Aqua One Arc review and set up.

[@ejbrinegar]

Dear Daniel: You did a terrific job of showcasing this, fine product and aquascaping the tank. I especially appreciate the modifications you made to the filtration system, optimizing its effectiveness. I've found that Amano shrimp will jump out of the smallest holes in an aquarium lid. Cherry shrimp don't appear to jump out, but I personally wouldn't trust Amano shrimp in this tank as they would likely escape from the feeding-hole in the corner. Thank you for posting your, tremendous review of this, exquisite merchandise. All my best, Sincerely, E. J. Brinegar

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Thank you for your kind reflection E. J. Yes it would be Cherry Shrimp I'll be using. I have kept Amano in tanks with small gaps previously and they've been fine but I've no doubt they'll take the opportunity to wander if they're not happy with their water conditions or living environment. Always enjoy your correspondence bud, thank you again for the comments. Hope you're having a fine weekend.

[@ejbrinegar]

Dear Daniel: Since H2O2 did a great job on water wisteria and Java moss, I've put dwarf sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata) and broad leaf sagittaria (Sagittaria platyphylla) in a jar to see if H2O2 is detrimental to them. If not, I may use H2O2 in the shrimp tank to deal with the algae. Thank you for your, continued help and encouragement. Sincerely, Brinegar

[@DanielKeepingFish]

@@ejbrinegar no worries bud. It's more delicate plants it mainly has an effect on but you could always spot treat instead of treating the whole tank if you have any.

[@ejbrinegar]

Dear Daniel: After 24 hours in a jar, treated with H2O2, the green hair algae on my sagittaria plants has turned red, but the plants appear fine. When my bedroom tank becomes available, I'm considering putting a few cherry shrimp in it before treating that tank with H2O2. Mark's Shrimp Tanks video suggests that this treatment is fine, if done properly, but I don't want to take any chances on losing all my shrimp. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Brinegar

[@The_Robert.Fletcher]

That is a nice tank Daniel, I love your ingenuity with the placement of the Fluval media and it OK to have some of the consumables on hand you never know when you might want some on a hurry.

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Thanks Robert. Case of learning by mistakes and having to overcome problems. Yeah I have loads of rainy day fish hobby consumables stashed away. The challenge is not running out of storage space in the shed, various cupboards, nooks crannies and the boot of my car to hold it all. 😂

[@Fishaholic]

Really nice review Daniel. I like the filtration system of the tank.

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Thanks bud. Aye it seems to be working well so far. 👍

[@leeandmandybattersby5958]

nice little tank always wanted one of these types loving the light

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Yeah the light is amazing for a wee tank. I like keeping smaller tanks as well as bigger ones. The challenges are different.

[@leeandmandybattersby5958]

i like my small tanks to

[@learningtofishkeep665]

Wow very nice front view of the tank! Tank scape looks good as well. Thanks for the review man! 👍

[@remyche8768]

I have the same tank, but I have different lid holder things and different pump. Also thinking about putting a bubbla in the back there to also help with water flow upwards if it needs it

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Yeah definitely helps with gas exchange using an air bubbler. Reckon this tank needs it.

[@tristanbath2628]

Nice vid does the pump have flow control like the maxi 102

[@DanielKeepingFish]

It does not I'm afraid bud. Nothing stopping you getting an adjustable pump and retro-fitting it if you like the tank design though hey.

[@tristanbath2628]

@@DanielKeepingFish Ive ordered the arc be perfect for another Betta Be my 6th male I have the aqua nano both sizes I like the pump n intake tube wish mine had that If u can see model number of pump let me know n Been trying to find it can't find the bugger lol Thankyou 😁

[@TheHighPriestessStudio]

