I have had a filter fail before and did not have a back up. One really important step if that happens is take your media out and put it into the aquarium so you do not lose the beneficial bacteria. 👍 awesome video Ben!
Such amazing quality of videos. This reminds me of the OG “FishTube” style videos that we all know and love. Keep up the great work!! The hobby needs someone like you to keep it real without the use of smoke and mirrors!! Great job my friend.
Thank you for saying “redundancy”. I agree 200%. Two things I don’t have redundancy on is the tank itself and a light. I never want to have a true emergency with life keeping equipment.
I have had one of my fx5's for over 20 years it has never ever failed me my other fx5 is over 16 years old they are obviously very reliable. I do believe in redundancy i have two forms of filtration on all my tanks that's great advice ben as usual from the NUMBER 1 PODCASTER ON UA-cam. keep it up brother!
Very informative video, Ben! I learned all about filtration mistakes , loooong ago, the hard way!😂 It's nice to see people , like you, explaining in very clear layman's terms, how to avoid disasters!❤👍👍👍
I liked your tip for putting the canister filter in a container. That's how I had mine. I think there would be some benefit to running a PVC overflow on a canister set up. One benefit being if it sprung much of a leak you would only loose a few gallons before it ran out of tank volume and cut the siphon, 2nd benefit being you could notch the top of the PVC pipe and have a bit of a surface skimmer. My largest filter disaster and fear is flooding my sump. I've only done it once and I only ran about half a gallon on the floor. After a water change I put too much water back in and with a lapse of thought doing other tank maintenance I shut the pump off. While in another room I was alerted to the sound of splashing water ran to my tank and kicked the pump back on... I'm much more cognizant of my sump running level and don't let it get above that mark anymore.
Be very, very aware that a canister filter has to be able to pull water from the tank in any modification you make or it will burn the motor, even to the point of molten plastic and you will have to buy a new head or even a complete new canister filter. Of course it won't cost as much as a complete wooden floor renovation, so think hard! ;-)
Absolutely. Hit the nail on the head there Ben. On the too much media tip. I ran into this with Fluval FX4. The owners manual states to keep a gap between baskets for proper water flow. Well with a large bag of chemi pure blue there was not enough of a gap causing canister rattling and the water was not as clear as expected. Swapped out for a smaller bag of purigen with the same rating (100G) and presto no canister noise and crystal clear water. 😎
Thank you Ben! What happened to me once, is that I wanted 100% PRISTINE water. So I added a extra layer of filter floss. Floss is my last layer before going in to the tank. Yes, the water was prístine as ever, but flow was drastically reduced, filter motor was heating and ratling. I never did it again. My 2 cents...
Some of the biggest mistakes, like over-cleaning, occur when trying hard to do the right thing. We all have our horror stories, me more than most, LOL, and because I'm on YT they are all in public view, LOL!
Good overview Ben. Reminds me though of how complicated the whole topic of filtration has become. Media choices, styles and the inherent risks and complexities of each. After all my years and experimenting with filters I am convinced that the Matten Filter, which is used widely in the rest of the world, would solve a lot of filtration risks and issues. Literally all the problems you mention in this video essentially disappear if you use a Matten with sponge media. I would like to make a recommendation that you have Dr. Stephan Tanner, owner of Swiss Tropicals, be a quest speaker on your channel and that he explain the Matten filter. I believe the hobby would benefit greatly from a focus on basic, simple, less expensive, biologically sound, yet highly effective filtration solutions. The manufacturers make the choices too difficult. Mattens are specially effective if you use a powerhead to enhance water flow through the Matter. Imagine a world without HOB's, filter tubes, cannisters and even sumps? Your channel can really help in this respect.
I might reach out to him. Seems like a nice fellow. I met him very briefly at a fish conference in Houston several years ago. I had to address the different sides of filtration since that is what is out there in the fish world but as you know I've been shifting more and more in the direction of simple and sponges play a major role in that transition.
My sun sun HP3000 O RING LEAKING TWO WEEKS AGO!! I LOST MY MIND THAT DAY! 3 HOURS OF TRYING TO GET LEAK TO STOP. I USED TEFLON TAPE 4 RAPS Cleaned o ring and replaced old ring . NO MORE LEAK!! 🙏 Yes I ordered new o rings!! Great stream last Sat. ! Thanks again uncle Ben YOU ARE THE MAN!!!
