Getting Crystal CLEAR Aquarium Water in an African Cichlid Tank!
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2023
- In this video we take a bit of a break from the USA content to do some aquarium maintenance! I show my water change process on the 6ft African Cichlid Waterbox tank, and share how I keep the water looking nice and clear! I talk about algae, green water, chemical filtration, and using ultra violet clarifiers (UVC) to improve clarity and get clearer looking water. I also share a bit about my upcoming Tanganyikan build which I'm very excited for :D
Timestamps:
0:01 - Quick Tips for Clear Aquarium Water
3:50 - Water Change on my African Cichlid Tank
6:13 - Nitrifying Cycle in an Aquarium
6:42 - Using a Wavemaker in your Fish Tank
8:28 - Filtration for Improving Your Aquarium Water Clarity
13:22 - Raising pH in an African Cichlid Tank
14:05 - Using an Ultraviolet Clarifier (UVC) to Fix Green Water
14:40 - Green Killing Machine (GKM) UVC Replacement Light
19:40 - Update on my Planted Rainbowfish Tank
20:33 - My Tanganyikan Peninsula Tank Update
21:00 - Did just One Internal UVC Work on my Tank?
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Happy fish keeping, and thank you for your support! :D - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
One of the most beautiful tanks I've seen 🎉
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
Very beautiful, But she spends a heck of a lot of time keeping them that way..
Fluval just released their FX INLINE UV Clarifier with replaceable bulbs. Mounts underneath your tank or on top of the fx. Beautiful tank! I bought a waterbox Aquarium because I’ve watched your videos.
This is great news! That's awesome to hear, I hope you love your Waterbox as much as I love mine! They are beautiful tanks :)
Great water change girl! love yer fishies! Can't wait to see the new set up on the tank!!!
Not long now :D
Thanks Kaity for another amazing video ... the cichlids are looking awesome & so are you !! Cant wait to see the new set up & fish 🤗😊😊
Thank you so much :D I'm in the process of setting it up now and I'm really happy with how it's coming along. I'm looking forward sharing it!
As usual, very nice video Kaity ... beautiful tanks there! Way to go!
Thank you heaps :)
Amazing tank ! Beautiful fish ! 🐟💯🎉
This tank always looks amazing🙌 and the colors of those fish 🐟🐠 🤩‼️
Thank you so much Joey :D
That little budgie is adorable. You can tell you spent time with her I raise them for years. All different colors. My favorite was rainbow, dad, deep, purple blue, and the yellow.
She is beautiful, I love her
Gorgeous fish and tank. Nice
That is the best African cichild tank I have ever seen. Amazing specimens, in bright light, white sand, and still displaying deep colors.
What a beautiful tank. Great job
Thank you 😊🙏
You have just about convinced me to start my own cichlid tank. You have some amazing looking fish.
Yayyyy, that's what I love to hear :D I am currently setting up the Tanganyikan tank too and I think if you love this Lake Malawi tank you will love the Tanganyikan one too :)
Thank you for your insights on UV sterilizers. Thank you also for the infor on your water changes ... 80% is a lot more than I do and I want to learn form you.
Your fish are really beautiful. Well done 👍
Thank you 😊🙏
Beautiful fish
Hi Kaity, your cichlid tank looks really nice. In fact, every single one of its components: the setup, the colorful healthy fish, and the clear crystal water make it look just astonishing. I have to admit that I'm jealous. In my case, the water is clear, too; but there's a coloration that doesn't make me feel 100 percent satisfied. I'm really considering getting a UV device clarifier to have a nice tank like yours. Great video again, I know your channel will grow fast because of your passionate job. My best wishes to you and your channel🤘🙌 from Lima, Peru!!!
Thank you so much!! I definitely think you will love the UVC then, it makes such a huge difference. Not in this case because I think I need to replace the other one, but I definitely find it gets rid of that tinge of green nicely. Hopefully if you get one you find that too!
