Dumb S**T People Do With Aquariums

[@bigmaninbk5126]

I never had an aquarium but always wanted to keep fish. 3 years ago a took the plunge and ordered a 90 gal tank. Many people told me the fish will die...the tank will stink..etc. I spent months researching and binged your channel as well as a few others. I stocked my tank with 3 blood parrots, 3 electric blue acaras, a bristlenose pleco, a red tail shark and 14 tiger barbs. In 3 years I've only lost 3 barbs. I owe a great deal of my success to you guys and a couple other channels. Videos like this make a different.

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

Fish tanks stinking is the biggest myth known to man. Sure if you pop a lid and take a big whiff you may get a slight pondy type smell but its barely noticeable. Also it may smell a bit eggy if you mess up your levels, but its easily rectified

[@LiTFiTz]

I got my aquarium as something to care for and keep my mind busy due to post-Military mental issues. Along with my four cats and two huskies, I LOVE taking care of my fish. Now, I have baby guppies to care for too! 😊😊

[@mr.octopus6972]

Little tip with guppies : Have 2 tanks one male one female and do only selective breeding or you will have to care about 1,000,000 babies in a year 😉

[@Walmartviolist]

@@mr.octopus6972 and not have to deal with inbreeding and the consequences of inbreeding

[@joseeguizabal6712]

I do exactly the same. I couldn't sleep well for a while and had horrible nightmares. A fishtank has made it bearable and it keeps me busy.

[@thomasmack9974]

Ohio Fish Rescue is a prime example of how dumb people are. They take in many large fish from people who thought the same thing. Some fish do not need to be in the hobby for this reason.

[@jennifersaunders5547]

Thx for your service ❤ My nephew has anxiety really bad and his aquariums are helping him as well

[@hagenhilldesign]

We love "feeder" goldfish. We don't feed them to anything. They are simply beautiful and cheap. They make great alternatives to koi for big ponds. And if you let them grow out, some display some very unique color patterns and body shapes. We love them! And we agree with John!

[@SamuelSmithJirikiha]

I bought three of them with wonderful colors a few years back. Larry, Curly, and Moe are almost 8" now and beautiful! They have personalities, too. Almost like water puppies. :-)

[@jessethabarber]

​@@SamuelSmithJirikihaI have 3 balloon molly with the same names! 😂

[@Cherubim666999]

I use them for bait.

[@hagenhilldesign]

@@Cherubim666999 Thanks for sharing your stupidity.

[@treboryulo5936]

One of my cichlids only eat live food, goldfish and minnows are the cheapest option for us so we can let them live

[@stevewarren4813]

I can remember when all the local fish stores sold Snakeheads and the store employees would tell the customers, "Yeah, they will stunt themselves to fit your ten gallon tank." Nope!

[@johnmcmahon76]

Was told the same thing for my Black Ghost Knife in my 36 gallon. Went from 4 to 14 inches in 6 months. Luckily I had a friend who was in the middle of stocking his 120

[@KGTropicals]

And people wonder why local fish stores are practically extinct.

[@cweber9112]

I used to feed my Oscar guppies when their population got too high. I don’t see a problem with that. No different than feed live brine shrimp and other live foods to my smaller fish. As for feeder goldfish… I would agree. The argument for diseases and parasites is spot on. It’s why I only fed my Oscar what I raised myself, and not from a store that I had no idea whether or not those feeders were even healthy. It’s not a power thing either. I’m sure there are people that do get a kick out of it, like those who own snakes (and spiders… definitely hate the spiders). I did it because no one wanted the fish I was breeding, and stores around me wouldn’t buy them. My nearest fish club is 4 hours from where I am, so that was out of the question as well.

[@Killerbug198]

I'm right with ya my man! Have a guppocalypse and another tank home to some hungry bois? Match made in heaven. Good quality feeders, good levels of bioload in the gupyup tank, and Idc what Jon says on this, it's fun to watch fish hunt.