Beaut little tank, do you think the fish become affected by the light if left on for too long? And can you please advise how long the light should stay on? Also I have the submerged square filter, that sits against the back of the tank it has a flimsy carbon filter that sits behind a blue plastic sponge. The carbon filter sots inside a plastic bag but l am wondering if l should be taking it out of the plastic which has a hole in one side but l can’t find anything in the instructions about removing the plastic. 🤷🏻‍♀️ We only recently bought it and yesterday we bought 2 mystery snails 🐌 and two small black Mores to accompany our existing 2 larger golden mores. Later last night l noticed the tank was cloudy so l added a little Fluval quick clear. So just waiting patiently for that to take effect. Im wondering also, l have 2x air stones in the tank, is that okay or would that work against the internal filtering? So for the bombardment of questions, but you seem to be more learned than some l have seen on here. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Hi there and thank you. Yes fish need dark time to rest sane as we do. They don't even really need aquarium lights, they are more for our benifit and for any plants we keep. Therefore if you have no plants they aren't particularly necessary and I would only have them on long enough to enjoy them. The longer you have them on the more change of algae developing which will need to be cleaned. I'd say (if you don't have plants) no longer than seven hours for your lights and up to bed time so if bed time is 10.00 for example have the lights on from 3pm to 10pm. I'm struggling to visualise the bag you are talking about from your description but yes it definitely sounds like something that should be removed. That's if it is a bag. If it's more of a net containing the carbon it will be needed in order to easily remove the carbon again. Carbon needs to be changed out every few weeks so removing it when it is contained in a net is a lot easier than scraping all the small individual pieces out of the bottom of a filter compartment. I'd definately keep running the air stones. I can't think of a reason off the top of my head where too much aeration would be a problem and can only think of benifits. Hope that all makes sense and helps you to decide on what you're doing with your set up. Hope you are enjoying it and take good care the next wee while.

[@TheHighPriestessStudio]

@@DanielKeepingFish Thank you yes the carbon filter was in a plastic bag which I have now removd and I have seen already how much cleaner the tank looks. The reason why I thought maybe I am adding too much oxygen is that I have Fantails and they are prone to get that swim bladder condition due to how compact their bodies are. So I worried that the added air stones would aggravate that. Thanks for the advice on the plants also. Karen :)

[@larrydsAquatics]

Great review Daniel

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Thanks very much Larry. Lot of work went into this one. 🥵

[@highlandsgirl3920]

I'm looking for a new tank after Christmas but there's no real choice for 70L bow front ones. This aquarium looks nice but it's just a bit small for my needs. I also like tanks with a floating bottom. I've often wondered how you see the heater light come on if it's inside the filter chamber at the back ? Be interesting to see what plants you can grow with this standard. light.

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Yeah even tricky to get a custom made bow I'd imagine. Good luck finding what you want. If I spot anything I'll give you a shout. I don't worry too much about monitoring the heater light. In fact I'd rather not see the heater or the light at all to be honest. That's one of the things I like about these tanks; the ability to hide the equipment. I do routinely check the water in my tanks with thermometers though. I don't have anything fancy in there plant wise the now. Just the Java Moss and S. Repens that you saw in the video and I added some Val afterwards. We'll see how they get on.

[@marvilltamaka2938]

Nice review bro…need to ask ,what is green bottle before the powerhead ? Thx bro 🙏

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Thanks man. At about 1.33? That's the heater I used bud.

[@marvilltamaka2938]

@@DanielKeepingFish one last Q bro…😀chamber no.2 …what u put there? A sponge or bio? Thx man 🙏

[@DIYG-dad]

Good job Daniel are those little tanks for your fry

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Thanks Grandad. Kind of. Fry, Endlers, Nono fish and shrimp.

[@alliethompson696]

Hi Daniel! Im looking at getting this type of tank but am wary of the fact that you have to replace the cartridges constantly, as you pointed out. I noticed you used a sponge of sorts. Did you go down to your local hardware store and buy a range of different sponges or is there something specific that i should be looking for? Thanks heaps!

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Hi Allied. Some local stores sell them yes. The nearest to me does which is where I first came across them but if yours doesn't go on Amazon and search for "aquarium filter sponge." There's a few retailers that sell them in three different grades and colours in a set. That's what you're looking for.

[@unleashedhype8422]

Hey mate, I realise I'm late to the party, hopefully I you find time to reply. I'm wondering what you thought about the strength of the filter flow. Did you find the flow might impede fish such as Bettas? Great video with great advice relating to the cartridge

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Ah thank you. I'm really sorry I'm only just seeing this comment, hope it's not too late to help. I did find it a little strong for the likes of a Betta to be honest. You could baffle it though or place something near the return pipe to break up the current like a piece of wood or scape.

[@jopardella8121]

Very informative review Daniel, thank you. Could you be so kind as to advise with the PPI of each of the sponge foams used, black, 2 x blue and green and explain in a little more detail what each is used for. I am a newbie and would like to give it a try. Are you still happy with Arc and the way you have it set up? Did you change anything over time? 😊

[@DanielKeepingFish]

It depend where you get the sponge but the finest will be between 20 and 25, the medium is 30 and the course is either 40 or 45. So the idea is the water runs through the course foam first then the medium and so on so the sponge traps ever decreasing sizes of waste (if you use the finest first it gets clogged quickly you see). The cartridges are very good but need to be replaced often. The sponges however last a very long time and just need to be squeezed out every now and then. Yes I really like the tank. The pump that comes with it isn't too powerful which is great for the likes of Betta or smaller fish that don't like too much flow. Maybe not the tank for fish that require more current. No I haven't changed that tank at all so far. Except for some of the plants. I have Forktail Rainbowfish (Pseudomugil Furcatus), Peacock Gudgeon and Cherry Shrimp in there just now and am still enjoying the tank.

