Top 10 Fish Keeping Myths, These Are Lies That Many People Believe
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As a former Petco employee, I always heard people saying they needed an algae eater to eat the poop. I had to explain to them they will just poop more and they don't eat poop.
Krystal Price XD
Yeah. If you have a good ecosystem the poop will disappear by itself. Sand, plants, good filtration and fish that constantly turn the ground then poop will never be a issue. Beneficial bacteria in the filters will break down the ammonia, plants will help with the nitrates so that will make life easier cause you dont have to do water changes as usual. For me i only do 30% per 2 weeks in my 65 planted goldfish tank. Even though they are considered the biggest poopers in the fish keeping world, mine essentially takes care of itself.
Shrimp are far better for that, plecos only really help keep the algae levels down.
Mine does that!!! Ugh the messiest thing in my tank :(. Luckily the frogs will eat the snail poop
That’s my excuse to get more fish
I hate when people make excuses and believe myths because its what they want to hear. That fish (or dog/cat/bunny/reptile/etc) did not ask to come home with you. They did not ask to be your pet. They did not ask to be put into the conditions you're going to put them in. Because of that, it is your responsibility to give them the best life with the best care.
"Oh i just put the goldfish in a bowl because i don't have space for a larger tank." Then you shouldn't have gotten goldfish. If you are not able to provide the minimum standard of care for an animal, you should not get it just because you want it.
I'll repeat: they did not ask to come home with you.
Thank you for clearing up these myths! Just got a new subscriber!
damn son> u high on crack>
I agree. I hear often someone saying "oh well I keep my three Oscars in a 10g because it is all I can afford, I am doing the best I can". No, the best you could do is rehome those fish and only look at fish that can live in a 10g. What people like that really mean is "I really wanted an Oscar and wanted one no matter what setup I could afford".
That same logic goes with having kids.....most folks shouldn't be having kids........
Some people just don't care. Ive got a friend who's recently gotten 3 gold fish and put them into a small bowl. I tried to explain to her her how wrong this is and tried to educate her, but all she kept saying was "they're 'just' fish". And that she can simply buy more. Hate that mentality.
@@carloo69 yeah, my child cousins nagged their parents to get fancy goldfish. Lucky I was with them when they snapped and got six fish, etherwise them fish would be living in a 2g instead of a 17g that I made them get. Now to make sure they do maintenance!
Getting a pet means taking responsibility.
i saw something some time ago that animal rights activists wanted to promote virtual pets as alternatives to real ones so children can learn responsibility without risking the lives of living beings
@@gusty7153 webkinz.
We just found 2 punctured bags with goldfish & barely any water left on the ground on Sunday evening. So we went to the only open place to get a tank (1gal) & food, put em in & decided to keep them. I've never had any fish so I've been searching the internet so we can do this the right way. Because 1) It's a life. They're small, but that doesn't mean they aren't living creatures. & 2) I have a toddler & I want him to learn the right way to care for others, people & animals.
They started to look better that night but the next day they were gasping for air & spending a lot of time at the surface getting air. So I googled. & went to Petco. I told my husband we had to get a 10 gallon tank, conditioner & at least an air stone for now. We're struggling with money a little so he said maybe we should wait & "if the fish die, I'll feel bad but...." & Didn't finish his sentence. I just said "I don't take in pets to just let them die." & Told him we could give them away or sell them instead of that. But we're keeping them & they're doing way better.
Remember, Peter. With Great Pets Comes Great Responsibility.
99.99% people don't want any responsibility.
As a pet store employee, I'm going to suggest you to customers!! You condense everything I try to explain in a very detailed and straight forward way!
your hair is awesome
not all pet store employees are complete douche nozzles. the pet smart near me has a guy that works in the fish department, and he is very knowledgeable and helpful. i think the real problem is when they put an employee in said section that has zero knowledge of their fish.
Lol.. Service in 2019 - "watch a utube video"
NextGenesis88 I’ve always had great experience with petco Employees
I'm only 9 years old and I wanna work in petco !
When I did my first 10 gallon tank, Literally every single fish store owner told me that a 10 gallon tank was more than enough for 4 gold fish and 2 red caps and 2 rainbow sharks. They all died in 4 months and then I started my own research ...
Lol.. but sad.
There trying to be smart 😂
@Transitive Wisdom and the sooner your fish die, the sooner you will be back to buy more.
It would be OK but you would’ve had to do a water change minimally every week. I have some very heavy community tanks but these are not regular tanks. They need double the water changes. Usually you can do one small fish per gallon. WITH HEAVY ->>> CONSISTENT MAINTENANCE.
Most people do 25% biweekly. This needs every 7-10 days. (or you can get a test kit and do it frequently over the course of a few months just to see exactly where your ammonia/nitrate levels are to help you better understand.
Again I have relatively very heavy tanks. And I’ve had even more at other times but again, I cannot stress enough -> FREQUENT water changes. These individuals at pet stores often have fresh cycled water through the tanks automatically. And just because someone works at a fish store does not mean that they actually keep fish.
I hope that helps someone who reads this if they are in a similar situation. (another solution is to simply get another smaller tank. For instance I have a 40 gallon but I also got 15 more gallons worth of space/tanks in order to relieve some of the pressure.
Pro tip ->>> I also splurged and got myself a water exchange hose/vacuum where I can run the cold water to pull negative pressure from the tank. This way I don’t have to drag 5 gallon buckets of water across the house multiple times every week. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest.
A customer once came up to me wanting to put *A FREAKING 4 TO 5 INCH KOI IN A TANK MADE FOR BETTA FISH*
Some people need a good slap lol.