[@AJBAdventures]

Can't see anything wrong with that, after all it's what would be happening in the wild, but feeder fish from the shop not a good idea

[@krispy3681]

I home breed mollies, guppies, minnows, and ghost shrimp for live foods. Never EVER buy store "feeders"

[@Calilasseia]

Before it was decommisioned due to a leak, my aquarium was nicknamed the Panda Fun Palace. It was home to 14 Panda Corys. I chose a decent size group because I knew that they were among the most avowedly social of Corys. I gave them a nice planted tank, with innocuous companions such as Otocinclus and Cardinal Tetras, with bogwood arches bearing lots of nice Java Moss. Additionally, I fed them live food, and specifically bought bloodworms in quantity so that the Panda Corys would receive their fair share, though they surprised me by hunting Daphnia as well! Result? The Panda Corys spawned 110 times over a 3 year period. And it was mayhem to watch. They would dart around the aquarium like an underwater version of the Keystone Kops, and spawning would last 5 hours at a time. I used to joke that if I tried emulating their acrobatics in this regard, I would end up in a jar at the hospital. I ended up rehousing about 70 offspring in total. Safe to say that they LOVED being in that aquarium, which I specifically aimed to make look like a natural stretch of river or lake as possible. Ceramic mermaids and other dross I regard as abominations :) Next time I have the funds to restart fishkeeping, I'm going to do another version of that setup ... only this time there will be 40 Pandas in a 75. Thst should be a big enough gene pool for some serious breeding :)

[@threadbarerag336]

I agree. Abominations.

[@kiarablack5349]

Love the feeder fish rant! Another important thing to note is that not only do these fish have almost no nutritional value, some even contain anti-nutrients that hurt your fish! Goldfish, for example, produce high concentrations of an enzyme called thiaminase which breaks down B vitamins. This can cause serious illness in predator fish over time. Keep your fish safe by saying no to feeders!

[@aqhan]

I bought a baby oscar and put it in a 55g tank, just because I knew I will put it in a bigger one. Only difference being, I already had a 250g home, just not set up yet, but I really wanted that oscar! He spent 2 months in a small tank, but after went straight into his forever home.

[@Noxlion28]

Good stuff! Tbh I’ve seen people keep a single oscar in a 55g permanently with no issues but it’s not something I’d feel comfortable doing

[@calidafeuersichel1515]

I just witnessed a dumb thing (and a good thing at the same time) just 3weeks ago. As I'm new to the hobby and finally decided to get myself an aquarium, I spent alot of time researching. Then I decided to get some info in my local aquaristic shop and was there for quite a while listening to the owner on what to do and what not. Then a customer called. That person just bought an aquarium and wants to come by right now to put a fish in it... My new teacher wasn't so happy about this of course and refused to hand one out. A consultation yes, but no animal. So on one hand this person is so dumb (or lazy) to not even research that but on the other hand, I know this shop cares about the wellbeing of their fish.

[@PrevailArmy]

Its completely possible to add fish in day 1, you just need to add safe or prime and beneficial bacteria like Stability from Seachem for awhile, keeping eyes on your level readings

[@sewerrat7612]

Or filter/beneficial bacteria from an existing tank.

[@PrevailArmy]

@@sewerrat7612 facts. That's the simplest

[@samanthaalexander1756]

You are right, most fish people care about their animals. I know a breeder of German Shepherds. You cannot buy a puppy unless you have references, pass a test, explain how you intend to "house" your dog, what to feed it etc. They even run an RSPCA report. It costs four figures to buy but these puppies only go to very good homes. Greatest respect to ALL breeders who care about where their animals end up.

[@markh.williamsauthor7286]

Back in the day I did these things twice.. I bought oscars in a 20 gallon tank. They were babies when I got them but grew really quick. Luckily I was able to take them to a store for credit when they got pretty big. The other one was I bought "unknown south american cichlid". It was a little brown fish. Well.. when it matured, it was a red devil and killed everything in my tank. Never, ever again!

[@AVH8TOR]

Just got back into the hobby. When I had a tank many many years ago it was trial and error, word of mouth, or read a book. Man is it so much easier now. Learned a lot. Appreciate you, and a few others. My tank is cycled, thriving, and doing well.

