i’m doing a presentation saturday at petsmart and this info REALLY helped!! thank you :D

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad and how cool!!! Good luck on your presentation! Let me know how it goes. I'm sure you will kill it! 👍

@DEXTER-TV-series

6 ай бұрын

The music background wasn't helpful at all !!! 🥁🙉🥁

I just wanted to say first and foremost this is the most clear, concise and informative video I have yet to come across, especially for us beginners! I have been trying to get this right for just about a year now and even with the help of a fish keeper of over 30 years I am still confused lol. So, I wanted to say thank you and you are amazing before anything! So now to my questions lol. Unfortunately I got into the hobby randomly and didn’t research first, I went to the big box store (petsmart) and no one explained the tank cycle they literally told me to set up the tank, add QuickStart and put my fish in 24 hours later. Yeah that went terrible lol. Anyways now I have two 10 gallon tanks with 1 betta in each and a 20 gallon with 3 glofish, 2 mollys and 1 platty. To start with my oldest tank- 10 gallon with betta - I put him through hell trying to figure this out and he endured crazy off the wall toxicity levels I’m not sure how he is alive, yet the healthiest thriving boy ever! Well I ended up doing in fish cycle and I used fluval cycle concentrated biological booster (you mention biological enhancer , do you know if these are the same or am I using the wrong thing? It’s been about 6-7 months since I have been cycling his tank so I’m pretty sure it’s done. However I think I crashed it a few times..... I always test and make sure ammo and nitrite are at 0 but for some reason my nitrates have never been constantly rising in this tank which I believe it how you know your cycled. Sometimes I will get 5-10ppm but each week I test their typically not there or just around 5. About 2 months ago I got a crazy algae bloom (brown sludge looking algae and green) first time I ever saw this and after scrubbing down ornaments, tank and water change it comes right back...... however I never am seeing rising nitrates 😰😰😰 assuming fluval biological booster is the correct bacteria I typically do the recommended dose on the back of the bottle under (all regular maintenance activities, i.e. water changes, filter maintenance etc) there is also a weekly dose to maintain a strong beneficial biological colony.... I change his water, use prime, add the BB, stress guard and purchased pristine but was worried that it was the same thing as the fluval but now I see it’s sludge eating. I also have stability, correct me if I’m wrong but I would only use fluval, stability, QuickStart ... just choose one correct? Also, what would you say about TSS. I used that in cycling my other 10 gallon with betta and never ever g it nitrites it skipped from ammo to nitrates.... whooo this is a long post I apologize lol... okay so that’s the situation with my oldest tank. Please advise to best of your ability being I have a million questions, I’m trying to be as clear and include everything. Now my 20 gallon... it’s been about 4 months or so maybe longer, I did fish in cycling and unfortunately the pet store told me I could stock 10-11 fish to start... I lost 4-5 along the way but it’s been about a good month and a half and I have 6 that seem to be doing really well. I had a family emergency very unexpected and the person who was supposed to maintain tanks cancelled on me so I went about a month without doing anything to them. On 1/19 my readings were 1ppm ammo/0 nitrite/5 nitrate/6.6 ph... I last saw nitrites 3 weeks prior. Today my readings were 2ppm ammo, 0 nitrites, around 30 nitrates and 6.0 ph.... thankfully I have an older person next door that was able to do minimal and added prime every other day to protect them from ammo or nitrite. So my question is with this tank would you say I’m cycled or should I continue doing prime doses and wait until my ammo is 0??? I was thinking ammo is only up because 6 fish going to the bathroom and broken down food not being changed for a month could have raised it and I might be cycled? I just don’t want it o crash.... hopefully that was clear, I appreciate any information and help you can provide me! Again, thank you for such an amazing video!