Beautiful girl and an awesome aquarium! I have a similar one with Malawi cichlids too, but I use a 3D background and added rounded rocks which I think they are more similar with the Malawi Lake. Another great video Kaity! Greetings from Portugal! 😊
Thank you so much!! That sounds lovely, I love the 3D backgrounds and I think the round rocks look really nice too with these guys
Your tank is absolutely beautiful
Thanks Kaity!! Took a few things from this vlog that I can use on my next water change!!
That's awesome to hear :) I'm glad you enjoyed it :D
Beautiful looking African cichlids aquarium. I'm working on moving my African cichlids haps and peacocks to a 265 gallon. I'm setting up. I can't wait. Great video.
That's awesome to hear!! Thank you Danny :)
oh wow, I LOVE your smaller tank
Can't wait for the new fx uvc to come to nz you have been an amazing help in my african cichlid journey i have a planted 6ft african cichlid tank ❤
That's so great to hear, thank you!!
I'm a reef keeper but I do love freshwater fish, especially African cichlids. Have you ever considered using a reef style filtration system? Canister filters, and deep sand beds are nutrient sinks. Add a sump with an automatic filter roll. And now you can move all your heaters, UV filters, carbon and chemical reactors from your display to the sump. You can even grow aquatic plants in the sump to adsorb nitrates and phosphates.
Obviously something most people forget to clean will become nutrient traps. Canister filters and deeps sandbeds are increasingly becoming popular because people are learning not to be a lazy dumbass
I probably wouldn't add a sump to this tank, but I've got a sump on my peninsula tank and it has been great. I would like to try adding a filter roller to that sump too
non aquatic plants work even better removing nitrates from the sump
@@colby4027
I don't think I've ever seen you post a comment that wasn't negative !
I run a sump and i won't put ALL my gear in it, your sump pump dies with all your eggs in one basket and you will have a catastrophe on your hands.
I started out with an idea for my Three unused Aquariums and they were going to be Marine Tanks until I saw Kaity's Web Page and now I am hooked on Chicids and Other Fresh Water Tank Setups so yep Kaity certainly knows what she is talking about and looking at her Tanks it's an Understatement in saying Fantastic, They are Brilliant and the Fish look so Healthy so well done Kaity.
You have some Beautiful tank decorations and beautiful African cichlids
Thank you so much :)
The best filter that I ever had for instant water clarity was Vortex diatom filter. They were amazing and I don't think they are still made. We used them on all the tanks of the fish store. Nice setup.
good to see your malawi tank again! must say its a fave! lucky your tap water is good enough to use without treating! mine is like 25ppm nitrates!
Thank you!! I've actually never tested my tap water for nitrates... I just pray it's ok lol
Nice fish too that’s incredible
Magical
Collection
Blessings
From beautiful
California
Thank you
Interesting. I would be running the canister filters whilst I’m doing a waterchange but there are no right or wrongs in this crazy hobby lol.
The seachem African cichlids buffer is amazing as you don’t really need a lot of it as it’s so concentrated compared to the other products on the market. Great upload Kaity 🔥🐠
Why use a chemical when you can use a bulb instead ?
Very beautiful
That's a sweet tank
Beautiful tank and fish, completely different to my overly planted softer water tanks, in yours you can see every fish in the tank lol and so so clear and open scaped.
Thank you!! I'm definitely a fish lover and I can't keep plants alive so it's the perfect combo for me lol 🤣
@@Kaityscichlids wouldn't mind possibly in the future trying a chiclid tank like this, it's so different to my style.
Congratulacions
Very nice 👍
Maybe add a container somewhere on the tank with pothos in it and pump tank water in, let over flow back to the tank to help with the nitrate 😊
I love that idea!! The only issue is my lids are a perfect fit around the lights and filters so there's not much space to add a holder for pothos unless I really squish it into the corner
I use a hang on filter to put a bunch of pothos to grow in.
hi Kaity :)..very beautiful aquarium I really like your top and your lighting system..
