterans to expand! aquabuildr.com
Since subscribing to KaveMan Aquatics I've went from having a 50 gallon tank to being surrounded by tanks just about everywhere i can find room for them... thanks for enabling me, lol Appreciate you!
I could never thank you enough my tank was so cloudy and now it’s crystal clear if your new to the aquarium hobby follow this man’s instructions they will save your life thanks again
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊 BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh.html
Wow...! You went from Peacocks and Haps to Discus and Arowana. Your growth and knowledge of fish keeping has been inspiring and helpful to hobbyist such as my self. You have been my go to aquarium expert for straight forward advice and knowledge. Thank you!
@@KaveManAquatics Clear water aside, a UV setup is still a valuable tool for preventing future illnesses, such as hole in the head, and many other bacteria related issues. It's not a matter of need or not need it, or about proving anything either. I use UV because my fish are valuable to me, and I want to ensure they have the best possible environment that keeps them clean safe and happy.
Great vid as always Kev. Thx fer showing all the Kave Fam the process u go through when ur trying to resolve one of ur probs. It can b difficult to stay with it when u havent found an answer. Lets Go!
Thank you Kev! All this time and it was the ph level. Glad you figured it out. This is a good reminder to check the ph. I admit I haven't checked lately. Always learning something new. As always, enjoyed watching! Thank you! ❤❤❤😊
You’re just an AWESOME teacher!! I love that you have modern knowledge and don’t just rely on old information. Also LOVE that you have a very relaxed style of presentation without a lot of editing to try and achieve perfection - it’s obvious you enjoy teaching and are a “natural “! PLUS - you don’t waste time with a bunch of fluff. Just the best of the best. Going to try the app! Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for this feedback! Glad to hear you're enjoying the channel and finding it helpful! Have fun with the App, we're improving it everyday 😁
I figured out mine. Was going through the same thing for 2 months after my heater and cycle crash. I started reading more more into TDS levels! Even with no ammonia and no nitrites I'd let my nitrates get up to 40ppm then change water and then bloom. I found out my TDS was through the roof for African cichlids! Once I got that level down significantly, no more bacteria blooms! I use a TDS meter now once a week.
Had constant case of bacteria bloom for weeks in my goldfish tank after returning from a trip, saw this video just in time. Used Seachem gold buffer and tank started to stabilize almost immediately. Awesome video and at the perfect timing
I just saw Kev at my airport recently when he came in for a bite to eat and I was ecstatic about it, he is a very nice guy even though I was to busy working I wish I could of talked to him more
Once again bro, thanks for the view of these beautiful tanks and informative content. You keep it real and that's appreciative. Keep these contents coming. Let's Gooooo!!! 😅
I have a 37 gallon and I’m waiting for shipment of a 55 gallon lol I got the itch I want more and bigger, I love this channel it has helped me not being scared of maintenance.
Flaco and Blanco are as gorgeous as ever! Also, it was great meeting you in NYC the other week! I also would have never guessed PH drops contributing to cloudiness. I haven't had PH levels below 7.0 since i moved to Tacoma 3 years ago.
@@KaveManAquaticsIt takes a long while to cycle a tank when the tap water is extremely alkaline, but once cycled, it is really easy to keep stable with the fish poop and water changes balancing each other out. When i moved from one Washington apartment to another (seriously, the ph is 8.4 right out the tap), i was able to transport 25% of my tank's cycled water from the old apartment and it went down to the lower 7s without buffer products. My tank is only 20 gallon box shoved in a tiny apartment, so i imagine larger tanks would take more time.
Thanks Kev - really good info. Luckily I check my pH each week because I’m using RO water (my source water is softened by the city). It’s good to know the answers are there if we keep looking!
Facts! I was having an algae bloom in my 55 gallon a while back I added Seachem Regulator and it got worst for a few days but then cleared up! Now since I moved back in July and reset all my aquariums up I cAnt get my 125 to clear up…I too added more filter floss and then added 2 bags of seachem Purigen to each of my filters. That solved the tannin problem and cleared up a lot but not crystal clear like my other 10 aquarium. Now guess I’m pulling the regulator back out!
This can be an advantage of using test strips for weekly testing over the Master Test Kit - not super accurate, but it gives you more parameters in a couple of minutes and ought to let you know if anything has changed... where it's easy to end up just testing nitrate with a master kit because all the others are always the same and it takes time to test.
Obviously go back and check with a more accurate test for pH or whatever - the strips are good for "hmmm that's different to last week" monitoring though.
Looks great 👍 Can you make a video on top of the tank water evaporation like how to prevent it and how to refill it and just spit your knowledge man thanks for your videos
Bro, Happy birthday 🎂 Also, thanks so much for this video, as im in the exact situation, and I have done everything possible, going on 2 months in my 180-gallon with my 30 moba frontosas grow out. I am so going to give this a try. ❤❤ so happy this worked for you, and hoping for the same results!!
Kev, Wow as always giving us the information that is so valuable to all of us. I never would have thought that PH would be a cause of bacterial bloom. I have a water softener for the whole house hmm that could explain why it took my 100 gal tank a while to clear up. I am going to look into that alkaline buffer. I have mostly planted tanks except my 100 gal CA tank. Appreciate the information brother. And from one veteran to another Happy Veterans Day.
