As I am watching all of your videos, I see more and more comments on every video when watching them from oldest to newest. Best part is, so far from what I have seen, you have been able to respond to everyone of the comments. Really nice seeing someone interacting with their community.
This was single handedly one of the most helpful videos I’ve seen on upgrading & improving this tank! Thank you, thank you!! I’m a new sub, keep making awesome videos!
Why this channel got the quality of a 500k+ subscribers but you only have 10??? I’m gonna subscribe so I can say That I’m one of your OG subscribers. Don’t forget bout me when you get famous
For anyone having trouble with the filter cover, simply heat the plastic for a few seconds and flatten out against the bow with weights. The filter cover seems to cause people a lot of issues and exacerbates issues with the glass lid. Off the cover is straight, it eliminates trouble sliding it back, once it’s slid back it’s easy to lift out the lid.
I just bought the GloFish twin to this tank and it’s almost identical! I have been watching mod videos and yours is great! Hit all the points I was concerned about 😊 I actually bought it for some guppy fry who need a temporary home while they grow out. The water pressure is INTENSE even at the lowest so I’ve been frantically gathering all the info I could find. Thank you for all your videos!
I got this tank as a gift on my birthday (and love it). Marineland should be indebted to this lad for all the great videos about this model. I know I am!
I sometimes go to my daughter's house to babysit her pups while she is on vacation. I bought this tank for my Betta's "vacation" home. I had to shut the filter off because he seemed "stuck" to the intake. Luckily we were only there two weeks and he was happy to get home. I like the idea for the cover -
This was great. I am new to fish and was very frustrating figuring out what mods my fish needed on my own. Sadly our first betta died because of too strong filtration among other things, but he was ultimately too stressed.
Thanks Harry for all these tips. I will add I am setting up my portrait now and have had fish for almost 30 years and could not figure out whey my filter wasn’t functioning well. I tried using that darn filter pad that came with the kit. Doh! Everyone don’t do it, I added bb from my other tanks and it fills up the tiny filter pad and wasn’t allowing anything to get through including water!? Big draw back. I put some ceramic media and floss in there and much better …. Man I was really stressing.
While I am not new to keeping fish, I picked up this tank on marketplace for $10. Obviously I knew right away that the filter was not going to work for me, which led me to this video! Thanks for the tips!
I actually pulled out the entire back compartment (saw a video) now my betta has more space to swim plus I have room for a HOB filter and better light. Great video👍👍
Great video! I set up one of these tanks last year. Just found your vid today and was surprised that I'd actually already done almost all of these modifications other than the holes in the tubing in the back which is a great idea that I'll be doing now! I actually got rid of that filter media holder all together in the back. I measured and cut a large piece of biosponge that I put in it's place instead and then dropped a bag of ceramic media in the back. I also chose to upgrade my lighting with a completely different LED clip on light.
I keep my heater in the tank area near the outflow, putting it in the back just stresses me out but if it works for you it works! The stock light is fine for low light plants, I would recommend replacing it with the Aqueon Planted Clip On Light for high light plants.
i hear you, i was worried cramming my heater in the back initially as well, but all has been fine in the 6 months of owning it! i also switched out my light
the sponge is decent for biological filter and I've added 2 nylon pot scrubbers in the top where the cartridge goes. works really good and is very smushable to make it fit.
I keep thinking that the aquarium would be better off if I were to take the pump outflow and run it down to the bottom of the aquarium (just above the gravel). That would allow the Beta to have a fairly calm upper portion and still move more water around in the aquarium. Thoughts?
Regarding putting the heater into the back compartment, that's something that I've wanted to do to hide it, but per the manufacture Q&A, a heater shouldn't be put back there: Q: Is there room to put the heater in the back area with the filter? A: Per the instructions that is NOT recommended because if the pump becomes clogged, the back chamber will empty out, leaving the heater exposed. Q: Please advise on how/where to install a heater for this tank. A: If facing the front of the tank, we recommend putting it in the back, left corner of the tank portion, NOT in the filter chamber. There is an area where you can route the cord over the back. So given that, what do you think? Chance it? I think it should be fine as long as some attention on the filter medium is provided to ensure that it doesn't get clogged, but I'd like your input. I haven't actually moved mine back there yet.
thank you so much for this. i was actually looking for a hack for my Glofish 3 gallon aquarium, I read where someone had removed the back casing to give their fish more swimming room and instead installed a sponge filtration system. I'm glad I came across this however. I already installed the little hook on my glass cover. Genius. And just ordered the sponges for my output. As for placing the heating element where the pump is, I never thought of that. will do that immediately to give my Betta more room. I do have live plants and for some reason they are browning. Wondering if that will hurt my fish. Thanks for these tips, some of these I can definitely use on my tank.
I was having trouble heating my water with the heater in the back so I did your mod cutting slits in the tube and it seems to be doing the trick. Thank you for the suggestion, my betta loves his new tank.