Thank you!! They are freshwater AI Primes, they have been great lights :)
Amazing fish
My favourite Malawi tank, just beautiful ,,
Thank you 😊🙏
Layla is my daughter's name lol. Love your videos! I was never a fan of Malawi cichlids until I saw your tank
That's lovely, it's a beautiful name :D Thank you so much, that's awesome to hear :)
That beautiful bird that you have with you, here in Mexico we call it "Cotorrito de Amor." Greetings Kaity, I'm watching your channel, I'm happy with your content. 😊
How awesome!! 🦜💕 Thank you for watching 😊🙏
You could use some extra wave makers, each on a different timer and running only for a couple of minutes, to stir up the gunk between the rocks and allow filters to catch it. This might be enough to avoid having to vacuum clean the sand. I'm lazy, so it's the only option.
My larger tank is currently sitting on the floor because during installation we found that the floor isn't perfectly level. There is about a 6 mm difference between the left and right sides of the tank, so I'll be removing the floor to raise some joints to level it. Since there is already water connected under the floor, I'll be able to easily install a tap and a waste pipe inside the cabinet. If all goes well, I'll be able to do small automatic water changes twice a day. Meanwhile, the "small" tank won't even fit through the door, so it's waiting in a corridor until my wife is away for long enough that she doesn't see the broken wall.
I'm now picking jewelry to get all the necessary building permits. Being lazy isn't easy 😁
That's actually a great idea! I might look at doing this at some point in the future. It sucks how expensive wave makers are, I've definitely thought about getting more but then because they're not a priority and so pricey I tend to not. And how frustrating it's not level! That'll be great setting up the automatic water change system though. Hopefully it all goes well for you guys :)
Waiting for tanganyika with great impatience....
Not long now :D
Hi kaity funny ,just as i was setting up my new uvc which i bought today ,the notification for this video popped up on my Phone. As much as i enjoy the content on your trip to the u.s ,i'm happy to see this one features your tank again. I was starting to miss the cichlids,and little Layla too ofcourse .(she's more loyal than a dog 😂😂) maybe it's because the rocks in your tank are not as white as they used to be and they don't reflect the licht as much,that the water seems more coloured.? Great video and i wish you lots of fun setting up your tanganyika tank!!😀
Oh that's so funny!! What a coincidence! Little Laila is the best
Active coal can help a lot to prevent colouring of the water. And labeling the plugs on your filters, heaters...etc can prevent a lot of confusion too😊(i know all About it)
For the amount of Africans in the tank,
It is amazingly clear.
The water looks clean
and seasoned. Even water change can look
a little cloudy at first.
Was surprised to find those UV bulbs at Lowes, but may not have them down under.
Can order, but if reasonable and available over the counter is quick and easy, no wait.
Thank you heaps :) And no way! I wish we had them at Lowes here haha. I find that the Fluval FX6's do a great job at keeping the water clear, and the sand I have is Unicorn Pool Filter sand and it is such a clean sand which helps too
Even your bird is coolio. Another cool vid Kaity. Dilly dilly. ;)
Laila is the best!! Thank you :D
Very nice and beautiful
Jesus your channel has blown up. Very soon you will be the biggest of the fish tubers
Thank you
hi how are you / be Aquarium hobbies is A great reward it is your video was great an your tank look good But like most of us, it's not a hobby. It's a great job to be a fish keeper It makes you feel great inside. When you look back of all the work You put into it it's a great feeling
your tank looks great 👍
Thank you so much Big Roy
@Kaityscichlids you welcome yes it's is so awesome to watch them grow out an See What you have done it makes you feel great about urself your aquariums looks great ❤️👍👍
your friend Big Roy
Chemi pure Elite is a fantastic product for polishing the water, keeps your tank water super clear.
AMAZING BEAUTIFUL TANKS 🎉🎉 and your fish are SO FULL OF COLOR and Beautiful…
Good Job 👏 👏👏👏
Kaity 🤩🤩🤩
Thank you so much :)
You should try adding some Pathos to help deal with some of those nitrates, they will grow like weeds and look good as well.
Love laila!