What has our world come to.......
Last week someone asked for a 5 inch koi to put in a 15g tank. I didn’t give it to them
We should re open Alcatraz for these people
r/shittyaquariums
I've wanted to say "fish are not your maids, you still need to clean your tank" to customers so many times. I wish my store could have this video playing on a loop in the fish section. Would save me so much headache. Thank you for this!
Michelle Lawhorn yes!! Me too! I wanna get a giant screen in our fish section and just direct people to it who won’t listen!
Armature aquarium owner here, yesterday I went to PetCo and asked about things that could eat algae in a 5-gallon tank, they sold me a common pleco and I was short on time so I just went with it. I did my research when I got home and saw that it wouldn't take long for it to get way too big. When I found this out I returned it and went to a proper tropical fish store that got me a snail instead. It seems like this is something that happens to a lot of people when I was learning about the pleco and I also think it's crazy that these big pet stores will just sell them to people knowing that the conditions won't be good for the fish.
I got a bigger tank because of my albino pleco. No so sure why I love that fish. He’s a foot long in a 40 gallon tank
"The fish will only grow to the size of the tank"
Sort of like how the foot will only grow to the size of the shoe?
I mean...... some cultures really did make women's feet stay small.
@@TheBomberman122 it deforms it apparently, just like it does to fish
@@fishyfishyfishy500akabs8 I know
@@TheBomberman122 yep
That's a good analogy
I remember being a little girl and my great aunt telling me her betta would be okay in a vase and he would eat the plant roots to survive. He wasn't there when we came back the next week. Thank you for busting myths, so sad to think how many bettas died like my Aunts due to misinformation
I have a aquarium you don't have to touch! The one in my garage with nothing in it! Just nock the dust off once a year
Sam N. Why tho
That's a great idea. So many decorating possibilities. And it's a clever way to display knick knacks.
I have a shark in my aquarium forgot feed him for over half a year, checked up on him seemed okay for now but lonely went to the store bought him another friend I believe he happy now.
@@thrawn8840 half a year? XD
@@aquashrimp1423 half a year or 6 months?
I bought fifteen comet feeder fish and put them in my backyard pond just for fun. They're all more brightly colored now, and went from their 1" to 6" in eight months. They're very active, and come right up to me to eat treats from my hands. I adore comet goldfish now.
Be careful when keeping fish outdoors, where I live you can be fined for each of those fish.
@@Litning77 I've checked my local regulations :) I have all legal fish in adequate housing
Little late to the party but even if you can’t get goldfish in your area you can do rosy red minnows, sunfish, bullhead catfish, creek chubs, and shiner species depending on what lives in your area
On the topic of feeder fish, it really depends on where you're getting them from. I work at a pet store and we remove the dead fish throughout the day, I feed them like I feed any of the other tanks (waiting for them to finish what I give them and if they still seem hungry giving them more until the frenzy dies down). Our tanks are also not nearly that crowded and we monitor the water levels and care we give them carefully like we do the other fish. I think people just need to be more aware of the health of the fish they purchase for other fish/animals to consume, just like they do when purchasing a regular pet.
I grew up my entire life just thinking that fish were more delicate than the glass they were kept in and they would just die no matter what you did. Now that I'm much older and planning a large saltwater tank, it just shocks me how little people know about fish. Fish are so resilient and amazing if you just TAKE CARE OF IT
And people think they can keep common goldfish in a bowl
I dont even like the look of a bowl
well u can if u have a plant in the bowl and feed it normally.I had a betta in a bowl for years with a plant and feeding it flakes.
I have 4 common goldfish in a 29, they're babies now and were building a pond so I'm just letting them grow up in the tank till its finished
Exactly my sister's daughter had a goldfish grow to almost 7 inches in a 10 gallon they will get big enough for them to not move very freely and eventually die from gigantisim.
@@jeffreyhuber4606 just cause they live doesn't mean they're healthy Bettas can live barely hanging on for months or even a couple years in horrendous conditions
As a keeper of 12 creyfish, 40 ghost shrimps, and ~ 30 - 35 minnows and 20 river snails(followed by all live plants), I still like to go back to these guides just to touch up on my fish keeping. Bio filters were the best thing I have ever had in my life
I had a crayfish back in the day! Loved that guy.. but man.. when I moved him into my big community tank, he ate all the plants and proceeded to hunt many of my fish from the top of the big rock I had in there lol
*10)* Let Your Tank Run For A Month
*9)* Excessive Cleaning Is A Good Thing
*8)* Air Pumps Are Not Oxygen Tanks
*7)* A Bigger Filter Means Less Work
*6)* Fish Are Not A Maid Service
*5)* Small Tanks Are Best For Beginners
*4)* Bacteria's Not In The Water
*3)* Feeder Fish Are A Healthy Food
*2)* Certain Fish Requires Feeder Fish
*1)* They Grow To The Size Of The Tank
SarangeAF KPOP thanks for summarizing that really helped me
Good list. I've always been baffled by people who are adamant about using a QT, but then throw feeder fish in their tank.
I compare the "Grow to tank size" myth to foot binding. Just because it can be done, doesn't make it right.