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

Dominique - thank you for the kind words! Yes, a lot of these products can be confusing and it took me a few years to really get my arms around them, when to use them, and even if to use them. And unfortunately, the people at the big box stores don't always have the best advice (not their fault - they just tell you what they are told...a lot of them don't even keep fish). You definitely can't add a little Quick Start then add fish 24 hours later. But this is how we learn. I started by buying at big box stores before my local fish store (only shop at my local fish store now and with reputable online retailers), so I made a lot of the same mistakes based on the advice of the employees at the big box stores. Cycling a tank (which even with bottled beneficial bacteria - Fluval Biological Enhancer, QuickStart, etc..) takes a week or two. And the bacteria needs an ammonia source to feed on (you can put fish food in the tank and let it "rot" and decompose - creates ammonia for the bacteria to feed on). But when a tank is cycled, ammonia and nitrites will be 0 AND a good indication is that you start to get some algae :) Your 10 gallon tank - the Fluval Biological Booster/Enhancer is exactly the right thing to use, so you did a great job! (it has the red cap on it). The Fluval Biological Cleaner is the sludge eating and has the purple cap on it. Your nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites are all at great levels, so yes, I would say the tank is certainly cycled. The sludge eating bacteria won't eat at the algae, but it is a good sign the algae is there. To reduce the algae, I would only keep the lights on for 5 to 6 hours a day. Algae is usually caused by too much light, too many nutrients in the tank. A weekly dose of the biological booster is great to keep the colony up for maintenance, and one dose per week is all you need. On a separate day, you can add biological cleaner for maintenance. But yes, only use one biological booster (either stability, biological enhancer, quick start, etc...) you definitely only need one. Stress Guard is great to dose for preventative maintenance as well. And It is great to have on hand - what that is is essentially 1. A "liquid bandage" for fish. If they get any mild cuts, scrapes, scratches, missing scales, Stress Guard strengthens their slime coat and puts a "liquid bandage" over the wounds so that opportunistic bacteria can't get it the wound. 2. Helps keep fish's slime coat healthy, so this is why it doesn't hurt to dose it once a week. Your 20 gallon - Your water parameters look great, so that appears to be cycled as well. :) But remember Prime is a water conditioner (you definitely need it and still need to keep using it). Prime doesn't exactly get rid of ammonia....it makes it so that the ammonia turns into ammonium and isn't toxic to the fish. But you still want to get the BB colony established so that it eats the ammonia on its own. Once a tank is cycled, the beneficial bacteria will maintain themselves - adding BB once a week certainly doesn't hurt to keep the colony up - but it looks like both of your tanks are cycled at this point. :) I have a routine that's worked great for me for years....once a tank is cycled - I do my water changes and add Seachem prime to condition the new water (Hikari Ultimate is also good). After the water change I add a little sludge eating bacteria you can use any product (Fluval Biological Cleaner, Pristine, API Stress Zyme, etc...). I also add a little Stress Guard OR Kordon Fish Protector. Both help keep fish's slime coats strong. I'll add beneficial bacteria whenever I feel I need it for a boost. And I test my water once a week to make sure everything is all good :) I've been doing the above for the last 4 years consistently, and it works really well for me. Hope all that helps a little?

@cdropbox

2 жыл бұрын

agree. this is a incredible video!!!

Now this is what I'm talking about straight to the point no bias... Thank you!!!

Thank you so much for this! I'm setting up a 14 gallon & getting overwhelmed with all the different products out there for cycling and this has helped me to pick the right one's, & it's easy to understand you're a god send!

Finally a straight forward tutorial on products! Thank you!

Very helpful!!! Exactly the mistake I was making adding the sludge bacteria instead of nitrifying.. thank you!!!

I am a new fish owner and I would like to say thank you. Its videos like this that help me learn and make this hobby more fun. Thank you.

What a wonderfully clear and helpful video! Thank you!!!

You are a godsend!!! Thank you SO MUCH!! Been in the hobby forever, and never understood the whole "bacteria" thing until this video. Thank you.

@dmichaelsfishden

3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, Joseph. Glad it was helpful! Took me until I was several years in the hobby to understand the difference myself.....

Wow! Learn something new everytime I watch your videos. Thanks!

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Steve - my pleasure! Glad the video was helpful!

Thanks for this video, I had the same thought with the Stress Zyme. I will get some nitrifying stuff asap

Holy cow . This is a very informative video. So i just bought an api stresszyme coz i just dosing nitrification bacteria. Thanks for the vids mate.

Thank you! I am trying to do a fish in cycle and was confused by all these products. Great video

Thanks so much! I have been looking for this information for hours.

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, Maddison!

Thank you...very informative. I am trying to cycle a new 55 gallon tank and this helps immensely. Well done!

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

David - thank you for the kind words. I'm really glad the video was helpful to you - Best of luck with the 55 gallon! What a fun project!! Thank you for checking out the video, my friend!

This video was extremely helpful. As a beginner, this information helped set me on track. Thank you!!!