Great video the amoeba thing terrified me and I had to Google if you can get it from using a hose to syphon water from fish tank which thankfully you can’t phew 😂
Hahaha, thank goodness!! I don't think they're super common, but they are terrifying lol
you should try using an inline UV light, removes it from the tank, still easy to use :)
Love the tips that you share. Question about the bio load on your tank. If you DIDN'T use your canister filter on your tank with all of the Cichlids you have, would the substrate and rocks be enough to handle the bio load in your tank? I have two bio wheel filters to handle that, and would really like to get rid of them and even not use a canister filter if possible. I have a similar setup, with porous rock in my tank along with a substrate that promotes higher ph. I have a 65 gal. with 10 Cichlids much like yours.
Thanks!
Hi there!! Thank you so much 😊 I don't THINK that the rocks and sand would be enough, especially because the water is funnelled with such pressure through the canister filters it ensures that the bacteria colony can access the nutrients they need. That is just my thoughts though, I'm not 100% sure
Beautiful, colourful tank young lady. Have you checked phosphate levels, they tend to cause algae as well.
Thank you!! I actually have never checked the phosphate levels, I didn't even think of that
Have you thought about using volcanic gravel under the Rocks? Or even Volcanic Rocks in addition to the existing Hardscape.I use this as an additional Livingspace for helpful bacteria. Around 20cm ( Around 7.8 Inches? :D) high at the back If there is water flowing, it could add a positive effect. I also use them in my Filter. They need to be cleaned before that of course.
Your Fish are well known to be "dirty" and they are really big. When i had Malawis 20 Years ago, i needed a lot of extrafiltration. Atm i only have heavily planted Tanks. Heavy to change that much water every week in your case!
Also, you could try 2 external Filters with mechanical and biological filtering, creating a ringstream in the Tank. If you already have that i might have been too bad at listening, sorry for that in advance :D
I have never thought of that actually! I do have some crushed coral mixed in with the substrate and in the filters but mainly to help buffer the pH not so much for bacteria. But that's an excellent idea. I really could use with some extra space for bacteria in my filters and tank now my fish are so big
Great
Great tank, if you ever want to upgrade { A HUGE upgrade, by the way} your UV sterilizer/clarifier system, look into Pentair/Emperor Aquatics or Aqua Ultraviolet brands, both are considered among the highest quality, most effective brands used in the USA by serious hobbyists, tropical fish stores inhouse central filtration systems, and municipal Aquariums- and professional koi pond builders.
Thank you so much!! I will look into these
You are a champion at dealing with those big tanks…my 3 nano tanks are a big enough challenge at maintenance time….🥵
Nano tanks are generally harder to maintain. Because they are so small the chemical balance gets thrown off very quickly compared to larger tanks.
@@Rac2703 Fortunately they are all 90 - 100 litres and lightly stocked…I don’t have any problems…👍🏽
It's so funny, because if I'm passionate about something I can withstand almost any challenge, but if not then nothing in the world can make do it lol. I don't have the passion for nano tanks quite as much so then I can never maintain them properly! Everyone has their thing I think haha
@@Kaityscichlids So true Kaity …I love my 100 litre tanks and my cheeky endlers livebearers….🐳🤣
Nice..cichlid fish👍👍
Thank you :D
The SunSun 304 is a Great Cannister Filter
at Fraction of Fluval.
UV light, Large Trays,
Good Flow. Have had good Service from it
On 120 gal.
I've had a Aquaone Ocellaris canister filter for a few years now too which has been great and is also a lot cheaper than the FX6's (and has the UVC too). It's quite small though. But there's definitely some good options out there that are cheaper
@@Kaityscichlids
I gave the Less Costly a try,
Careful to not break any
Less sturdy plastic parts and
Have had great Service from it.
Knowing some parts are more
Likely to break over time, using due care when Cleaning
It, Extends the life of those parts, like clips, gaskets, etc.
Mine has never broken. Almost
10 years now. The only problem encountered was the magnetic impeller jamming against housing when not centered perfectly on reassembled. Take apart again and recenter for correct spin.
And the suction cups for out take flow tubes dry out and don’t stay stuck on glass,
just replace them. Use of
Silicone lubricant keeps rubber parts from drying out, helps seal. Vaseline contains petroleum and deteriorates gaskets, silicone grease is like vaseline minus the petroleum.
First a quick question what canera are you using?
Secondly a suggestion.
What would help keep the water conditions stable is if you added a sump have it for plants (java moss, pothos etc).
If you do lots of sump chambers like normal (water over flowing 1 then flowing under the glass up to the next etc) but have each chamber only 4inches wide (so for example a 2ft/24inch/60cm long tank will have 6 chambers in it) and cut plastic egg crate to slide down each face of the glass (can either do 3 sheets for the side and back walls if you want to see through it or do 4 for all the walls if you don't mind not being abot to look in it) then stick on mesh onto one face of the egg crate then stick on java moss it gives it plenty of surface area for the moss to grow on.
Repeating this for all the chambers apart from the last one where the return pump is (so the pump doesn't get grown on a clugged) will maximize the amount of surface area covered with plant life and force the water to make constant contact with it.
You can also add pothos growing into the chambers too to maximise the sumps effect.
Obviously having a good plant light above the system too.
Hopefully I explained it clear enough but if I didn't do ask about the parts you want me to clarify on.
It's something I've done on a number of tanks when I used to have a large fish collection for tanks where plants wouldn't work/fit the style (ie the lake cichlids, destructive fish, stingray tanks etc) and have never needed to use products, UV sterlisers etc for clear water.
This will do a few things. Help keep water parameters stable, deal with the cause of the aglae (rather then dealing with the symptom like you are), add extra oxygen to the water (from the moss not pothos), increase the surface area for beneficial bacteria (as not only will it grow in the glass and walls you made but directly on the moss which has a very high surface area), and the moss will pick out extra particles in the water.
(Obviously you'd still use your canisters this is just an add on). Should hopefully reduce the frequencies and the quantity needed for water changes and help keep things stable, like say you have an accident and need to stay in hospital you can know realistically your tank will be fine and just the fish need feeding.
Additionally you can add crushed coral into the bottom of each chamber to help buffer the water (plus also extra surface area for benefical bacteria and the moss will also grow on it).
If I didn't explain it properly I can try and clarify better.
Thank you for all of the suggestions! I've got a sump on my other tank which I can try some of this with. I really like being able to have the pothos in the sump. My camera is a Sony A7s3 :)
Nice one thanks seems like it's a good all purpose camera 😊
BTW universal rock makes real holey rock that is hollowed out so it weighs a fraction of what they normally would and also doesn't take up as much waterproof volume.
Espero que no aquário Tanganyika você use pedras parecidas com as encontradas no lago. Quem sabe depois se anime em substituir essas do aquário Malawi.
You need to use quite a bit more of Seachem Purigen than the suggested dosage. I use 1000ml for my 300g and it keeps the water crystal clear and got rid off the green tinge in the water.
Ohhh, that is great to hear! Maybe I will try this then too
👍🏻👍🏻
Have you tried floating plants with your malawis? I have water lettuce in my malawi tank and it is working great. It is a great way to hold the nitates down. Just scoop some up and toss away. Nitrates removed. :)
I have not actually! I'm not too sure if it would fit under the lids unless I lowered my water level quite a bit, but I could maybe it a go at some point and see what happens
Where did you get the protective blue cover for the bottom of the siphon? Whats it called? @ 10:30
In order to find a capital solution, you have to lower the amount of light or lighting time which causes algae growth.
Algae comes from excess nutrients in the water column not the lighting
❤
Wow
❤️
I was just at mad aquarium b4 too
That's so cool! They're the best :)
Hey Kaity, have you got a new mbuna recently or has an old one had a colour change?...
Can you tell me what strain that is @1.17 please?! The Australia zoo story (comment) on your last video was hopefully interesting haha!
I just replied to your comment on that!! That was seriously so cool. That fish there is a red top hongi Mbuna :) They are beautiful fish. And I haven't got any new Mbuna recently so it must be a colour change!