These videos are great. 😁
It's interesting what you said about tank size. I am disabled and honestly don't find my 33 gallon harder to maintain than my 17 gallon was, but planning is key. So I'd say to anyone who's physically challenged, don't be afraid to have a bigger tank, just plan ahead and get equipment that helps you do each job as easily as possible. 😊
Happy that you agree! My parents have a 200 GAL tank, and while still pretty physically capable, my father is in his 80s, and water changes are tougher than they used to be. When i visit I often do them, but if I'm not around, he just does water changes more gradually. As in, remove 30-40% of the water, and refill half a bucket of water instead of a whole one, have a cup of tea, move another half bucket, etc, until it's done. Since he's retired, it doesn't matter if it takes him the whole afternoon to do a water change instead of whipping through it in half an hour.
He also downsized his hobbies. He doesn't want to give up fishkeeping or his aviaries, but he keeps one aviary now instead of the four he had before, and the one huge tank rather than several tanks. You can still cherish and enjoy the things you love, just consider the scope and simple workarounds!
Top myth is the Pleco Maid, especially that people have no idea how big the common Pleco can get.
Luis Suarez And how much waste they produce 😳
I'm weirded out, do pet store's in america just sell commen pleco's? In the Netherlands I have only found smaller pleco's in pet store's. I don't understand why you would sell a fish most people don't understand the size of.
@@doesjkav.5468 Sometimes we get bristlenose plecos and we can get them through breeders
@moviemobster23 wow, thanks for the response. Selling common pleco's too starters with a small tank is so cruel to the pleco. I hope you could still house your pleco or found a right place for it.
Yep! And people go "but you have 3 plecos!" Like yeah. I got them because plecos are my favorite fish to keep. I love my two common plecos and my dwarf clown and I cant wait to own more species. They're absolutely gorgeous and their funky bodies are hella cute.
But they aint for cleaning. I think they poop more than my other fish do. I just like watchin them scoot around.
Your Feeder Fish segment is why I'm such a stickler about scooping those dead feeders and feeding them more than twice a day at my petstore. I hate selling feeders, but if I must, I want them to be okay in my care. Thank you guys so much for all the info.
I refused to sell a redtail shark and a fancy goldfish to two different customers over the past two days because of the tank size myth. I absolutely HATE the fact that one gallon and smaller sized bowls and "aquariums" are still being manufactured and sold in stores. Can we start a petition to have them banned? I mean heck, I feel bad keeping one of my bettas in a one gallon hospital tank! The idea of keeping them in those tiny little Marina "EZ care aquarium" cubes makes me incredibly sad.
Way Fair is selling 1 gallon and LESS "aquariums" for like $30-40. All the positive reviews makes me want to cry. It's terrible. Especially at those prices!
Good on you for not letting them walk out with a fish
I bought a beta earlier this week and bought the larger of the two EZ tanks and regretted it as soon as I had the fish in the tank. I wish the employee that was helping me had talked me into getting him a bigger tank, because I went back the next day to buy a heater and a 5 gallon after doing the research I should have done to begin with. That’s $15 I could have spent on a hide that I’m never getting back.
At least my fish is happier now. I wish you were working at my store to talk some sense into me earlier lmao.
Our tank addiction began when my wife was given a betta from a wedding reception. The poor thing had been in a vase as a table centerpiece. I don't remember how much we spent giving it a nice 10g home. The next betta got a 20g home. And we may be the only people on the planet to have a 75g betta tank.
Bettas live in tiny/ small bodies of water. They are pred in small ponds also, while i don't condone small aquariums jsut becuase thats how the wild is it wont hurt the betta or stunt its growth providing water quality is adequate.
About the nitrogen cycle: Start throwing fish food in the new tank, and add a cap full of Tetra SafeStart Plus twice a day. Then add fish in 2 days. Keep adding the Tetra SafeStart twice a day for the next month. Your tank will now be fully cycled, healthy -- and you'll have had fish in since the second day, which will all be happy and healthy!
I only advocate for this, because I've done it with two tanks, containing different species of fish -- and it worked both time, with _zero_ signs of excess stress.
Hey I had more questions about nitrogen cycle??
Or u can get a few litres of dirty old aquarium water from a friend’s aquarium filter and just put a little fish food once and let the filtration run for a week or so then put the fish along with the store water
I dont know how big your tanks are, but every tank has to cycle 14 days so you can be safe that there is no nitrit left
@@jama9216 I cycled my tank in about 10 days: 1) put the hardscape in and switched on the filter, 2) added the plants (including plants from an old tank) 3) bought live bacteria and added the fish + shrimp. 0 casualties, even the vampire shrimp seems happy (and it's been a month).
@@quinncreel6091 then youre lucky. But with 14 you are completly safe that nothing can happen
I've only been in the fish keeping hobby for a few years, and I've heard all these things. My favorite part of this hobby is how often I learn new things whenever I meet the right people who've been doing it for much longer. There's never a shortage of new information or surprising lessons, whether you've been in the hobby for 1 year, 3 years, or even 50.
I discovered a guy on TH-cam called Father Fish...if you haven't checked him out he's kind of cool in his 80s he knows what's up.
@@nixnox3756 I've since been introduced, and enjoy his content. A little late for the recommendation, but know it is still appreciated. Thank you!
"Can we just all be friends?"
That was a charming moment! Offering a firm opinion, arguing for it, and not passing judgement on anybody. Can this lady be put in charge of the internet over-all, please?
Im not aposeing what you said about the feeder fish but I personally buy them because some of the feeder fish that my pet store has have very beautiful patterns that I like and I keep them as pets
And then you met fish store owner who says, 13itch, we don't allow you to pick from feeder fish... and then move on purposely avoiding the small fish you ask them to get you when you order like 15 feeder fish that cost 6 dollar.... which could have got you the color you need from another store....