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful, Melissa! Thanks for watching! 😀

Another awesome educational video, great to easily share among new comers to the hobby or to learn more indepth details with these! Great Job!

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

Aquatic Haus thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I cater more toward the beginner/intermediate folks - since half the time I feel like one...myself...most of the time....😉. Thanks for checking out the vid! Hope you are well, my friend. Keep up the great work yourself! 👊

Just found this video and I love it. I am now subscribed and an instant fan. Thank you for the info cause I didn't know about the sludge eating bacteria. Keep up the good work.

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

GRich77 really appreciate the kind words and proud to have you aboard! Glad the video was helpful to you!

thanks this was very helpful , there are so many brands out there

This was very informative in which products to use and what they do in the fish tank.

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words, Gail! Glad it was helpful to you!

This video is very informative and we'll made. Great job man good stuff

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words, Stevie! Very glad it was helpful!

Great information, I’m so confuse about this two products. Even my local fish store told me to use stress zyme for nitrifying omg! Quick start only for start up a new tank😂😂

Sooo helpful, big thanks!!!

You are the man.! Thank you for the info..

Fascinating. So actually these bacterial groups complement each other, both pre and post cycle.

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

SlickChick - right? They absolutely do compliment each other, pre and post. Just have to use the right ones. 😉Really appreciate you checking out the video!

Thank you, thank you!!! For the videos on this and macro/micros

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, Candice! Thanks for watching!!

Thank you! That video was really helpful!! 😁

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, Paul - Appreciate you watching!

I've been keeping fish on and off since I was a kid and understood how to cycle a tank but I never really understood it. I would some how almost always cycle it. But I never understood why it finally cycled till now. I have to agree with the people in the comments thank you so much for dumbing this down.

@dmichaelsfishden

3 жыл бұрын

Alexandra - my pleasure! I didn’t understand it for a long time either. All these products were really confusing to me when I first started in the hobby

Well explained video in a simple manner ❤

Very informative,thanks for a great video!

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

Very helpful for me, 👍👍👍 thanks!

WOW thank you so much for doing the homework for us very useful info just like always great video ,,and for sharing 👍👍

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

George Calderon thanks, George!! Glad you enjoyed it and I'm glad it was helpful. I sure got a good reminder from the experience! 👍

Thanks for the info! Learning a lot from you man

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

My pleasure!! Glad the videos are helpful! 👍

HI D.. excellent video and very well explained!! Loved it.. I do as Colin does.. just use all my extra filters I have running but when you have just a tank or two you would definitely benefit from the right bacteria. Hope you are having a great week!! =D ♥♥

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

DebTim A CANADIAN Girl thanks, Deb!! Yep, much easier to just use previous filter media or gravel - Have to tell you I was surprised at how many bacteria products are out now....😳. My buddy is starting from scratch so he needed a bottle and wow - every company has their own version now a days. But good to know the "good guy bacteria" is widely available 😀. Hope you are doing well, Deb! 😀

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY A VIDEO THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR DIAMOND 💎 SHARP IN UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!! THANKS BOTHER!!!

@dmichaelsfishden

3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure John - glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!

very great video! Extremely helpful. No wonder there are no dislikes on this video!

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

ItsHerpDerp - glad it was helpful!! Thank you for watching and for the support!

Thanks. I was looking for supplements but this video is better.

best video on this topic

Thank you for this! On my way to pick up some seachem pristine right away!

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure Roxy! Glad it was helpful! 👍

Excellent info. Thanks. Learned a lot. New sub.

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words, Glen! Very glad it was helpful, welcome, and proud to have you on board!

I know this video is old but it really helped me figure out what to do as I have been cycling my tank for about 6 weeks with nothing in it and it doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference as far as the tests go! Gonna give some of these a try!

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Unity - Glad it was helpful! It's a bit of an older video but still relevant :) Thanks for watching!

@UnityDoesWhatever

4 жыл бұрын

J U S T I C E I have the plants and decorations and hiding place. By nothing in it, I meant no fish! But I looked into what he talked about in the video and 2 weeks later the water parameters were perfect when the max cycle time had ended for new ranks however what I used made it happen in 3 days I just waited cause the tank was a bit cloudy! Anyway I now have 9 cute fishies :3

Thank you so much!!!