Hey, It's me again. Thanks for your help and I bought the frits and fuval BB. I got a fluval hang on and I just bought a 307 and have just the vertical filters in it and filled the rest of the trays with matrix. So now I have the two filters mentioned , a sponge filter in the aquarium. Sound like overkill and I am changing water everyday and ammo locking every day till BB comes back to not kill fish (hopefully). I did a fishless cycle for a month and a 1/2. I have found out that the BB is a delicate thing. This is my first Aquarium so Thank You for your time and efforts, Peace, Ray. (( Ps ,I also have 3 inches of substrate gravel. lol
I think you read minds Ben Ochart. The FX4 on my 125 stopped pumping water a week ago. Luckily I had another on standby due to my 110 being temporarily out of service. I simply put the media from the 125 filter into the 110 filter. Thankfully AC’s are hearty fish and I had no losses. The motor on the initial FX4 appeared to still be running. Just no water going in or out. Now this is a premium filter. I paid less than half for a SunSun that pushes an equal amount of water. Guess what? The SunSun is still running like a champ. I haven’t done any trouble shooting on the Fluval yet but I’m thinking impeller? Just a little over a year for a rather pricey canister filter isn’t impressing me. I haven’t checked on their warranty info yet, maybe I should? The only thing I added to the Fluval was some Seachem Matrix in one of the center baskets. So no restrictions. And I had just cleaned it out a few weeks earlier. There was very little detritus in the sponges. My experience runs hot and cold with Fluval.
Yes, I cleaned my little 3 gallon too well! I only cleaned it once but I did such a good job that my water chemistry was off the charts crazy bad. It is slowly getting better. I'm about to start a 10 gallon tank with an actual electric filter and put in media, filters & polyester filling. Once the water is at good levels I will then transfer my Betta & maybe get some Cardinal Tetras in the near future. I've learned so much more just since I got my tank a month ago
Excellent points! Using 2 filters was a game changer for me years ago when I started. Also love your points on the direction of flow and how you set up the foams. All rookies out there who watched this video pay close attention.
Thank you Raul and yes, we've all been there. For some it killed the hobby for them. The the more stubborn and persistent, like you and me, we carried on, learned, and now enjoy this great hobby. Thanks for tuning in and commenting.
Excellent info as always, I had a sun sun and unfortunately it started leaking so I've swapped it out for 2 fluval U4's and a Ziss bubble filter for my discus tank, my wife is happier now as I flooded the brand new carpet that was less than a week old luckily I survived to tell the tale 😀
@@BenOchart Nicola was helping me so it was only 1 night in the dog house, it always worked great before so I'm guessing it could of been slightly misaligned but I didn't want to chance it again. It's now currently working like a charm in my neighbours tank with his Cichlids
Over cleaning was my problem and I've had fish for over 20 years. 🤨 couldn't figure out why new fish kept dying until I watched a video telling me not to scrub the aquarium just take water out and put water in! I guess I was really fortunate all this time.😑
I am curious about something you said a little after the 5 minute mark. You suggested taking a filter out of a quarantine tank and put it in a show tank in a tank failure. Doesn't that violate quarantine? Doesn't that put all my show fish at risk of the stuff my quarantine fish may carry? Maybe I misunderstood and you meant an unused quarantine, but then there would likely be no cycled media. Just trying to understand so I don't mess up. I am just trying to understand. I love your videos.
This was great Ben thanks I can’t afford the canister filters so yea I run sponge filters and HOB which allows me to service one or the other to keep my tank seasoned. Bought my first hap yesterday super excited about him not sure what kind he is though maybe when he’s older and colored up more you can help me identify him?
Hey ben what up brother where did you get that shirt love it literally just got a hawk from the shack yesterday also bought a trout and a lawanda from james love them great specimens as usual from him. Honestly a little pricey but he always has quality. Later brother.
