5 More Ways Science Makes a Better Fish Keeper!

[@1993KJD]

I'm a molecular biologist by profession and a novice fish keeper (~3yr into the hobby). Please keep these videos coming they are so helpful!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That’s so cool!

[@byz513]

Mas

[@williamwhite5993]

Good Day Jason, My Aqueon 40 breeder just started leaking. Thinking about getting another one or a Marineland 40breeder. If I go Marineland can a HOB Aqueon or a Fluval fit it if so what kind ? I don't like those rollers on the Marineland filters. Thnx

[@StephenP2003]

As a fishkeeper with a degree in English, I don't have much of a science background. I do, however, have a background in critical thinking, and I really appreciate your approach to the hobby and your way of educating over the years.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@elc2468]

Thanks for sharing your expertise, Jason. Especially your tip on hornwort out competing BBA, the bane of my existence.

[@soundpitchblack]

Currently having fish in quarantine following your observation only tip this time. They seem happier than other fish that I have quarantine and treated at the same time.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Good to hear

[@naegwut]

❤ I've saved so many fish by quarantining for four weeks, like you said!!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Good to hear!

[@TomFJC]

That patience one is key, and not always the easiest one. We've probably all learned it the hard way.

[@HapiPETSWM]

I’ll alway take advice from you! It’s more than your science which is excellent, but it’s your combined experience with that, which creates a blue print that you explain perfect! Nuance is not lost with this one so it’s nice to have a refresher. I quarantine my fish at my LFS because we exchange so often it’s easier to quarantine there and care here. And I had a weather loach, go through parasites, ich, columnaris; jump out get bit by a cat covered in hair. He spent about 3 months in quarantine to become healthy and was successfully added to my tank, he is about 12” long now and doing great, because the cat bit him we named him tasty and he lives it by eating everything he can! Just goes to show you need to prepared and have set ups ready for fish and sometimes time lines go longer than thought, great episodes and thanks for sharing! I try to tell people to avoid stress in the tank and that speaks to a lot depending. Stay happy and healthy my friend!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@KnorrAquatics]

I deeply envy your fish room. The two low boys are a dream of mine!! Hopefully in a couple years the housing market gets better so my family and I can finally buy a house and I can live the dream!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thanks you!

[@bigalbbq4597]

Great information! THANK YOU!

[@leedibiasio9229]

I love when you publish vids near swap time since I can watch them on the way and back! Good to see you Primetimer

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Too funny 😀

[@oliverslong2977]

thanks so much as a newbie this is hella important

[@snoopdogg734]

Thank you for listening to your subscribers, always appreciate the way you present scientific information, I bet your students appreciate it as well

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@kbbtt]

I am glad you asked for personal advice because I have something I really want to share which I think is not NEARLY popular enough for how amazing it is: Yeast/sugar DIY CO2. Let us zero in on this for a moment. Here is the prize if you manage to set it up correctly: - $20-$30 TOTAL starting cost (including ALL equipment AND ingredients). - Each reaction lasts 2+ months when setup correctly. So then, here is EXACTLY how to set it up correctly based on my personal experience and research: **Ingredients** (1) An empty regular 2-liter pop bottle. (2) 1-3 feet of regular airline tubing. (3) A regular CO2 diffuser + check valve. (4) Half a packet of regular yeast [OR] for a significant upgrade: champagne yeast off Amazon (5) 7-14 grams of regular gelatin (in either powder OR sheet form). (A $5 pack of gelatin from the grocery store is more than enough for a single reaction). (6) 250 grams (1 cup) of the cheapest regular sugar. **Equipment** (1) A regular drill [OR] something else to poke a bottle cap hole. (2) A regular stove. (3) A regular pot. (4) A regular faucet and sink. (5) A funnel (can be easily DIY'ed if needed). **Instructions - The Mixture** (These must be followed exactly) (1) Dissolve all 250 grams (1 cup) of sugar in a small pot of water on low heat. (2). If the gelatin is powdered, bloom it on COLD water by sprinkling it on the surface for 5 minutes. Once the gelatin is fully bloomed, make the water HOT (through a variety of methods) and stir the gelatin to fully dissolve it. Otherwise, if the gelatin is NOT powdered, simply dissolve it in cold water. (3) Pour all the SUGARED water into the 2-liter through the funnel. (4) NEXT, pour all the GELATIN water into the 2-liter through the funnel. (5) Activate A.K.A. "proof" the yeast in a small cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar (could take 15-20 minutes max). (6) Pour the ACTIVATED YEAST into the 2-liter through the funnel. **Instructions - The System** (1) Make a hole in the bottle cap slightly smaller than the airline tubing diameter. (2) Make a slanted cut on the end of the airline tubing and pull it through the hole in the bottle cap. (3) Attach the CO2 diffuser + check valve to the airline tubing. (4) Screw on the bottle cap. (5) Put the CO2 diffuser in the aquarium. (6) Wait 6-12 hours (7) Observe magnificent CO2 production for 2+ months before remaking the mixture. And that is all :) At nighttime, the CO2 diffuser can be moved to a small cup of water [OR] simply kept running in the aquarium because some fish actually do not mind it.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Nice!

[@Laura-ed5kf]

@7:15-Research. Ruined SO MANY DREAMS of mine! 😅 Saltwater-reef, Oscar-tank, axolotl, Vampire Crap-palidarium…. BUT, w/o those, I have less anxiety, more money & time for the animals I DO keep.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Great point!

[@caseyruegsegger282]

Thank you for the always valuable information. You are a fountain of knowledge!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Glad you are here!

[@AB-Aquariums]

Always love the Knowledge in the Videos 👍

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Appreciate you being here!

[@NigelChislett]

Hi Jason, THankyou for your very helpful information and your scientific knowledge, I also don't treat my fish, I just do my regular maintenance as normal. But thanks for your videos.

[@rolandtraynor]

Great info ...

[@FishCapadesProductions]

Love these keep it up! And thank you! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@brokenmachine1156]

Great video as always! What are the best schooling options for a 33 gallon?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Almost anything you can put in a 55 for schooling can go in that tank - love rainbows, snakeskin barbs, melon barbs, silver tip tetras?

[@brokenmachine1156]

Even the bosesmanis rainbow?

[@elvinsworld11]

Lovely

[@ragingcalmness7815]

Man awesome video, I however have a question that you may be able to help with. So when you see those biomedia brands like seachem matrix, is it me or any produced nitrates via other means, prevents those nitrates from ever being denitrified? I could be wrong, but I tried a few things and it seems they can only work with nitrates produced directly within the biomedia itself. Seems like if the nitrates come from any other source they will remain in the water forever unless I add plants/algae with a light source. Thanks in advance for anyone that can shed some info on this, I know I can do better 😅

[@willie346]

Change water!

[@soundpitchblack]

@@ragingcalmness7815 Nitrates are only going to be reduced by plants or water changes. Nitrites are going to be converted to Nitrates by biomedia.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I have never found it to have a meaningful impact. Plants tend to do much better!

[@andystokes8702]

The bacteria growing on biomedia, whether it's Seachem Matrix or anything else do a good job of converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. Converting the nitrate into harmless substances is much harder and few aquariums are able to do this. Biomedia is simply surface area for the bacteria to colonise, that's it, it does nothing else. The larger the surface area the greater amount of beneficial bacteria it can accommodate. In order to reduce or eliminate nitrate you either have to have plenty of plants which use the nitrate as a form of fertiliser or you change the water to dilute it.

[@ragingcalmness7815]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Time to throw in some chlorella if by itself it cant do it 😂 thanks! I just didn't want any plants in my setup and I was really trying hard to make biomedia work better

[@kbbtt]

Whoa I did not realize how educated you were. Makes your incredible content make more sense lol

[@davidwatson1460]

What are your thoughts on aquarium salts in the quarantine tank ?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I generally don’t use them, but understand why people do.

[@TheFishBeast]

Great video! What is your opinion on using levimasole empirically to stimulate immune function (5 mg/kg) in fish?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Great question! I don’t think it is worth the potential antibiotic resistance. A healthy environment that is stress free is more important for immune system function.

[@TheFishBeast]

@ thank you! 🙏

[@brendanregnier9095]

I’ve bought some tanks and filters that use to be salt water and I’m hoping with your science background you can help me understand how to get them ready to become freshwater tanks? What do I need to do

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I don’t do anything special other than clean the hard water deposits with some vinegar. 😀

[@josephgadway8950]

I grow algae on the back of my 50g goldfish tank. My goldfish snack on it. I have female 2 fantails. There were 3 but I had to remove him to my other tank as he was butting the girls. The females lay eggs on a 3" x 3" patch of algae in one corner. Algae can be good as it is the only green in my bare bottom tank.

[@henryjia4725]

I do not always have a tank specifically for quarantine. If bought a new fish and specifically set up a new tank / container for quarantine, it will be likely that the new fish will die or get sick due to unestablished new tank conditions. The stores often have treated the fish already, and it seems to me the odd that the new fish will die / or sick in the new unestablished quarantine tank is greater than to have problems from the treated environment in the store direct to my established mature display tank.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I actually don’t know many stores that treat fish. They are often brought in and go right back out again.

[@henryjia4725]

@ petsmart, petco sometimes have sign on the tank: in treatment, not available for sale. Even without treatment, the chance of fish die or getting sick from matured tank to another matured tank is still lower than that from one matured tank to a new inmatured tank.

[@firnatine529]

Let’s talk about those guns professor. 😮what’s that workout routine like?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

😀

[@MWilk098]

Quarantine is so hard for me. I lack the patience. Thankfully I haven’t had any catastrophic crashes from disease, but have had a few new additions die off after a month or so. It’s hard to justify 10-20 dollars worth of meds for a $3 fish.

[@chris-andrebrissett8014]

Fair point. I’m the same way but then I looked at it as that $20 bucks of meds usually stretches given that I may get more fish. Having the meds on hand can help if something pops up. Also some don’t kill eggs of parasites so they may come back and infect the fish. With having meds already you can quickly solve the issue.

[@andystokes8702]

I absolutely love the scientific basis of these videos, keep them coming. Another possible video I would like to see is popular myths related to fishkeeping that are constantly repeated but are not actually true. A couple of examples would be the 1 inch of fish per gallon 'rule' and don't wash out your sponge filter in tap water. Hillstream loaches are difficult to breed and they need really fast flowing cool water. I'm sure there are a few more.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

For sure!

[@byz513]

Part Trey

[@brucedonnelly5209]

Do all “meds” damage fish and microbes? Melafix claims not to do that.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Yes, but some far less so.

[@TheFishBeast]

Melafix is not a medication… it’s melaleuca oil which is an herbal extract that is proven NOT to help with disease.

[@ianredgate4031]

did you learn not to major in Biology?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I definitely loved majoring in biology. Best subject in the world.