[@Languagebeta]

I felt so bad for feeder fish, so I bought rosy red minnows for $0.17 each 2 years ago, I still have them to this day

[@sewerrat7612]

Very intresting fish they breed similar to chiclids always have some in fishroom. They also don't need heaters fine at 50 or so degrees to over a 100.

[@HopeB555]

Lol. I've definitely been guilty of buying fish without a "permanent" home for them. But when I saw a gorgeous Pinoy angelfish at my LFS I couldn't hold off (was gonna pick up a 55 gallon in literally two weeks and I had a 37 gallon for her to stay in the meantime while I got the cycle established) I've been the recipient of a rescue common pleco. Previous owner had a 10 gallon. 💀 Unfortunately he was pretty stunted by the time I got him. Lived almost 12 years but topped out around 16" in my 75 gallon. My parents wouldn't let me get a bigger tank even though I knew he needed one. But I was legitimately the only person who had a decent sized tank that shopped at my LFS.

[@Brandi-qc7lx]

I love this! My fiance will ask me why I don't feed the shrimp that pass away to my german rams or angels, and I tell him it's because I don't know what could've killed it and don't want to contaminate tanks.

[@jonathanbranson9313]

Great video. I made most of these mistakes back in the 70s & 80s when the only info available were 40 year old library books. Even the local aquatics shop had bizarre mixtures of fish in their tanks. I found out the hard way how large Chinese Hi-Fin sharks can grow 😵‍💫. At least i resisted the sterlet! I've not seen feeder fish for sale in the UK, but if they were 10 cents a throw they'd be kept as pets 😂.

[@tickets23]

By far one of your best videos so far guys! I love Jon saying people are "lazy and stupid" many times. haha also, make sure Jon doesn't have burritos before the next video. he farted a lot in this one. 🤣

[@andrewmorgan5022]

About the feeder fish chapter sorry lol. I'm on board, being against it for the Colosseum style combats taking place in a glass walled cage match, but having a complete eco system from beneficial bacteria to Daphnia, Amphipods, Copepods Scuds, blackworms, mystry snail, MTS, ramshorn snails, a freshwater mussel, kuhli loaches, to shrimp, endlers and other swordtail fry (these last 3 are introduced from my tropical community tank). up to oscars with bristlenose plecos. I thought it would be part of their complex diet. I also feed pre biotic wafers, cichlid pellets, algae wafers, filter foods, and a cocktail of frozen brine shrimp, krill, Daphnia, bloodworm with seachem GarlicGuard and seachem nourish. I hope I'm doing it right? There's tones of hiding space with dragon stone, plants and a filtration flow rate of 6950 L/h in a 315 litre high tech tank

[@threadbarerag336]

Every single vegetarian fish I have ever met actually eats insect and crustaceans too. All of the plecostomus and otocinclus eat shrimp and bloodworms if they make it to the bottom. I've put raw store shrimp in a tank to sink to the bottom and they get gnawed on my all of the bottom feeders (BN & L397). Pacu, which are supposed to be vegetarian, eat everything and any fish whose head can fit in the pacu mouth. The Philippine lake where men lose their cojones to invasive pacu is no myth. The only time my fish get live fish is if I don't get fry out of the tank quickly enough.

[@vivienleigh4640]

What is also a no-no is to not have for instance an extra heater and at least an extra sponge filter, with pump, preferably a battery driven pump, in case of a blackout. If your main filter, or your heater stops working, you don't want to stand there not being able to get the right temperature or oxygen supply.

[@leegraham4872]

I have a good sized tank where my fish live.. they were feeder fish. now they are my babies. going on three years old now. got my hubby into them now too. Like dogs when he comes home from work they wiggle and even spit water.. love my feeders

[@_DROM_]

Man, you guys are done with idi"ts! Love it! 😂😂😂 My first aquarium was my mother's idea, to get my mind busy. I was going through depression and my fish basically saved my sanity. I was 15. Had all sorts of freshwater fish in my 10 years caring for them. Moved away, stop for another decade, and now I'm back into it. 😍

[@PaulZyCZ]

There are some rare cases where fish may need live food, very rare with freshwater fish. There's Pike Killifish, which needs to be taught to eat frozen food and it's being mentioned they won't reproduce as good as if fed live food. On one hand most life bearers end up being food, on another it's one reason I never kept them. But now I keep Pea puffers and Scarlet Badis which eat whatever tiny critters they scavenge and frozen bloodworms. No flakes, no pellets, they won't touch that. All fish eat bloodworms, but other fish also get frozen mysis, daphnia, cyclops or flakes, pellets, along with vitamins, leaf matter and veggies. Sometimes I also grate some frozen shrimp or fish fillet for a variety (on a cheese grater). There's lot of better options than feeder fish, when the flakes don't work.