@@jefferyfarmer8454 what you'll see is if you use a drill bit, it just pierces the tube without creating any formidable holes for the water to get through. i ended up having to go back with scissors to actually cut out parts of the tube from those slits, thus why i recommend going in with scissors from the get go (in a V-like manner)
@@Pharmaquatics I wanted to add that I cleaned my tank the other day and while doing it I pulled the tube off of the pump and used a plastic straw brush like the ones you can buy for your yeti tumbler straws to clean the inside of the tube and it worked great.
OMG! This is great. I had a huge problem with water quality. I've had this tank for 3 months and I had a hard time understanding how to set up my pump so it worked efficiently and effectively as possible. Setting up my filter using this technique increased my water quality significantly, pretty much overnight. My next hurdle is how to get rid of algae on my plants (Black algae on plants only). Could you do a video addressing this problem? Every time I clean it up within a week it's back. My tank is not by a window. I've added 2 snails (Buttercup and Turtle) to help clean up decaying leaves and uneaten fish food. I only have 1 Betta (Dorothy , haha- my 3 year old named him). I've added Marimo balls and driftwood. I do frequent water changes. 2 a week to be exact. UGH!!!! Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Maybe this new filter set up will help? Maybe? Fingers crossed....
@@lisagraf639 Glad to help. I would say 12 hours could be on the higher end. I personally shoot for 8-10 hours. Do what you currently are doing and keep scraping off the algae, it shouldn't affect parameters much. Algae is common with every relatively new tank, once the chemistry within the tank balances out after a few months, it should subside. Other common causes may be overfeeding or the tank getting too much direct sunlight from a window. Hope this helps!
Yeah boi thanks for the tips! 👍 I have the 3 gallon and I'm going to upgrade to the 5. I'd just add, improve the lighting with a Nicrew, but I want more plants than you.
I love this I have a beta and my parents are stuck on the fact that betas can live in bowls so I have my beta in a 1.5 tank till I find the tank that will best suit my beta so it will live a long happy life and this video helps so much now I know what tank I want and how to spoil my beta ❤️
Jackie Kays i would say i change it once a month, at least. it really depends on what you stock the tank with/how often you feed. since im using it purely for mechanical filtration purposes, i just replace it when its visibly dirty 😁
Are holes in the tube the only way to keep that water moving? I'm curious how the filter part is made. Are there channels from the mechanical, to that void, to the pump? Or is it one big space? Considering this for a betta.
Did drilling holes in the pump tube actually help? Based on my experience it seems like that many holes + gravity would take away flow in front of the filter wall
Thank you! I’ve done every one ! My hack is to put a tall plant or something up against the water output. The beta may eat a bit away to get water holes but they love to swim straight up and get stuck. I really think that this is what causes them to jump tanks if your not aware. The water coming from the sponge keeps him wet, while the plant is holding him up at “ Sea level”. It makes some beautiful breathing bubbles nearby. I originally got a betta hammock hoping he’d sleep there but every night same place, wedged all up. Now the hammock is where I feed him to catch the fast driving foods. He knows where the scraps always fall now.
Thanks for the hints. Upgraded Clyde from a 1 gallon tank to this one. Thought he'd be happier. not even close. He immediately went to the bottom of the tank, floated face down, stopped moving for periods, was lying flat on the gravel, heck i thought i killed him. Followed your directions, and turned down the pump volume, and it helped. Ordered the "Pre-Filter" Sponges, but Amazon 10-14 days to deliver. So i thought, and while i found several alternatives, none worked. I finally cut a piece of Sheet, and tied it around the exit nozzle with a plastic Wire Tie. Clyde is now exploring the tank, and seems to be happy. Thanks for your help
I looked up those intake sponges via the link and the holes in them look alot smaller than the one in the video. Tank is all set up. Just waiting on the heater you recommended to arrive on Tuesday.
Hey... About cutting the diamond shaped notches on the power head tube.... Do I cut them all over the tube? Up and down? All sides? Just one side? Is it better at the top? The bottom? I just want to have an idea as to where to make the cuts and if I need a lot or just a few. Thanks. Hope you answer.
@@Pharmaquatics Hey, I appreciated your reply and all your help, I really do. 2nd question. Lol ....I'm new to the hobby. What exactly is the point of stirring up the water back there, more specifically, the holes or slits on the tube? What does that do? What's the purpose of it? I'm assuming it's because if the water back there doesn't move too much, it could create unwanted spikes in the tank. Is that what it is or is it for something else, like another purpose?
Your floating plants are not multiplying because of the lid. They need a dry surface. I have two tanks side by side with the same lights and same parameters and the floating plants on the tank without the lid multiply like crazy and the one with the lid are just struggling to survive.