That is a lot of maintenance for 1 tank. You are way more dedicated than me.
Or this video will have to end here !! 😂❤
How long the fx filters can save the bactria when they shot off? I keep them runing in water changes.
What type of sand are you using? It seems to be nice a heavy when vacuuming.
Yes it's excellent! It's called Unicorn Pool Filter sand. It's super clean (you don't need to wash it) and also really cheap. Only $18AUD for 20kgs I think last time I checked
can you please provide details on the siphon you use? :)
I'm waiting for you to add some Clown loaches to your tank. There are my favorite, currently have 10 in my tank now. Are you a fan of the Clown loaches?
How frequently do you change your your purigen and service your canister filters?
I try to clean the canister filters every 3 months but alternate between them (so technically every 6 months for each canister filter). And the Purigen I change every 6 months too
not a Cichlid person but that is really cool setup!
Do you eat millipeeds?
@@nunyabizzness6468 I hope not
I love your little parrotlet.. What species is it?
I'm not 100% sure on the different species, I just know her to be a Parrotlet. She is a feisty little thing 🤣
Fluval have just release a UV add on for the FX-6
Woohooo, finally! I wish I knew this before I got the new GKM one
Hi, where did you get the your tank covers from.
Thanks
Hi there! They are from NVS Aquariums on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, but they ship worldwide 😊
Yeh the suction cups on thoes things suck, or dont suck i guess?? I just put some sticky sided velcro strip's from bunnings on and attached it to the back of my cabinet, looks neat and stays on well.
Oooo, that is a great idea! Yes I swear suction cups never actually stay on lol
Hi which brand of ph buffer do you use?
Cichlids are beautiful . The water changes get old after a while , it is key to clear water though .
She could add a drip system to the tank..
Work better with à sum imo
@@eltondelgado4289 with proper maintenance either way works .
They are lovely! I think you've definitely got to find what works well for you. I don't mind a weekly waterchange, but I really struggle to motivate myself to keep plants alive. I think everyone's got their thing lol
Hi hi I does learn alot from your videos but what I never notice you dont have pink / white convicts.. I have 1 for some months now and he or she does not go well with any fishes like cichlid with it. And I now presently got the same cichlid so my ? are they good convicts to have or should I give them away. Because I really want African cichlid but cant put them with them because I always losing them.. ps can't afford another tank reason i ask what to do.
very nice
My GAKM didn’t work unless I had the plug in the socket right 🤷🏻♂️
Unlike some electronics they seem to be finicky about that
Some electronics can have the polarity of the power and ground side reversed others can not
Others seem to just not work for a bit don’t ask me why . Maybe debris has built up in the UV light part or the propeller preventing water flow
Since it's not a saltwater aquarium and you don't keep any live coral or anemone is it possible to then just use less powerful lights to minimize algae growth?
Yes most definitely! Less intense light and for a shorter duration would help
Katie, have you ever cianobacteria problems. ??
Never in my Lake Malawi tank, but I did in my river tank once when I changed my lighting! I got rid of it using a Blue Planet medication, but it slowly started to come back a bit
Akvaryum da haftalık temizlik ve su değişimi yaparken hortumdan nefesle su çekmek beni hep endişelendirirdi. Neyse ki, taktiği öğrenince bu dertten kurtuldum.😂
Great video0 can u say what u feed your fish please
Thank you!! Yes absolutely :) I feed them mainly New Life Spectrum (NLS) Thera A and some NLS Algae Max. I also give them Fluval Bug Bites every now and then, and Absolute Colour
Hoa many times until we could add fish?
How many gallons are your tanks?
Was it a young man that jumped into the pool that was abandoned that got that brain eat bacteria thingy?? I just watched a video on that today.. crazy crazy, I used to play in hose water all the time when I was a kid.
I think this case was a child playing with a hose!
Corallife Turbo twist UV 12X light will solve your problem. Not to mention, it has enough wattage to kill floating parasites