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Skeptical Aquatics
United States
Приєднався 30 бер 2023
Fish keeping can be done many ways.
DIY Airline Gravel Vacuum: The Nano Tank Game Changer
I show you how easy it is to make a DIY nano gravel vacuum for any aquarium using airline, a straw , and a bbq skewer. This tool makes it very easy to get around tight spaces in your aquarium to remove excess food or detritus and works with any substrate. This bare bottom planted betta tank is just one of many tanks I use this nano diy gravel vac on and hopefully it helps you keep your tanks clean as well. Although detritus technically is not bad for your aquarium it can be unsightly and you may want to remove it without removing a ton of water. Thanks for watching #aquarium #diy
Переглядів: 922
Відео
What's REALLY Causing Your Cloudy Aquarium Water
Переглядів 1,1 тис.12 годин тому
This video I show you an aquarium with very cloudy water and explain to you exactly why the water is naturally cloudy. Micro Organisms from nature like paramecium and rotifers that consume bacteria in our aquariums are literally part of the foundation of the food web in all our fish tanks. Hopeflly this helps you if you have a bacterial bloom of infusoria in your aquarium.
The Shocking Truth About Your Planted Aquarium Substrate
Переглядів 2,6 тис.День тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this video I discuss why it does not matter which planted aquarium substrate you choose, dirted tanks, gravel, sand, or nothing at all in relation to feeding your plants. Plants feed through osmosis and in this video I explain how that proccess does not involve substrate. Any nutrients that may be within your substrate, or be h...
STOP Feeding Your Fish Brine Shrimp and Try THIS Instead
Переглядів 9 тис.14 днів тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this video I discuss the best live foods for all fish keepers including beginners by explaining the hassles of hatching brine shrimp to feed to your aquarium fish. I introduce an alternative live food for your fish tank. Daphnia magna and its cousin the smaller moina macrocopa are both great alternatives to brine shrimp. Both t...
Substrate FREE Aquariums Are the FUTURE!
Переглядів 3,3 тис.21 день тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com Discover why substrate-free aquariums are the future of fishkeeping! Learn about the common misconceptions of bare bottom tanks with plants, and a better way to understand how aquarium plants eat. Join the trend and create a beautiful, low-maintenance environment for your aquatic friends! #aquarium
What Happens When You Remove Substrate? Mind-Blowing Results!
Переглядів 12 тис.Місяць тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this video we look closely at a tank set up as a bare bottom no substrate planted aquairum. This is for CPD breeding and contains a ton of vallisneria. I show you how it is thriving in the tank with these nano fish, and how well it grows without any dirt, sand, or gravel. Hopefully you are motivated to try this method in your o...
Want A Thriving Aquarium? Ditch The Substrate!
Переглядів 3,7 тис.Місяць тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com We discuss commonly asked questions about growing aquarium plants without substrate, providing valuable tips and insights that are beneficial for both beginners who are just starting their journey and experienced aquarists looking to enhance their knowledge. In this informative video, we will also be giving the bare bottom aquariu...
Can a No Substrate Planted Betta Tank Really Thrive After 30 Days?
Переглядів 1,9 тис.2 місяці тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this video I show you our stunning Betta bookshelf tank, which has truly become a beautiful centerpiece in our home, enhancing the overall decor and ambiance of the space. I also take the time to talk about the pros and cons of owning this unique tank for 30 days now, sharing both the challenges and the joys that come with it. ...
POWER OUTAGE Survival Guide for Your Aquarium FILTER!
Переглядів 7993 місяці тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this informative video, I discuss the truth about aquarium filters, focusing specifically on self-priming, restarting, and operating after a power outage or failure. This topic has long been discussed in the aquarium hobby community in reference to popular filters like the Seachem Tidal and Fluval AquaClear, which are widely us...
THE ONLY SUBSTRATE You Need for a THRIVING Planted Tank in 2025
Переглядів 6733 місяці тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this captivating video, I discuss the fascinating amazon sword aquarium plant, which is truly a popular choice among aquarists for its lush green leaves and remarkable ability to thrive in a variety of conditions, making it a standout option for both novice and experienced fish keepers alike. I delve into how this versatile pla...
Aquaclear: The Most Overrated Product in Fishkeeping?