[@jopardella8121]

@@DanielKeepingFish Thank you Daniel for your response, that’s great I will give it ago much appreciated. If I may ask a real layman’s question please for give me, with the filter inlet now on the top, when the water level drops, how soon do you top up? Being down the bottom you didn’t have to really worry about it, but considering the level should be to the top. But I guess if you were only using the filter sponge replacing the cartridges it would not matter that much and top up as usual (as the cartridges when need to be submerged completely) 😊

[@jackanddan]

Nice review mate....👍

[@highlandsgirl3920]

I'm looking at this aquarium along with the Flex. I must say the Flex 57l comes in better if i'm honest. You say the Arc pump is 100l per hour? That's only 2 times per hour which is a bit on the weak side. The Flex 57 pumps 500l per hour. That's over 9 times turn over per hour. I also prefer the more compact look with the light under the hood of the Flex. The Arc does look great looking through the glass like you say. Roll on Black Friday to see what deals are going around. I did contact Juwel to see if they are releasing a nano bow front tank and they have no plans just yet. Shame.

[@DanielKeepingFish]

I see I find the pump on the Flex too strong. I suppose it depends on what you're keeping in the tank but I don't find it ideal for the likes of Betta and Guppies that can get blown about as can some longer and more delicate plants. I feel like having having the water volume turned over twice per hour (a little more than that when you take into account for substrate and scape) is adequate especially as it's unlikely it'll be messy fish like Plecs and Goldfish in a tank that size. I get what you're saying about the compact look of the Flex. That's where it will come down to personal choice but it's also what I appreciate about the Arc. There would have been no point in Aqua One coming out with a Flex clone. I feel like they've made a tank in a similar zone but different enough to facilitate choice. Same with the different design of hood and light. With the Arc design you can change the light out if you want giving a bit of Flexibility but with the Fluval the stock light is the only option. That's a shame Juwel are going to enter the compact bow front market. Thanks for the information though, it's good to know. Thanks for your thoughts on the Arc as well. It's great to hear how others are feeling about it. I may have come over a bit biass about it but I really do love it. Then again I love the Flex too.

[@mrbrown3546]

I'm setting up an Arc46 right now for my partner. You're right about the flow, it does seem low on the flow rate and I thought that myself at first, but it honestly depends on what you do with the tank. For us it'll be fine as it'll have a Betta, 6 Cherry shrimp and some plants etc, that's it. the bow-front helps a little with circulation also. Bettas aren't afraid of some water flow, we've had a few over the years and they've all loved getting some fun up buy the outlet, you just need to give them somewhere slow to rest, this tank is too small for that, so it's about right. DKF is pretty much spot on, it's not a huge tank and isn't exactly what you want for a heap of fish or the more delicate of tank options. This tank does restrict a little what you can put in it due to the lower flow rate, but it isn't exactly a deal-breaker. I would honestly like to see a slightly larger pump with some flow control so the user can better decide what they want, the 100L/H will certainly turn some people off purchasing this tank but you just have to be thoughtful of what/how you fill this tank. this tank cost us $190 at my local, round it up another $10 for that slightly more powerful and selectable flow control and we would have bought it instantly, instead of considering 4 other brands similar in size etc. Honestly, this was my partners' pic more so than mine for that very reason. Not all of them come with that suction cup holder for the pump either, ours doesn't have one and it's not in the manual's description anywhere. Perhaps they felt they could save a few cents by not using it? It just hangs there, which I'm not a fan of so I'm chasing up one for it, would've been nice to had one like DKF had.

[@thirstyrabbittanks2u191]

The good old Aqua One

[@fisharefriends598]

I had an aqua one from ages ago. Far better then fluval design. It did split top to bottom though

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Oh no. Rotten when a tank splits on you. Sorry to hear that.

[@remyche8768]

I just found out the light is dimmable if you hold the touch botton down 😅

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Sorry bud I only just noticed this comment. I didn't realise that but I'm definitely going to have a play with that when I get home. Thanks so much for the tip.

[@iphonedata]

Did you have any issues cycling the tank

[@DanielKeepingFish]

I didn't bud no. I added media that was already cycled from that wee box filter that I showed. I left it between the sponges at the intake to seed the new ones and removed the older media after a couple of months. I didn't stock the tank too heavily at first and that worked fine.