@@znergykhang141 I don't know how the stores are in your area but at my local petco and PetSmart they always let me pick the feeder fish
@@znergykhang141 I also forgot to mention that over here they sell for about 12¢ each
I have 3 feeder gold fish that are 2 yrs old and about 8 inches long. I treated them for worms but they're OK now.
I personally have a 20 gal tank that currently houses 8 small (most of them are a little less then an inch long at this time) goldfish that I brought from petco's feeder fish section. Most are orange or white, but I have a few that have a beautiful calico coloration and a pretty bronze one. I've had them for a few months now and they're all happy, healthy, and very quickly growing. Luckily I already have another tank to split them into when they get too big to stay together in that one!
This is what I tell customers who argue with me "my fish won't eat anything else I give it except feeder fish": I once read in a TFH magazine (or Aquarium USA, I forget) back in 2011 that a 9lbs. Giant gourami donated to a London aquarium was fed NOTHING but chocolate his WHOLE life by his previous owners! They had to 'trick' the gourami into eating fruit--its normal fair--by hiding pieces of Kit Kat inside grapes. Eventually, after several months, he was completely weaned off his enviable addiction (I say 'enviable' because, during his 'chocoholic phase', he suffered NO ill-effects in health! If only we could be so lucky: what's his secret?!) So, yeah: If a professional aquarium can wean a several-years-old, donated fish off its life-time addiction to chocolate, a casual keeper like yourself should endeavor to help their fish kick the feeder fish habit once and for all.
Woooow. Poor fish. Why would someone think that's a good idea?? "Fish totally eat chocolate." and since it didn't die, they probably figured they should/could keep doing it :/
....why..why the hell would someone feed chocolate to a fish x.x
if you have predator fish, you give them feeder fish. your cat will eat spinach too if hungry enough, but it is a PREDATOR ffs. don't do like the vegans who feed their cats rice. you people saying you love your pets, yet you starve them just so you can be lazy fucks.
@@cosmic.synergy by the logic of the video if you wanna feed them chocolate, you can: "if they are hungry enough, they will eat it"
@@insanecuckooman8342 Most species of predatory fish found in the hobby don't feed regularly on other fish in the wild: their diet is mostly comprised of invertebrates as they are more available and easier catch. Feeder fish are simply mass-produced without any regard to quality: they're often loaded with diseases and parasites, constitute very little ACTUAL nutrition, and contain something in their scales that causes Vitamin B deficiencies in fish that regularly consume them.
I should note that feeder fish is more of an American thing.
Oh man, when you got to the "if they get hungry enough, they'll eat" part I laughed. Maybe for freshwater, but with that attitude in saltwater you're gonna have a lot of losses.
I'm guessing this guy knows something you don't
@@jacquelynwilliams3660 Could be vice versa.
@@jacquelynwilliams3660 No Matias is correct. There are many saltwater species that'll never eat dried food. They'll go hungry and starve to death before they do.
@@DavesWings anthias, copperbands, mandarins, moorish idols, seahorses yadda yadda yadda. While many are difficult they can be turned onto cheaper healthier foods, it just takes patience. I work in retail and have turned so many fish. Starving can help with certain species such as mandarins and idols but copperbands and anthias are much much harder.
Yeah, saltwater fish like orange spotted filefish will absolutely starve before it eats whatever random pellet you try to feed
I love feeder animals, mainly worms, crickets, shrimp, and mosquito larvae. I think it’s the best way to feed your fish if you can provide them in a safe, nutritious, disease free manner. I say raise your own guppies, mollies, and platies rather than just going to buy some from a local store.
I’ve felt so guilty when I lost a fish. I hate it. Guilt over what I could have done.
Geraldine Burns I’m the same I always cry my eyes out when one of my fish dies and I’m in my 40s glad I’m not the only one who gets upset like that
@@sharonpaterson1281 I can relate. Im in my 50s now, but ive been known to nearly give a fish CPR or even mouth to mouth. I remember trying to save a beautiful Angel Fish that was shipped to me, but arrived showing symptoms of Swim Bladder Disease. I tried everything. Stayed up with the poor thing for several days, until it became apparent that euthanasia was necessary. I cried so much as a i prepared the clove oil mixture. I have kept aquariums for over 20 years, and every fish that wouldnt make it, would be such a personal loss for me. I know i cared for my fish properly, yet i still blamed myself if a single fish ever passed away.
Mz. Monroe bless you it’s lovely to see other people that are so passionate about there pets well family members stay safe 🌈
ur a good person
I'm the same way 😭
I lost one of my little corys last week and I cried for hours. I have no idea why he died. Water was fine, temp is good, he was active and ate well, he wasn't attacked by anything, he just died. He was fine when I went to sleep and dead when I woke up. And I feel terrible.
Feeder fish are disease ridden. My aunt found this out first hand with one of the big stores failing to note they don't treat feeders on the tank. She treated the fish, but one little fish (her bf wanted the cute little spotted one) still managed to wiped a whole 30g of koi goldfish and corys. Her bf was devastated because that tank was his bday gift.
Spotted one though... there is a common disease that makes fish look like that
Hi, thanks for your video :) Addressing the feeder fish issue, I've recently been watching/reading a lot online as I plan my next fishkeeping experience, to update & remind myself of basics & issues. So many places I have seen/heard "don't use feeder fish" for the reason you said. And it's truly awful! I had personally never seen feeder fish on sale in my location over 20 years ago when I was last breeding/keeping fish & I can hardly believe what I saw, so I do not disagree with you. "
But nobody ever mentions breeding your own, which is what I used to do. It's just "feeder fish are bad" instead of "store-bought feeder fish are bad". Surely breeding your own in good conditions is ok? I can't for the life of me remember what I used to breed but I got them from my mum's drinking water dam, they're plain silver and slightly smaller than guppies & breed just like them (fast & live) so were perfect. A little faster & more aggressive than guppies but no problem for cichlids & other fish I fed them to as the occasional treat.