Переглядів 5 тис.3 місяці тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this video, I show you all the exciting new features on the innovative fluval aquaclear filter that was released in 2024, specifically focusing on the AC series aquarium hang on back filter. This is an exciting product for fish enthusiasts and aquarium lovers alike, as it promises to enhance the overall filtration experience in...
Watch This Before Setting Up Your Planted Betta Tank!
Переглядів 3,1 тис.4 місяці тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this video I show you how I created a new home for this gorgeous galaxy koi betta fish, which is a stunning and vibrant breed known for its striking colors and unique patterns. This is a UNS 45L bookshelf nano tank, a beautiful and compact aquarium that fits perfectly in smaller spaces, making it an ideal choice for those who m...
Get a Beautiful Aquarium FAST with This Carpeting Hack
Переглядів 1,8 тис.4 місяці тому
Live Daphnia And Green Water AVAILABLE NOW skepticalaquatics.com In this video I take you through the proccess of carpeting this nano tank with the low tech plant pearlweed. I will show you step-by-step how to properly prepare the tank, including the substrate and lighting requirements, to ensure optimal growth for the pearlweed. You'll see how I carefully plant the pearlweed, taking my time to...
How One Chemical Turned My Aquarium Into A Hellscape
Переглядів 2,1 тис.4 місяці тому
How One Chemical Turned My Aquarium Into A Hellscape
The MOST EXPENSIVE FISH From PETCO Is Also The Most Interesting
Переглядів 20 тис.4 місяці тому
The MOST EXPENSIVE FISH From PETCO Is Also The Most Interesting
Why THIS Nano Fish Should Be In YOUR Aquarium
Переглядів 3244 місяці тому
Why THIS Nano Fish Should Be In YOUR Aquarium
Prevent Algae With These Beautiful Snails
Переглядів 4194 місяці тому
Prevent Algae With These Beautiful Snails
I Saved My Fish With This Weird Chemical
Переглядів 3084 місяці тому
I Saved My Fish With This Weird Chemical
The Best Aquarium Filter Attachment You Didn't Know About
Переглядів 2,5 тис.4 місяці тому
The Best Aquarium Filter Attachment You Didn't Know About
Is This The Crazy Perfect Aquarium Filter?
Переглядів 3,5 тис.4 місяці тому
Is This The Crazy Perfect Aquarium Filter?
How To Add New Plants To Your Aquarium From EBay, Amazon, or Etsy
Переглядів 2515 місяців тому
How To Add New Plants To Your Aquarium From EBay, Amazon, or Etsy
One NATURAL Method Of Handling Ostracods Seed Shrimp In Your Aquarium
Переглядів 9285 місяців тому
One NATURAL Method Of Handling Ostracods Seed Shrimp In Your Aquarium
Aquaclear: The Filter That Won't Die
Переглядів 17 тис.5 місяців тому
Aquaclear: The Filter That Won't Die
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED Brine Shrimp Hatching Made EASY
Переглядів 1,8 тис.5 місяців тому
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED Brine Shrimp Hatching Made EASY
The Fluval Aquaclear: The Filter That Never Dies
Переглядів 8 тис.5 місяців тому
The Fluval Aquaclear: The Filter That Never Dies
Fluval's New Filter Is A Game Changer! Does It SELF PRIME?
Переглядів 2,6 тис.5 місяців тому
Fluval's New Filter Is A Game Changer! Does It SELF PRIME?
I Trimmed This Planted Aquarium Carpet And It Changed EVERYTHING!
Переглядів 7165 місяців тому
I Trimmed This Planted Aquarium Carpet And It Changed EVERYTHING!
What a great informative video. How simple and logical you make it sound and look. Was just wondering if I took a tank and put a few small pieces of crushed lava rock on he bottom and then covered it with an Under gravel filter, and put the plants on top of the filter letting the mulm go through the filter to help make the lava rock get bacteria on them, saving cleaning and in turn the plants roots could grow through the filter slots in turn holding them down. Also you could use one of the filter outlets to bubble up to help circulate the nutrients that go through the water. What do you think? Once again, great info! Thanks!
There really isnt a wrong way to do it. At the exact point of time a plant uptakes a nutrient, it can only be done from a molecule of water in direct contact with the semipermeable cell wall of the plant. How it got there can be a bunch of different ways. In stagnant water within substrate the root will travel to find new water. Passing water over roots in place is an excellent way as well typically used in hydroponics :)
What size is this aquarium? Measurement
This is a UNS 4 gallon 45L bookshelf. 18" wide, 7" tall 7" deep.