Hi I would love to know if you can make a video of how to set up a fish tank with hidden filtration in general I purchased it beautiful tank with nothing included the space in back is large
Hey, I just bought this tank for my first betta and was wondering if I should turn on the white light during the daytime and the use blue for nightime. I’ve heard that leaving the blue light on all night may be harmful to the fish though and wanted to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
Hey buddy I love your content and literally just ordered every single thing you’ve mentioned. How often should I be cleaning the ceramic rings? Just rinse them with hot water like once a month? I’m building a (single) pea puffer tank with just a handful of ghost shrimp and snails, so there really won’t be any serious waste build up. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for all the info!!!
I am really hoping you are reading these comments as this is 3 years old now. I have the glofish version and have done all your suggested mods. They are all great except I am a bit concerned with the holes in the tube. I did the diamond slits down the tubing on both sides. But now....even with my pump maxed not much if any water comes out of the outtake. It goes through the holes I made. How does this work? I cannot seem to wrap my brain around this lol. Did I ruin my tubing? Hoping to hear from you :)
if you made too many holes, best bet is to get replacement tubing (very inexpensive at home depot or lowes for a large roll) OR keep your current tubing and cover as many slits as you need with rubber bands
I have learned a lot from this video, I do have a question about hidden filtration tanks .does the filter media have to completely fill up the compartments to the top of the tank ? Can it be midway?
I'm confused by the hole/slit modification to your powerhead tube. 1) It sounds like you're saying that flow needs to increase to prevent rear tank water stagnation, but adding holes After/downstream from the powerhead would interrupt flow to the main tank. 2) I've read that betta fish preferred lower flow on this tank (so dialing down the powerhead adjustment). Am I misunderstanding something? Perhaps cutting the tube shorter so the powerhead isn't all the way at the bottom would help prevent the water from getting stagnant? I'm brand new to all this btw. :) Greatly appreciate the informative video!
willyshoo creating slits hits two birds with one stone. it 1.) prevents water from stagnating in the back compartment 2.) decreases flow in the front compartment which is good for the fish. so youre not necessarily “increasing flow” you’re just redistributing some of the flow from the output to the back compartment. cutting the tube shorter may help stagnation but it wouldnt solve the front compartment flow piece of the puzzle
@@Pharmaquatics I will be ordering this tank soon! love these mod ideas I'm fairly new to this and this will be my second tank with even more live plants! :D. My question is what if I mess up cutting the tubing is there a common replacement for this size? It looks a bit different from what I've seen available.
I ordered the ceramic media but it came looking different than what you had in the video. These are more porous cylinders and they are smaller with no hole. Would they still work?
Very helpful video (along with the tank review)! I'm considering this tank for growing duckweed to feed my goldies, and possibly a betta. Do you think that could work?
Thank you for your great video. i want to put on VCA's random flow generator. i need to know if it can be attached to the return outlet? is it compatible with genuine Loc-Line? what is the outside diameter of the outlet? does your nozzle fit over or inside that elbow? thank you
Will putting holes in the tube stop the back from not filling up at all too? My tanks all sometimes have an issue w all kf the water going to the front section and the back doesn't fill. It's rly weird.
Quick question… if i didnt need the heater (because of my location), do you see any problems with putting ceramic media in that compartment? (Id increase the amount of coarse sponge filter in the original filtration compartment). I recall you mentioning stagnant water problems with that compartment?
Nice video! When it comes to the heavy flow, I think that if you disconnect the tubing and pull it out, it has a plastic cube on the bottom which has a switch to lessen the flow.
Thanks for watching, Reuben! I addressed the powerhead's dial to adjust flow in the video--unfortunately, it may still not be enough for bettas, which is why I included other solutions :)
I recently started in this hobby. Have 1 piece of driftwood in it, 1 red volcanic rock and baby dwarfs carpeting most of the bottom... Its been a week since i added a few red dwarf shrimp and 3 small guppies. Yet the water continues to look cloudy. Any tips ? On this? I followed a few of the modifications I could at hand right now. Btw awesome video!
Josue Rodriguez Hey man! The cloudiness might be due to a number of things, your hardscape might be the culprit. Do you have substrate or any plants? I would do a 30-50% water change for now.
I have had this tank for a few years and everything was fine until the plastic elbow connecting the pump to the output flow just cracked. Common issue btw. Now the filter is useless and the whole tank too. They don’t have a replacement in stock. Putting a sponge filter in such a small tank is not an option for me, it’s going to look ugly. I wonder if someone here knows a pump that can fit in this tank or any other filter solution. I’ve ordered a fluval nano filter but haven’t tried it. And I don’t really like putting it inside the tank when the whole filter compartment area would stay useless. And also I bought the fluval nano light for this tank which is great, grows plants, programmable through the phone and etc. The only con is that it’s currently more expensive than the tank itself:)
So I got new natural substrate that doesn’t change water parameters, it’s a mix of some natty black lava rock and fluorite dark seems much better than the last substrate which did seem to leach oils. But I’m still seeing a film on top... again I have this same setup you have in the video I’m thinking it’s the stock pump
how's the surface agitation in your tank? one downside of decreasing flow is the risk of film build up. not a deal breaker for me though, as i'd prefer film over flow for my betta
@@Pharmaquatics I have higher water flow than yours I turned up the pump all the way after adding the black foam piece Since It seemed to cut down the flow a lot
Hey! Loving your videos - question, I set the filter floss up just like you have it, but everytime I switch it out, all the pink sediment/junk gets into the water everywhere from the "shake up" of removing/adding back in the filter. Is this normal? Thank you!
thanks Diana! glad theyre helpful. this is normal, it’s similar to when people clean out their sponge filters. having some debris break off is unavoidable but insignificant in the grand scheme of things. wouldnt worry too much about it.
