I usually have small sponge filters that I share with people starting a new tank 👍

Good advice! I like to stress the difference between substrates or no substrate as you mentioned in the end. Also, I like to point out that BB (beneficial bacteria) lives on the hardscape including the tank and substrate. I also use a trash can to age my water before use, whether the tank is new or just a water change. I keep a power head and heater inside to make sure the temp is perfect and the power head mixes any additives such as dechlor or buffers. Overnight is plenty long for the aging process. Thanks, Sean, for another great video.

Thank you!!! Wow 😳 … I didn’t expect a personal shout out. I may have more questions as I start setting up. I’ll be sure to hit you up. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I follow your advice. I snag various things from other tanks, a rock here, a plant there, a scoup of substrate, switch out and old running filter and put the new filter on a well established tank. Leave it all alone for a couple of weeks, then start to stock super lightly, like 6 cherry shrimp and 6 male endlers. Leave them alone for a month or so and then add more fish depending on the tank size. 👍❤👍

Just bought a tank, been doing research but haven’t been able to find clear straight answers until this video. Other good KZreadrs out there but just not the way I can understand. They’re on a professional level talking. I’m trying to figure out what plants to get what fish help what plants vice versa, I’ve seen no cO2 tanks and cO2 tanks, I bought a Fluval flex 15 , but thought I wanted shrimp seen a video saying they’re very sensitive so guess I won’t be getting those. I wanted blue neon tetras. Then seen they like dark water. I want clear water , just want ti be able to keep algae down and tank cleaning down to minimum, seen a guy as his title “ no clean, no water change, no CO2 tank haven’t touched it in 5 months and it was perfectly clear, but dont explain what steps to be able to do it. Or what exactly he done to get it like that. I clean my brother in laws tank when I go over and it has tonsssss of slimy algae and I can ever seem to get it ti go away. 😢

Great video! I will be sharing this in my betta group for sure. I pretty much do the same process as you, I wait a few weeks until I see growth in the plants and any algae is sorted (and of course it’s tested good). The only thing different is I use cycled media that I’ve borrowed from my other tanks but I don’t use water from my other tanks. That bit was new info to me that the stuff the bacteria feeds on is in the water column. So thanks for teaching me something new!

Thanks Sean!! I definitely agree on your recommendations! I appreciate your amazing videos and you sharing your experience!! You really do help me understand keeping aquariums!! Hope you're having a happy Sunday 🙏🥰🌿🐟🌿💚

another great video my friend there must be hundreds of aquarium keepers out there watching your content its so educational thanks again for a great piece of very useful information all the best martyn 👌

That was great. I also wait until I see plant growth before adding fish. It has never let me down.

The beneficial bacteria colonize on surfaces, relatively fee of them live freely in the water column, afaik. There are some studies that contradict this but I think thats the general consensus. Re-using tank water is probably fine in a planted tank but I wouldn’t do this in a tank that has no way to reduce nitrate levels. Either way it’s far less useful than simply transferring a few plant cuttings or squeezing out a used sponge filter into a new tank.

I've had a mix of potentially conflicting signals in my Fluval Flex 15. It's a planted tank with the Fluval Stratum substrate and some wood and stone I had stored. I have a sponge insert from a cycled aquarium, and I did put some water from that aquarium into the new Fluval. Some plants were transplanted from the older aquarium, and they are growing. Others are new, growing less obviously, and some plants are getting spots of algae on them. I never tested high on nitrogen compounds, but at one point I had ammonia/ammonium readings from an API test kit reading 1 ppm. (pH is about 6.5, so most of that would be ammonium.) At that point there were no nitrites, but a few days later I got ammonia/ammonium readings of about 0.25 ppm or less, and nitrites of 0.5 - 1 ppm. I added some squeezed water from the other of my cycled aquarium filters, along with Big Al's bottled bacteria, and I changed 30% of the water. Two days later, my nitrites readings are down to between 0.25 and 0 ppm, but they're still there. Three days earlier I put in 3 Endler's livebearers and 5 cherry shrimp. The Endler's appear to be doing great. Two of the shrimp died, two more are active, and I'm not sure about the third, as I haven't seen 3 at a time in the last two days. What do you think is going on? I would like to add a betta to this setup, but not if I'm going to harm it.

Interesting about adding water from another tank to feed the good bacteria…I was taught that because there was no good bacteria in the water, it was pointless to add it, and just to add the used plants, substrate, etc. This is helpful. Question: does a tank with reactive substrate cycle faster than one with non reactive, or doesn’t it make a difference, time wise? Most beginners with only one tank probably use sand or gravel.

Fish tanks and wargaming tables?!? Looks like my basement! :)

Woohoo! Something to watch with my morning coffee!!! Love me some Pecktec in the morning!!

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

Lol I this the wrong day so it’s a special early show!

Part of the process you mention goes a long with a balance aquarium, for instance a bare bottom aquarium will never be balance. 👍

another great video my planted tank have been sot up for almost 2 weeks some of my plants im seeing new growth wisteria bunch anyway my problem is ammonia 1 time it is 1.0 ppm than its 0.50 ppm but my nitrate and nirite is 0ppm every time that ammonia is the devil lol i think its my soil but i did a small water change week 1 i put liquid beneficial bacteria apl ,just to day i put some seachem stability and prime my filter have bio media i used out of my broke canister i thank my problem is i might not have enough bacteria havent really seen a bacteria bloom water been kinda clear. thanks for the info im so ready to put fish in lol

I’m about to rescape a 30cm cube. Keeping the fish, plants , and filter . Changing substrate and rocks. Hoping to get the fish in the same day. The new tank will be all Epiphytes and will do a sand cap over the aquasoil to limit ammonia should I worry?