I feed my big guys every other day and they used to it and I feed them their treats every Sunday brine shrimp or frozen blood worms in the beginning when I first started keeping fish I used to feed them 3 or 4 times a day im like why is my water always cloudy then did alot of research and now I cut down the feeding and have chemi pure and purigen in my cannister and my fish looks like they flying in air so clear
@@BenOchart ya bud I learned alot from watching your videos keep it up bud ..it's funny when I either walk by my tank or jus stand in front my fish absolutely go crazy thinking it's feeding time like they are starving and now I know better not to feed them like I used to years ago thinking ok they hungry again lol which any fish would eat all day so thank God I've watched so many videos of over feeding it's crazy im sure I wasn't the only one who did this whenever the fish come to the top thinking its feed time and jus feed them every other hour I didn't know any better I believe by skipping a day or couple days helps out the fish for the better with their digestive system and of course cant skip the veggies once awwek is good to
One more disaster to add! If you have an overflow type filter, make sure your sump is not overfilled. If your pump fails, your sump will overflow and cause a gigantic mess. I know not everyone has an overflow, but something to keep in mind nonetheless!
I had a section on sumps in this video but it added too much time and the vast majority of viewers don't have them. You are 100% correct. Dialing in the right volume of water is key. Maybe I'll follow-up with a sump video.
I remember when I first started my aquarium hobby I had over stuffed my filter and learned the hard way lol smh.. I wish I had watched your videos than.
You would need to be watching at the time of the live broadcast, 11am Central on Sat. While watching you would see a column that is the live chat and at the bottom a place where you can type in questions. After the stream is over, it posts like a usual UA-cam video.
Does ammonia reducer offset the need for healthy bacteria? Other than testing ammonia levels, how would someone know if they have enough healthy bacteria?
No. It only neutralizes the ammonia making it harmless to your fish. You still need beneficial bacteria and will know when you get there when you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 10ppm+ nitrates.
@@BenOchart I bought some bacteria solution and another real plant for my tank. Trial and lots of error getting a healthy tank, thanks for your response and videos!
I just bought my fx6 about 2 or 3 weeks ago and it’s throwing out micro bubbles I just did a water change and now it won’t pump out water after an hour what do I do turn it off and take out what’s inside again
When I clean a filter that is usually all I do so as not to disrupt the aquarium too much. If I’m rinsing the media in tank water I will pull two buckets of tank water. I end up with a mini WC.
My ex husband managed to do all but the over cleaning. I was beyond mad cause I had to go buy whole new a lot of everything no thanks to him saying "yes I'm taking care of it". Instead he was trolling who knows what.
![Fish Tank Set-Up [Expensive vs. Cheap, Does it Matter?] - Plus 1 Item You Should NEVER Buy Cheap!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/q-TXN_kWK6U/mqdefault.jpg)
![Fish Tank Set-Up [Expensive vs. Cheap, Does it Matter?] - Plus 1 Item You Should NEVER Buy Cheap!](/img/tr.png)
Great video!! Couldn’t agree more with everything you said.
I have had a filter fail before and did not have a back up. One really important step if that happens is take your media out and put it into the aquarium so you do not lose the beneficial bacteria. 👍 awesome video Ben!
Such amazing quality of videos. This reminds me of the OG “FishTube” style videos that we all know and love.
Keep up the great work!! The hobby needs someone like you to keep it real without the use of smoke and mirrors!!
Great job my friend.
Thank you for saying “redundancy”. I agree 200%. Two things I don’t have redundancy on is the tank itself and a light. I never want to have a true emergency with life keeping equipment.
I have had one of my fx5's for over 20 years it has never ever failed me my other fx5 is over 16 years old they are obviously very reliable. I do believe in redundancy i have two forms of filtration on all my tanks that's great advice ben as usual from the NUMBER 1 PODCASTER ON UA-cam. keep it up brother!
Don't know about "#1" but I thank you for the encouragement 😀
Recently discovered this channel.... Binge watching the gems of information well presented.