Excellent advice. I know of a lot of people, who thin certain fish will be ok with small tanks, just because the fish is small when they get it. They don't under stand the analogy of needing space to move around, as it grows.
My local fish store employee actually explained the nightrougen cycle to me. He told me what I needed to do and walked me through the process. I am on my 2nd tank and it is very successful! 😊
Thank you for saying the part about the tank cycle and employees not having time to explain, I try my best to teach people but you are correct about time. If people would research it would help a lot, there is no way i can tell customers about every thing about fish keeping even if i spent half n hour with someone.
i think that's half the reason a pet store employee will ask you if you'd had your tank for 4 weeks. or wont sell you a tank and fish at the same time. its more so you get bored and do research than to establish a nitrogen cycle.
I try so hard to explain the very basics to customers starting a new aquarium. I can spend up to 30-40mins with them but not a lot fully listen
if the tank isn’t ready sadly I can’t say no to selling fish that I know will die :( we get told off for refusing a sale. It’s upset at times.
Great advice. I love testing my knowledge on fish keeping. I knew all of these "myths" already but it certainly does not hurt to have a refresher. You can never stop learning in this hobby. It's one of my favorite parts about fish keeping. Thank you for the video!
HI , GREAT VIDEO....,! Yup,....I've. Heard all these. Things. Recently. Back. Into. Tanks, all going GREAT. I'm 69 yrs old. Retired. Zoo keeper. The tanks that. I took care of. We're for Polar bears, AND Sea Lions. Lol. Yrs ago, we never. Had sponge filters. Now I love them. Anyway. Thanks. For the videos.....!
Ron Shook whats with the periods
Like the info. Now I am not alone in my think about those weird myths. I hate to think how many times I was laughed at when I would contradict some of those myths. Been in the hobby on & off since I was 8 yrs. old I am now 75 & getting back into the hobby again. Keep up the GREAT INFO.
I've had many people tell me "Be careful what size tank you put your plecos in because they'll just keep getting bigger and bigger." I've tried to explain to them that that's not wheat happens. They're destined to be a specific size and they're gonna grow to that size. If you don't accommodate them then you're just torturing them and definitely do not deserve to have fish.
I never thought when I clicked on one of your guys’ videos after looking up beta care, that this would become one of my favorite channels! 🐠💙 I haven’t had fish in a long time and recently have been wanting to get a beta again and I am so glad you guys are here. Now my idea about setting up a 10 gallon tank for one beta has turned into planning a 20 or more gallon with a gorgeous beta, some neon tetras and a couple corys. Thanks for all the interesting Info!!
Hi Lisa and John, I didn’t know that John liked beans so much lol. One of the biggest mistakes I made many years ago was giving my Central and South American Cichlids feeder fish. In the long run, it gave me nothing but trouble and sick fish. Anyways, the two of you did an excellent job with this video. Thanks for sharing 👍.
Hey guys! Great video! You have admirably covered the importance of regular maintenance, but I would like to add another maintenance-related myth that you didn't mention. (Although, what you did mention pretty much dispels it, anyway.) Maybe it's not as widespread as I think it is, but I've heard it spoken, many times, and believed it myself, as a teen. The myth being: "You should only clean your tank every six months.". The idea being that it's harmful to do it too often, but when you do do it, you completely tear the aquarium apart, scrub the sides, throw out all the water, and remove and completely clean and rinse out the gravel. I bought my first big(ish) tank second hand, fish an all, and to this day I feel guilty that I killed all of the fish in that 29 gal aquarium, because I believed that myth.
Thanks guys! I truly enjoy your videos!
Thats how me and my mum used to do it when i was a kid. Fish in the bath and a complete clean down with water straight from the tap with clorine still in it. My fish didnt do too bad though
The ones in the tank I bought did ok for a while, but eventually died off. One was a nice peacock eel. There were a couple of large kissers, and some danios. Eventually, as I became a better fish keeper, the 29 gal became my quarantine tank. I really miss the hobby, and hope to return, soon.
Just randomly came into your channel through your latest fish rescue video. I don't know a thing about fish but have been hooked this past hour. Great content, very knowledgeable. And wholesome! Keep up the great work all of you. Please
Been keeping fish🐠 couple years now but am always open to learning more🙏🏾
Great video guys. Thanks.
I can’t stop binge watching these
Even in an established tank, you should be monitoring the water parameters, especially when adding new fish or carrying out big maintenance... okay a lot of new fish keepers might just be completely unaware, but stores should be giving out information packs every time they sell a tank, especially to people who are complete newbies (you can spot them easily by the questions they ask or the choices they want to make)... I think this is the difference between big chain pet stores and smaller independent aquariums with properly experienced staff.
I one hundred percent agree with what you said. It makes sense and I wonder why they don't do that? Even the kits that come in a box, don't even tell you on that box, that you have to cycle a tank. Quick question- my tank is fully cycled and I am a beginner. I don't have a fish yet, but how often do you have to do water tests after the cycle is complete? Thanks for your information in advance!