Could you put neon tetra with a betta fish in this tank just wondering been looking at getting a betta fish and I know you can house them together just wondering if you could in this type of tank
Hi. Is it okay that my quilt batting and bio sponge were thicker than in the video? It fit in the cartridge where the chemical filtration was. I was just concerned if the thickness will hinder the filtration. Thanks.
Thank you so much for the great video! I was wondering can you post a updated link to the filter floss stuff? I ordered it in the mail and its the wrong thing, I cant seem to figure it out, thanks!
I don't know if you get to read comments this video is several years old. With regard to the filtration. I have a GloTank (3 Gallon) that looks very much like the tank you have. It uses the same output and the filter cartridge. Would I be able to do the same thing you did with wrapping the black sponge with the quilt batting and adding ceramic media ?
i change the filter floss whenever it's visibly dirty. maybe once every 1-2 months? you never should replace biomedia, maybe a rinse here and there to remove the malm but be sure to use tank water not tap water
But the instructions literally say not to put a heater in the filtration tank. 🤷🏻♀️
been set up this way for 3 years no issues 🤷
betta, heater, lmao at ur life
Just purchased the portrait version for $33.24 USD on Amazon today 3/5/24. Hell of a price! definitely gonna be looking at some of these mods
What today 8/5/2024 it’s now $75!
As I am watching all of your videos, I see more and more comments on every video when watching them from oldest to newest. Best part is, so far from what I have seen, you have been able to respond to everyone of the comments. Really nice seeing someone interacting with their community.
doing what little i can to contribute to the fish keeping community!
This was single handedly one of the most helpful videos I’ve seen on upgrading & improving this tank! Thank you, thank you!! I’m a new sub, keep making awesome videos!
really glad i could help! welcome :)
Why this channel got the quality of a 500k+ subscribers but you only have 10??? I’m gonna subscribe so I can say That I’m one of your OG subscribers. Don’t forget bout me when you get famous
hahaha appreciate you my man! still new to this whole youtube thing
Wow this guy is an OG. Congrats
For anyone having trouble with the filter cover, simply heat the plastic for a few seconds and flatten out against the bow with weights. The filter cover seems to cause people a lot of issues and exacerbates issues with the glass lid. Off the cover is straight, it eliminates trouble sliding it back, once it’s slid back it’s easy to lift out the lid.
I just bought the GloFish twin to this tank and it’s almost identical! I have been watching mod videos and yours is great! Hit all the points I was concerned about 😊 I actually bought it for some guppy fry who need a temporary home while they grow out. The water pressure is INTENSE even at the lowest so I’ve been frantically gathering all the info I could find.
Thank you for all your videos!
I got this tank as a gift on my birthday (and love it). Marineland should be indebted to this lad for all the great videos about this model. I know I am!
You're a legend! thank you
I sometimes go to my daughter's house to babysit her pups while she is on vacation. I bought this tank for my Betta's "vacation" home. I had to shut the filter off because he seemed "stuck" to the intake. Luckily we were only there two weeks and he was happy to get home. I like the idea for the cover -
This was great. I am new to fish and was very frustrating figuring out what mods my fish needed on my own. Sadly our first betta died because of too strong filtration among other things, but he was ultimately too stressed.
This information is fabulous! Thank you for your help! Now I feel so much more confident in setting up my tank for my betta :)
Glad I could help, Rachel! Hope your betta enjoys it
This is the best video iv seen here about this tank, it helped a ton!
Thanks Harry for all these tips. I will add I am setting up my portrait now and have had fish for almost 30 years and could not figure out whey my filter wasn’t functioning well. I tried using that darn filter pad that came with the kit. Doh! Everyone don’t do it, I added bb from my other tanks and it fills up the tiny filter pad and wasn’t allowing anything to get through including water!? Big draw back. I put some ceramic media and floss in there and much better …. Man I was really stressing.
Glad the mods helped!!
While I am not new to keeping fish, I picked up this tank on marketplace for $10. Obviously I knew right away that the filter was not going to work for me, which led me to this video! Thanks for the tips!
Your tip on putting the filter sponge on the outflow is genius!
glad it helped!!
How do you get the filter to fit on the big triangular output piece?
My tank's pump got stuck on the highest setting. Good thing I found this video, going to try the pre-filter sponge mod. Thanks!