[@shannonrhoads7099]

Yup, I think my dumbest was not researching. Back in in 1995 I got a standard 10 gallon tank with a lid and incandescent light free for hauling it away, and bought 4-5 *angelfish* and a Marineland Penguin 75 (I think) hang on the back filter that was on sale due to damaged box at a big box pet store. Then, I put everything together the same day! No water treatment, no heater, no substrate or decorations, no real cleaning of a used tank of questionable history, no cycle time... Yup, the fish didn't last long. I went to a local fish store to restock, and asked some questions. I left with some cleaning supplies, water conditioner, plastic plants, 10 pounds of gravel, test strips, extra cartridges for the filter, a 50w heater and a VERY stern lecture to not come back for at least two weeks for fish. 🙃

[@tinyonvibrationtrainermach8729]

John you covered things in this video that I'm guilty of. I brought myself 2 Bala Sharks unaware of how big they grow until I did my research about them so that I can take care of them. I realised I will need a bigger tank as at the moment I have them in a tank that is just over 2 foot in length. However I have on lay-by a bigger tank with my local pet shop that I go to. The new tank will hold 130 litres of water probably a 3 or 4 foot long. I hope it will be big enough for my Bala Sharks and other fish.

[@sashablueperson]

I got my aquarium as a rescue situation, and I did not know anything. Even then, I still bought sinking pellets for the cory that came with the group. I figured there had to be a reason they sell sinking pellets with a picture of a cory on the front, lol.

[@DrSKMetz]

I would add: following the feeding instructions on fish food. The TetraMin I have in my hand says, "Feed two to three times daily, only as much as your fish can consume in several minutes." Unless you have fry, I think once a day as much as they can consume in a minute is about right.

[@Melon_Soda5]

I impulsively bought a pearl gourami and ended up rehoming him about a month ago 😭 I researched about them just a bit after my crayfish passed away, and I was just overwhelmed trying to decide what I should get. I was at a fish store once (keep in mind, this was a 25 gallon long aquarium I was preparing to stock) and I saw a tank of pearl gourami. It had been months since I'd seen a fish in my aquarium, so I ended up buying him on impulse. (I was originally going to get three, but luckily the employee explained to me how big they could get after finding out the size of my aquarium. I done know why some people recommend keeping pearl gourami in 20-30 gallons, that just seems way too small for a fish that can reach upwards of four inches.

[@carlcrasmussen]

I think you can keep gouramis in a 29 or 30 gallon because they don't move much at all unlike my Dojo loaches who are all over the tank

[@mikesmith-wk7vy]

I don’t think many hobbyist who would be inexperienced and don’t know what causes an ammonia spike would just go out and casually buy a $400 fx6 filter . Those kind of products are usually used by experienced keepers because of the price

[@glennpotter8344]

A FX6 in a 20-gallon tank too to boot. That must have been some turbulence in there ! lol

[@l.wachum6558]

😂 I believe they are being a little sarcastic... ;)

[@sdmcdaniel2255]

The comment about the feeder fish... every tank I've ever owned was community fish. Well, except for one that was considered semi-aggressive (tiger barbs, red tail/rainbow shark, silver dollars, etc). I would give a fish 'feeder fish' because that's expensive as all get out, I don't want to have to keep buying feeder fish. As for the decor comment... it's true (somewhat). I have set up tanks before as 'living decor', because I love the idea of it. But that's not the ONLY reason I do it. It's very therapeutic and relaxing for me to watch the fish swimming around the tank... especially late at night when I'm having trouble sleeping. My lighting system (when I have my tank up and running) is one of those that has 2 different types of LED lights, one that has the white lights, and then the low-level blue lights. Those blue lights simulate moonlight (or at least that's what I've been led to believe) and I love the way it changes the colors of the aquarium. I could sit and watch fish swim around for hours... and have on multiple occasions.