How long do you have to wait for the water to get clear?
My tank in the video has way too many mystery snails in it, and their poop without a doubt is fueling my cloudy water. The sooner I remove them the sooner it will go away. I sold several hundred before it got cold and hopefully here in a month or so will be able to get back to rehoming them. I was given a bucket with over a thousand of them from a hobbyist who didnt realize what hatching so many would become lol.
Can't really aquascape without substrate.
Pretty sure you can. Thanks for watching!
I have, more or less, used the same idea for my 65g planted tank with a sand top layer and dirt underneath. I zip tied tubing to a dowel rod to keep the tubing straight. Very primitive, but is great at picking up detritus and malm. The dowel is zip tied maybe 1-2mm (by accident) lower than the siphon tube, so the dowel hits the sand first and allows the tubing to pick up the poop/malm/detritus before picking up the sans
Yep I find it crazy no company sells a small syphon like it
I was thinking of something like this earlier. This looks great. I want a way to pass the water through a filter with some floss in and then return the water to the tank so you can vacuum for as long as necessary without worrying about taking too much water out. Any ideas?
I do that sometimes if I’m not doing a water change but want to remove mulm. I use a brine shrimp sorting net and fill with filter floss and let the water pass through. It does work as well as you think.
Excellent idea
Thanks !
it has been 2 months and my tank of valisneria and lilaeopsis is still going strong and healthy. not even in sunlight. just in a bright spot in a room. the crazy thing is these plants in a bare tank (floating on the surface getting CO2) are in better shape than in some of my aquariums. bare tanks really do work but it seems that without fish you need a large amount of plants in a bare tank. this tank of mine is completely filled with those 2 plants. I kept them there as a temporary measure expecting them to die😂 they won’t die😂
nope i was wrong. 4 months. i put them there end of September. I seem to have an endless supply of these 2 plants now. All i do is add water.
People have been growing house plants in a jar of water for a century but when it comes to aquatic plants they need convincing, I get it :)
Brilliant!
Thanks !
For people starting an aquarium not rinsing their new substrate before adding.
Yep!
I will be trying this. Thank you!
It’s a game changer. You can remove a lot of waste with very little water. Concentrated food for house plants!
Another good hack is paint your bare bottom black and it hides the detritus.
Juste avec un tube regide au bout du tube a air fait la meme job ....plus facile
Yep that works too! Thanks for watching!
How many hours of lights? Is it fine with aquasoil? How much and how frequent are water changes? How frequent are the cuttings? Your response would be greatly appreciated.
All up to you just let the new growth on the plants guide you :)
Quick experience: The daphnia culture I ordered from you a few weeks ago, took a full week to travel from Texas to NY, likely due to the storms. Only one survived the ordeal. My wife named her "Daffy". She has now birthed some tiny new ones, and it looks like we will get our culture going after all! Life finds a way, as they say.
Sorry to hear that the package took so long there was a ton of weather delays and I had one get delayed 11 days and somehow a few survived! If you would like a replacement order sent out once the weather is better just give me a shout on the website thanks so much!
@@skepticalaquatics Thanks so much. I should be good. I have some eggs coming from Thailand, and it looks like the culture may take off. No problem!
Sand, never had cloudiness in any of mine.
I love a nice sand substrate!
I am so glad I found your channel man. I am Preety sure you are the first and only person to talk about no substrate setup. I am curious about what kind of ferts you use
Thanks. I just let the detritus feed the plants. If I notice they seem to be growing slow or the new growth looks deficient i may add some thrive s fertilizer I got with a used tank a while back but I don’t have a routine to it. Thanks !
is nice
Thanks
What substrate you used? How do you planted those plants?
It’s bare bottom tank they are just weighed down. No substrate :)
Recently, when I moved thebtanks around to their new location
Did it take a while to die off?
When was the last time you had cloudy aquarium water?
Today 😭
@ lol! It will pass don’t worry :)
Is that rotala roundofolia? Or HRa?..without soil can we grow ?
Pearlweed, it grows very easy planted or growing and does not care what kind of substrate thanks for watching!