@@KaveManAquatics Kev also those seachem alert things you have I bought them a while ago the ammonia one to monitor my ammonia in my tank when I had af cichlids and it didn’t work for me I had a huge ammonia spike and the alert was still showing safe when the ammonia spiked and killed all my fish. The consensus on those are hit and miss also. I won’t buy them alert things again because I can’t trust they work. Esp the ammonia one. Now I just test my water with the master test kit and I can tell to with the fish. Just wanted to let you know.
So theres 2 types of ammonia...The alert tabs only show you Free/Toxic ammonia (the one you need to worry about) while the api test kit shows total ammonia (free ammonia and ammonium/non-toxic ammonia) You may have showed a spike in the api test kit but that doesnt mean it was toxic ammonia. You could have also had a nitrite spike that could have killed fish, or a number of different issues that could have done it. Watch this video for more detail on how the Alert works and will show you which is the ammonia you really need to care about - th-cam.com/video/yoSm3VFIvxQ/w-d-xo.html
It’s a different way of aquarium keeping, with different results. To each their own 🤷🏼♂️ The only thing I disagree with is not doing water changes. So If you like how my tanks and fish look, try my way. If you like his, try his. They both work.
@KaveManAquatics I have been combining both your and father fishes methods and having insane results. For the deep substrate, I am using gravel covered with sand insted of soil covered with sand. And also been using Safe as a detoxifier
Dealt with a bloom in a 20 gallon tank for months and tank would never cycle. Cleaned the tank 100% and complete water change. Re started with prime and stability 😉 and haven’t had any issues since. Threw a tidal 75 on it, a couple plants and tank fully cycled. Clear water and happy fish. API accuclear works amazing. Better than Fritz, Seachem or any other brands
Hey from your friendly dirt tank guy.... don't forget to leave some light on for the plants 5 6 hours a day would suffice and if you want a big tip drop that water line an inch and load the surface with floaters
i always use crushed corals sabstrate.. thank you for the info i was using the crushed corals on blind information by sales man but now it makes sense 😁
Since the tank has white substrate it reflects light acting like a light from below so the bacteria is getting light from above and below hence a longer bloom. Asd darker stones and insert so fish can hide in and reduce the overall white surface area. Too much light also stress out the fish. And plants especially Java ferns large help calm fishes and I never had any problems with my cichlids eating them.
I think I said this from day one about your light. I tried telling you to turn your light off for a few days when you first got the bloom, but I never noticed a prob with my ph during a bloom.
I recently has a horrible bacteria/green bloom that lasted over a month. I just left it alone by reducing feeding in half, 2 weeks of thinking it was something else...it finally started looking ok 3 days ago then kinda clear yesterday, and today back to crystal clear. This tank us a year old and I thought I had really messed something up. But nope just a bad bacteria bloom
I’m having the same problem; I reduced feeding, the tank got clearer. Then I messed up and over-fed and the next day - cloudy. Now I will skip feeding today, and do like you, half amounts until it clears.
@paradoxicalocus3761 yep, mine was so bad I swear I seen a tint of green. Crystal clear now, and I'm able to feed normal amounts now. My discus likes to eat at least twice a day. When I reduced his meals, I felt bad because I seen little nibbles in the sponge filter where i put his bloodworms
Was going through this after I recycled my 125. After every water change, I was getting 2-4 day blooms. Even when at 20ppm nitrates with pH of 8.0. I took 3 weeks to get from 20ppm to 40ppm nitrates. My issue was I believe the tank was still immature. Also keep an eye on your GH and kh. My tap is perfect for South American cichlids but for my central and African I use alkaline buffer, american cichlid salt and the Malawi buffer and salt for the Africans. My tap is 3-5gh, 5-6kh and 7.4-7.6 pH. I wish you made this video 2 months ago though lol
Hey Kev, love your videos and appreciate your wisdom. Just got my first FX6 and was wondering what biomedia you’re running in yours these days. Have you ever tried k1 media?
hey man, i have a question. I set up a new aquarium a few days ago and it is cloudy since then i guess its a bacterial bloom. I have a filter running right now and soil on the ground but i havent planted my plants yet. What should I do now just let the filter run? Will it clear my aquarium from the bacterial bloom or should I plant my plants? Please reply if you see this
Have been an aquarist for nearly all my life over 60 years and for the first time I just learned something I never knew and was not realized. I built a new 1000 gallon koi pond from my 150 gallon pond where I had 11 Koi's. This is an above ground with pond liner with 6x6 timbers. I could not get this thing to cycle! I seeded with the old pond gravel and some rocks. Weeks went by and Ammonia was high. Kept using Prime to keep it at bay, testing water daily, adding lots of bacteria and still no move to Nitrites. Come to find on one article that if the KH is too low, bacteria can not grow or thrive! My KH was near zero! My city water comes out perfect, with low GH, PH 7.0, but KH was the issue. So, I added Sodium Bicarbonate to get it up to about 60-80ppm and BAM! Nitrites started to show up, Ammonia going down. After a few days, the Nitrites went to zero, Ammonia still zero, and Nitrates showing about 10ppm! Whew, finally! Lessoned learned, get your water parameters in the zone where you have some GH, KH, and PH where is should be, then go through the cycle. After cycle and stabile, then you can re-adjust as needed.
Thats awesome! Good to know even the veterans are still learning. I preach that all the time hear, you never stop learning 😁 Thanks for sharing your experience! 💪
Had a question, Was wondering for a starter what lights would be okay for a 10 gallon tank with a mount mainly asking for my plants to keep them going and not turning brown
I have lingering cloudiness in a new tank which cycled for a couple weeks before adding fish. I have been focused on bringing my ammonia levels out of the light green and into the yellow. I just realized tested my tap water and it is testing in the light green zone. I've been using seachem pure to detoxify it for the fish. I'm not sure what to do other than just wait... my ph is just under 8.
Its a normal bacterial bloom that has occurred from adding in fish. Nothing to worry about. Here's a helpful video - th-cam.com/video/46fcHvoellI/w-d-xo.html
I didnt clean my tank for 1 month and when i cleaned it afger the month, i cleaned all the filters and vacummed the gravel, as well as did a water change. Now I have been struggling with cloudy brown water and water changes seem to becoming worse after i clean the tank every 2 weeks and do a water change but only clean 1 filter. I have a sponge filter which i don't clean as well as a water pump. The filter i clean is one that sucks up the poop into a container. What do i do to get the clear water again? I have 3 fancytail goldfish in a 60 litre tank.
Are you sure that lack of light is the reason for your plant die off? Anubias and java fern do pretty well in extremely low light conditions. They are slow growers. I've had them surviving in a closed bucket for extended periods of time. If you're going to use high lighting, you're going to have to match dosing of ferts. You can keep anubias in low light and never dose. It wll grow slowly and use the nitrate from your fish. Do you have high ph and gh?
Cool aros, I had 2 silver and 1 Australian back when I was a hobbyist-12yr back . I don’t see any weight support on the top aren’t you afraid they might jump?
I figured this out myself when i was cycling my first tank. Ph out the water is in the 6’s and once ammonia and nitrites entered the cycle the ph went down and my cycle was stuck. So i raised the ph gradually with some baking soda and the cycle took off.
I do have a question for you kev, recently I learned that activated carbon removes essential nutrients from the water that I need, hence why I completely stopped using it all together but something else lingered in my mind: What else removes essential micro and macro nutrients from the water that are essential for plants? I use an FX6 just like you and I use Seachem bottles to fertilize the water and soil for my plants. Recently I added the Quick-Clear polishing pads (the white fluffy one) and the Max-Clean filter pads (the thin, blue colored pads). They both say they remove micro particles but does this mean nutrients as well? I don’t know what to do, if they are removing crucial nutrients from my plants than I have to remove them but I have to be sure.
Hey I was wondering if you know any causes that make your uncycled tank have 0 nitrates after a month and a half, I have done no water changes and I am using ur method of cycling, prime and stability. My tank is a 5 gallon that has 2 African dwarf frogs that seem happy and active.
My new tank is in a small bacterial bloom at the moment but my PH is dropping lower than I’d like to I have to do a 25% change. I think it’s just tannins leeching out of the driftwood slowly, or maybe my substrate leaking through the cap a little bit
I know this is off topic but does anyone know what to do when a freshwater stingray punctures its eye because its happening to my stingray and I don't know what to do.
Yes you can. But start with a small amount and work your way up. Remember it can take days for the added crushed coral to change the PH so be patient. 😊
I have a question Kevin. How much is too much bio media? Bc the more fish you have the more bio media you need to handle the bioload. How different is different type of bio media? Does it matter how deep the poures are?
What seachem products stain or you would not recommend putting in your show tank. Example para guard stress guard. Basically anything you would not take the chance to make a bad day.
Hey Kevin I plan on setting up a 125 gallon African cichlid tank with Lake Malawi fish what do you put in there I saw a video with Lake salt and buffer can you tell me again what kind it was I know it was seachem I will buy that
Congrats on that new monster tank! I know its exciting times 😁 Yes I use Seachem Cichlid lake salt and Malawi buffer. Start with this playlist loaded with tons of info on African Cichlids - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8MG9hyJ8PjbC33zEbcyy8__.html
Thank you my friend I appreciate that I actually did see that video a while ago but I forgot what the salt was called thank you so much for the reply and the info that's why I subscribe to your Channel
Off topic but always wondered, for canister filters does the speed for output affect the intake speed? Like I want a low flow with my 407 but don’t know it intake will also be slower?
I have learnt a lot about freshwater aquarium to watching your vidoes hence subscribed....but i have one question ..if we clean glass then beneficial bacteria on glass will die or not? Love from India
The buffer is only used to raise your PH to a level where bacteria can begin to grow. Once your tank is established with bacteria you dont need to buffer the water for that reason anymore.
I'm struggling with this issue right now and I did not know you should not do a partial water change and I did it twice and I'm still in the same hazy green bacterial bloom
Green water is algae bloom. My book on getting crystal clear water can definitely help! 😁 It's short, to the point, and covers all the causes and solutions for cloudy water. Grab the eBook for free or purchase the Paperback. I promise you won't be disappointed! Check it out here - bit.ly/clearH2O
I have well water and the ph is around 9 so I added drift woods to keep it down and now I have a brown tint to my water. My freshwater fish are doing great but it looks kinda crappy . Any suggestions? Or maybe I should reboil the woods or just wait?
Man I was gonna say the issue might be a hidden dead fish. Smh don’t even know why I was even gonna attempt to disrespect da guru like that! My apologies!! I’m a beginner and enjoying your channel so far!
If you already have an algae problem, Id keep the tank dark until its under control. Unless you have live plants in the tank, your fish dont need light.
Have you had any hard times with the Severum and discus ? Because I have a discus tank and I’ve always wanted to have severums in there but I’m still thinking about it because I don’t want my discus to die. What is your opinion?
You run a sump or all fx6's? If you have a sump...look closer at refugiums..I run my lights on my display for days....yes days and get ZERO algae in my display tank....my refugium in the sump grows all the algae. I can't explain the science...there is a few pretty good ones out there from BRS (bulkreefsupply) explaining this phenomena. Also to note, this tank I am referring to is a 125 freshwater on a 55 gal sump housing 2 Oscars and a ft long pleco.
I have a 10 Gallon tank and have put in Stability and Prime for 5 days in a row. I haven’t added any fish because the tank has been cloudy and it’s been going for about 3 weeks now. Am I doing something wrong? I also have a sponge filter and wave maker in the tank
You need to add an ammonia source in order for the bacteria to begin growing. If you dont have fish in the tank, then theres no ammonia source. Try Ghost feeding the tank or purchase a bottle of ammonia and dose 1-2 ppm of ammonia to get it going.
I would never have guessed the pH. What is your tap water pH where you are at. Mine is 8.0 out of the tap so I don't mine would ever get to 6.0 unless I did something to it.
But guess what I'm picking up some shell dwellers from jason adams of primetime aquatics tomorrow at the quad city swap in Iowa so I now have a unplanted and un dirted tank well see how it goes
So the ph tester that hangs in your tank doesn't work? That's what I bought and my fish died in 2 days. Ammonia was yellow (safe) and my ph said orange (7). I thought that was a good level. I guess I am confused now.
📱Download my brand new FREE Aquarium Keeping App! - Aquabuildr is a one-stop shop designed for beginners to learn and veterans to expand!
aquabuildr.com
Great app - will there be a conversion option to use litres rather than gallons? (If you don’t ask you don’t get). Thanks, Tommy (England)
How big is 450
Since subscribing to KaveMan Aquatics I've went from having a 50 gallon tank to being surrounded by tanks just about everywhere i can find room for them... thanks for enabling me, lol Appreciate you!
🤣🤣 Sorry, not sorry LOL Glad you're enjoying the channel!
Same here man I went from a 35gallont to 55. Gallon to now I am looking for a 125 gallon for my home office
This dude got me addicted lol
Binged your entire channel a few weeks ago. Now I have a beautiful 75 gallon tank for some Tanganyikan Cilchids almost done cycling!
I always appreciate the warts and all approach that you share with us! Your the Man
I could never thank you enough my tank was so cloudy and now it’s crystal clear if your new to the aquarium hobby follow this man’s instructions they will save your life thanks again
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh.html
@ I been using it brother helps a lot 🙏🏽
Wow...! You went from Peacocks and Haps to Discus and Arowana. Your growth and knowledge of fish keeping has been inspiring and helpful to hobbyist such as my self. You have been my go to aquarium expert for straight forward advice and knowledge. Thank you!
Always my pleasure! Thanks for sticking around and watching the journey 😁💪
Glad you figured things out, your Discus look much more happy now. Good work !
Thanks 😁💪
@@KaveManAquatics Clear water aside, a UV setup is still a valuable tool for preventing future illnesses, such as hole in the head, and many other bacteria related issues. It's not a matter of need or not need it, or about proving anything either.
I use UV because my fish are valuable to me, and I want to ensure they have the best possible environment that keeps them clean safe and happy.
Great vid as always Kev. Thx fer showing all the Kave Fam the process u go through when ur trying to resolve one of ur probs. It can b difficult to stay with it when u havent found an answer. Lets Go!
My pleasure brother Flea! Glad you enjoyed it 😁💪
Oh gosh! I needed this right now! Thank you so much!!!
Thank you Kev! All this time and it was the ph level. Glad you figured it out. This is a good reminder to check the ph. I admit I haven't checked lately. Always learning something new. As always, enjoyed watching! Thank you! ❤❤❤😊
I had a feeling many of us can easily neglect PH levels...I sure did 🤣 Glad you found it helpful! 😁
@KaveManAquatics I have! 🫣 I'm checking tomorrow with water change for sure. ❤️😊
thx for keeping sharing / helping us Kev , see you next video
Always my pleasure bro! 😁
You’re just an AWESOME teacher!! I love that you have modern knowledge and don’t just rely on old information. Also LOVE that you have a very relaxed style of presentation without a lot of editing to try and achieve perfection - it’s obvious you enjoy teaching and are a “natural “! PLUS - you don’t waste time with a bunch of fluff. Just the best of the best. Going to try the app! Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for this feedback! Glad to hear you're enjoying the channel and finding it helpful! Have fun with the App, we're improving it everyday 😁
I figured out mine. Was going through the same thing for 2 months after my heater and cycle crash. I started reading more more into TDS levels! Even with no ammonia and no nitrites I'd let my nitrates get up to 40ppm then change water and then bloom. I found out my TDS was through the roof for African cichlids! Once I got that level down significantly, no more bacteria blooms! I use a TDS meter now once a week.
Very interesting wouldn't have thought that was the cause but super glad you got it figured out.
Thanks! glad you enjoyed it! 😊
I learn more and more every time I watch your videos! What do you think about adding CO2 to a tank?
He's got a good stock of fish which should give enough to not need CO2 but it would be fun to see what happens 🤔
Had constant case of bacteria bloom for weeks in my goldfish tank after returning from a trip, saw this video just in time. Used Seachem gold buffer and tank started to stabilize almost immediately. Awesome video and at the perfect timing
Excellent! Glad I was able to help! 😁 BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
I just saw Kev at my airport recently when he came in for a bite to eat and I was ecstatic about it, he is a very nice guy even though I was to busy working I wish I could of talked to him more
Once again bro, thanks for the view of these beautiful tanks and informative content. You keep it real and that's appreciative. Keep these contents coming. Let's Gooooo!!! 😅
Glad you enjoyed it my bro! 😊💪
finally my tanks clearing up tysm
I'm glad to hear it! 💪💪
Happy Birthday Kev!
Thank you Devil! Same to you! 😁💪
Thank you! I am just going through this now as I have just built my first community tank.
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
Very good information! Keep up the good work KaveMan!!!
Thanks, will do! 😁💪
I have a 37 gallon and I’m waiting for shipment of a 55 gallon lol I got the itch I want more and bigger, I love this channel it has helped me not being scared of maintenance.
Thank you. I've had a similar experience in a 2 year tank.
I’ve had a customer who has had this issue for the better part of a year and I have no idea how to fix it. Will be sending this her way.
Hopefully this is the cause and the solution! 😁
Flaco and Blanco are as gorgeous as ever! Also, it was great meeting you in NYC the other week!
I also would have never guessed PH drops contributing to cloudiness. I haven't had PH levels below 7.0 since i moved to Tacoma 3 years ago.
Glad you were able to make it to the event! Once your bacteria are established then you’ll just want to keep your PH stable 😁💪
@@KaveManAquaticsIt takes a long while to cycle a tank when the tap water is extremely alkaline, but once cycled, it is really easy to keep stable with the fish poop and water changes balancing each other out. When i moved from one Washington apartment to another (seriously, the ph is 8.4 right out the tap), i was able to transport 25% of my tank's cycled water from the old apartment and it went down to the lower 7s without buffer products. My tank is only 20 gallon box shoved in a tiny apartment, so i imagine larger tanks would take more time.
Thanks Kev - really good info. Luckily I check my pH each week because I’m using RO water (my source water is softened by the city). It’s good to know the answers are there if we keep looking!
I have a 4 tanks- 150- 75- 60- 45 the 60 and 75 are near 1 year I just started using hand on back filters on my 60and 45 tanks
Nice!
I just subscribed because I had this very problem and was clueless for the same reason, for too long. A really long time.
Thank you Sir!👍✌️
Glad I could help bro! And thanks for the Sub! 💪
Always dropping valuable knowledge. Appreciate the advice.
Thank you bro! glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Facts! I was having an algae bloom in my 55 gallon a while back I added Seachem Regulator and it got worst for a few days but then cleared up! Now since I moved back in July and reset all my aquariums up I cAnt get my 125 to clear up…I too added more filter floss and then added 2 bags of seachem Purigen to each of my filters. That solved the tannin problem and cleared up a lot but not crystal clear like my other 10 aquarium. Now guess I’m pulling the regulator back out!
Yea that’s adding phosphates…try the alkaline buffer to get you to around 7.0 and your bacteria will thrive and your tank will clear up 😁
@@KaveManAquatics just ordered off Amazon
This can be an advantage of using test strips for weekly testing over the Master Test Kit - not super accurate, but it gives you more parameters in a couple of minutes and ought to let you know if anything has changed... where it's easy to end up just testing nitrate with a master kit because all the others are always the same and it takes time to test.
Obviously go back and check with a more accurate test for pH or whatever - the strips are good for "hmmm that's different to last week" monitoring though.
Looks great 👍 Can you make a video on top of the tank water evaporation like how to prevent it and how to refill it and just spit your knowledge man thanks for your videos
Bro it was nice meeting you in Florida Aqua Shella, my wife and kids. They thought you were down earth too
that PH always needs to be on point
Agreed!
Happy birthday Marine. SEMPER FI
Same to you Devil! OH RAA! 😁💪
Wow! Lots of information. Thanks soooooo much.
Glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! 😁💪
Bro, Happy birthday 🎂
Also, thanks so much for this video, as im in the exact situation, and I have done everything possible, going on 2 months in my 180-gallon with my 30 moba frontosas grow out. I am so going to give this a try. ❤❤ so happy this worked for you, and hoping for the same results!!
Never would have thought you never checked your PH. Amazing how simple the solution is sometimes. Too bad it went on as long as it did.
Kev,
Wow as always giving us the information that is so valuable to all of us. I never would have thought that PH would be a cause of bacterial bloom. I have a water softener for the whole house hmm that could explain why it took my 100 gal tank a while to clear up. I am going to look into that alkaline buffer. I have mostly planted tanks except my 100 gal CA tank. Appreciate the information brother. And from one veteran to another Happy Veterans Day.
I love to hear that the info was helpful! Sometimes I wonder if its just me that doesnt know these things, lol Happy Veterans day to you too Sir!
@@KaveManAquatics Kev also those seachem alert things you have I bought them a while ago the ammonia one to monitor my ammonia in my tank when I had af cichlids and it didn’t work for me I had a huge ammonia spike and the alert was still showing safe when the ammonia spiked and killed all my fish. The consensus on those are hit and miss also. I won’t buy them alert things again because I can’t trust they work. Esp the ammonia one. Now I just test my water with the master test kit and I can tell to with the fish. Just wanted to let you know.