Welcome to the channel Andrew 😀👍🏻
Very informative video, Ben! I learned all about filtration mistakes , loooong ago, the hard way!😂 It's nice to see people , like you, explaining in very clear layman's terms, how to avoid disasters!❤👍👍👍
Ben has been on fire with these helpful videos ! Keep up the great content
I liked your tip for putting the canister filter in a container. That's how I had mine. I think there would be some benefit to running a PVC overflow on a canister set up. One benefit being if it sprung much of a leak you would only loose a few gallons before it ran out of tank volume and cut the siphon, 2nd benefit being you could notch the top of the PVC pipe and have a bit of a surface skimmer. My largest filter disaster and fear is flooding my sump. I've only done it once and I only ran about half a gallon on the floor. After a water change I put too much water back in and with a lapse of thought doing other tank maintenance I shut the pump off. While in another room I was alerted to the sound of splashing water ran to my tank and kicked the pump back on... I'm much more cognizant of my sump running level and don't let it get above that mark anymore.
Be very, very aware that a canister filter has to be able to pull water from the tank in any modification you make or it will burn the motor, even to the point of molten plastic and you will have to buy a new head or even a complete new canister filter.
Of course it won't cost as much as a complete wooden floor renovation, so think hard! ;-)
Absolutely. Hit the nail on the head there Ben. On the too much media tip. I ran into this with Fluval FX4. The owners manual states to keep a gap between baskets for proper water flow. Well with a large bag of chemi pure blue there was not enough of a gap causing canister rattling and the water was not as clear as expected. Swapped out for a smaller bag of purigen with the same rating (100G) and presto no canister noise and crystal clear water. 😎
Thank you Ben!
What happened to me once, is that I wanted 100% PRISTINE water. So I added a extra layer of filter floss. Floss is my last layer before going in to the tank.
Yes, the water was prístine as ever, but flow was drastically reduced, filter motor was heating and ratling. I never did it again.
My 2 cents...
Some of the biggest mistakes, like over-cleaning, occur when trying hard to do the right thing. We all have our horror stories, me more than most, LOL, and because I'm on YT they are all in public view, LOL!
@@BenOchart 🙂😃✔
Excellent video, very informative.
Glad you thought so. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Good overview Ben. Reminds me though of how complicated the whole topic of filtration has become. Media choices, styles and the inherent risks and complexities of each. After all my years and experimenting with filters I am convinced that the Matten Filter, which is used widely in the rest of the world, would solve a lot of filtration risks and issues. Literally all the problems you mention in this video essentially disappear if you use a Matten with sponge media. I would like to make a recommendation that you have Dr. Stephan Tanner, owner of Swiss Tropicals, be a quest speaker on your channel and that he explain the Matten filter. I believe the hobby would benefit greatly from a focus on basic, simple, less expensive, biologically sound, yet highly effective filtration solutions. The manufacturers make the choices too difficult. Mattens are specially effective if you use a powerhead to enhance water flow through the Matter. Imagine a world without HOB's, filter tubes, cannisters and even sumps? Your channel can really help in this respect.
I might reach out to him. Seems like a nice fellow. I met him very briefly at a fish conference in Houston several years ago. I had to address the different sides of filtration since that is what is out there in the fish world but as you know I've been shifting more and more in the direction of simple and sponges play a major role in that transition.
But people need pay Big money for new filters, because they are cool.
But not good
So it's better to turn your aquarium into a large sump than to use external filters, is that what you're saying?
You know Richard Maloney loves filter videos. Thanks Big BenO.
My sun sun HP3000 O RING LEAKING TWO WEEKS AGO!! I LOST MY MIND THAT DAY! 3 HOURS OF TRYING TO GET LEAK TO STOP. I USED TEFLON TAPE 4 RAPS Cleaned o ring and replaced old ring . NO MORE LEAK!! 🙏 Yes I ordered new o rings!! Great stream last Sat. ! Thanks again uncle Ben YOU ARE THE MAN!!!
I'm glad you got that sorted out. It can be quite frustrating. I try to keep a few extra O rings laying around.