Hi I’m new to fishkeeping and searched the internet far and wide for information on what different products do and found nothing UNTIL NOW this video is very very informative THANK YOU 🙏

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Rob d - my pleasure! And welcome to the hobby! Glad to see you got into it! You'll find a lot of support here online - Let me know if I can help further down the line!

@redsev4484

5 жыл бұрын

You will find most professional fish keepers will not mess with adding and messing around with chemicals. The bacteria needed for your nitrogen cycle are ever present and will grow naturally on your biologist media. You may use something to dechlorinate your water but that's were you should stop. The more you mess with things the more trouble you ask for.

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

@@redsev4484 I completely agree with you about adding chemicals, absolutely, and I'm glad you pointed that out. However, it's important to note the products highlighted in this video are not chemicals but simply strains of bacteria - nitrosomonas, nitrobacter, etc...all naturally occurring bacteria - these products simply help speed up the cycling of a new tank or help with continued tank maintenance. While you are correct, bacteria needed for the cycle are ever present, cycling a new tank naturally without adding bacteria and an ammonia source for them to feed on can take a few months. Understandably, many prefer this option. My preference is always to add some bacteria and a little fish food as an ammonia source to kick start the cycle for a healthier tank. In my experience, this speeds up the cycling process and has worked well for me for 7 years, but that is simply my preference and experience. Where I believe beneficial bacteria in products like these is absolutely essential is in cases where hobbyists need to medicate for disease, do not have a hospital tank, and need to use strong antibiotics such as Erythromycin for gram positive bacteria strains, etc..... If this beneficial bacteria is not added to the tank while medicating to keep the colony up, the antibiotics will not only wipe out the bad bacteria, but the beneficial bacteria as well and this will crash the tank, leading to tremendous ammonia and nitrite spikes. Whenever I need to medicate, though rare and a last resort, I always add beneficial bacteria during the process to keep my colony up. All that being said, thank you for the comment and I hope you continue to advise hobbyists not to introduce real chemicals in their tanks. I try to do the same on my side, as I agree with you, that leads to nothing but trouble!

really great vid

Thank you so much for this video. It's helpful :)

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, Shilpa!

BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION 👏👏👏 A+++++

Thanks for the super informative video! I didn't realize there were two different kinds of bottled bacteria. I only knew about the sludge ones and heard tales of folks trying to use that kind to cycle a new tank, which doesn't work out too well, as you mentioned. But now that my heavily planted tank has built up some sludge I think I'll try the sludge kind. It's tough to vac thoroughly around the plants, and the amano shrimp and snails miss a lot. Btw, you have a great voice, ever thought of doing voice over work? I meant besides your own awesome videos? Thanks again!

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

Barbara - Thank you for the kind words! These beneficial bacteria are our All-Stars for sure....for years I used the sludge bacteria to try to cycle tanks myself 😳 Thought this video might be helpful 😀 Yes! Definitely try the "sludgers" in your planted tank - from my experience they do make a difference, and you are absolutely right, it's tough to vac much around the plants. Thanks for the sweet comment about my voice! 😊 I used to do a little radio work back in the day (lost my "radio voice accent"), but never thought of voice over work...but who knows...maybe in the future...🤔😉 Thank you so much for watching the videos and for the support. So glad they are helpful and that you are enjoying them!

Just wanted to say thanks cuz one of my tanks was starting to have a little bit of algae and I've got you know the first stuff that you mentioned which is the API stress guard and I've got plant food for the plants and Water Conditioner but now I'll go pick up a bottle of Fluval the one that you were mentioning I'm an American living in Taiwan so the products that we have are somewhat limited but I try to buy the best of everything

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

meg grotte my pleasure! There are a lot of products out there. They all do the same thing. 👍

Thank you so much for clarifying the products. I was using stress Zyme from start and can’t seem to get nitrifying going. Ammonia always at 0.50ppm and 0.25 after water change. I can’t seem to get the cycle going until I saw ur video so thank u again.

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, Jon! I love stress zyme and use it all the time, after every water change, for maintenance purposes. It's great "sludge eating bacteria." But yes, there are definitely better products out there to get the cycle going. Glad the video was helpful! 👍

@3o5richierich

4 жыл бұрын

jon doe I was doing the same thing.. no one tells you what to use for the bacteria to start. This is the only video that breaks it down

very helpful, thanks!

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Sully my pleasure! Apologize for the late reply!