Ty sir

This was good for me, I have a 40 breeder set it up in June, and setting up plants , going through transition with plants is it good according to the vid to take some water change of my other tank to maybe boost up the water and would that maybe help out some of melting plants ,,, there isn’t any fish in them except a few snail hitchhikers from the plants , just curious

Getting back... But I want a really good light. What are those 2 black cylindrical light beside you and in back? Plants I want are: MICRANTHEMUM 'MONTE CARLO' - TISSUE CULTURE and many more (IDEAS?) but this aquarium is 23.625″ x 15.8125″ x 7.125″ more of a square.

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

Those are Kessil Amazon sun lights.

Will I need to cycle the tank if I use the Walstad method. Organic potting soil at the bottom & river sand on the top (sand is my first choice over gravel). I've never owned a planted tank and really want to get one going on a low budget

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

Yes all that is the same. Just go slow and test the water and see what’s going on till it comes into cycle.

Im here because i just set my tank up and its already testing perfectly on my test strips, and it just cant be true Lol

@pecktec

28 күн бұрын

That’s great. A lot of times for me it comes down to what substrate I used.

@mr.resistance4015

28 күн бұрын

@pecktec I'm using 1" fluval stratum, & 2" pool filter sand, and my well water to fill the tank, with no water conditioner. I got java Moss & Fern. Anubius And dwarf hairgrass so far But it's literally day two of me filling the tank, and all water parameters are testing suitable 🤷‍♂️ I just dont wanna kill any fish !

is it ok to put shrimp in a planted tank with pond plants but no sub straight?

I am currently cycling my new tank, and view controversial opinion as to whether turn lights on or put plants in it in the first place. If you may have a video giving schedule of cycling a planted tank it would be wonderful!!❤❤

@jaidyn.m

Жыл бұрын

10-12 hrs a day

What are the plants on right at 5:23? On right side going up

Wow! Well said!

Not sure if you're still following the comments here since this video is fairly old... I have about a 3 week old, planted 20 gallon tank. Day one, I put about a gallon and a half of the water from an older tank + my male betta and two nerite snails. Water levels were good. Next week, I put two otocinclus in there (I know, it was quick). They're doing great though. Next, I would really like to put a small school of neon tetras in there. How much longer should I wait? My plants all seem to be doing well and growing. How many of the fish should I put in at once? I'm thinking 8 tetras is probably the sweet spot, but I don't know how quickly to introduce the entire school. What are your thoughts? Thanks!

@pecktec

4 ай бұрын

That can be tough. At some point the cart may tip over. If you can add maybe half at a time. Even if you wait a day or two between. I’ve done two things to push this forward. 1 - add a sponge I keep an air power sponge filter in another tank that I can move around. 2 - Buy supplemental bacteria. 🦠 so the deal is though most don’t work so if you spend any money go for the stuff the have to keep refrigerated. And check the exasperation date. 1b - 😂 you can also add other items from an older tank. As the bacteria is more contained in your substrate and the surfaces of the tank’s contents. Good luck!

When to add plants to a fished tank? Anytime.

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

yeap, I'm constantly adding and removing.

@scottmerrow7617

2 жыл бұрын

@@pecktec I just removed too much plant biomass from one tank and got green water....coping. It wasn't "too thick". Too thick worked.

Hey man, what games do you play? I like the table in the back ground.

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

So many. I’m into Kickstarter games I back a lot of them. I played a bunch of war hammer stuff in the past. I actually have a game channel also called Pecktec games. I’ll be doing more with it next year.

@rogernilson3986

2 жыл бұрын

@@pecktec I’ll check it out. Thank you. Love this channel too

You are Adding water from a cycled tank into a new tank? I think you can better squeeze out A filterspunge into your new tank for beneficial bacteria.... Because they live inthere, not in the water.... Great video!!!

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

I’m doing it to feed bacteria not add it.

@henk-janboerman828

2 жыл бұрын

@@pecktec aha, I didn't understand that. 😄

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

@@henk-janboerman828 I think I cut a part that explained that better. It’s on me no worries.

Biological is not in the water column,apparently

Help! I’ve been wanting to try this and to be clear so you can do 50% water changes for a week and also add beneficial bacteria (API water conditioner)??? Someone help so I don’t kill any fish plz lol

Good video, , but adding water from an established tank does nothing to help to help a new tank But by adding rocks or any decor from an established tank will definitely speed the cycling prosses. There is little to no beneficial bacteria in the water it's self.

@pecktec

4 ай бұрын

Putting water in that’s de gassed and contains things the bacteria and plants eat is useful. And helps quite a bit more than dechlorinated water.

@AgxntOrange

25 күн бұрын

@@pecktecAssuming you have enough plants in the new tank that the nitrates aren’t going to be a concern that is a fair point

Info out there is so confusing. I was listening to a podcast from the watercolors aquarium gallery staff and they called bs on fishless cycles.

@pecktec

2 жыл бұрын

Well even with no fish and just plants a tank will cycle eventually. It could be a matter of efficiency. But it’s not bs that’s silly.

@butternutsauce

2 жыл бұрын

That’s ridiculous, I have always cycled my tanks with 4-5 snails, some plants a bit of food everyday