Hey, It's me again. Thanks for your help and I bought the frits and fuval BB. I got a fluval hang on and I just bought a 307 and have just the vertical filters in it and filled the rest of the trays with matrix. So now I have the two filters mentioned , a sponge filter in the aquarium. Sound like overkill and I am changing water everyday and ammo locking every day till BB comes back to not kill fish (hopefully). I did a fishless cycle for a month and a 1/2. I have found out that the BB is a delicate thing. This is my first Aquarium so Thank You for your time and efforts, Peace, Ray. (( Ps ,I also have 3 inches of substrate gravel. lol
I think you read minds Ben Ochart. The FX4 on my 125 stopped pumping water a week ago. Luckily I had another on standby due to my 110 being temporarily out of service. I simply put the media from the 125 filter into the 110 filter. Thankfully AC’s are hearty fish and I had no losses. The motor on the initial FX4 appeared to still be running. Just no water going in or out. Now this is a premium filter. I paid less than half for a SunSun that pushes an equal amount of water. Guess what? The SunSun is still running like a champ. I haven’t done any trouble shooting on the Fluval yet but I’m thinking impeller? Just a little over a year for a rather pricey canister filter isn’t impressing me. I haven’t checked on their warranty info yet, maybe I should? The only thing I added to the Fluval was some Seachem Matrix in one of the center baskets. So no restrictions. And I had just cleaned it out a few weeks earlier. There was very little detritus in the sponges. My experience runs hot and cold with Fluval.
Yes, I cleaned my little 3 gallon too well! I only cleaned it once but I did such a good job that my water chemistry was off the charts crazy bad. It is slowly getting better. I'm about to start a 10 gallon tank with an actual electric filter and put in media, filters & polyester filling. Once the water is at good levels I will then transfer my Betta & maybe get some Cardinal Tetras in the near future. I've learned so much more just since I got my tank a month ago
Great topic Ben!
Good video. When you setup a canister just do what the manufacturer says. You don’t need to stuff it full.
Excellent points! Using 2 filters was a game changer for me years ago when I started. Also love your points on the direction of flow and how you set up the foams. All rookies out there who watched this video pay close attention.
Great advice Ben especially for beginners in the hobby. I made the same mistake over cleaning the tank and wondering y it was cloudy the next day. ✊🏽💯
Thank you Raul and yes, we've all been there. For some it killed the hobby for them. The the more stubborn and persistent, like you and me, we carried on, learned, and now enjoy this great hobby. Thanks for tuning in and commenting.
Over stuffing is bad I agree😎👍
Excellent info as always, I had a sun sun and unfortunately it started leaking so I've swapped it out for 2 fluval U4's and a Ziss bubble filter for my discus tank, my wife is happier now as I flooded the brand new carpet that was less than a week old luckily I survived to tell the tale 😀
One advantage to being in the garage these days is I no longer fear the flood. How long were you sleeping on the couch? LOL!
@@BenOchart Nicola was helping me so it was only 1 night in the dog house, it always worked great before so I'm guessing it could of been slightly misaligned but I didn't want to chance it again. It's now currently working like a charm in my neighbours tank with his Cichlids
Ben one other advice would be having spare parts for your filters example o rings and
Over cleaning was my problem and I've had fish for over 20 years. 🤨 couldn't figure out why new fish kept dying until I watched a video telling me not to scrub the aquarium just take water out and put water in! I guess I was really fortunate all this time.😑
Good stuff, as always!
I am curious about something you said a little after the 5 minute mark. You suggested taking a filter out of a quarantine tank and put it in a show tank in a tank failure. Doesn't that violate quarantine? Doesn't that put all my show fish at risk of the stuff my quarantine fish may carry? Maybe I misunderstood and you meant an unused quarantine, but then there would likely be no cycled media. Just trying to understand so I don't mess up. I am just trying to understand. I love your videos.
This was great Ben thanks I can’t afford the canister filters so yea I run sponge filters and HOB which allows me to service one or the other to keep my tank seasoned. Bought my first hap yesterday super excited about him not sure what kind he is though maybe when he’s older and colored up more you can help me identify him?
What size plastic totes do you use to place your fx6 in? Just in case for leaks.
Do I need to use the red baskets for a FX4/FX6 ? I think they just take too much room in the canister filter.
No. You can remove them and customize it anyway you like.
The other day I disconnected the input hose from my FX6 but forgot to shut off the valve. I swore I would never do that. 🤦🏻♂️
It makes a mess real fast ... ask me how I know, LOL!
Hey ben what up brother where did you get that shirt love it literally just got a hawk from the shack yesterday also bought a trout and a lawanda from james love them great specimens as usual from him. Honestly a little pricey but he always has quality. Later brother.