I actually pulled out the entire back compartment (saw a video) now my betta has more space to swim plus I have room for a HOB filter and better light. Great video👍👍
oh yeah, that is definitely a good one that I may try in the future! thank you for the watch
Hey there omgitskawaiime what size HOB filter did you get?
Great video! I set up one of these tanks last year. Just found your vid today and was surprised that I'd actually already done almost all of these modifications other than the holes in the tubing in the back which is a great idea that I'll be doing now! I actually got rid of that filter media holder all together in the back. I measured and cut a large piece of biosponge that I put in it's place instead and then dropped a bag of ceramic media in the back. I also chose to upgrade my lighting with a completely different LED clip on light.
all very solid suggestions!! appreciate you sharing
I keep my heater in the tank area near the outflow, putting it in the back just stresses me out but if it works for you it works! The stock light is fine for low light plants, I would recommend replacing it with the Aqueon Planted Clip On Light for high light plants.
i hear you, i was worried cramming my heater in the back initially as well, but all has been fine in the 6 months of owning it! i also switched out my light
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!🎉
This video saved me so much when i bought my 5 gal portrait.
Thanks so much for this
you bet!
today I learned you're supposed to flip over the little triangle piece on the outtake. Gah.
Thanks for the tips - One for you - use black electrical tape on the top edge of the tank to hide water line.
interesting! can you elaborate? is this for visual benefit?
you make the best fish videos man, im in love with your channel
appreciate you Scott!
the sponge is decent for biological filter and I've added 2 nylon pot scrubbers in the top where the cartridge goes. works really good and is very smushable to make it fit.
I keep thinking that the aquarium would be better off if I were to take the pump outflow and run it down to the bottom of the aquarium (just above the gravel). That would allow the Beta to have a fairly calm upper portion and still move more water around in the aquarium. Thoughts?
Regarding putting the heater into the back compartment, that's something that I've wanted to do to hide it, but per the manufacture Q&A, a heater shouldn't be put back there:
Q: Is there room to put the heater in the back area with the filter?
A: Per the instructions that is NOT recommended because if the pump becomes clogged, the back chamber will empty out, leaving the heater exposed.
Q: Please advise on how/where to install a heater for this tank.
A: If facing the front of the tank, we recommend putting it in the back, left corner of the tank portion, NOT in the filter chamber. There is an area where you can route the cord over the back.
So given that, what do you think? Chance it? I think it should be fine as long as some attention on the filter medium is provided to ensure that it doesn't get clogged, but I'd like your input. I haven't actually moved mine back there yet.
Good tips! That diffusion is perfect! Love the vids Harry!
thanks!!
Awesome , very informative and concise. thanks for the tips
thank you so much for this. i was actually looking for a hack for my Glofish 3 gallon aquarium, I read where someone had removed the back casing to give their fish more swimming room and instead installed a sponge filtration system. I'm glad I came across this however. I already installed the little hook on my glass cover. Genius. And just ordered the sponges for my output. As for placing the heating element where the pump is, I never thought of that. will do that immediately to give my Betta more room. I do have live plants and for some reason they are browning. Wondering if that will hurt my fish. Thanks for these tips, some of these I can definitely use on my tank.
Thank you for making this video!
I geeked out on this video!! very well done!
Appreciate it Ashlee!
Are you removing the triangular nozzle on the outtake before you put the pre filter sponge on?
Great video! Thank you for sharing this very helpful information!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you! Very useful information!
Raul De Santiago Glad it helped, Raul!
Thank you for sharing your ideas. :)
i'm here to help!
I was having trouble heating my water with the heater in the back so I did your mod cutting slits in the tube and it seems to be doing the trick. Thank you for the suggestion, my betta loves his new tank.
Great to hear your heating problems were situated! Hope the betta's doing well
@@Pharmaquatics he is doing great and the temperature of the tank is staying a steady 77 degrees, thanks again for the help.
What size drill bit did you use?
@@jefferyfarmer8454 what you'll see is if you use a drill bit, it just pierces the tube without creating any formidable holes for the water to get through. i ended up having to go back with scissors to actually cut out parts of the tube from those slits, thus why i recommend going in with scissors from the get go (in a V-like manner)
@@Pharmaquatics I wanted to add that I cleaned my tank the other day and while doing it I pulled the tube off of the pump and used a plastic straw brush like the ones you can buy for your yeti tumbler straws to clean the inside of the tube and it worked great.
OMG! This is great. I had a huge problem with water quality. I've had this tank for 3 months and I had a hard time understanding how to set up my pump so it worked efficiently and effectively as possible. Setting up my filter using this technique increased my water quality significantly, pretty much overnight.