So theres 2 types of ammonia...The alert tabs only show you Free/Toxic ammonia (the one you need to worry about) while the api test kit shows total ammonia (free ammonia and ammonium/non-toxic ammonia) You may have showed a spike in the api test kit but that doesnt mean it was toxic ammonia. You could have also had a nitrite spike that could have killed fish, or a number of different issues that could have done it. Watch this video for more detail on how the Alert works and will show you which is the ammonia you really need to care about - th-cam.com/video/yoSm3VFIvxQ/w-d-xo.html
Great video Detroit
I was going through the same thing and seachem clarity completely took care of it for me
Nice! 😊💪
Great info Kaveman
Whats your opinion on father fish and his natural restruction jar method
It’s a different way of aquarium keeping, with different results. To each their own 🤷🏼♂️ The only thing I disagree with is not doing water changes. So If you like how my tanks and fish look, try my way. If you like his, try his. They both work.
@KaveManAquatics I have been combining both your and father fishes methods and having insane results. For the deep substrate, I am using gravel covered with sand insted of soil covered with sand. And also been using Safe as a detoxifier
Dealt with a bloom in a 20 gallon tank for months and tank would never cycle. Cleaned the tank 100% and complete water change. Re started with prime and stability 😉 and haven’t had any issues since. Threw a tidal 75 on it, a couple plants and tank fully cycled. Clear water and happy fish. API accuclear works amazing. Better than Fritz, Seachem or any other brands
Glad you were able to figure it out! 😁💪
Hey from your friendly dirt tank guy.... don't forget to leave some light on for the plants 5 6 hours a day would suffice and if you want a big tip drop that water line an inch and load the surface with floaters
Yea, that’s what I normally leave my lights on for. Can’t drop the water line because of overflows but thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the update.
Glad it is all resolved.
Looks great 👍🏿
Was wondering where to get the new 3d back ground you did that just suction cups on love it
Great info. I had no idea. If it happened to you_sooner or later_ it will happen to me. And now I know.
i always use crushed corals sabstrate.. thank you for the info i was using the crushed corals on blind information by sales man but now it makes sense 😁
Since the tank has white substrate it reflects light acting like a light from below so the bacteria is getting light from above and below hence a longer bloom.
Asd darker stones and insert so fish can hide in and reduce the overall white surface area.
Too much light also stress out the fish. And plants especially Java ferns large help calm fishes and I never had any problems with my cichlids eating them.
I think I said this from day one about your light. I tried telling you to turn your light off for a few days when you first got the bloom, but I never noticed a prob with my ph during a bloom.
I recently has a horrible bacteria/green bloom that lasted over a month. I just left it alone by reducing feeding in half, 2 weeks of thinking it was something else...it finally started looking ok 3 days ago then kinda clear yesterday, and today back to crystal clear. This tank us a year old and I thought I had really messed something up. But nope just a bad bacteria bloom
I’m having the same problem; I reduced feeding, the tank got clearer. Then I messed up and over-fed and the next day - cloudy.
Now I will skip feeding today, and do like you, half amounts until it clears.
@paradoxicalocus3761 yep, mine was so bad I swear I seen a tint of green. Crystal clear now, and I'm able to feed normal amounts now. My discus likes to eat at least twice a day. When I reduced his meals, I felt bad because I seen little nibbles in the sponge filter where i put his bloodworms
Thanx as always bro 🫡🤝😎👍🏾👍🏾
My pleasure! 😁 👍
@@KaveManAquatics 😎
My first thought after you had mentioned what you had already checked was the ph level as a level below 7 will stall the beneficial bacterail growth
I only know this because it happened to me 😬
Great catch!! Wish I would have noticed it sooner! 💪
Was going through this after I recycled my 125. After every water change, I was getting 2-4 day blooms. Even when at 20ppm nitrates with pH of 8.0.
I took 3 weeks to get from 20ppm to 40ppm nitrates. My issue was I believe the tank was still immature.
Also keep an eye on your GH and kh. My tap is perfect for South American cichlids but for my central and African I use alkaline buffer, american cichlid salt and the Malawi buffer and salt for the Africans.
My tap is 3-5gh, 5-6kh and 7.4-7.6 pH.
I wish you made this video 2 months ago though lol
Hey Kev, love your videos and appreciate your wisdom. Just got my first FX6 and was wondering what biomedia you’re running in yours these days. Have you ever tried k1 media?
hey man, i have a question. I set up a new aquarium a few days ago and it is cloudy since then i guess its a bacterial bloom. I have a filter running right now and soil on the ground but i havent planted my plants yet. What should I do now just let the filter run? Will it clear my aquarium from the bacterial bloom or should I plant my plants?
Please reply if you see this
Have been an aquarist for nearly all my life over 60 years and for the first time I just learned something I never knew and was not realized. I built a new 1000 gallon koi pond from my 150 gallon pond where I had 11 Koi's. This is an above ground with pond liner with 6x6 timbers. I could not get this thing to cycle! I seeded with the old pond gravel and some rocks. Weeks went by and Ammonia was high. Kept using Prime to keep it at bay, testing water daily, adding lots of bacteria and still no move to Nitrites. Come to find on one article that if the KH is too low, bacteria can not grow or thrive! My KH was near zero! My city water comes out perfect, with low GH, PH 7.0, but KH was the issue. So, I added Sodium Bicarbonate to get it up to about 60-80ppm and BAM! Nitrites started to show up, Ammonia going down. After a few days, the Nitrites went to zero, Ammonia still zero, and Nitrates showing about 10ppm! Whew, finally! Lessoned learned, get your water parameters in the zone where you have some GH, KH, and PH where is should be, then go through the cycle. After cycle and stabile, then you can re-adjust as needed.