Thank you! I have the bio booster and it specifically says it’ll assist the nitrogen cycle so hopefully it’ll work

Hi. I found your channel for some time and i love the way you make this videos. Even are basically information for beginer's, I watched all videos beause you have this nice way to present things. I hope you don't mind but if it is ok i want to point some things about the subject of this video. The ideea is that because i'm from Europe i use Seachem products, because API is hard to find and i have some experience with their products. The "ludge eating" Bacteria as you called it is not made by Stress Guard from Seachem. They have 2 other great products for this: Pristine that decompose excess food, waste and detritus and Clarity that will crystal clear your water because will make all floating particles to clumb together in larger pieces that can be mechanical filtrated. StressGuard is a good product to use for fish transportation. Cheers

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

Varol - Appreciate the kind words! Yep, the channel is intended for beginning to intermediate planted tank keepers. I'm certainly no expert, just sharing my experience along the way 😀 And you are absolutely right about Pristine and Clarity! I'm glad you commented! I should make a correction video on that - I meant to talk about Pristine....now I'm not sure why in the world I had the Stress Guard picture and narration in there 🤔 Good catch, my friend! Thank you for the support, for watching the vids, and for pointing this out!

Keep up the good work

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

Sure will, Elvis! Thank you for your support!

Best educational video

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

Sang Nguyen thank you for the very kind words! So glad it was helpful! 😊

very informative .. thanks

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, Nibras! Thank you for watching!

Like your video, thank you very much. May I ask how Seachem Stress Guard is different with Seachem Pristine? Thank you.

Hello! I'm new to aquascaping hobby. This guide is extremely helpful. I do have a question tho-- Is it better to use the two bacterias at the same time? (nitrifying & sludge eating)

Awesome video! I purchased the fluval bacteria enhancer.. I have a new 15 gallon tank that only has Betta in and maybe later on will add 2 snails.. Should I also purchase bio cleaner or will the bacteria enhancer and the betta conditioner will do the work?

Thank you so much!! This is the step that I was missing and no one else talks about on the cycling videos.. All they say is use old use filter with established bacteria. Or how to add ammonia to a tank. But never say how or what to use to get the good bacteria going.. thank you for the breakdown I was using stress zyme because it had live bacteria, to cycle my tank but noting is going on..

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure! Glad the video was helpful! It certainly can be confusing....I still use Stress Zyme weekly (have for years and years) after each water change, and its great -but Stress Zyme includes spores of the sludge eating bacteria so its great for tank maintenance. The beneficial bacteria for cycling are a different species...that is the Nitrobacter and Nitrosomonas bacteria - so, all good stuff, all beneficial bacteria, just different species used for different applications 😀 Thanks for checking out the video! 👍

Hi thanks for this informative video! I would like to ask, im setting up a new tank, So first do i run the water and put seachem prime and then stability for 7 days. Do i put the prime just on the first day only or do i need to still put in prime everyday? Thanks good sir

My new tank is reading 0 ammonia but .50ppm nitrite and 20ppm. (No fish in the tank yet, just 2 small love java plants) at I doing something wrong ? Or I added the recommended amount of beta conditioner and quick start from their labels. It’s day 2. And the nitrite is still.50ppm. Should I add alil more quick start?

I hope you get my message, I was wondering, if there is protein form forming on top of my freshwater aquarium should I do an immediate water change or add stress zyme and see how things go in about a week?

I don’t know what’s going on bc after my recent cleaning my tank got super cloudy fish started behaving weird I thought my ram was done for, some how she is still alive. The only thing testing high right now is Ammonia. I did see the ph went down significantly like from 7.6 to around 6.0. The nitrates are great and so is nitrites. I just can’t get these ammonia levels to decrease. The tank is cloud right now kind of looks a little better on it’s 3rd day of cloudiness but not near where it was. I clearly made a mistake with my last water change and changed too much. I just added api quick start and the stress zyme hopefully that does something. Anyone have any suggestions?

Seachem Pristine cleaning the tank not Stress guard . Stress guard is antiseptic for curing the fish for minor injury and stress when transporting

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Aquarium Enthusiast - You are absolutely right! That was a mistake in the video - awhile back I made the correction in the notes, so hopefully folks will see that. Thanks for checking out the video!

so when i put my water in i put quick start and stress zyme i dont need fish food?

Thanks man....!!!

can i use both stress zyme and quick start on the same time?