Can't go wrong with the Shack! The shirt was from IFG (Eaven Alexander) back in the day when he was all about "predator haps."
I feed my big guys every other day and they used to it and I feed them their treats every Sunday brine shrimp or frozen blood worms in the beginning when I first started keeping fish I used to feed them 3 or 4 times a day im like why is my water always cloudy then did alot of research and now I cut down the feeding and have chemi pure and purigen in my cannister and my fish looks like they flying in air so clear
Because the interaction of feeding is fun, we tend to over feed and pollute our tanks. Good move and thanks for watching😀👍🏻
@@BenOchart ya bud I learned alot from watching your videos keep it up bud ..it's funny when I either walk by my tank or jus stand in front my fish absolutely go crazy thinking it's feeding time like they are starving and now I know better not to feed them like I used to years ago thinking ok they hungry again lol which any fish would eat all day so thank God I've watched so many videos of over feeding it's crazy im sure I wasn't the only one who did this whenever the fish come to the top thinking its feed time and jus feed them every other hour I didn't know any better I believe by skipping a day or couple days helps out the fish for the better with their digestive system and of course cant skip the veggies once awwek is good to
Over zealous hahaha
One more disaster to add! If you have an overflow type filter, make sure your sump is not overfilled. If your pump fails, your sump will overflow and cause a gigantic mess. I know not everyone has an overflow, but something to keep in mind nonetheless!
I had a section on sumps in this video but it added too much time and the vast majority of viewers don't have them. You are 100% correct. Dialing in the right volume of water is key. Maybe I'll follow-up with a sump video.
@@BenOchart that would be a great idea, sumps are a different animal that maybe warrants a separate video
Good morning Ben O from Bradenton, FL
Hello!
Good morning Ben from down Columbia way !
Hey Charles, Hope you're well.
What kind of black gravel are you using in your tank?
😂 I’ll try and make it.
I remember when I first started my aquarium hobby I had over stuffed my filter and learned the hard way lol smh.. I wish I had watched your videos than.
Lol 😂 at “rant alert”
How do you join the live chat? I’ve never been able to find it nor find a video where Ben talks about how to join...
You would need to be watching at the time of the live broadcast, 11am Central on Sat. While watching you would see a column that is the live chat and at the bottom a place where you can type in questions. After the stream is over, it posts like a usual UA-cam video.
With respect to a deep substrate, doesn't it still have to be vacuumed which will suck up good and bad bacteria?
Good question and yes, I do a surface cleaning but I do not stir it up
Biofloc is your friend.
What happened to the live stream...I was watching it..then it says it’s a private video...??????
Hi Justin, I needed to edit out something, it's back up. Sorry for the interruption and thanks for stopping by!
Does ammonia reducer offset the need for healthy bacteria? Other than testing ammonia levels, how would someone know if they have enough healthy bacteria?
No. It only neutralizes the ammonia making it harmless to your fish. You still need beneficial bacteria and will know when you get there when you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 10ppm+ nitrates.
@@BenOchart I bought some bacteria solution and another real plant for my tank. Trial and lots of error getting a healthy tank, thanks for your response and videos!
I just bought my fx6 about 2 or 3 weeks ago and it’s throwing out micro bubbles I just did a water change and now it won’t pump out water after an hour what do I do turn it off and take out what’s inside again
Coat all o-rings with vegetable oil, that fixed the problem on mine. The vegetable oil helps seal the top better to prevent from sucking in air.
@@jasongoodner6495 thanks I will try that so how many o-rings does the fx6 have total
first comment
When you do your water changes do you clean your canister filter out at the same time or you wait till a different day
When I clean a filter that is usually all I do so as not to disrupt the aquarium too much. If I’m rinsing the media in tank water I will pull two buckets of tank water. I end up with a mini WC.
@@BenOchart Thank U Bro Ben
So is it just a coincidence that fluval is your head clip for your video?
That’s why I got 4 filters in my main tank lol
You are officially the KING of Back-up :)
@@BenOchart one of the first things I learned from ur channel Ben
My ex husband managed to do all but the over cleaning. I was beyond mad cause I had to go buy whole new a lot of everything no thanks to him saying "yes I'm taking care of it". Instead he was trolling who knows what.