@@skepticalaquatics and that rotala? Can I grow it on sand? And which varity of rotala it is?
Sorry I misread the question. I’m not sure what kind of rotala honestly. I got it from another hobbyist and I think I was just told rotala red. I did a quick search and to me it does look more like the h’ra than the narrow leaf red on the buce website
Subbed! Good take on live food. So many other options to consider that are low maintenance. (scuds if you have enough fish in your tank for example)
@ yeah man keep up the growth! I’ll be cheering you on.
I do have a video on scuds in the works stay tuned thanks
Is an airlift sponge filter enough to move all tank water to provide food for the amazon swords? I mean looking at you tank looks like its enough. Interesting videos
Yes but I’ve done it in tanks without filter or air as well and the livestock and pearling of most plants provides enough circulation of nutrients. Plants do everything incredibly slow and can survive covered in substrate so they do just fine in open water even with very little movement. Your thinking is definitely on track! I do use sponge filters with an “aimable” lift tube because I do believe good circulation helps for many reasons. I try to direct flow across one side where theoretically it will go down and back towards the filter across the bottom providing great circulation. Think about growing pothos in a jar of water which is very common. The jar does need water changes or the nutrients get used up. But the jar has no circulation. And the plant still does fine. Thanks for watching :)
There’s a father fish video from several years ago where he talks about how bare bottom substrate can work just fine for plants with roots because the roots don’t need substrate. He then quickly derails into insanity and says plants only thrive with no substrate when there is ZERO flow which obviously makes ZERO sense. Then he reads off from a script off screen a bunch of facts about how land plants can feed in certain anerobic conditions where there is no oxygen (lots of oxygen in water) or water for roots to use as a vehicle to transport nutrients through osmosis.i have no idea when plants on bare bottom substrate would ever be in an anaerobic environment but like I said pretty much everything he says after that seems made up on the spot. It’s actually quite halarious I’ll see if I can find it and grab you a link.
@@skepticalaquatics Thanks for the reply, looking forward for more videos!
It’s at 1:23 in his video here ua-cam.com/video/KyEYiTLkLyo/v-deo.htmlsi=fD2XYebki9SRgqml
What are these small balls at the beginning of your video? Looks like a good replacement for my active substrate
Aqueon shrimp & plant substrate. It’s on sale on Amazon. They are perfectly round solid terra cotta balls with a black coating. Works best by itself without any other substrates to fill in the large gaps between peices so that mulm can work in to the plants. Good for everything except hairgrass. Baby shrimp can navigate down into the substrate all the way to be bottom through the large gaps it’s pretty cool
So Jungle Vallisneria is the plant in the video? What brand Sponge filter? And the light is Fluval?
Yes in the video is val and the light is a fluval thanks
@@skepticalaquatics thanks
Im currently growing some plants emersed, in just a couple centimeters of water. Granted, theyre anubias but 🤷 I also have a crypt i tossed in a tank with just a weight on it. If it goes into the substrate, cool. If not its still getting all the nutrients it needs. Your videos are awesome. I look forward to more
Thanks. I have some crypts now that are just weighed down and doing fine. Thanks for watching!
Spiruluna works too ☝️
I use live chlorella, I dont have experience with live spirulina. As far as dry food I prefer just yeast. Does not need aeration does not sink quickly. In my experience spirulina powder sinks within hours if you do not add aggressive aeration. Daphnia are not found in moderate current in nature they inhabit low oxygen still water environments. Culturing them with current from air yields less daphnia in my experience and observation and all the swimming against current probably lowers the lifespan. Just my experience. I always recommend when a beginner gets a culture from me they start with just water and yeast. KISS Method! (Keep It Super Skeptical!) Thanks for watching!
Subscribed 👏 Excellent topic 👍
Thank you
This is true. I use Alegi Bio Balls 🤷 My plants all do fine for months now 😂 Amazon Sword, Java Fern, Moneywort, Pearl Weed 😤
Very nice!
Algae soup
The soup of the day here for a long time is chlorella :)
Thanks
Yes sir!
I’m trying to reconcile Father Fish’s teachings about substrate with your method.
Thanks for watching!
Great video
Thanks
How do you dose ferts to ur aquarium?