@@palestar828 I’d probably monitor it daily for the first few days after adding fish because there is still a chance that you could get an amonia and or nitrite spike from excess food or waste from the fish themselves, if you keep a close eye, you can catch it before it’s a problem and carry out water changes/add treatments to mitigate it, I would have some Evolution Aqua Pure Aquarium balls on hand because they’re useful to bolster the nitrogen cycle on a new tank (or an established tank after a power outage/fish loss). When you’re happy that you have consistent good readings, just test it weekly. I cycled my tank but still had some minor amonia and nitrite spikes, but had no issues with fish health because I was on top of it with the testing. I need to set up another tank now because I have babies!
@@Si1983h congrats on the babies and thanks for your fast reply and advice! Not sure if the evolution aqua pure aquarium balls are the same thing as marimo moss balls, but I have three of them, but haven't added them to the ten gallon cycled tank I have yet. I've only done one water change so far without any fish added yet. I plan to get a betta. Not sure on if I'm going to add tank mates yet.. It's an interesting hobby and there is so much information to learn. When I first started basically this month, I literally thought you just add fish and feed them and I didn't know anything about water changes at all. I thought the filter took care of everything for you. That's why what you said in your original comment, makes perfect sense. I didn't even know about cycling or any of that. I'm glad I did my research. They should tell you on the box or give you some sort of information packet. It's very dumb that they don't. 🤷♀️ Have fun with your babies!
Thanks so much folks! Im a glad greatful new subscriber! Ive been keeping and breeding fish since im 10..... I'm now 59! When there's no fish in the house something's missing! Ive learned so much in the last few days! Thanks so much! Please keep your channel going for a least another 50 years!! Peace and all the very best always, ernie 😊
Oh! Can we also add the "fish don't live very long" myth as well? When I refused to sell a fish yesterday because it's adult size was larger than her tank, the woman laughed at me and said that. Never mind that aunt has had her "fair fish" in her 29 gallon for about 8 years now...
I love reading the older fish keeper comments it warms my heart and inspires me
I really love this series, part of the reason o love fish keeping is because I’m always learning something new. Also- I love your channel!
Good video 👍 I went with no filter, no bubbles no light, no water changes years ago BUT my tank is FILLED with plants 🌱, 4 fish, snails & shrimp - only maintenance is trimming plants : )
TRA A Ooooh post videos of your tank!
Cool! That must be really hard to achieve, it needs to reach a specific balance
I love these videos! You guys do a fantastic job of breaking down beginner mistakes into learning opportunities. I currently work in a chain pet store and although we unfortunately see a lot of pet parents jumping into the hobby, I can wholeheartedly recommend you guys for a source of information. Not only can I recommend you to customers when I don’t have time to explain important beginner lessons (I.e. the nitrogen cycle) but knowledge I gain from you further helps me from seeing customers bring back dead fish. I love it!
Can you make a top ten about quarantine?
Adding fish from a store directly to a tank can wipe out all the fish. Many fish keepers including me made this mistake. Since then I always quarantine and prepare a quarantine tank or bucket before I go to a fish store.
Obviously if you really need to use feeder fish they need to be quarantined too.
Only time I've ever scrubbed a tank was when I bought a second hand one and figured it had had a dead fish in there at some point. So many things I knew and was quiet proud to have learnt before getting my goldfish.
I like how you deal with fish that need feeder fish, I have the same approach for snakes that will only eat live, they ALWAYS switch to frozen thawed, some take longer than others but they ALWAYS convert! 😊
Great to see a TH-cam channel that actually gives out correct information on aquariums, keep up the good work
This is one of the best top 10 fish Keeping basics I've ever seen. I'm seriously impressed by the clarity of it and the straightforwardness of it. Great job I'm going to save this video and suggested it to anybody who's thinking of keeping fish that I know.
Non-fiction mini-documentary library! Viewers win, hobbyists win! AND I was inspired by the humor - I may regret that 🤣
Great list! I’m new to the hobby and doing most of these things but I’m also seeing some new changes I’ll need to make. A few of my pet fish are feeder fish I rescued. They are so huge now and beautiful! I do know people who get feeders to feed their fish and turtles, but they keep them in a clean tank for a few months and get them healthy first
Absolutely love this channel! Got into the hobby about 8 months maybe a year ago. I've learned a lot just from reading stuff on Google but it's nice to hear stuff from actual experienced people and learn little things that you guys have learned over the years. Thank you guys for sharing your knowledge! 🐟🐟🐟
Excellent list, I couldn't agree more.
Loving the series!
Thank you Paul 🙂 your support over the years has meant alot to John and I.
What about the bacteria part? Yes the bacteria isn't as prevalent in the water but there is definitely beneficial bacteria in the water
You are the best fish keepers ever. You know so much more than everyone. Thank you, Mr. Clean and Boobsy Titterson.
Your videos have been so helpful! I did so much research before started my first large tank, and your videos were a huge part of that. I also found a pet store near me that specializes in fish (and reptiles), so it was a no brainer which store I would go to. They helped me every step along the way, and were always so helpful and explained anything I wasn't sure of.
Been watching you guys for a couple years now. I don't comment much but just wanted to let you guys know your still killing it and getting better all the time
#4 I always knew most beneficial bacteria grows on surfaces but I thought there was at least something in the water that would help with cycling faster, good 2 know I've been wasting my time with that one lol
They are in the water, he's wrong. Some of this info is correct, some of it is half accurate. There is a ton of outdated info that's still repeated as gospel even by big hobbyists.