Can I use api quick start and stability at the same time ? Tank started cycle yesterday. And everything is spiked.

First up, I must admit that I have never ever bought and used, bacteria in a bottle, in all my fishkeeping years. I have however always taken dirty filter media, or gravel, from other healthy established tanks. But either way, borrowed or bought, bacteria are vital folks!!!! Another great video production. :)

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

colinbarsby thanks, Colin! As always, appreciate the kind words!! I'm with ya 👍. It's been quite awhile since I've started a tank from scratch without using gravel or media from another - hence my confusion 😳. Got a good refresher from my LFS owner...hoping this helps folks newer in the hobby that are starting tanks from scratch 😎 So many products out there. Every company has gone one of these...

So all I need is quick start and stress zyme to start and maintain my freshwater tank? I’m so confused because there are sooooooooooo many products.

Hello. I have a 29 gallon that I belive to have gone through its first big ammonium spike after a bit over a month. I lost about a few fish they were all lethargic and at the bottom for 2 days. Now they are back to normal behavior active. But is there any form of beneficial bacteria I can add directly to the tank anytime I want to just make sure it's always packed with beneficial bacteria. I have a hang on the back it came with with sponge media. And 2 Co op sponge filters inside witch I try to no mess with so much.

Thankyou Sir Would you mind give me suggestions to keep my liquid bactery starter? Take 1 litre a year ago, now smells awful.

Very informative as always! Please keep on posting more!!!!!recently was given a master test kit and upon testing my water it appears my tank is not cycled . This tank has been going for over a year with a betta, Ammonia shows as between 0 and 0.15 ppm. I guess quick start would be the way to go but I'm puzzled as to how the betta has lived this long. I do have lots of plants and water change 1-2 times a week. Also added a Nerite snail after I seen your video on big john but maybe stress zyme would also help with brown algae/diatom. Not cycled is maybe why over the year I had battled fin rot but have stop it from progressing, no fin growth at all mind you. Sometimes all these products Make me wonder how much I over think as far as chemicals going in this little 2.6 gallon of mine,I already feel like I worry too much with fertilizer and CO2 booster. Anyways again thank you for another great video!

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

Tim - as always, thank you for the kind words! Many more vids on the way 😎 I think you are on to a few things here. #1, I think you are right on regarding over thinking chemicals. There are so many products on the market, all designed, of course, for profit, but I really think we only need half of them, if that. On a previous build on my 2.6 gallon (it's been through 3 redesigns), I didn't dose at all - just a little excel, and the plant growth was excellent. I've switched from EI dosing to simply dosing NilocG's Thrive twice a week - it's a fabulous all in one fert. Sometimes in the hobby, less is more....😉 Interesting about your tank....it should be cycled, but something is causing an ammonia build up...I would try to add Quick Start or one of the other products that offer Nitrifying bacteria. That may give your BB colony a boost. Your BB Bacteria will grow not only in your filter but in your substrate bed, on driftwood, rocks, etc...there actually isn't too much in the water column...they need something to grab onto (that's why bio media is rough and porous). How are your nitrite, nitrate readings? Glad you added a Nerite Snail!!! They are awesome, and Big John is still over here kicking butt for me 😀 The Stress Zyme mostly handles decomposing organic material - as algae and diatoms are living organisms, I'm not sure the Zyme will work, but certainly worth a try. Let your Nerite work a bit for you and see how it goes. Dosing a little excel will help stem the algae growth as well - of course, the best recourse with algae is to modify your lighting - perhaps cut back a little on the light duration, add a very small amount of Seachem excel, let your ol' Nerite work for you. Keep in touch on the tank! Sounds like you are doing everything just right - having a ton of plants help, FOR SURE. Try to add a little Quick Start - let's see if we can boost that BB colony 👍

@Timtotheworld

7 жыл бұрын

dmichaels fish den my lighting is on 3 hours in the morning and 4 in the evening. I dose .25ml API co2 booster (excel equivalent) every morning...Nitrate/nitrite read 0 The nerite is a crazy pooper, my rocks are so clean but he hasn't touched the plants yet. As for nutrients Fluval root tabs since you came out with tab video and leaf zone once a week. I recently reduce leaf zone to .50 a ml a week. But other then that I must pick some QuickStart up I guess. My water I always leave in a pre-made jug with the stress coat added but I don't think that would cause ammonia spike sitting around in jug