[@iphonedata]

@@DanielKeepingFish thanks Daniel, how many fish you recommend for cycling, I'm pretty sure mine is not far off done,

[@DanielKeepingFish]

@@iphonedata honestly speaking I'm not too big a fan of using fish to cycle a tank. It can be quite uncomfortable and even damaging to them so I prefer not to put them through that. I prefer to do fishless cycling. People do fish-in cycling though and if that's the way you intend to proceed I would go with just one or two hardy fish. Once you have no ammonia or nitrite present but you have nitrates you are cycled. We then reduce nitrates with live plants and water changes. If you don't have a testing kit you'll find plenty of stores will test water free of charge. Once you have our tank cycled we can add fish gradually so our bacteria can multiply to cope with the increasing bioload from the additional fish. It's so tempting to rush and by all the fish we want right away but we'd just overload the filtration if we did that knocking our cycle out and possibly harming or killing our gorgeous fish that we're excited about getting. Glad you're nearly cycled then bud, such an exciting time because we can start thinking about buying the fish we want. Take your time though time though, it will definately pay off in the long run. 👍

[@matthewfowkes2910]

Do you find the filter to underpowered mine hardly as any flow

[@DanielKeepingFish]

So I have two answers to that. Firstly I agree with you; it is not the most powerful pump ever. My second is I'm not sure that's a bad thing in a tank this size. If you're keeping fish that don't appreciate a lot of flow like Betta (which I had intended to) then they won't get blown about or tire themselves out trying to swim against the current. Similarly if you have taller weaker plants like Vals or floating plants such as Frogbit (I have both in my Arc) which require calmer waters then again it works well. Further on from that I feel like the filter does a great job. My water is clear and never has particles floating about in it. Also I can see a fair amount of current in front of the outlet and some movement at the other side of the tank by noticing the Vallisneria and Frogbit roots waving. The pump on the 34L Fluval Flex is nearly 2.5 times more powerful but I find it is too much and needs to be reduced in many scenarios. So no it isn't the most powerful filter pump but is that a drawback? To me it isn't but if you're looking for a bit more kick it may be possible to retro fit another pump to it. I haven't toyed with that myself but I imagine it would be possible.

[@sleepytASMR]

I love your voice

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Thanks awfully much.

[@fisharefriends598]

Love fish... someone’s been to pets at home

[@DanielKeepingFish]

I do shop there because it's the only fish store near me but they don't sell any of the Aqua One tanks I have. Had to head into the city for this one.

[@iphonedata]

Have you got a facebook page

[@DanielKeepingFish]

I have an Instagram page: Daniel Keeping Fish same as the KZbin channel name and same logo.

[@Bluegillandbass]

Since you were kind of a small channel and still have ads I am just wondering how much money do you make per month on average? I also just posted a video last night make sure to check it out if you’re interested

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Haha, not much bud. I'll not be ditching my car that hates me for a better one any time soon put it that way. In it for the love of it not the cheddar.

[@aarondavies8486]

Had a flex the filter is poo the nano aqua one filters are so much better more area for media in the aqua one

[@NaturesWhim]

i want one haha

[@no-knickers-emma1112]

Hi, What are the intake holes like for the filter section ? Are they big like the Flex where fry could get in ? Looking at the video at 9.25 you can see gaps in the glass top where snails could possibly escape ? Where did you buy the filter sponges from ? Where did you my this aquarium from ? Not many places sell it. If you look at the wood you put in it looks like an elephant. The light on the Flex is much closer to the water meaning better plant growth.

[@DanielKeepingFish]

The intake holes are similar in size to the Flex so fry could get through yes. The flow isn't so strong that they couldn't easily swim back out again though and they can't get through the sponge so they won't get pulled through the pump. You could also block the vents with course foam also. There are gaps around the edges of the lid. Smaller snails could get out but nothing larger than a juvenile Ramshorn though. Also in my experience most snails don't climb out of the water unless they are unhappy with the water condition they are in except the likes of Mystery Snails which climb out to lay eggs but are much bigger. I get the sponges from a fish store near me because I like to support the independent street retailers but you can easily find them online from the likes of Amazon where they are probably a wee bit cheaper too. Not many retailers are selling the tank at this stage because they are quite new. You should start seeing them being more widely available very soon. I think the wood probably has both names and perhaps more depending what part of the world you find it like many things. The light being better for plants thing depends on a few factors. The rating of the light, the photo period, the position of the plants and anything between them and the light, etc. It's not as simple as if it is closer it is better although it will help in the right circumstances. 👍