[@ImyPeachy]

what would your opinion be for someone who keeps Largemouth bass, Bluegill, Warmouth, and other native predatory type fish when it comes to feeders? I personally own each of those species, and find it very tough not to include some form of live food for them just because its apart of their natural forage and diet even though admittedly, there is a part of me now, who has started to gain feelings of guilt/remorse, cause after a while along with all my other tanks, I still keep up on the "feeder" tank to keep it clean and comfortable for them and i end up feeling attached to the feeders after they stay in the tank for days at a time. but also keep in mind a lot of times im either catching wild minnows in traps/cast nets and feeding them those, but my local exotic fish store has the same exact minnows id catch in the wild or buy from bait shops in my area. So would i still be doing something wrong trying to keep their diets diverse and what it would be if they where in say like a lake, pond, river, etc.. There's not a lot of information i can ever find on these fish that i keep, so i greatly appreciate any knowledge given.

[@kaden.slone04_biology]

Breed something like mosquitofish or guppies and feed the culls (deformed ones, not as colorful as you like, etc.) to the predatory fish.

[@louiewgroenewald]

This video needs to go viral, thanks for the content.

[@InkedGamerWolf420]

I started my Oscar in a TopFin 36 gallon bow front and within 4 months she was upgrading from that to a 55 to a custom 5 foot long 115 gallon tank. Please people don’t put your baby Oscar in a 40 breeder without a 75 gallon tank or larger on hand and prepped. That 2 inch Oscar will have outgrown that 40 breeder in like 4 months As someone that keeps both fish and reptiles (mostly ball pythons), you definitely want them in smaller as they’re babies to make them feel more secure but definitely have its upgrades on hand. My juvenile female ball python has been in a 45 gallon aquarium from the time she was a tiny 300 gram baby and I got some flack for putting her in something that big at that size. Now a year later she’s definitely outgrown that and she’s not very happy with me as I am building up her 75 gallon enclosure as a semi bio tank she will spend the next year or two in. If only I can find a way to mount her dang perch and it supports her weight

[@Dreams.of.bettas]

So just got to mention I've been to Petco or PetSmart I can't remember which one they probably both do it but whilst I was buying a pleco for my tank I noticed on the little tag that it says they only get to a Max of 3-4 inches and I have had a pleco when I was younger made that mistake once and never again but pet stores are so misleading and people blindly follow the guidelines that stores like Petco and PetSmart lay out while I will never claim to be perfect or never make a mistake when fishkeeping people need to be aware that just because that is what the tag says does not mean that it is true and most of the time you are far better off doing your own more extensive research before buying any fish

[@kaden.slone04_biology]

Some species of plecos (i.e. bristlenose) do only grow that big. But the misleading one is the common pleco which grows to be over a foot.

[@Dreams.of.bettas]

@@kaden.slone04_biology yeah the one I was looking at in particular was a spotted sailfin pleco

[@r1verman]

I've had a number of aquariums in my life. I started in the eighties when info was limited and most was found in books. My most recent tank was a 10 gallon. I wanted to keep it small. I focused on live plants and shrimp. I really enjoyed it just as much if not more than the bigger tanks I'd kept. I also laughed a bit at the point if someone had a Rottweiler that got too big, they wouldn't just throw it out the door. People do that exact thing all the time! No respect or commitment to a living thing. So sad...😢

[@lilpwnige]

a good technique i use to keep my bottom feeders fed and fish healthy is to create my own blend of fish food. (Typically vibra bites, micro pellets, high quality flake, sinking wafers, broken up algae wafers and freeze dried blood and tubifex worms. It provides wide variation for their diet, but with the different sinking speeds of the various foods it makes sure the whole water column is getting fresh food. Having different sized food also helps any smaller fish compete, as your larger fish will be so distracted by the larger chunks on the surface they won't even notice the micro pellets drop past them.