@Timtotheworld

7 жыл бұрын

another thought is I'm using API stress coat for water, Maybe switching to prime would be a good idea

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

Tim - you are definitely cycled if your nitrate and nitrite readings are 0 - Interesting that your nitrate readings are totally 0 though. So here is a situation where you may need to add some Nitrogen to the water column, which plants do need - a lot of the time they soak it up through nitrates....I'm with you, less dosing is more, but in certain cases....it's there for a reason 👍 Nitrogen is one of the plant nutrient macros. You can add some of this by picking up a single bottle of Nitrogen liquid...Seachem has one, but NilocG Thrive also has a great all in one product. I know just dose THRIVE once a week - has the Nitrogen content you need as well. Your root tabs also Nitrogen in them, but you may need to supplement a bit more...We do want nitrates about 5 - 15ppm. Your tank sounds cycled but always safe to pick up some Quick Start and try to add a bit to get your colony going a little. Definitely use prime as your water conditioner though. It will help bind ammonia, making it non toxic, and it will get rid of any chloramine or chlorine in your water. Unless perhaps you are using well water? .....and yeah...the Nerites are big time poopers....💩 But at least you know he's doing his job, my friend!

@dmichaelsfishden

7 жыл бұрын

In my experience, I love Prime. Stand by it and am a loyal user. 👍 Not that Stress Coat is bad...works great too. Prime has just never let me down....so I've never changed 😀

Hi I’ve had my aquarium going for around 2 years now. I used to use the first Fluval product you recommended. Do I need to buy a bottle of each for my aquarium? Also how often would you add them?

So if i am starting a brand new tank is it ok to put Quick Start and Stress Zyme + at the same time?

Seachem Pristine is the sludge eating/maintenance. Stress guard is like api stress coat.

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

Ron - you are absolutely right. "typo" on my part. Sorry about that

@tranduy8553

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for pointing this out Ron. Appreciated.

@jaguaresed

3 жыл бұрын

Yessss I was gonna say that haha I went to petco last time and saw the pristine but forgot the name then came to this video but wasnt 100 sure if it was that one haha but other than that good video

Good video

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Flav! Appreciate the kind words!

Hello. Im a first timer, I bought a 5G tank, to set it up I added the TopFin Water Conditioner plus the API Stress Zyme (Sludge Bacteria), then I added a zebradanio fish on Day 3, added a Betta fish and 1 nerite snail on Day 6, Returned the zebradanio on Day 10 because she was bothering the Betta and he was getting stressed out. Now its been 3 weeks, the Ammonia is good, but the Nitrate and Nitrite Levels are always high for the past 3 days, I ordered the API API quickstart from Amazon so i can put some in my 5G but I'm afraid it will kill my betta because of the reviews, and I know I shouldve started the tank the proper way, but I dont know any better. I thought I was doing the right thing, please let me know if it is a good idea to add the API Quickstart to my tank with the nitrate/nitrite levels that it has now? Maybe add it little by little? Maybe one drop at a time? I feel like my Betta is a little sluggish right now, and maybe his immune system is week I don't want to make it worse for him! :(

Hi... when is the best time to put bacteria into tank? After water change or second day after water change? Thank you

So I got a 29g and I'm in the process of setting it up. Can i use a bottle of Nitrifying Bacteria put it in there and how long will it be untill my tank is cycled? Would it be better for me to do it the traditional way?

What food do these bacteria eat while sitting on the store shelf in bottles?

Great video, and excellent quality to your editing. I think you should definitely consider a career in voice over work. 😉

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Aussie Reefer - thank you for all the kind words! Really nice of you to say. Funny - a lot of people have suggested I consider voice over work as a career...guess it is time to finally look into that! :) Appreciate you checking out the video!

really helpful

@dmichaelsfishden

6 жыл бұрын

Absent Minded - glad it was helpful to you! Appreciate you watching!

after 3 years aftee this video was posted, how do u think about gen F? still good above seachem? or gen F can be one solutions for cycling new tank and maintance, im sorry for my bad english

Thanks

Can I use any of these products in my fish tank for my goldfish and if so how much would I use

Very nice

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for checking out the video and the kind words!

Can you add this stuff while fish are already in the tank?

Thank u...

Omg...I also got same mistake....thank you this is important information Please keep making more video Is this mean we must use 2 products together when change water?