Thats awesome! Good to know even the veterans are still learning. I preach that all the time hear, you never stop learning 😁 Thanks for sharing your experience! 💪
Thank you! Big help. Been trying to figure this out for awhile now. Waisted a lot of money on zeolite stones 😂
Glad I could help! 😁💪
Had a question, Was wondering for a starter what lights would be okay for a 10 gallon tank with a mount mainly asking for my plants to keep them going and not turning brown
I have lingering cloudiness in a new tank which cycled for a couple weeks before adding fish. I have been focused on bringing my ammonia levels out of the light green and into the yellow. I just realized tested my tap water and it is testing in the light green zone. I've been using seachem pure to detoxify it for the fish. I'm not sure what to do other than just wait... my ph is just under 8.
Its a normal bacterial bloom that has occurred from adding in fish. Nothing to worry about. Here's a helpful video - th-cam.com/video/46fcHvoellI/w-d-xo.html
I didnt clean my tank for 1 month and when i cleaned it afger the month, i cleaned all the filters and vacummed the gravel, as well as did a water change. Now I have been struggling with cloudy brown water and water changes seem to becoming worse after i clean the tank every 2 weeks and do a water change but only clean 1 filter. I have a sponge filter which i don't clean as well as a water pump. The filter i clean is one that sucks up the poop into a container. What do i do to get the clear water again? I have 3 fancytail goldfish in a 60 litre tank.
Happy Veterans Day brother
Thank you bro! 😁💪
Are you sure that lack of light is the reason for your plant die off? Anubias and java fern do pretty well in extremely low light conditions. They are slow growers.
I've had them surviving in a closed bucket for extended periods of time.
If you're going to use high lighting, you're going to have to match dosing of ferts.
You can keep anubias in low light and never dose. It wll grow slowly and use the nitrate from your fish.
Do you have high ph and gh?
great Video Kev , what pH do your discuss need ?
Discus are kept in low PH. 6.5 to about 7.0. But tank raised Discus can do fine if it’s a bit higher as well 😁
Ohhhh ! it's your Bday today ??? 🎂🎂🎂 Happy Birthday Friend !!! 🎂🎂🎂
Its the Marine Corps birthday! lol But thank you! 😊💪
can you do it in your spanish channel please???🙏🏻 thank for all the information help me a lot
Will do! 😁💪
Cool aros, I had 2 silver and 1 Australian back when I was a hobbyist-12yr back . I don’t see any weight support on the top aren’t you afraid they might jump?
I figured this out myself when i was cycling my first tank. Ph out the water is in the 6’s and once ammonia and nitrites entered the cycle the ph went down and my cycle was stuck. So i raised the ph gradually with some baking soda and the cycle took off.
I did the same except with some alkaline buffer for that slower increase instead. But yea, after that problem solved 💪
@@KaveManAquatics hey man, what happened to those lemon lake fry. I was looking for an update but couldnt find it
I never test my pH either. No cloud rn but I should probably go do that when I get home just to get a ballpark 😅
You should know what it is, but dont mess with it if you dont have to. A stable PH is always best.
I do have a question for you kev, recently I learned that activated carbon removes essential nutrients from the water that I need, hence why I completely stopped using it all together but something else lingered in my mind:
What else removes essential micro and macro nutrients from the water that are essential for plants?
I use an FX6 just like you and I use Seachem bottles to fertilize the water and soil for my plants. Recently I added the Quick-Clear polishing pads (the white fluffy one) and the Max-Clean filter pads (the thin, blue colored pads). They both say they remove micro particles but does this mean nutrients as well?
I don’t know what to do, if they are removing crucial nutrients from my plants than I have to remove them but I have to be sure.
Hey I was wondering if you know any causes that make your uncycled tank have 0 nitrates after a month and a half, I have done no water changes and I am using ur method of cycling, prime and stability. My tank is a 5 gallon that has 2 African dwarf frogs that seem happy and active.
My new tank is in a small bacterial bloom at the moment but my PH is dropping lower than I’d like to I have to do a 25% change. I think it’s just tannins leeching out of the driftwood slowly, or maybe my substrate leaking through the cap a little bit
Tannins will definitely drop your PH. And if your tank hasnt established yet, the lower the PH the more difficult it will be to get rid of that bloom.
I know this is off topic but does anyone know what to do when a freshwater stingray punctures its eye because its happening to my stingray and I don't know what to do.
Could you do a video addressing the relationship between KH and GH...if you haven't already?
Definitely on the list! 😁💪
Oh wow I knew something was off with my tank ph is 6.0 or under aquarium hasn't started cycle been since August 🤦♀️ can I use crushed coral ?
Yes you can. But start with a small amount and work your way up. Remember it can take days for the added crushed coral to change the PH so be patient. 😊
I have a question Kevin. How much is too much bio media? Bc the more fish you have the more bio media you need to handle the bioload. How different is different type of bio media? Does it matter how deep the poures are?
What seachem products stain or you would not recommend putting in your show tank. Example para guard stress guard. Basically anything you would not take the chance to make a bad day.