You could technically weigh down a root tab and let it dissolve into the water column to prove a point but liquid fertilizer would make most sense in a bare bottom tank however I just let mulm do its thing and if the plants new growth shows signs of trouble I’ll look at variables at that time of light intensity duration and nutrients but I don’t have any issues just using my livestock to power plants. It’s all about balance and each tank has its own
I love that your channel is probably blowing some peoples minds!! 😁
Thanks
Thank you so much for this video---as a newbie 😊this was very helpful.
Thanks. I think steering new hobbyist in the wrong direction to make money off them is a trend that needs to stop
What are your thoughts about root tabs in gravel tanks?
I would never add fertilizer unless the plants look like they need it. But I don’t sell root tabs or fertilizer :)
After many years in the hobby, I have just today discovered and subscribed to your channel. It has given me a totally new way of looking at growing plants. I have a 65 gallon heavily planted, stocked and substrated, community tank. It's been up and running for almost five years. In your opinion, can I leave plants in their pots (baskets with rock wool) and sit them on the substrate? I fertilize the plants weekly with a product called Easy Green. Currently the plants grow well and there is little to no algae in the tank. Light is about 8 hours daily. Your thoughts please. Thank you so much. So Happy to have found you and the channel.
You can secure plants in a fish tank by every method possible but whatever surrounds the roots will block water flow. Thanks for watching!
@@skepticalaquatics Thank you so much for your speedy reply. I'll try this new method. I feel as though you have changed everything for me.
@@hilaryschacter4072 There are many ways to grow aquarium plants. The skeptical method is the only method that does not try to sell you substrate :) are the plants we use in the hobby very basic, simple, easy to grow plants? YEP. Science has taught us long ago plants need light, c02, and nutrients to thrive. Not substrate :)
Moina raised on green water are going to have a much better nutritional profile and you don't run the high risk of crashing your culture compared to the yeast method
Yep I culture green water Chlorella. I think for beginners starting with yeast is easier in some ways. Thanks for watching!
I wonder if utricularia graminifolia can handle this?😮
I don’t see why not!
@skepticalaquatics well time to try it! It's a carnivorous plant so maybe a occasional flush of seed shrimp and cylops
@@dakotahsimonson631 I didnt know it was carnivorous. I dont have fancy plants lol. Even more reason to understand why it would not need a specific thing to hold it down as "substrate".
@skepticalaquatics I live off of fun facts lol 😆 glad to share!
I like medium-sized, small, round gravel. I think it will help the plants stay in one location and allow the roots to easily grow through it
Yep. Gravel works great too. A great one for you to check out is Aqueon Shrimp & Plant substrate. It’s been on clearance on Amazon for a long time. It’s perfectly round so it actually creates such a large gap between pieces that baby shrimp and snails can navigate all through your substrate to help break down that mulm within. I think Aqueon did a poor job educating the public on what the substrate actually is. Instead of rock it’s solid hard terra cotta like a clay pot, with a dark grey almost black coating. Thanks for watching!
I have a bare bottom tank but I am getting tired. Every week I have to siphon out the poop and do water change. I am thinking of converting it to a dirted tank where I have to just top up the water. No need to siphon out the poops as they will get converted to soil. Any thoughts, SA?
search UA-cam “Michael’s fish room mulm video”. And start there. Blakes Aquatics videos on mulm are also a great place for a beginner. I’ve literally never removed any mulm from my ten gallon bare bottom jungle. You need reeducation unfortunately. Seeing new fish keepers get so caught up in misinformation is actually kind of sad. If the amount of mulm you see bothers you, like it makes you feel as if the tank is "dirty" then realize the mulm IS DIRT, Its like cow manure which is literally sold in heavy bags right down the street at the garden center as "organic" garden or potting soil. Thanks for watching! :)
I recently started watching your videos and I'm now interested in starting a no substrate tank. I had a planted tank with substrate for a few years but recently took it down and want to start up another one. I like the look of your tanks with no substrate.
Hey thanks! Try it out and let me know how it goes!
What kind of substrate do you like best? Thanks for watching!
Bio Balls 😆
Will definitely will be checking out your methods . Interested in your method. I think my channel i caused a little bit of controversy by bring into discussion the dirted method craze. I accept all methods. Just extremes and believes that one way is the way. Subscribed, greetings from NY , my Channel @joy of fish keeping youtube.com/@josepolanco1228?si=CmX5FgoSD-PKo_qr