My next hurdle is how to get rid of algae on my plants (Black algae on plants only). Could you do a video addressing this problem? Every time I clean it up within a week it's back. My tank is not by a window. I've added 2 snails (Buttercup and Turtle) to help clean up decaying leaves and uneaten fish food. I only have 1 Betta (Dorothy , haha- my 3 year old named him). I've added Marimo balls and driftwood. I do frequent water changes. 2 a week to be exact. UGH!!!! Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Maybe this new filter set up will help? Maybe? Fingers crossed....
Glad I can provide meaningful content and will definitely do a video! What’s the lighting schedule on your tank?
@@lisagraf639 Glad to help. I would say 12 hours could be on the higher end. I personally shoot for 8-10 hours. Do what you currently are doing and keep scraping off the algae, it shouldn't affect parameters much. Algae is common with every relatively new tank, once the chemistry within the tank balances out after a few months, it should subside. Other common causes may be overfeeding or the tank getting too much direct sunlight from a window. Hope this helps!
How about coarse sponge, activated carbon, bio media blocks, purigen and filter floss from below to top in that order in an hob filter?
Yeah boi thanks for the tips! 👍 I have the 3 gallon and I'm going to upgrade to the 5. I'd just add, improve the lighting with a Nicrew, but I want more plants than you.
nice video this helped me a lot thx.
glad i could help!
Could it be possible as another modification to buy a different light that would better suit more plant life?
Very informative 👍
I love this I have a beta and my parents are stuck on the fact that betas can live in bowls so I have my beta in a 1.5 tank till I find the tank that will best suit my beta so it will live a long happy life and this video helps so much now I know what tank I want and how to spoil my beta ❤️
glad your betta will be in a better home soon!
@@Pharmaquatics me too thank you for replying back and for all the help this deserves way more views and credit!
tell your parents they can live in mud hut but you dont see them doing that!
Great videos! They’re really helpful!
thank you!
how often do you change the quilt batting that you wrap your sponge with and do you rinse the sponge and ceramic rings. I love your info.
Jackie Kays i would say i change it once a month, at least. it really depends on what you stock the tank with/how often you feed. since im using it purely for mechanical filtration purposes, i just replace it when its visibly dirty 😁
Are holes in the tube the only way to keep that water moving? I'm curious how the filter part is made. Are there channels from the mechanical, to that void, to the pump? Or is it one big space?
Considering this for a betta.
Did drilling holes in the pump tube actually help? Based on my experience it seems like that many holes + gravity would take away flow in front of the filter wall
Wonderful video! Wondering what size prefilter head sponge to get and how to cut it to attach it?
Thank you! I’ve done every one ! My hack is to put a tall plant or something up against the water output. The beta may eat a bit away to get water holes but they love to swim straight up and get stuck. I really think that this is what causes them to jump tanks if your not aware. The water coming from the sponge keeps him wet, while the plant is holding him up at “ Sea level”. It makes some beautiful breathing bubbles nearby. I originally got a betta hammock hoping he’d sleep there but every night same place, wedged all up. Now the hammock is where I feed him to catch the fast driving foods. He knows where the scraps always fall now.
I remember not being able to find like ANY Portrait tank videos im interested in getting one
hope this helps!!
Such an awesome video!! Thank you +
glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. Thinking of getting this for a pea puffer. Some videos say the tank lid slides backward. Also subbed.
a pea puffer would do great in one of these! and yes it does, i see it as a helpful feature when feeding
Thanks for the hints.
Upgraded Clyde from a 1 gallon tank to this one. Thought he'd be happier. not even close.
He immediately went to the bottom of the tank, floated face down, stopped moving for periods, was lying flat on the gravel, heck i thought i killed him.
Followed your directions, and turned down the pump volume, and it helped. Ordered the "Pre-Filter" Sponges, but Amazon 10-14 days to deliver. So i thought, and while i found several alternatives, none worked. I finally cut a piece of Sheet, and tied it around the exit nozzle with a plastic Wire Tie.
Clyde is now exploring the tank, and seems to be happy. Thanks for your help
That's really good to hear! Glad Clyde is doing better
I looked up those intake sponges via the link and the holes in them look alot smaller than the one in the video. Tank is all set up. Just waiting on the heater you recommended to arrive on Tuesday.
Thank you for the help!
of course!
Hey... About cutting the diamond shaped notches on the power head tube.... Do I cut them all over the tube? Up and down? All sides? Just one side? Is it better at the top? The bottom? I just want to have an idea as to where to make the cuts and if I need a lot or just a few. Thanks. Hope you answer.
would cut furthest away from motor to optimize circulation - start with 1 or 2 slits and test. continue to add until you're satisfied
@@Pharmaquatics Hey, I appreciated your reply and all your help, I really do.
2nd question. Lol ....I'm new to the hobby. What exactly is the point of stirring up the water back there, more specifically, the holes or slits on the tube? What does that do? What's the purpose of it? I'm assuming it's because if the water back there doesn't move too much, it could create unwanted spikes in the tank. Is that what it is or is it for something else, like another purpose?
Great video! Thank you so much!
Glad I could help, Ellen!
