10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying a 75 Gallon Aquarium

This video covers ten not so obvious things we learned, some the hard way, about owning a 75 gallon aquarium.
Contents of this video:
0:00 - Intro
0:41 - 1. Rinse any non-living items first
1:23 - 2. Fill filter's tank with water
1:51 - 3. Buy good tools
3:00 - 4. Buy a nice light bar
3:13 - 5. Buy algae cleaner
3:46 - 6. Buy aquarium salt
4:11 - 7. Angelfish and the Devil's tango
4:35 - 8. Water temp stability during changes
5:21 - 9. Clean hose every now and then
5:38 - 10. Buy an automatic fish feeder
6:00 - Thanks! :)
Corrections and updates based on comments:
Paraphrasing a common refrain from @kaitshea7620, @yawg333, @shredman59, @mikecatalano4987, and several others - "Don't use regular tap water to clean the filter media. It can kill the beneficial bacteria they contain and possibly lead to crashing your nitrogen cycle." I should have mentioned that my home has a whole home water filter which filters our things like chlorine and chloramine. I apologize for not mentioning that in the video. The footage of me rinsing out the filter media and cleaning the filter casing under the kitchen tap is a bit misleading without this information.
From @acemcgillicutty4420 - "First, I would recommend a filter with the pump in the water so you don't have to prime it. This will allow the pump to restart itself in case of power outage. Second, you can clean your filter media but do not use tap water out of the faucet. Use a bucket of de-chlorinated water so you don't kill your beneficial bacteria and unbalance the tank. A side note, I have multiple tanks setup for years without doing water changes (just top offs) with little scrapping. Just use a good substrate, real plants, don't overstock and don't overfeed."
From @nadlerg - "You could add more live plants. They will use the nutrients otherwise available for the algae. Hence less algae. Don't be too diligent cleaning the filter media. They house essential bacteria transforming toxic fish waste into less harmful plant nutrients. Hence way more biological stability and happier, healthier fish."
From @nedstevens2779 - "Bottom feeders and algae eaters really help ease the need for cleaning so often."
From @justpostin123 - "I guess one thing Id say, is to invest in a quarantine tank - it can even be a food grade tote for budget (just ensure that the size is appropriate for the fish) since aquarium salt and other medications can affect cycle as well as plants - also other fish that aren't sick."
From @grayaquatics852 - "With a tank that's as long as 48 inches, you should really have a HOB (hang on back filter) on each side. Helps prevent dead spots!"
From @luiscarlosherreramarroquin2065 - "Write on the top of your filter when and how did you set it, specially canisters, that's how you are going to know when to clean them correctly."
A few useful links, some mentioned in the video, are below:
20 Things you should never put in your fish tank:
fishtanksavvy.com/things-you-...
How to Clean New Aquarium Substrate (Sand/Gravel)
• How to Clean New Aquar...
What to do when your angelfish lay eggs!
• What to do when your a...
How to clean aquarium hoses
• How To Clean Filter T...
7 Reasons why your fish tank has bubbles:
• 7 Reasons Why Your Fis...
How to clean up an old aquarium:
• How to Clean up an Old...
Funky angelfish procreation music
• Cheesy Porn Music
This one isn't covered in the video but it covers an important topic every aquarium owner should know - how to lower ammonia in your fish tank
www.aquariadise.com/how-to-lo...

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Please read this before you leave a comment. Yes, I know about live plants and the benefits they provide. Yes, I know about Father Fish. Yes, I understand one shouldn’t clean filter media, especially not with tap water. That said, we don’t like the look of an aquarium with live plants. It’s a personal preference. You do you, we do us. We also have a whole home water filtration system that filters out chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, and all that junk. This wasn’t explicitly stated in the video and for that I apologize. As for killing beneficial bacteria, there is a HUGE amount of beneficial bacteria in the tank aside from the filter. As far as the worries about the tank’s nitrogen cycle crashing, these are caused by ammonia spikes. There are links below but a few leading causes of ammonia spikes, in no particular order are as follows: * Overfeeding the fish. I put this in the category of “obvious” things I didn’t cover in the video, right up there with not putting beta fish in with your tetras. For us, we have two feather fin catfish. They eat EVERYTHING, so it’s nearly impossible to overfeed, but we don’t anyway. * Overstocking the tank. Again, obvious. * Leaving dead fish in the tank. Is this really an issue for folks? Gross. * Not having a biofilter, or overcleaning it. I usually rinse it, but may stop doing that. * Having an excessively dirty tank (meaning too much poop left in the substrate). As shown in the video, we clean the substrate via suction. In reality we do it in sections, a quarter of the floor one cleaning, then a different quarter the next, so it takes a few weeks to get to each part of the substrate, but it all gets cleaned on a fairly regular basis. We also perform water changes (a quarter of the tank or so) every week or two which helps cut down on the concentration of ammonia in the water. * Fish breathing. There’s not much one can do about this one. The fish need to breathe. * No chemicals added that can kill the bacteria in the biofilter. Again, our water is filtered. No chlorine, chromium, heavy metals, etc. www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Recreation-and-Leisure/Aquarium-Fish/Aquarium-Water-Quality-Nitrogen-Cycle www.aquariadise.com/how-to-lower-ammonia-in-fish-tank fishlab.com/ammonia-levels/ So if you still want to leave a comment, that’s fine. Just be respectful. Please frame it as something you prefer, or something that works for you, or something that is good to know in addition to all this (like labeling the filter with the last time you made a change), or something else beneficial to future readers. Else, don’t be surprised if your comment gets deleted when you just say the same thing ten others have said. Instead of commenting in this case, just leave a like on one or several of those other comments. Thanks.

[@johncameron4194]

Have you thought about plants on top of the tank? Like pothos, lucky bamboo, wandering Jew, or peace lily.

[@TheBettaChannel]

Something I wish I knew before buying a 10gallon is that it's an addiction and now I have five tanks in my bedroom. Edit and I now I have 7 tanks should probably Go to aquarium rehab.

[@rhondamadgirl]

Lol, yep. After my husband died, I was depressed in bed for about 5 months. I decided I needed a hobby. I started with a ten, then very quickly two twenties, then a 55 when I discovered the beautiful and interesting bichirs, then a 75. I’ll have to have a 220 if I keep them all. My family just watches in amazement, I think. But it makes me very happy watching and feeding them!

[@curbwhiz2010]

I went to buy a 20 long to feed my lizard in.... Came home with 10 tanks.... 435 gallons in total.... They are all operating now 3 month later and I don't think I'm done...😔

[@vexlegend313]

Don’t start saltwater

[@jamesmontez691]

I started with a 10 gallon then 29 and today I just set up my new 50 long 💀 very happy

[@hooktonfonniks]

I set my 75-gallon tank up to suit my laziness. Haven't done a water change in well over a year; just top off the water because of loss to evaporation. Feed the fish three times a week. Scrub a little bit of excess algae off the viewing panes maybe once every six weeks. Did this by creating a piece of nature (dirt and sand as the substrate to grow real plants) in my aquarium. It was a deliberate choice to invest the time/resources in that setup. Artificial decor is incompatible with my laziness. 😅

[@zanax210]

Good job. I have a 29g planted tank with potting soil and it's gone 2 years without a change

[@valleymykel-mq7gw]

Yep, natural I'd the way to go. People are afraid of nature these days lmao

[@PeteQuad]

It's not that they're afraid, it's just all they're told by the pet shops.

[@acemcgillicutty4420]

Thanks for the video. A couple of notes. First, I would recommend a filter with the pump in the water so you don't have to prime it. This will allow the pump to restart itself in case of power outage. Second, you can clean your filter media but do not use tap water out of the faucet. Use a bucket of de-chlorinated water so you don't kill your beneficial bacteria and unbalance the tank. A side note, I have multiple tanks setup for years without doing water changes (just top offs) with little scrapping. Just use a good substrate, real plants, don't overstock and don't overfeed.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Very good advice! Thank you! 😊

[@BobBombadil]

@@DadWhoKnowsThings Lighting is also important. If your lights are either too powerful or on for too long (or both) you will always have algae. I have no virtually no algae in any of my tanks and I primarily contribute that to carefully balancing the lighting level/duration with the bioload (amount of fish waste and uneaten food) and the plants.

[@st8pl8guy]

@@BobBombadil I have my lights on a timer, no more than 8 hours on per day. And in 6 years I have never had to scrape the glass because of algae. It's all about balance.

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

"First, I would recommend a filter with the pump in the water" I had 1 & it had a broken wire & fried all my fish so I wouldn't recommend that. I got 2 hob that's rated for a 100 gal tank for my 75 1 on each end & it keeps the tank debris free & well circulated for the fish & plant's.

[@natsrealityb100]

I clean my media same way just in a bucket of cold water it doesn’t kill so much

[@inteligentmonkey1]

scrubbing and cleaning filter media like this is killing off any beneficial bacteria you have created in the tank, not recommended.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Good to know. Thanks!

[@MalluOz]

you should clean those with aquarium water

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

@MalluOz yep, lesson learned through the other comments and watching a couple of videos about it. Good to know. Cheers!

[@AznKevin]

Rinsing your filter media and sponges with tap water is okay. There will be some bacteria dying off but nothing so major that the tank system collapses. Been doing it for years and have had no issues.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Hey @kevinmoua4525 - I'm in the same boat but everyone here says it's incorrect. I'm wondering if I'm getting away with it because I have a whole home water filter so the water coming out of my tap isn't really "tap water". It has all already passed through a carbon filter. Maybe you're in the same boat? If so, this would be noteworthy.

[@galiliq6332]

Thank you for providing these tips. I liked the way you presented the topic and its simplicity. Greetings to you from KSA.

[@ReignRapid]

I may be wrong in how i do mine, but I have never had to clean my tank once a week, infact I used to clean it every two weeks and the pet shopper told me to stop because it was to clean for good bacteria to grow. I only do water changes once in a while. But looking at your tank I believe this is because mine is made as a eco system where yours looks to be for appreciating the fish more. Thanks for the tips :)

[@psuryava]

Agree cleaning inside f tank should be needed only once every two weeks. If the glass is getting murky every week then that means there is not enough filtration media available for them to colonize. Also, the glass can get murky due to algae which is a function of nutrients in the water and the light exposure you are providing. More frequent water changes are necessary and also reduce the number of hours with light.

[@mikefrost1312]

Your fish will show you when the water NEEDS to be changed ! I have tanks that are rarely ever touched at all.. other than topping off evaporation about every other week. Tanks are completely loaded with plants, deep sand & I don't over feed the fish. And most of my tanks only have a sponge or 2 in them for water movement

[@ReignRapid]

@@mikefrost1312 yeah I agree, if the water ever looked suspicious or a fish seemed ill ill change water other wise it was mostly topping up the water, the fish I chose plus the heavy planting etc makes fish keeping alot nicer haha

[@djs2356]

Fantastic advice!!! thanks for posting!

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!

[@syrinequetzal]

I've never had to clean algae off my tank, I suggest to anyone who doesnt want to hassle themselves with it to get algae eaters, like Mollies, Guppies, plecos, etc. They will help clean the tank for you, and they're pretty

[@achair971]

i absolutely LOVE my mollies (the lyretails being my favorites,) and my pleco too! i actually just got another schooling of mollies for my second 30gal tank (had a white algae bloom, manageable but aesthetically meh and made things somewhat cloudy) mollies are such wonderful cleaners along with cory catfish - my pleco feels like a celebrity in my community tank

[@bubblerings]

Yes!!! ... And if you still have an algae flare up or green water, try a Test kit... Experienced hobbyists will prefer that to an algae killer... Time will teach.

[@PeteQuad]

Plants and snails.

[@pulsedp]

A lot of really great advice in the comment section. Thanks for posting your experience. A lot of research and experience goes into keeping a healthy aquatic ecosystem. It’s important that people read info ask questions and watch many videos on the same subject. A 75 gal is certainly not a beginner tank but oddly enough if you equip and stock it right, it can be easier to maintain than a 10 Gallon. Some parts of your video cracked me up because I’ve been there like the sick fish salt thing. Then I learned to start testing my water parameters and working out why the fish was sick in the first place. Everyone has their own journey. I have a generous amount of healthy algae but at the moment I am dealing with a blue/green algae outbreak and while I know too much light can cause algae, if I hadn’t researched further I wouldn’t realised that for this algae (Cyanobacteria) you need to look at the colour of the light you are using. This particular algae requires a light spectrum adjustment. Thanks for sharing your experience. It would be great to see an update to this as you rethink or improve on some of your solutions.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Good idea! Maybe a 2 year update. 😀

[@Killoer]

As someone who learned the hard way, how much gallons a common goldfish (let alone 2) will need - I understood that in the future I am going to need a bigger one. Due to lack of space where I want the tank, I decided 65 gallon is the way to go; but will definitely use these tips when setting one up. I guess one thing Id say, is to invest in a quarantine tank - it can even be a food grade tote for budget (just ensure that the size is appropriate for the fish) since aquarium salt and other medications can affect cycle as well as plants - also other fish that aren't sick. Fishkeeping in general is a lot of knowledge and learning - but it is definitely worth doing research - like this very one~

[@mikefrost1312]

People make fish keeping WAY harder than it needs to be.. just use a good deep sand bed, LOAD the tank with live plants, never use fake! They're useless.. toss a heater & sponge filter in the tank, light & leave it alone ! Of course, a couple fish at first too until the tanks established enough for more.. change & top off as needed & shouldn't need to do anything else 🤷

[@Stretch213]

I just got like squeezed into accepting a 65 aquarium. So in gonna do my best. These videos are helping me plan what the heck I'm gonna do with it

[@nadlerg]

Hey! Great tank! And thanks for your content! You could ad more live plants. They will use the nutrients otherwise available for the algae. Hence less algea. Don't be too diligent cleaning the filter media. They house essential bacterias transforming toxic fish waste into less harmfull plant nutrients. Hence way more biological stability and happier, healthier fish. Very helpfull content for people entering the hobby having trouble seasonning their tanks.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Thanks you so much, and thanks for the tips for using natural plants and going a little lighter when cleaning of the filter media. Cheers! :)

[@JohnSmith-sz8qq]

Super helpful!

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Thank you so much for the kind words! 😊

[@crashh9270]

While your doing a water change save a bucket of water from the tank amd squeeze any sponges you have in there to clean them. Buy a master test kit or test strips and follow the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels. Can save a lot of unnecessary water changes. I change 25% every 2 weeks for peace of mind and to promote breeding but my tanks are established and probably wouldn’t need a water change for 8months to a year at this stage.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Good tips!

[@midnull6009]

Also, don't just dump the water into the sink use it on your garden/plants. It's free fertilizer. :D

[@ditch6389]

Love your feather fin catfish. Just had my feather fin pass away on me. He was 25 years old.

[@brgonzalez711]

Thank you 😊

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

You're welcome 😊

[@mikesmith-wk7vy]

Roseline sharks are some of my fav , im looking for some good ones for my new 210 gal tank

[@Pondandgardensanctuary]

one thing that I learned is that it's often a good idea to vary the food for the aquarium. Thanks for the video. A couple of notes. First

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

First...

[@johncameron4194]

Nice tank!

[@dominickvp70]

To not do water changes every week not even every month I haven’t changed my aquarium water in two years as the water evaporates I add new water::: I check my water weekly, pH ammonia, etc. it’s always excellent let the system run itself

[@j.t.cooper2963]

You still need to do regular water changes to replenish the minerals that the fish require.

[@aquariumcockpit9949]

Put your lights on an automatic timer set up between six and eight hours Maxximum per day. That will help with algae tremendously. Also, don’t run blue lights at night. Blue lights, promote algae.

[@luiscarlosherreramarroquin2065]

Another tip, write on the top of your filter when and how did you set it, specially canisters, thats how you are going to know when to clean them correctly

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Good tip! 👍

[@grayaquatics852]

Also, I don't know if its been noted already or not... But with a tank thats as long as 48 inches, you should really have a HOB on each side. I have a 33 long which is also 48 inches and run two Seachem Tidal 35 filters, one on each side. Helps prevent dead spots! Beyond that, good video. I like 75 gallon tanks, but never really wanted to deal with the time and commitment of dealing with such a large tank. Thats why I prefer my tanks 40 gallons and under.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Good tip!

[@artofdisguy3401]

Under gravel filtration on large tanks is best, all my 55 gals and large use under gravel with a HOB tagteaming both of the best bacteria grow, anoxic and aerobic

[@mikecatalano4987]

Great video! I wouldn't suggest cleaning the filter like it was shown in the video though. The sponges most definitely clean with tap water but the beneficial bacterial on the media is needed to keep the tanks cycle. If you wash that off the tank could crash and kill everything in your tank

[@bubblerings]

He has a whole house system for zero chlorine... Cha-ching!!

[@rick6582CNCMedicalParts]

90 gallon 25 Tiger barbs tank ..good video

[@2869may]

40+ years in the hobby... I can get the water temp very close just by feel... ;)

[@KyoyaTategamiLEO]

I wished my parent bought me a 75 gallon (they complain it’s too big lol). But great informative video that I agree with

[@GiversWish]

I have a 40 gallon tank, lots of live plants, 3 bubble filters. I do a 50% water change every 2-3 months, I have very little algae. Never have a problem

[@midnull6009]

...these are the things you need before buying any kind of aquarium. Except with a few things you could do w/out like: aquarium salt, algae cleaner, automatic fish feeder (unless you're going on a long vacation).

[@josemontalvo4532]

To control Algae growth, you should use Diana Walstad’s method of Siesta period to control algae. Plants can have a Siesta of steady light for a few hours, whereas Algae needs a steady stream of light to grow. The “Ecology of the Planted Aquarium,” by Diana Walstad explains it in detail why you should break up your photo period. I had that same HOB filter as you for many years. The Tidal 110 by Seachem is a way better filter. This HOB is years ahead of the you are now using. Actually a Oase Canister Filter is even better than any HOB on the market. I’ve been where you are in the time of your video. Fish, shrimps, and snail will help to control algae.

[@matei2393]

Nice video

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Thanks

[@prettyshadesofme1508]

thanks

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

You're welcome!

[@musiconvinylisbetter.1449]

When a tank is in balance, wich can take a long time, you hardly get any algea. I always fill my tank with slightly colder water when I change water. Add different snails and shrimps as a cleaning crew. Leave your tank alone instead of changing a lot of things.

[@StraightothePointNews]

I have a 75 gallon with like 30+ African cichlids and do water changes/filter cleaning bi/tri weekly. I will say it took a few months of weekly cycling before the water finally stabilized now I only have issues if I loose a fish to my strong ass filter intake that’s not covered

[@dewaanu]

nice video. but dont wash the filter media using tap water. better to use some from the water change. this way you're keeping the benefical bacteria alive.

[@user-yb8bw1xc4m]

Y’all should try snails, I think they are pretty and they help eat algae and they are neat to look for.

[@omaeve]

I prefer a heavily planted tank to take up the nitrates or floaters on top of also take up nitrates like duck weed or red root floaters they can provide shade. It would end of the tank. I try not to let mine cover the entire top of the tank.

[@MrRobDale]

Where did you get the tree in the middle?

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

aqach.com/

[@robertmajka9]

I never wash filter material with chlorinated tap water. I clean the filter parts in a bucket of aquarium water that had been removed during partial water change.

[@JNC1973]

I guess I lucked out somehow when it comes to my tank getting Algae. Mine just never ever gets any at all. But it could have something to do with the 2 14'' inch long Pletcos I got. Those things are Beasts! Just wish they didn't poop so much. Long brown strings clogging up the filter intakes.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

🤣

[@jacobsakulsky114]

in theory i’d love to have a 75 gallon tank but after watching this and all the work that goes into it i will never do all that up keep so i best not get one lol

[@sombrerofish47B2]

Love the stocking, what are those catfish also you should probs get some more red rainbow fish

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Feather fin catfish I think

[@steven123cactie]

Not many people make good videos regarding fish tanks but this was perfect

[@cichlid132000]

Ancistrus or bristlenose catfish will take care of most of the algae, you would need 2-3 of them to start.

[@kerrycooke7402]

I do water change and any maintenance near the first of the month. Then I keep it small about 20%. I top off mid month. My tanks are heavily planted and lightly stocked. Don’t use algae cleaner treat the cause of your algae. Just my 2 cents

[@TheCelestialFox]

Idk why I started smiling when I saw the kid screaming in the rollercoaster, that’s a common reaction from me when I hear anybody scream on a rollercoaster, and I’m not the one screaming, it’s other people.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

We freaked out like that ... on the inside. 😀

[@geoffmackay6947]

I’ve seen multiple comments saying not to clean filter media with tap water when in fact it’s completely ok to do so.

[@dorothyh4119]

I have a 10 gallon now, when I change the water I fill a bucket and add conditioner before adding it to the tank. Is it okay to add tap water straight to the tank and add conditioner after?

[@AgxntOrange]

Yes but if you’re in the routine of adding it to the bucket I would stick with that. Easy to forget to add it to the tank afterwords, if you haven’t been doing it that way the whole time. With a 10 gallon you’re only using one bucket for a 50% change and the water left in the tank has already been treated 🤷‍♂️

[@kelcritcarroll]

It does say on every bag of gravel to rinse it off beoe adding to tank!

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Yep. Lesson learned.

[@Gamer-of8cc]

What kind of heater do you use

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

www.amazon.com/dp/B08GFZD32M

[@TwoK24]

Epic

[@alt7244]

As for an algea cleaner for a 75 gal, about 5 nerite snails. They will scrub every inch of your tank, and they will go on your filter outflow and leve when every piece of algea is gone... they won't breed in fresh water so no worries about population control

[@AgxntOrange]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX-Yd2unbMZ5fckfeature=shared You’re okay to clean your filter media with tap water as long as it’s room temperature. This guy is about as credentialed as fish keepers get and I trust him as a source. As for the algae, barring the use of live plants you could try adjusting the intensity, height or duration of the lighting and probably save some money on product and electricity. If you wanted to help buffer your water to prevent PH drops or sudden ammonia spikes you could also try adding some crushed coral, basically looks like a rock and requires no extra maintenance, besides going over it with a gravel vac like you would the rest of the substrate anyways

[@abundis101]

What type of sharks are those I have the same kind but forgot their name. Are they Apollo?

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

I believe they are feather fin catfish

[@artofdisguy3401]

Live plants in your tank takes care of algae build up, adding a few Amano and neocardine shrimp as clean up crew, a kuli loach, or two or three Cory cats. Chemicals added only urt your natural filtration system killing off good bacteria,, reduce light intensity and feeding to control algae with out Chemicals and the right clean up crew

[@JohnDoe-xq8sk]

Tip lots of times for sick fish you need Epsom salt as aquarium salt will have the opposite desired affects like l taking in water as opposed to expelling it and parasites.

[@az_street_walker4181]

I own 2 55s and a 10 and I’ve always used buckets from the shower and let me tell you I’m TIRED I need that water hose adapter because this back is only gonna get older

[@mattphillips3889]

I would just note the algea on surfaces issue can GREATLY be reduced by a few Molly or Play fish. These little guys just gobble that crap up. Or some other small bottom guys like loaches or the like.

[@AzraelThanatos]

One thing that I learned is that it's often a good idea to vary the food for the aquarium while still covering the bases for what you have. There are a lot of options without going for more premium ones, and even then some of the premium options are good on occasion.

[@Edgar-gx6yn]

Father Fish says otherwise

[@anesvick]

As far as filters, just buy Seachem Tidal filters, no priming required, and easier to clean than any other filter made due to the basket they have. Also, NO ALGAE CLEANER! It kills fish. Get a UV pump filter combo, best thing ever for Algae. For water temp, get one of those quick read digital meat thermometers, works great to check the temp during water changes.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Interesting idea on the meat thermometer! 👍

[@usernameisusername]

is there a brand of uv pump filter combo you like? and so you would use this in addition to the main seachem filter?

[@HindiRapGuru]

A very important video for any fish hobby enthusiast, like me! Thank you, sir!

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Thank you! 😊

[@woulphe7396]

I feel like the rate at which you clean your tank is entirely dependant on several factors. Sometimes its best to actually NOT clean the tank.

[@6anonymous9.]

No need to water change once or twice or more a month if you have better plants to do it. No need to do heavy maintenance one a month if it is hugely bioactive tank. P.S , i only do once a year 50% water change, and that only for just in case basis.

[@cyborgbadger1015]

i do small 15% water change every couple of weeks. just to keep the mineral content up really as the nitrates are stable. people like to overcomplicate things.i could probably go several months tbh but i like to do a small water change fish seem to like it.

[@sircompy5386]

what about sand? do i need to wash that?

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

It couldn't hurt

[@LilPinkPoodle7]

I also don't like the maintenance of live water plants in my aquarium. I'd prefer not to be an aqua gardener lol. I have learned from the experts that just resting a pothos plant on top of the tank lid with is roots dangling in the water is all I need to not have to do weekly water changes. ❤

[@weathergirl369cloud]

why are you using tap water to clean valuable bio from filters? rinse it in removed tank water

[@huldu]

Algae on glass is something actually very good. There are plenty of fish that absolutely love eating it. You avoid the traps like the chinese algae eater and you'll be fine. The second tip is FILL the tank with plants and I literally mean it, living plants not plastic crap. Plants aren't just decoration they play a vital role in the tank the more the better. Just by having enough plants in the tank will solve the algae problem and they'll deal with the fish waste. Having a couple of plants just doesn't cut it. The substrate should be fairly deep, which is a common mistake a lot of people make. Sand is *amazing* on top of some actual substrate(plenty of options). It basically creates a filter function in the tank hence you want it somewhat deep and the plants will love it.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

This is good stuff. Thanks! That said, I wouldn't call plastic plants "crap". Real vs artificial is really just a matter of preference. There are pros and cons either way. Cheers! www.thesprucepets.com/real-or-artificial-aquarium-plants-1378702

[@billybobbarker3175]

75 gal tank + algae = bristlenose pleco, perhaps two of them. The bristlenose variety stay smaller in the 4”-5” size. Perfect for your tank. Problem solved. I almost never clean my tank due to algae. Filter rinse at 3 weeks. But rarely/never have to be cleaning algae. Thanks Pleco! And my tank sits near window in direct sunlight where the bloom would otherwise get out of control within days. Strongly suggest to stop using the algae killer. The chemicals are hard on the fish too. Instead get one or two Plecos (of smaller size, careful as some can get huge), and toss in 4 apple snails for fun. Voila, tank cleaning effort for algae goes to zero.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Thanks for the info!

[@jamesa7506]

How come you don't fill the tank to at least the bottom edge of the plastic frame? You're missing out on at least 3-5 gallons of water and will eventually get water lines on the inside of your tank. Beautiful tank nonetheless! Happy fish keeping. 🐟

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

My son says he likes it that way. 😊

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

He elaborated to say the last time he did a couple of tetras jumped out. So now he keeps the water level a bit lower.

[@johnny33321]

you shouldnt clean the bio media its meant to hold all the healthy bacteria for your tank. awesome tank by the way. ever thought about moving into to a canister filter?

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Yep, I discussed that a bit in the pinned comment since everyone in the world had a bit to say about the bio media and filter, and many, many were not nearly as nice as yours. In fact, most were downright rude with nothing positive or constructive to say, just, well, they seemed to be merely venting at this dad on the internet. Maybe they have daddy issues? I don't know, but I deleted those (dozens of them) as I do any comment that's not constructive. Your comment is a great one. You point out the bio media issue and ask about moving to a cannister filter. Anyone reading it, new to aquariums, would be served well by reading your comment. They may not have even known about cannister filters and so they could google them, pros and cons versus HOB filters, and so on. Same for the filter media. You, my friend, are a good commenter. Thank you! I wish there were more like you in this world. Alas, among the aquarium community, you are a rare jewel which is why I won't be making any further aquarium videos. There are simply too many jerks in the aquarium community. Not all, just many. So back to your question, see my pinned comment for the bio media. No on the cannister filter. Maybe when our HOB breaks down or something we'll look into other options, including cannisters, but so far the HOB is working well for us. Thanks again. Cheers!

[@civilexpo7974]

I just found and watched your video. Very sad to read your comment that you want to stop creating aquarium content. Yes, the community of freshwater fish can be harsh sometimes, so allow me to give my opinion. Most commenters here don't mean any harm, their point is: 1. Reduce energy and time for maintenance such as changing water, cleaning glass with planting live plants and allowing biological filters to become home for beneficial bacteria. That's all, only one point and I think we can interpret all comments with good intentions, everyone including you loves fish and no one has bad intentions with our fish. We just want our fish thriving. And here is my opinion about keeping aquarium: 1. This is a hobby, our hobby. We have our own preference and as long as it works for us and we enjoy doing it, we can do almost anything with our aquarium. For example, if you don't mind cleaning your aquarium even daily, just do it. It can also be a father-son activity. Again from my opinion before, people here just want to help us getting less maintenance. For years our parents do cleaning by taking all the fish to the temporary bucket and scrub the aquarium, and this is what nowadays we think unnecessary. It works for millions of people on earth for years, so again if you don't mind doing that, do it. 2. No, you do not need another filter. Overkill your filtration will not have bad things happen, but from your video your hang on back filter is enough. Yes, you need to fill hang on back filter with water (all types of hang on back), or you can let the water level higher than the pump so it still can pull the water when the electricity shut down and you are not home. 3. Yes I also think that you don't need to wash your media thoroughly. Keep the aquarium clean by letting your filter dirty, that's its job. But again, I know that some people can't hold back seeing dirty stuff. If you don't mind just let the filter dirty until it clog the water flow. When the output flow is starting to disturbed, it is time to clean it lightly. As long as the water flow still perfect, just let it be. This is only my opinion tho. 4. And no, you do not need to have live plants at all. It helps yes, but it is not a must. You also do not need any chemical at all also, the only chemical you need is dechlorinator which you explained that your tap water is already have. Beneficial bacteria will grow by itself, the cloudiness will gone by itself, we just need to be patience until the aquarium have its balance. 5. And with no live plants, you also do not need to have lights all the time. Just turn it on when you want it, and turn it off so it doesn't feed algae. For me, bumblebee horned nerite snail (they don't leave eggs and cant breed in freshwater) are very beautiful algae eater for glass and amano for the substrate. 6. You can decor your aquarium with anything you want. I mean, ANYTHING. There is nothing wrong with it, and never will be. And lastly I want to explain why I said you can do anything you want with your aquarium, it is not just because it is your aquarium and preference matter, but also because: 1. You have big enough aquarium 2. You have all the tools that needed to make the system works 3. You do not overstock the fish AT ALL 4. You do not overfeed them In my opinion, you really really really do the job done very well. And because the last 4 points, you have a certain degree of freedom to clean your aquarium all you want. Please don't be discouraged by the comments, do what makes you happy and continue to enjoy your aquarium. That's the most important thing in this hobby, enjoying our aquarium and share the happiness with your love one. God bless!

[@johnnguyen409]

Na na na just cause it’s big doesn’t require weekly change if it’s big ad a huge canister filter or plant it with plants with fish that get along with plants or do a planted aquarium so it can clean/take care of itself

[@noahgarcia9408]

I have two filters on my 75 gallon

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

What kind?

[@yuliyankolev7672]

Washing the filter with a tap water? Oh, god!

[@joevasquez1776]

Don't build things out of wood . If it expands and stretches your tank the tank will crack if brake seems.

[@eric31shaggs]

Number 8 is not true. You don't want to put hot water in the tank during a water change. But I have never worried about what temp the water is when refilling. I just have my tap set to cold. Yes the temp in the tank will drop a little but the heater should fix that in no time at all. I have never had a problem with doing this.

[@michelrood2966]

Dont put decorations like the driftwood dead in the middle, it divides the tank in two and takes away all illusion of depth.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Where would you put it? I'm just curious.

[@aquariumcockpit9949]

If you’re going on vacation for less than a week, do not feed your fish at all. It’s good to fast them occasionally… automatic feeders, just dump, unnecessary food into the water. It’s better to have clean healthy water than overfed fish.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Perhaps, but with a good fish feeder you can set when it goes off and how much it dispenses each time. So you could do just one feeding per day and not much dispensed at each feeding. I've never gone without feeding them though. Interesting thought though on not feeding them for a few days. I never considered that. Thanks!

[@AzraelThanatos]

Part of that depends upon the specifics of the fish and what else is in the tank. Not doing regular feeding can screw up some training with fish such as koi where that's part of the thing there. If you have one of the frogs in your tank, they also need to be fed more often than that.

[@mattbane5319]

You need to watch some Father Fish videos

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

He definitely looks interesting. I'll check him out. Thanks! 😊

[@randomtube8226]

Don't forget about the concerning and nerve wrecking tank bow. Nobody told me how much was normal. Let me tell you it ended in a disaster.

[@mihaitastoicoci7255]

1. Treat the tap water with solution or simply use a cheap 2 step filter mechanical and chemical (carbon) 2. Never wash filter media with tap water , you'll kill all the beneficial bacteria in there.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

@kalevi9192 left a comment he now deleted I think where he pointed out that the temperature of the water in cleaning filter media is more important than tap vs not tap. The amount of chlorine in tap water isn't enough to do much but higher temperature water can kill bacteria quickly. I probably should have noted that I have a whole home carbon based water filter, water from my tap isn't really "tap water". I'm wondering if that's why we haven't had issues using this filtered water when cleaning the filter each month. Thoughts?

[@mihaitastoicoci7255]

@@DadWhoKnowsThings Carbon filters are supposed to remove chlorine if the flow is within the specs of the filter. Yes if you own a PP membrane filter and Carbon filter big enough to ensure neutralization at max flow of the faucet you should be alright with that. Note to change the carbon every 6 months because once it reaches it absorbtion limits its useless. I made myself a cheap aquarium only RO system with inline filters as follows 1 PP membrane , 2 carbon filters and RO membrane that works with public system pressure and delivers 100 liters / day with a 50 gld membrane. Adding a pump would double the output but i only own a 200 liter aquarium. Because i use an external canister filter (e902) filled with pumice and lava stone that has been working for about 1 year with a sunsun 403A as a prefilter i do not get any ammonia and nitrite. The nitrates generated get absorbed by the plants and i'm left with healthy water. I only do a 10-20% water change to dilute the excess fertilizer if needs be , or i skip 1-2 days for that to fall within limits. Once the sponges in a prefilter/filter that is sized properly gets colonized with enough bacteria it won't get clogged that easily and even if mine does i'm always left with the bacteria in the main filter. The 902 went for a year in a 54 liter aquarium with 10 neons , 4 angelfish , 3 cory , 2 adult sae that would be called overstocked. I only did a 20% waterchange every 2 months and all fish are healthy and the angelfish even laid eggs 4 times there.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

@@mihaitastoicoci7255 Good info. Thanks!

[@oTnnnnn]

Get some floaters replace gravel with sand and get a bunch of amazon swords youll never have to water change again

[@kel12123]

Was shocked to see tap water rinsing and killing the beneficial bacteria.. no wonder you're doing water changes every week..

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

I should have been more clear in my video but we have a whole home water filter that filters out chorine, chloramine, heavy metals, etc.

[@Duckleet-Website]

Yeah, I haven’t changed water or cleaned anything in like eight months yeah father fish

[@edwardsdeacon]

🤔 algae is a result of too much light and over feeding your fish. And when dong a water change use aged water. Put the new water in a bucket and let it age for a day or two so it can get to room temperature and off gas itself.

[@josephdonnelly3169]

I clicked because of the 75 gallon, why was that the title of this video. Info on that wasn’t specific at all the 75 gallon

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

A previous commenter asked the same question a few weeks back. In short, because I can only speak to what we have experience with. Some advice may apply in other size tanks, like angel fish laying eggs, while other advice is more for larger tanks, like it being nice to have a longer suction hose for gravel cleanings. For all I know, much of the advice simply doesn't apply or should be radically tweaked for significantly smaller or larger tanks.

[@Bcf2128]

You don't need chemicals to fix algae and it isn't normal to have algae in your tank.

[@psuryava]

Why are you cleaning the insides of the filter pipes? Not a good idea unless it is choked for some reason. The stuff you are cleaning is bacteria that are cleaning the water. I have never cleaned any pipes and hoses from the inside.

[@Zach-if3qf]

your funny

[@Satisfyingtoday]

You just change water no matter what? Why would someone do that.

[@mauricematla8379]

Clearing every week or every other week.... Well no though it does depends on what type of fish You keep but overall NO not even close. Feeling an aquarium algea free or almost algea free is actually not that didicult

[@BobBombadil]

Yeah having to clean algae once or twice a week is a huge indication that the biological filtration is inadequate (so there is too much fish poop not getting broken down, feeding the algae when it should be feeding your beneficial bacteria and plants) or that the lighting is too bright/on for too long OR that the fish are being overfed. Or possibly all three. Aquariums are all about balance. Once you get the different aspects balanced out, you'll find that the aquarium mostly maintains itself. And believe it or not, a well balanced 75 gallon tank is actually easier to maintain than a 10 gallon; the more water you have in the system, the longer it takes for it to get fouled and have something dire happen like a sudden ammonia spike that kills your fish.

[@mauricematla8379]

@@BobBombadil I have literally been at it since my 5fth birthday and turner 44 5 day's ago... I know a larger water volume, up to a point, is easier to take care of. When you start getting into seriously giant tanks with huge fish though.... It could be the filter or rather the baccies it could Also simply be a shortage of 1 or more nutriënts. Holebi's als etc

[@JG.6768]

Doesn't sound like you really wanted to be a fish hobbyist from the start.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

What sane person does?

[@gouldschick101]

Regarding filtration you should never clean the entire contents all at once nor should you ever use tap water. you use fish tank water. the reason for this is the majority of your good bacteria resides in the filtration and media and you are killing too much of it cleaning it the way you showed, which results in ammonia spikes or nitrate spikes and a less healthy tank.

[@MELODYMUNRO]

You could be away on holidays for a week or 2 and NOT feed your fish - it wont hurt them.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

okfisher.com/how-long-can-angelfish-go-without-food/

[@shredman59]

I'd suggest not cleaning anything in your tank with tap water. The chlorine/chloramine will kill the beneficial bacteria. "Clean" is not great for your tank eco-system. Algae and bacteria are needed and cleaning everything (especially everything at the same time) can completely break your tanks natural cycle.

[@StevieB007]

yikes tap water to rinse out your filter media is a big no no!!

[@tktropicals4997]

Very basic knowledge for anyone. Folks just get a tank without researching first. That's why beginners always have issues if they have no clue what is involved. And give up.

[@DadWhoKnowsThings]

Very true but I have a slightly different take on it. We dove in, got the aquarium, and were forced to learn as much as possible about owning such a beast, and a large amount of that knowledge was gained *since* making this video via the comments of this video. It was my wife's idea to get the tank. I was hesitant since I knew nothing about maintaining an aquarium so I just wanted to dip my toe in by getting a smaller tank, but her philosophy on nearly all things in life is to just do it and figure it out as you go. It usually works out and all said, we're better off for it. This philosophy has provided us with a more interesting life than most with only one or three little mishaps that now make for good stories. So I say sometimes it's a good thing to not know much about something before taking it on. It adds some spice to the adventure. Cheers! 😊

[@JohnDoe-xq8sk]

Also auto fish feeders are not needed. If you're only gone a few days. Fish can generally be fine without eating for a week in the extreme case you have no other option. Auto feeders can fail and foul a tank with ammonia and you come back from vacation to a dead tank.