[@toki2750]

I've learned a ton in my time, but when I really got the bug, I had a 50 freshwater with 2 angles, a clown knife, a black ghost knife and an iridescent shark. I know way better now, but I still regret having that stocking. If there is anything I would change, it is gaining knowledge. If you where around 15 years ago, I'd be a better fish keeper. Thank you for all the content you put out for our hoppy.

[@aliciahernandez-ns9kp]

I always enjoyed the process of setting up a tank and giving it a month to sit before I get fish, I have a good set up with fish that like each other and that will stay small ; although, I have added some golwfish damsels really enjoying the tank and they love the frozen shrimp I get for them. I think it's more fun if you research the fish first, I have fish that like the top of the tank and fish that like the middle and some that stay on the bottom, they are so much fun to watch when you have it balanced.

[@JolliBliss]

"You don't need a separate tank to hold fish before putting them in the main tank or display tank." - Local Pet Shops They use the display tanks as holding tanks.

[@Goldi-Luc]

what about people who grow their own feeders? like i grow bladder snails in a seperate tank to feed my loaches and i keep guppies in the same tank with my loaches so they can eat the babies.

[@kh500]

I did the impulse buy. Saw my kids FAVORITE fish, a tetra species, and thought "They'll be fine in with the other tetras". Next morning "I should double check their care needs" Yeah. Cave tetras have very different needs than other tetras. Lucky I had an extra tank.

[@CrystalmarieGrz]

Lisa I agree. I keep catfish I have upside down catfish, julii, habrosous, Pygmy’s, and otos. When I bought my otos the guys say oh you don’t feed them they eat biofilm and algae. Right that’s why his were skinny and all mine are plump including all my Pygmy’s

[@WASasquatch]

Why don't we talking about the breeders, farms, and retailers who all never abide by tank size requirements? These are the people supplying the stock we purchase, and inherently the quality of the fish. For example, getting larger fish, who you think are going to grow to their max size, but find are actually fully adults, and stunted, and will not grow much more in their lifetime.

[@SYHOZHO]

There’s plenty of free tanks and gear. I said the same thing I have a 150 gallon now and it’s thriving I went from 30 gallons to 50 to 75 to 150 gallons. I have 2 balas 2 angels, I tiger mooray eel, 8 plecos albinos, sailfins etc. also have a few snail species, shrimps and other microorganisms. My tank is self sustaining. I haven’t fed in over 6 months. I don’t ever need to do water changes maybe once a year. Heavily planted sand substrate with loads of drift wood boulders and I have moss everywhere that it all looks natural like a part of a stream or natural body of water. If you want it get it!! Don’t hesitate yes the hobby is expensive I’ve spent 100s if not 1000s of dollars and hours on the tanks there’s ups and downs all the time. But JUST DO IT LIKE NIKE SAID! Don’t let people tell you otherwise.

[@Laura-ed5kf]

@ 8:30 - Bass Fishing Products: Young guy in FL who has a channel BUILT around pulling gobs of huge, often-very expensive fish/reptiles/axolotl from ditches/pools/ponds/sewers in FL. Huge plecos, rare plecos, gar, knife fish, chichlid, koi, bichir, catfish, puffers, loaches…. All fish that were dumped and now breeding. Is FL just the toilet of unwanted pets?

[@danm8004]

Released tropical animals thrive in Florida because of the conditions there (climate etc.) Idiots release animals everywhere, but they die more quickly everywhere else.

[@sewerrat7612]

Probably got out during some of the hurricanes they get just thrive in that environment.

[@TinyHyena1967]

@Laura-ed5kf ~ "Is FL just the toilet of unwanted pets?" Pretty much, because the climate is nice here so people know that the animal/snake/bird/fish/reptile will most likely be okay. They don't consider that by fixing their own personal problem they might create bigger problems down the line. Things do get loose when hurricanes and/or tropical storms come here and cause damage, but most of our problems with invasive species come from pets being released into the wild. I think the biggest problem we're having right now is all the enormous snakes that are in the Everglades destroying that ecosystem.

[@jaredtandle2596]

As a fisherman in Colorado, you can get into a lot of trouble if you takr a fish from one pond and add it into another pond, even a mile away. Fish have their own biomes and parasites. