Cheap Aquarium Items Found at Bunnings!

[@andresp9020]

I didn't know Ryan Gosling was into aquascaping? Looking good, Blake. Thank you for another awesome video 👍🏻

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@andresp9020 😅 too kind

[@petejeau]

Thanks - good tips. Another is the 3kg bag of Volcanic rock - aka lava rock, found in the BBQ section. Excellent cheap way of building up substrate

[@BlakesAquatics]

Cheers, didn't even think of that 👍

[@melissaafkrichardson9204]

Or used as filter media 👍🏼

[@petejeau]

@@melissaafkrichardson9204 Yes great idea

[@BatteredWing]

Wash the ever loving heck out of it. Their scoria is so dirty.

[@LindenEdwards]

Totally. Reply mostly to the comments. best avoid bbq specific ones as many have chemical additives, like with charcoal for bbqs. Even choosing red over black scoria is preferrable due to dramatically higher chances of (in an aquarium/closed environment) metals and more. Scoria/lava rock has a brilliantly porous structure. Makig it ideal as a cheap filter bacterial colonisation media. i usually go with the 20kg bags. Can poke holes in the base and run hose over to semi rinse the significant rock dust. Or into a tub and churn with gloves (esp if going to be visible). Great way to save on aquasoil and aid in structural support when used on tank base in bags.Can pre treat it to. Basically diy ADA Power Sand idea.

[@BodgieFromStraya]

I always love these videos! Soooo much has been applied in my fishroom, you the GOAT Blake!

[@kurt20ification]

Hey mate great video, i remember the one you done a couple of years back as well. Ill be making a trip to bunnings in the near future. Btw like ya t-shirt 🤙

[@LindenEdwards]

Love a Bunnings vid. I'm sure many of us got a xmas voucher haha. Lindy notes: - Twinwall is an amazing diy item with a vast scope of applications. There is the clear version (more expensive), in various thickness that works great for tank lids with strength and heat retention (note light dilution/splay). I use it on eel tanks and carve the outlet sections so is still no escape (not a glass friendly style). Some egg crate (or gutter gard etc), zip ties and a cutting tool makes for easy vent areas. Of course the thin black you shared as background potential, is so flexible.. internal filter overflow sections (ensure is lines up due to air pockets), structural support in 3d expanding foam scapes, tank stand front covers (little velcro tape and holds heat in somewhat while hiding sumps and electronics). so easy to use and cheap in large sizes. - No personal problems with Selleys glass in aquarium or paludarium works across a multitude of creatures and enclosures. - Their clear caddys are ok and decently priced. Drilling a couple holes at each opposing end initially i recommend. - Bunnings often have proper storage rack sales. it's worth waiting and getting eg 3 of the same type , than 1-2 for more cost and likely a different one later. Note they cheap sell wood plyboard/plywood sheets that is often same or close to size as the shelf size (plus they'll free cut pieces in store also). metal base shelf supports wont suffice. Blake mentions the warp and bend which is extra important, esp in 4-6ft shelf racks. a layer of builders film (200um is cheap) staple gunned over cheap plyboard makes a 6 ft shelf ok with 4ft aquariums. addition of a $4-6 kmart yoga mat is welcome. - Always good to have a spare ready cleaned black storage tub. On top of hospital tank related filtration etc. Black due to lower stress. The ones in video are the Inabox heavy duty storage containers. Not the same quality as previous version or the prior same price bracket ones they discontinued though. Its my recommendation to always high heat washout any plastic vessel intended for creature inhabitation. A cool DIY aspect to the Inabox 100L is they also have separately purchasable inserts that with a simple bit of cutting makes a pretty basic under/over/under/out sump (aliexpress for bulkheads myself). Note though... unless paying 2-2.5x price , such 'heavy duty' storage containers will still bow when mostly filled with water (esp. warm) so is best to keep the lid on for significant additional structural integrity (and cut out access through the lid). - Plastic plants like most plastics, heat wash 1st. - More plants! Be sure to check if appropriate plant type and to clean the roots of terrestrial substrate prior to adding to tank. There are so many options and so much benefits from incorporating terrestrial plants. - Scoria is our friend. Personal favourite is some in mesh bags that prop up rockwork and also save on required amounts of expensive aquasoils. While also aiding in a plethora of other ways. Always rinse and avoid any that has tags associated to BBQ (same with charcoal re use with creatures). It is a grand filter medium esp for large pond filters. - Salt. For too long many aqua professionals promote salt use over meds (initially). Don't sink dollars into API salt etc ripoffs. Love your videos Blake. Almost as much as i love a Bunnings trip haha.

[@Dribbles1990]

You've come a long way in your video personality skills. And looking sharp. Keep it up man.

[@BlakesAquatics]

Much appreciated, it's been a learning curve 👍

[@bmetin1972]

Sometimes they sell water lettuce in water plant section too

[@JimWeaving-ty6tr]

Thanks mate, this is really great. You found a few things I haven't previously that I'll definitely go hunt down now! ⭐🏆

[@martinn7871]

Great video! Just wanted to mention that Arlec Smart plugs uses the same chip as Tuya so you should be able to connect them to your Tuya app using the same search and connect function.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Hey there! First I love these shows you do. Here in Canada we have Home Depot or Home Hardware. I have been shopping for aquarium products from these places for years. Now for me it is the money I save by doing so. I can buy gravel and sand at lesser prices or I can patiently wait until they come down. It doesn't take long. There are many tools I can look for and it is just so simple! You may find different colours, you will find different people who can help you! Find different colours of hose and fittings and you are off! Where I grew up we had a separate Well and we never ran into problems!. Trying to save money from the local stores was ridiculously easy. Parts for plumbing were always simple as well! Keeps you warm and busy as it always will. Great topic, it just goes to show you that it needs not be anything more than we make it.

[@off-gridoutbackaustralia]

clicked on this video hoping to see some diy filters or projects from bunnings, as all the other videos ive seen are overseas as i love to diy things my whole yabby pond is diy i got pond pump that pumps into a sump that has shade cloth in it to catch the solids then it gravity feeds down to another sump with more shade cloth .. then it gravity feeds into the middle sump tank that has rocks and sand in it and that drops back into the ibc container to airraite lol , subscribed as it was good info anyways cheers keep up the good work

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@off-gridoutbackaustralia appreciate that mate, i do have a whole playlist called "diy and how to" that you might enjoy

[@off-gridoutbackaustralia]

@@BlakesAquatics thank you ill have a watch tonight !!

[@edstar81]

great tips mate. thanks for sharing and looking forward to ya next video

[@BlakesAquatics]

Much appreciated mate hope youre well

[@Mr_jz_12]

ohhhhh never thought of the board to use as a background. Thats a job for this weekend!

[@BlakesAquatics]

Enjoy!

[@toothpik00]

Hey Blake, I just got a new 4ft. It's a rimless 12mm glass monster. No lids so I'm going to use some black coated mesh from bunnings, PVC angle and strip to make a mesh lid. Frame from PVC angle, mesh glued onto the angle frame and flat strips over the mesh so it's plastic sitting on the glass edges. You're spot on about the Rack-it racks. Our local dedicated aquarium shop uses those and every one of them is sagging with several small-medium (not sure the size, maybe 90cm) tanks on them. I'm dubious about the claimed 1000kg rating.

[@paulstingray]

I only get random PVC fittings 😂😂😂 Great vid!

[@as673]

Good stuff Blakey, really useful aquarium tips mate! Thx

[@rdred8693]

I use a plastic colander to put naughty fish in to time out

[@JustAnotherAusGamer]

Have the scoria in my sump. My advice after having it in there for a year, is to have a few layers of sponge going from a coarse to a finer layer before water gets to it. Purely because you'll get a lot of sediment build up at the bottom and it's then just another maintenance item.

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@JustAnotherAusGamer great call

[@DIY-ForEverything]

Selleys Roof and Gutter silicone is aquarium safe silicone. comes in all colours and forms a strong bond.

[@gollyfromaus]

Some great tips thanks ☺️

[@kieranlee1961]

Hiya Really enjoy your videos and how honest and straght to the point they are. Have you done an ikea one of these videos, i think theg have some good stuff. For instance - they have some plastic hook on small buckers and shelves for kitchen hanging organiser system. But can use to store things or even grow plants in or out of yiur awuarium. Also i saw an aquascaping video where the guy drilled holes in one of these buckers to strain the water more gently when filling his brand new aquascape plus some plastic or simialr on the bottom of the tank. - i bought one but need to try it. They have a $15 water leak sensor (baldring or something like that). I believe it rings or beeps when it detects water. However if you combine it with their smart hub (or compatible hub??). Then you can also get notifcations to yiur phonebi believe. - their clear storage tubs are a few bucks pricier but a lot clearer then the bunnings all set ones. Also for bunnings i like to get those garden hose pistol sets. One for stronger pressure for washing things out. And the one with lots of modes i use for filling my tanks a lot. I have a great one at the moment and so i can easilt turn on or off the water with the trigger, use the hook to keep the water going, choose the water output mode for gentle soaking, shower, misting or more powerful settings tk blast nooks where feces may get stuck etc and theres a dial at the top to increase or decrease the flow so i dont have to run back and forth to the tap. Thanks mate. Lookkng forward to yiur nect video.

[@Unit_225]

wht about the sands in the bunnings

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@Unit_225 couldnt find them on the day but yes i love the coarse sand, dont use play sand or paving sand its too fine in my opinion

[@unsocialbutterfly5760]

Clark rubber has pool sand $25 for 20kg and it is so clean and work fantastic, my plants are thriving!

[@Gilsfishroom]

Yet even more reasons to head to the big green shed.

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@Gilsfishroom 🌭

[@samsmith8524]

You forgot about the rocks/stones. Also with the lights do you thing the stanard white leds ok for plants ?

[@BlakesAquatics]

Yeah for most plants its absolutely fine. Good call

[@Westguy66]

Hi Blake,I’m wondering if you’re able to give advice, we bought a 28 litre aqua one aquarium, pet barn Sydney. Put the water conditioner in tank and let it run for couple of weeks. Then bought 4 neon tetras, 4 white cloud minnows, 2 rasboras. Bought also a heater and set it at 26 degrees.We have had some very hot days in Sydney, Penrith to be exact where the thermometer stuck to outside tank read 28 degrees.The tank is near a window, blinds down that cops afternoon sun and have lost 4 fish already.. can you offer some advice please.

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@Westguy66 hey mate sorry to hear about what you are going through. If there is enough oxygen (air stone, sponge filter or flow pointed towards the tanks surface) a couple of degrees womt be enough to kill those fish. Id say its far more likely it was too many fish too fast and there wasnt enough of a cycle to keep up with the bio load. Cut back on feeding to let it catch up. Those species can all go a week without food no problem. Feeding is going to add to the issue. A good way to check is if the water is cloudy or if it smells like ammonia.

[@Westguy66]

@ thanks for prompt reply. There is a filter (duck bill) and it is in line with the water surface.directions on setting up tank say to have a gentle flow in line with water surface.. I might tell my sister to only feed say twice a week at the moment maybe once on weekend and mid week. I was convinced it was because of those couple of hot days, Thanks for your help, first time at keeping fish. Is it ok to set the heating at 24 degrees.?

[@BlakesAquatics]

@Westguy66 yeah 24 is a good idea, will allow it to get cooler overnight and only raise to 26 27 during the day

[@Westguy66]

I’ve been reading up on bio loads in aquariums , it’s very interesting. I’ve been reading about the amount of fish I should have started with for a 28 litre tank ( as you said too many fish too soon ). We are only feeding once a week at the moment and upping the water changes. A common rule of thumb I’m reading is to have one inch of fish to one gallon of water. Things are starting to make sense now. Gone from 10 fish down to 5, hopefully won’t loose anymore. Thanks again.

[@LifeHackswithGru]

Hey mate how do you find the filter that the cheap kmart tank comes with? Reckon it would be worth getting a sponge filter?

[@BlakesAquatics]

I prefer sponge filter personally. Theyre ok to keep as a backup but i wouldnt want to rely on the kmart ones

[@SirPrawnalot]

Gorillaz T from Kmart!! Twinning mate!

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@SirPrawnalot 😅 its a classic

[@VikingsAquatics]

Great VID!!!!

[@PubRunner]

Off topic but on the subject of smart lights. We have just set up an African Cichlid tank and the 4x2x2 tank was an ex reptile tank and it had a heat lamp a 15xm hole in the lid and I swapped that out for a TP-link Tapo smart lamp and I have that programmed so the tank has a Sunrise 50%, Daytime 100% , Sunset 50% and nighttime mode 5% all time shifted so the tank daytime is in the evenings. And I can pick the colour I want most running 6400k white but night time mode is 3400k. I will add another reptile heat lamp shade with another Tapo lamp later but the fish seem to like the darker end of the tank at times. I have had to space off the lamp reflector so condensation doesn’t build up around the lamp shade. It looks great and the fish seem to like it. The tank also came with an Aqua one RGB air curtain and I will add another reptile Tapo smart wifi socket and program that to turn the RBG off at say 12am to 7am.

[@brandonhk1lljoys]

🔥 great vid ✌️♥️

[@THATfishguywithfish]

3:57 quick tip: maby rais the subtitle above the progress-bar of the video

[@BlakesAquatics]

@THATfishguywithfish thanks good call

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

I just got my first baby ranchu that hatched from it’s egg 🥳 He or she is huge next to the sibling eggs 😳

[@ehsanhaidary9766]

Thanks Blake for the handy vid. Not many good aussie youtubers in this space so we appreciate you. Ive always wondered about lighting and whether standard LED lights are ok, like the strong flood lights? I cant justify paying north of $400 for aquariuam lights reasonable enough to turn red root floaters "red" 😅 Are they really any different?

[@later_daze_4080]

Nice shirt👍🏻

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@later_daze_4080 feels good 😅

[@later_daze_4080]

@@BlakesAquatics lol

[@daviddebrequet2563]

Blake - I use Aquael heater now after seeing your review. But they're replacing them with a 'night & day' version - where a switch gives you the option of the temp dropping at night. I think this is just a marketting feature - but unecessary and a BAD IDEA. And just somethiong else to go wrong. What do you think ? Might be worth a review.

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@daviddebrequet2563 yeah i agree with you mate, just introduces temp swings and stresses the fish id say and stresses at night where you are unlikely to view any behaviour

[@daviddebrequet2563]

​@@BlakesAquatics Aquael confirmed to me it is the updated version ( not just another model ) . I really like the old heater so I bought a couple of the new ones. At least you have the option to turn it off with a switch. But the REALLY DUMB THING - is the "night" function operates from a light sensor. So if the heater is not directly under a light, or behind a plant, or you have floating plants - the thing will think it's night and drop the temperature ! BTW. Their reasoning is that temperatures drop at night in the tropics. But I don't believe the water temp would drop at all.

[@peterphillips4566]

I’ve given up on the Arles grid connect smart switches. I bought a 4 pack and a twin pack and after a month I’ve taken 2 back for a refund and I’ve got another that has failed that will be going back. The connection was lost and then they wouldn’t reconnect. I think it could be a common problem because when I took them back the girl that served me said “they won’t connect?”, even before I said anything…refund no problem.

[@madaboutmilitaria3630]

The hammer barn is a dangerous place for one’s wallet😂

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@madaboutmilitaria3630 🤣 love a bluey reference

[@nathanhoveyaquatics]

I actually got that fake plant mat for Christmas and used it to spawn X-ray Tetras and it worked amazingly. Highly recommend it, also used some as a background in a 20 long. 👍🏼👍🏼 I made a short on it on the channel. I'd love it if you'd check it out.

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@nathanhoveyaquatics great job mate nicely done

[@circuskills1928]

The nearest bunnings is 9500 miles away but I'm still gonna watch this.

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@circuskills1928 🤣 appreciate it

[@onebigadvocado6376]

Still worth a trip for a sausage 👍

[@MDBD2405]

Bunnings were hopeless in the UK lasted all of six months.

[@Glizzy9284]

You look like u have lest weight since i last watched ya keep up the good work

[@BlakesAquatics]

Thanks mate yeah let myself go way too far for a while there

[@yegscaper6444]

Best t-shirt! #gorillaz

[@scox7748]

Comment for the almighty algorithm

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@scox7748 you are an almighty legend

[@notyetsally]

So disappointed that Bunnings is jumping on the bandwagon. One way to destroy all the private fish store owners who have a lifelong passion. None of them have the buying power of Bunnings. Very disappointed. Same thing happened to hardwares, butchers and bakers with Coles and woolies opening up their bakeries and butchers. I will not be supporting bunnings.

[@notyetsally]

Obviously i'm referring to the aquarist lights and other aquarist specific products.