5 Tips: Are Your Fish DRAB and DULL? Can't Get them to COLOR UP? WATCH THIS for 5 SIMPLE Tips!

[@thegoodbadandtheugly8431]

I knew you couldn’t stay for too long. We missed you!

[@BenOchart]

In addicted, thank you 😀👍🏻

[@thegoodbadandtheugly8431]

I am praying for your quick recovery! Glad to hear from you again. Just take one day at a time and take your time!!

[@charlesfranklin3533]

Your Information is Alway's Helpful Mr. Ochart. Keep Inspiring Us Fish Keeper's.

[@dennisruedel4620]

Great video Ben! I must have missed this one first time around

[@bo_392]

LED light "color temperature" makes a difference too. great tips, especially avoiding cheap food. beautiful fish!

[@windowlicker532]

210 looking AWESOME....looks like it’s working out...I gotta work tomorrow...but I’ll catch the live stream later....You Rock Ben

[@freddievara8117]

Very true Ben they are break offs from marine species great video 👌🏻

[@elizabethwagner2190]

Just wanted to let you know I just ordered a full spectrum JC&P light. Was 1/2 the cost of my current light that was told was full spectrum but you have to buy each LED 4 light cube to add colors other than the 6 white and 4 blue it comes with. Thanks for the tip.

[@rodneyraysor2873]

Beautiful tank

[@BenOchart]

Thank you!

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

I use to use hikari foods thinking that was good until you explained the first 4 ingredients rule. Ive seen better results from omega one brands and extreme. For sure!! I’m glad your doing better Ben this was really neat thanks for the advice. Love the fish !!

[@Shadow-wn5fw]

Great video as always. Your fish look awesome.

[@daviddurbano5135]

Great tips Ben! Doing my water change today!💪 and I agree with black background I went with blue and am regretting it, black does help those colors pop.

[@sarge6870]

I went with the basic "Design" type background and used black substrate. My cats & common plecos are the only ones camouflaged by the black substrate!! lol

[@HowardVex]

Great video. Any thoughts on benefits of purigen and seachem cichlid trace? I use both and, while the purigen seems to have made a big improvement in water quality and nitrate reduction, not sure if there is any benefit to cichlid trace. Fish are colored up and breeding.

[@BenOchart]

I’d be reluctant to change anything you’re doing since your fish sound like they are in great shape. Purigen is great for clearing up cloudy water but I stop using it after a tank becomes well established (running successfully for a year or longer) but I do continue to use trace minerals since it provides vital elements usually not in our tap water.

[@brianp6180]

Nice tank Ben! Fish look better every day. I wish I could get a 220g. I have a 125g that’s pretty awesome but that 220g is sweet! Maybe some day….

[@TuanCaCanh]

great video

[@NotSure876]

I use kessil tuna suns on my rift tank and they really make a difference

[@paulbarrett6093]

Beautiful aquarium Ben , my dream aquarium 👍🏾

[@BenOchart]

Thank you

[@davec1294]

Great video, I also have a Insignis and my Placidachromis Blue Otter is just started to color up.

[@cichlid_kings]

Awesomeness 👏

[@lakemalawifishkeeping2599]

We're else do u get your fish from have u ever bought from imperial tropicals I'm looking for a good batch of fish but looking 4 package deals on peacocks

[@johnfadds6089]

Let's go, 40k subs!

[@brucon88]

Where is that tank from? that is a clean looking tank.

[@BenOchart]

Thank you. It’s a custom made tank from Glasscages in TN

[@keepingiitfishy3380]

I agree ☝️ Africans are top dog

[@paulbarrett6093]

Ben could you do a list of ten to fithteen peacocks , male only that are compatible. I have a l50 gallon thanks , from the UK 🇬🇧.

[@BenOchart]

Cichlids are so unpredictable… Let me put a list together in a video. Stay tuned 😀😀

[@paulbarrett6093]

@@BenOchart looking forward to it thank you so much 👍🏾.

[@frankiefingerz8047]

My favs r my insignus & my yellow blaze hap

[@tntcichlids8015]

reason why some pop more color then others is dominance whos the bigger boss in tank and in time they will change colors or if there's females in tank they show they colors to show off for the female good video bud

[@brettcoyle2399]

I want to get into sumps for my 125 what’s good way to learn I don’t wanna drill my tank either

[@BenOchart]

Consider a kit that includes the sump and the overflow hang-on box (no drilling). Eshopps makes them.

[@Byron4343]

How long dose a bacteria bloom last? my tank is 3 weeks old and it is still cloudy..I have 2 fluvial 407 on a 75 gallon with 14 small African cichlids.i recently usesld Sewchem Clarity and that did not work

[@BenOchart]

Can go for over a month

[@Just_Lurking8]

Hello Ben, from Houston Texas.

[@BenOchart]

Hello Vicky

[@Just_Lurking8]

@@BenOchart Hello, how are you?

[@douglasachaiba7885]

Excellent video. I checked my pH a few days ago and it seems to be under 6. How could I raise the pH without adding chemicals. I improved aeration and thinking about reducing the amount of food and the amount of feedings a week. I'm thinking that should help. Any other tips. Aiming for 7/7.5.

[@sarge6870]

Try crushed coral. Helps with PH, GH & KH. I used "Aragonite" and it worked well for me. Let me know if you need more info.

[@douglasachaiba7885]

@@sarge6870 I don't have any gravel. So I'll get some throw it in my hang on back filter.

[@sarge6870]

@@douglasachaiba7885 I would recommend you get some small mesh bags to use instead of putting it in your HOB. That way you can adjust how much you use.

[@douglasachaiba7885]

@@sarge6870 lol.... That's what I meant by throwing it in my HOB. I know it will be messy.... Thanks

[@brettcoyle2399]

How big is that venustus back there?? Mine will be here tomorrow ordered a 4 inch male from Ron’s cichlids I’m stoked

[@BenOchart]

Mine is around 5” and seems to be on the mellow side. Of course that can change. They are beautiful fish and grow real fast.

[@stevemartinez9075]

What do you add to your tank what kind of salt I use regular aquarium salt should I start adding cichlid salt to my tank is that better than aquarium salt and what else do you add to you’re tank

[@ngwehein6564]

Hello Ben! May I know where do you get your fake plants? They look so natural.

[@sarge6870]

Good info as always Ben but I have a question. I have a female Betta (got her because I was told females are less aggressive which I have found to be true so far). Since I got her, her skin color is a very light pinkish color and her fins and tail are a bit more red. Bettas as you know (males) tend to be very vibrant in color. Will this female stay this light color or will she change? I've had her about 4 months or so. Thanks for ALL the help you have given me over the past many months with all my parameter issues. All my parameters are perfect now and the water crystal clear.

[@BenOchart]

That’s great on your parameters Tim. I’m not that experienced with Betta but do know that, like African Cichlids, females can be drab when compared to males. Lisa at KG Tropicals has a lot of videos on Betta and I believe she was keeping an all female betta tank.

[@sarge6870]

@@BenOchart thanks for the feedback Ben!!

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

I would add to buy males only since the females are drab for the most part. Great collection of fish you are building.

[@joselaureano4736]

I hope you getting better my friend

[@markbaumgardt2868]

Since we both share low nitrates good food the fish just want to color up

[@Joker-bx4rk]

Another great video Mr Ochart but I kind of disagree with the claims on African cichlids you see the females unfortunately just don't pop in colour unlike Americans do and I can think of quite a lot of American cichlids that will easily be a contender against any male African best thing is both male and female Americans pop with colour. I personally feel that you get more variety in shapes of cichlids with American over African maybe I'm just bias but American cichlids overall for me..

[@michellelyster5931]

Cichlids are addictive. You can never have too many.

[@BenOchart]

I call them “crack” cichlids 🤣

[@michellelyster5931]

@@BenOchart lol