Your floating plants are not multiplying because of the lid. They need a dry surface. I have two tanks side by side with the same lights and same parameters and the floating plants on the tank without the lid multiply like crazy and the one with the lid are just struggling to survive.
Hi I would love to know if you can make a video of how to set up a fish tank with hidden filtration in general I purchased it beautiful tank with nothing included the space in back is large
Hey, I just bought this tank for my first betta and was wondering if I should turn on the white light during the daytime and the use blue for nightime. I’ve heard that leaving the blue light on all night may be harmful to the fish though and wanted to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
Do you have recommendations to replace to pump if I wanted to still use the OEM flow nozzle? I can’t tell what the tubing size is.
I have a fluval nano plant light. Is there a good location to mount it
Do you turn the pump up to high to compensate for the sponge?
Thanks 🙏 gracias por los tips 🙏🙏
Thanks ! Good video!
Thank you too!
Hey buddy I love your content and literally just ordered every single thing you’ve mentioned. How often should I be cleaning the ceramic rings? Just rinse them with hot water like once a month? I’m building a (single) pea puffer tank with just a handful of ghost shrimp and snails, so there really won’t be any serious waste build up. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for all the info!!!
i actually just uploaded a video today on my maintenance for this tank. it should answer all your questions! glad this video was helpful!
You may have mentioned in one of your videos, but how many diamond slots should I make?
So, mine isn't sucking water in the top holes so not going through the filter.... It OS pumping water fine though...
Trying to find parts for this tank. Replacement light, pump, hose and elbows. Help! Lol
I am really hoping you are reading these comments as this is 3 years old now. I have the glofish version and have done all your suggested mods. They are all great except I am a bit concerned with the holes in the tube. I did the diamond slits down the tubing on both sides. But now....even with my pump maxed not much if any water comes out of the outtake. It goes through the holes I made. How does this work? I cannot seem to wrap my brain around this lol. Did I ruin my tubing? Hoping to hear from you :)
if you made too many holes, best bet is to get replacement tubing (very inexpensive at home depot or lowes for a large roll) OR keep your current tubing and cover as many slits as you need with rubber bands
I have learned a lot from this video, I do have a question about hidden filtration tanks .does the filter media have to completely fill up the compartments to the top of the tank ? Can it be midway?
😫😫😫
I'm confused by the hole/slit modification to your powerhead tube. 1) It sounds like you're saying that flow needs to increase to prevent rear tank water stagnation, but adding holes After/downstream from the powerhead would interrupt flow to the main tank. 2) I've read that betta fish preferred lower flow on this tank (so dialing down the powerhead adjustment). Am I misunderstanding something? Perhaps cutting the tube shorter so the powerhead isn't all the way at the bottom would help prevent the water from getting stagnant? I'm brand new to all this btw. :) Greatly appreciate the informative video!
willyshoo creating slits hits two birds with one stone. it 1.) prevents water from stagnating in the back compartment 2.) decreases flow in the front compartment which is good for the fish. so youre not necessarily “increasing flow” you’re just redistributing some of the flow from the output to the back compartment. cutting the tube shorter may help stagnation but it wouldnt solve the front compartment flow piece of the puzzle
@@Pharmaquatics great, that makes sense. Thanks! Can't wait to get this thing. :)
@@Pharmaquatics I will be ordering this tank soon! love these mod ideas I'm fairly new to this and this will be my second tank with even more live plants! :D. My question is what if I mess up cutting the tubing is there a common replacement for this size? It looks a bit different from what I've seen available.
Great video! How big should the slots be? And how many? I hate to over do it.
How do you clean the tank? Is it a full water dump each month? This was so helpful.
Lucio Duran i do a 30% water change every 2-3 weeks. gravel vacuum once a month
I ordered the ceramic media but it came looking different than what you had in the video. These are more porous cylinders and they are smaller with no hole. Would they still work?
Great video! Getting this tank and a betta soon. Did you modify the filter box? I thought there was plastic right behind the intake.
hey katherine! no modifications were done to the filter box, just switched out some components to it
Very helpful video (along with the tank review)! I'm considering this tank for growing duckweed to feed my goldies, and possibly a betta. Do you think that could work?
i think that would be fine!
Thank you for your great video. i want to put on VCA's random flow generator. i need to know if it can be attached to the return outlet? is it compatible with genuine Loc-Line? what is the outside diameter of the outlet? does your nozzle fit over or inside that elbow? thank you
Thanks!
No problem!
Will putting holes in the tube stop the back from not filling up at all too? My tanks all sometimes have an issue w all kf the water going to the front section and the back doesn't fill. It's rly weird.
Quick question… if i didnt need the heater (because of my location), do you see any problems with putting ceramic media in that compartment? (Id increase the amount of coarse sponge filter in the original filtration compartment). I recall you mentioning stagnant water problems with that compartment?
Nice video! When it comes to the heavy flow, I think that if you disconnect the tubing and pull it out, it has a plastic cube on the bottom which has a switch to lessen the flow.
Thanks for watching, Reuben! I addressed the powerhead's dial to adjust flow in the video--unfortunately, it may still not be enough for bettas, which is why I included other solutions :)
@@Pharmaquatics 👍👍
I recently started in this hobby. Have 1 piece of driftwood in it, 1 red volcanic rock and baby dwarfs carpeting most of the bottom...
Its been a week since i added a few red dwarf shrimp and 3 small guppies. Yet the water continues to look cloudy.
Any tips ? On this? I followed a few of the modifications I could at hand right now.
Btw awesome video!
Josue Rodriguez Hey man! The cloudiness might be due to a number of things, your hardscape might be the culprit. Do you have substrate or any plants? I would do a 30-50% water change for now.
@@Pharmaquatics will try that! Thanks!
I have had this tank for a few years and everything was fine until the plastic elbow connecting the pump to the output flow just cracked. Common issue btw. Now the filter is useless and the whole tank too. They don’t have a replacement in stock. Putting a sponge filter in such a small tank is not an option for me, it’s going to look ugly. I wonder if someone here knows a pump that can fit in this tank or any other filter solution. I’ve ordered a fluval nano filter but haven’t tried it. And I don’t really like putting it inside the tank when the whole filter compartment area would stay useless.
And also I bought the fluval nano light for this tank which is great, grows plants, programmable through the phone and etc. The only con is that it’s currently more expensive than the tank itself:)
new sub great vid!
appreciate it Julian!! welcome
So I got new natural substrate that doesn’t change water parameters, it’s a mix of some natty black lava rock and fluorite dark seems much better than the last substrate which did seem to leach oils. But I’m still seeing a film on top... again I have this same setup you have in the video I’m thinking it’s the stock pump
how's the surface agitation in your tank? one downside of decreasing flow is the risk of film build up. not a deal breaker for me though, as i'd prefer film over flow for my betta
@@Pharmaquatics I have higher water flow than yours
I turned up the pump all the way after adding the black foam piece Since
It seemed to cut down the flow a lot
How often do you replace the quilt batting?
Hey! Loving your videos - question, I set the filter floss up just like you have it, but everytime I switch it out, all the pink sediment/junk gets into the water everywhere from the "shake up" of removing/adding back in the filter. Is this normal? Thank you!
thanks Diana! glad theyre helpful. this is normal, it’s similar to when people clean out their sponge filters. having some debris break off is unavoidable but insignificant in the grand scheme of things. wouldnt worry too much about it.
Do you change out filter sponges or just clean them? How often do you clean them or switch them out? How do you clean them?
i never change it out, i just squeeze it in some of the water im suctioning out to take out the detritus stuck in there during every water change
@@Pharmaquatics Thank you!
Could you put neon tetra with a betta fish in this tank just wondering been looking at getting a betta fish and I know you can house them together just wondering if you could in this type of tank
I'm late but do I just put normal water in the Aquarium??
Hi. Is it okay that my quilt batting and bio sponge were thicker than in the video? It fit in the cartridge where the chemical filtration was. I was just concerned if the thickness will hinder the filtration. Thanks.
Thank you so much for the great video! I was wondering can you post a updated link to the filter floss stuff? I ordered it in the mail and its the wrong thing, I cant seem to figure it out, thanks!
3 week delay so i'm sure you've found it already lol but just in case: geni.us/HWB3Po
I don't know if you get to read comments this video is several years old. With regard to the filtration. I have a GloTank (3 Gallon) that looks very much like the tank you have. It uses the same output and the filter cartridge. Would I be able to do the same thing you did with wrapping the black sponge with the quilt batting and adding ceramic media ?
yes! glofish and marineland use the same manufacturer i presume
@@Pharmaquatics Thank you!
Regarding your light timer, is there a way to get it to cycle through the moon/day phases or is it just on or off? Just curious how yours is set up.
unfortunately not - it's just either on or off by cutting the circuit
7:18 I did the diamond cuts and water won't go all the way up. I think what you did might work better.
holes might be too big. i would just wrap that section with a thick rubber band to patch it up and shoot for a smaller hole!
Same here. I definitely cut the holes too big. I may drill once I get my new tube. I don’t fully understand the diamond cut which is what I tried
Have you ever removed the back plastic divider to open the tank to get more display area?
check my recent vid on modifying this for shrimp 😉
Thank you 🙏 love the channel man
Do you have an aquarium setup 101 video for new Betta owners who know nothing about aquariums?
ua-cam.com/video/METU17I5FYQ/v-deo.html this should help!
@@Pharmaquatics thanks
How often should filter floss be swapped out and does the sponge get rinsed should it be with the water change along with bio media
i change the filter floss whenever it's visibly dirty. maybe once every 1-2 months? you never should replace biomedia, maybe a rinse here and there to remove the malm but be sure to use tank water not tap water
What size drill bit did you use?