Here here
Some one at my lfs was trying to sell me everything because I was looking at buying corals and saltwater fish and I’m only 14 so she took advantage of that and tried to sell me fish that get huge and said that fish only get to the size of the tank even though I know she knew better because she had worked there for 10 years but she didn’t know I had been in the marine hobby for 5 years and fresh water hobby for my whole life
I have gained a lot of useful information from you and your wife . Especially the nitrogen cycle . Which caused me to break down and purchase the gravel siphon which hooks up to the faucet. Lot less mess and much easier to do water changes . Which because of this channel, I do every 3 weeks in my 55 gallon Tank. No I don’t test for nitrogen but my fish are not gasping for air either . And no I don’t mind doing the work it’s just that prior to I didn’t realize I had to .
Much thanks and I enjoy watching your channel .
Feeder fish make great pets. I have a 7-8 year old goldfish that bred. His kids are some of the most beautifully colored common goldfish I have ever seen.
Thank you. This should be required watching for anyone buying fish.
I completely agree!
Great video, as usual! 👍 First of all, I've only cycled 3 tanks. I cycled my second tank using a sponge from the filter of my first established tank and it took the same amount of time to cycle (3 wks and a couple days for all 3 tanks...fishless). I know you guys didn't say this, but I've watched a lot of other videos out there saying you can do an "instant cycle" using filter media (some mention water as well but never believed the water part) from an established tank which I think is a total myth. I think people need to be careful with the "instant cycling" videos out there. In my instance, it didn't speed up the cycle either...just saying.
Barb Kelly I’ve done it many times. I buy the new filter and run it on the established tank for a month. Then just switch it to the new tank.
@@jerichoron That's different than what I was talking about and makes sense, not an instant cycle because you had to run it for a month. I'm talking about the people that claim you can have a brand new tank with a brand new filter and just put a sponge and/or water in it from an established tank and it will be instantly cycled - not true for me. I actually did it twice (not the water) with the second and third tanks that I cycled and it took the same amount of time to cycle as the first tank with everything brand new.
Well what are we talking here? Are we “seeding” the new tank with pre-existing filter media/live rock? Or are we actually putting a pre-existing established bacteria colony into the new tank’s filter/sump? Seeding greatly speeds up the cycling process, but is not instantaneous. Whereas, filling the filter bay of a new set-up with media from an established tank, if done correctly, is absolutely instantaneous. Using water from an existing tank does next to nothing besides introduce potential problems into your new display. This is something that should be taken into consideration with all fast cycling techniques. If your bringing home a new batch of baby discus to grow out, I would be very careful with using media from your other tanks. Tbh, when I grow out fry, I don’t worry about cycling the tank at all. I just put a new sponge in and do daily 50-70 percent WC. In a situation like that, your replacing the water faster then it cycles, within a week or so, the sponge will be colonized. there is no right or wrong way to “cycle” a tank, of your new to the hobby or uncertain, just test for ammonia. There should never be ANY detectable ammonia. Period.
We rarely call them feeder fish in Australia: you just have to ask for Molly’s guppies or platys specifically. They cost a fair bit, and they live in pretty good conditions here...
Thanks for all the info! I don't currently have a tank because when I went on an extended trip, I drove my beasties to a family member about 8 hrs away who already kept one fresh and two salt tanks. He's a fish nerd lol. They're all still doing great! Now I feel even better equipped for whenever I get another tank going, although I really miss everyone from my other tank, especially the silver dollar with so much personality and the pleco that's around a foot long that I've had since he was one inch long.
I don't know if you've already done one, but if not, you should do a vid on African Clawed Frogs and how they'll eat anything (including decorative rocks) they can fit in their mouths once they get big enough. And on feeders, I had grabbed a few dozen golds for a turtle I had before I came across something saying NOT to give them to the turtle because of mercury(?), so I kept them and put them in an outdoor pond. They have thrived in there. They're all gorgeous and I've had a few generations now.
Great video. You guys really seem like you're growing. Your videos are getting better and better every time. And Lisa is looking a lot more comfortable in front of a camera which is awesome! I had to learn a lot of these lessons the hard way. The first time I tried to keep fish I accidentally killed a lot of them. It even made me wonder if I should be in the Hobby. I still think of them from time to time. I decided not to give up and learn as much as I could. If you could keep just one person from making a simple mistake and make their aquarium hobby a better experience. I'm all for it keep it up guys.
A great lesson that should be repeated far more often than it is. Thanks guys.
I love watching videos like this of info I already know, but explained differently. Helps me to be able to better explain things to customers who aren’t as versed in fish-talk as others
As someone who keeps fish and worked in the trade I agree with everything here; particularly the tank cycling and over cleaning - stop fiddling with the tank and let it be!
Great vid 👍
AHAHAHA!! Beans! Wow, that's gotta be one of the best analogies I've heard yet.
99.9% do I love this man, beans are the downfall of man!
I love this channel. I love how they don't care about what people think and care about informing people more about fish so that they can have a better life.
My LFS has a "feeder tank" that's a mix of plain colored livebearers. Much better for any fish than goldfish, and they always seem healthy and lively.
Whenever you get lazy with water changes, watch this video. I just did water changes yesterday but feel the need to do them again.
Brilliant. I've been keeping fish for a long time and I learned so much
This is good stuff guys. Thanks. I'd have recommended telling people how to do a proper water change during the cleaning the tank discussion. Yes it's true you can't make a 100 percent maintenance free tank, but you can certainly make a bio-active tank. Just takes tons of time and research, live plants, and narrow constrains on the species that you put into the tank. (and of coarse, it's not gonna look quite as clean, and you'll need to add water, and unless it's absolutely massive, food as well.) Great stuff! Thanks for putting this video together.