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

Calvin - My pleasure! Once your tank is cycled, you really only need to use sludge eating bacteria like Stress Zyme...if you want. You don't have to. I find it is helpful for tank maintenance so I dose API Stress Zyme after each water change. If your tank isn't cycled, that is when you would use the beneficial bacteria, like Fluval Bio-logical enhancer, etc...But again, if you tank is cycled, you really only need a good water conditioner (if you are using tap water), and a little Stress Zyme or another sludge eating bacteria for maintenance, if you decide to :)

Can you drink the good bacteria just as is if the tank has no fish in it?

What about tetra safe start plus?

miss your videos… pleaese post again

Is seachem pristine similar to stress zyme?

no no no i did not understand, i am shifting my fish to a new tank so should i use both the API bottles?

I have been doing a fishless cycle on my 36 gallon tank, and the water is staring to get a bit cloudy. Is this normal? I’m using API QuickStart, but I’ve also used the Stress Zyme because I thought it would help cycle the tank. Will it help to get the fish, or will that be harmful? After watching the video I’m not sure what the right thing is to use. Thanks!

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Madison - you are on the right track! The water getting a bit cloudy is likely a beneficial bacterial bloom. This is exactly what you want. Your beneficial bacteria is starting to reproduce, creating a colony. That's what is in the API Quick Start. The Stress Zyme has a different bacteria in it - it's the sludge eating bacteria....so that is also good to use, but generally, it is more useful after your tank is already established and you've accumulated more mulm and organic waste in the tank. Right now, all you really need is the API Quick Start - the quick start is the same thing as Fluval Biological Enhancer, Seachem Stability, etc....they all do the same thing. So keep doing what you are doing! Once your tank is a little more established, I've found it is helpful to add a little Stress Zyme after each water change for maintenance. I've been doing that for years. Hope that helps!

I ordered mircolife S2 beneficial bacteria for my aquarium...I have a 14-15 gallon tank...i do see my fishes get effected by parasites and louse..i have anti ich and paracidol too but don't have exact idea how to use them and how often..I plan to do 25% of water change every week and then put dechlorinator...if i put the beneficial bacteria wil it also help in the growth of unwanted parasites?? Also if you could give a solution for parasites, how often and how much paracidol should i use...please HELP !

@dmichaelsfishden

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Debanga - the paracidol is copper based and does a great job getting most parasites. Really any copper based med will knock out the majority of parasites. The Anti-ICH med can be effective, and I know it is with ICH, but I'm not sure how broad spectrum it might be with other parasites. ICH is easy to spot, so if the fish don't have ICH and if it is other parasites, my first try would be the paracidol. However - if you have any invertebrates or scaleless fish in the tank, that may be an issue. You would have to isolate the fish effected by the parasites in a hospital tank to treat them. Copper based meds will be toxic to invertebrates and aren't good for scaleless fish. The 25% water change once a week is great - but I would follow the directions on the back of the paracidol bottle on dosing - If you do a water change of 25%, once a week, and lets say the paracidol lasts 2 weeks, I would put back 25% more of the paracidol so you maintain a full dose. You'll also want to take any activated carbon out of your filter as that will soak up the paracidol. It's great you are adding the beneficial bacteria - unfortunately, they won't do much to help with the parasite growth, but they will give you a nice healthy beneficial bacterial colony! To get the parasites, you'll have to wipe them out with the copper based med. Hope that helps a little!

I have a clownfish and I used api quick start

Hi, great info. So what is that thin lean leaf foreground plant called?

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! That is dwarf sagittaria in the front 👍Also called sagittaria subulata

@urbansk8r231

5 жыл бұрын

Thought that was dwarf sag -didnt know its other name. Can you think of another foreground plant similar to dwarf sag?..as i cant seem to find it in Australia. Also i dont want any chain sword or hair grass, as i dont want to completely cover my black aqua iron sand by famous scaper oliver knott. The reason is its black and has sparkly twinkly bits in it. It really makes the tank stand out. Thanks man. 👊

if biofilter is in outside of tank, then should i add stability in tank or in biofilter ( water will be circulated through biofilter)

@dmichaelsfishden

5 жыл бұрын

Great question - in the tank. They bacteria will make their way to the biofilter and they will start to colonize on porous areas. Stability is great stuff - but don't worry...add right to the tank, the bacteria will find their way to the filter and they will also colonize in the tank's substrate - which ends up being a great bed for the bacteria 👍