Thank you for great information
I havent come across a single Seachem product that stains. Paraguard and Stressguard will temporarily turn water blueish, but it will not stain 😊
Thank you @@KaveManAquatics
Hey Kevin I plan on setting up a 125 gallon African cichlid tank with Lake Malawi fish what do you put in there I saw a video with Lake salt and buffer can you tell me again what kind it was I know it was seachem I will buy that
Congrats on that new monster tank! I know its exciting times 😁 Yes I use Seachem Cichlid lake salt and Malawi buffer. Start with this playlist loaded with tons of info on African Cichlids - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8MG9hyJ8PjbC33zEbcyy8__.html
Thank you my friend I appreciate that I actually did see that video a while ago but I forgot what the salt was called thank you so much for the reply and the info that's why I subscribe to your Channel
Off topic but always wondered, for canister filters does the speed for output affect the intake speed? Like I want a low flow with my 407 but don’t know it intake will also be slower?
I have learnt a lot about freshwater aquarium to watching your vidoes hence subscribed....but i have one question ..if we clean glass then beneficial bacteria on glass will die or not? Love from India
Most of your beneficial bacteria is in your filter on the bio-media. Don’t worry about cleaning the glass, you’ll still have plenty 😁
@@KaveManAquatics Ok thanks❤️
i love the app so great hope you can add some ranchu gold fish thanks.
We will!
By your experience what is more efficient the canister’s or the sump?? In general
So far I’ve found them both to work really well. Each with pro’s and con’s. I’ll make a video about this soon 😁
How often do you use the buffer? Do you use with every water change?
The buffer is only used to raise your PH to a level where bacteria can begin to grow. Once your tank is established with bacteria you dont need to buffer the water for that reason anymore.
I'm struggling with this issue right now and I did not know you should not do a partial water change and I did it twice and I'm still in the same hazy green bacterial bloom
Green water is algae bloom. My book on getting crystal clear water can definitely help! 😁 It's short, to the point, and covers all the causes and solutions for cloudy water. Grab the eBook for free or purchase the Paperback. I promise you won't be disappointed! Check it out here - bit.ly/clearH2O
U. R. SO. BRILIANT. ❤
Thank you! 😁
I have well water and the ph is around 9 so I added drift woods to keep it down and now I have a brown tint to my water. My freshwater fish are doing great but it looks kinda crappy . Any suggestions? Or maybe I should reboil the woods or just wait?
It's tannins from the wood, totally normal. Chemical media like activated carbon or purigen will help absorb the tannins.
Thanks alot! I do have some carbon. I’ll keep you posted! I love your Channel!
Man I was gonna say the issue might be a hidden dead fish. Smh don’t even know why I was even gonna attempt to disrespect da guru like that! My apologies!! I’m a beginner and enjoying your channel so far!
lol, that wouldnt have been a bad guess! Could have def been that. Glad you're enjoying the channel! 😁💪
Hey boss! How long do you recommend having the light on? Cause I’m also in the situation of an algae bloom
If you already have an algae problem, Id keep the tank dark until its under control. Unless you have live plants in the tank, your fish dont need light.
Have you had any hard times with the Severum and discus ? Because I have a discus tank and I’ve always wanted to have severums in there but I’m still thinking about it because I don’t want my discus to die. What is your opinion?
You run a sump or all fx6's?
If you have a sump...look closer at refugiums..I run my lights on my display for days....yes days and get ZERO algae in my display tank....my refugium in the sump grows all the algae. I can't explain the science...there is a few pretty good ones out there from BRS (bulkreefsupply) explaining this phenomena. Also to note, this tank I am referring to is a 125 freshwater on a 55 gal sump housing 2 Oscars and a ft long pleco.
My 60 gallon tank had cloudy water for the first eight months that I had it up and then it cleared up after you matrix and in 2 weeks it was cleared
Nice!! 😁💪
I have a PH probe in mine. Constant display of PH. Worth it.
I’ve been meaning to get one for soooo long!!! I need one for sure!
@@KaveManAquatics it does help. You haven't got to keep testing it then. 👍
I have a 10 Gallon tank and have put in Stability and Prime for 5 days in a row. I haven’t added any fish because the tank has been cloudy and it’s been going for about 3 weeks now. Am I doing something wrong?
I also have a sponge filter and wave maker in the tank
You need to add an ammonia source in order for the bacteria to begin growing. If you dont have fish in the tank, then theres no ammonia source. Try Ghost feeding the tank or purchase a bottle of ammonia and dose 1-2 ppm of ammonia to get it going.
@@KaveManAquatics would Readistart Nitrifying bacteria starter work? If not I can just do the ghost feeding
I cleaned my fish tank with pool water and then filled it with clean fresh water, is that bad?
I would never have guessed the pH. What is your tap water pH where you are at. Mine is 8.0 out of the tap so I don't mine would ever get to 6.0 unless I did something to it.
You're probably right. Mine is about 7.0 out of the tap.
But guess what I'm picking up some shell dwellers from jason adams of primetime aquatics tomorrow at the quad city swap in Iowa so I now have a unplanted and un dirted tank well see how it goes
Kev : You know you want another tank.
Me : Don't remind me!!! 😂
🤣🤣🤣
So the ph tester that hangs in your tank doesn't work? That's what I bought and my fish died in 2 days. Ammonia was yellow (safe) and my ph said orange (7). I thought that was a good level. I guess I am confused now.
Sorry to hear that you lost your fish. Yes, those were both safe levels. But fish can day for much more reasons than ammonia or PH.