Thank you for clearing some things up. I've been fish keeping since childhood and had learn quite some things, both the easy way and the hard way. Had raised goldfish to Plecos for a while to where they grew to some great sizes.
Is this TH-cam's cutest couple?
Yes, I agree because they both share a passion that they equally love! I wish my bf was into this as much as I'm getting into it 😢
Great video, I still hear these to this day. Back in the day these ran rampant.
Hi John and Lisa.
It's good to see you both.
Awesome video.
I am so glad you did this video, because there are many that need to know true facts about keeping fish.
Have a great week.
11:14 while this is almost ALWAYS the case, there are a few exceptions. In my experience Hujeta Gar (not actually gar surprisinglu) are beyond picky and you will have to feed them live food, sure you can eventually try and wean them off it but at some point they will eat live fish
I did a water change yesterday and it is one of my favorite parts of keeping an aquarium.
There is something satisfying about it
In full agreement with everything mentioned. As far as feeders go in the uk they are legal but no store i know of sells them due to the likelihood of moral outrage. Well done too to Lisa, you're confidence is certainly growing. Playco and beater give me a chuckle every time.
I don't get the moral outrage.....honestly. Nature is cruel. It's just a fact. Fish less so than more advanced organisms. I love that people admire some aspects of nature, and choose to ignore the less palatable aspects. If you don't believe me, just look at some of our most 'adorable' animals..chimpanzees literally tear other primates to pieces and eat them.....orcas toss baby seals around essentially 'playing with their food'. Anyone who has the idea that nature is a kind and benevolent place is deluding themselves. Thus, if we are going to attempt to recreate a little piece of nature, should we really be blaming people for attempting to emulate nature entirely, rather than attempting to create some sanitized version?
Ive seen people feed only algae for the most part to algae eating fish and they have large beautiful fish. Ive also seen setups with no water changes just top offs for evaporation. Build an ecosystem and not just a fish box. Some of these no filter setups are amazing. Relying on plants only and water top offs. Its changed my outlook completely on fishkeeping. I used to have the spotless clear tanks with heavy filtration and weekly water changes. I learned it wasnt always necessary. A well planted and cycled tank with a light is all you need. Ive seen a tank as large as 150 gallons with only a light and heavily planted housing many large fish. 3 Tiger Oscars that were easily a foot long. He used normal everyday sifted dirt for his substrate and capped it with beach sand. Ive seen a heavily planted 100 gallon with Discus and several other companion fish that was also filterless. Very few water changes. Most people want to run empty tanks. Thats when you need filters and places for the bacteria to go since it doesnt have soils and things it can stick to. The more good bacteria you have the better quality of water and life for the fish. Setting up a good ecosystem should come before adding filters and buying a ton of fish. Especially if you want them to have a good life.
Oh wow I didn’t know that about cleaning! I clean mine every week. I never have had a problem though. I only have bettas. I’ll definitely have to watch that video! I want to make sure I’m doing what’s best for my buddy and keep him healthy for many years to come :)
Yeah, my mom cleaned our fish tanks completely and we were able to keep fish alive and even breed mollies, but I think I've killed fish doing so (I thought you were supposed to because that's what my mom did and taught me...). I think it might depend on the fish's hardiness or tolerance and the tank size.
@@MadCheshireHat some fish are very hard to kill.....I once had a peppered Cory who survived in the bottom of a tank I'd broken down and taken to the garage for a year in maybe 3 inches of water. He's still the biggest Peppered Cory I have ever seen, and he put on all that size in his 12 mths in 3 inches of stagnant unheated water. And yes....I'm a black belt in procrastination...I told my gf I'd finish cleaning out the tank the next day and it was 12 months before I even looked at it again :)
Thank you. I learned a lot. I always like mini fishes like tetras that suits my environment. 😊
Live plants are an important part of the ecosystem, they help REDUCE ammonia/nitrogen compounds, they don’t eliminate the waste completely, but they do increase the buffering capacity.
I’ve found one of the best nutrient sponges is Water Lettuce (Pistia), think of it as gigantic duckweed, just as prolific but easier to control than duckweed.
I did an experiment where I deliberately overdosed a cycled tank with 4x the normal level of nitrogen ferts, 24 hours later, the levels were back to zero, the WL soaked it all up!
I love your "scarcely believing I have to tell you this" expression on your face !
Experienced keeper , coming back after a long lay off .
Add 1 sub from England
Fantastic info, I'm really glad I watch the whole video.
I’ve been a reptile, amphibian, bird and small mammal (rabbits) keeper for years now, since I’ve been a young child, yet I still can’t understand the nitrogen cycle-
Poop make bad stuff. Bacteria eat bad stuff and make less bad stuff until it's mostly okay stuff. But you still need to take out the mostly okay stuff because too much mostly okay stuff becomes bad. Live plants will use up the mostly okay stuff, as well.
Im 11 but i understood
I started a 29 gallon at the end of 2019 and I've had my ups and downs. It's going good right now but ever since I found your channel I've learned quite a few things that I had never known and I'm able to now make my tank even better.
Honestly tanks below 5 gallons should not be sold! I've seen 1.5 gallon!! A girl almost brought one for a betta. I talked her into at least a 5 gallon. Told her good rule of thumb is 1 inch equals 1 gallon.
I couldn't agree more I have some family/ family friends ask me "i have a fish what do I do" and they would show me they had a small bowl and gravel I will then tell them what they need to know like they should of gotten a big tank but they would still have still have to do water changes but not every day but most of them think they know best and just tell me they don't care it just a dumb fish they don't live long anyways. Also there are a few who do take my advice and at least try to make the fish life better.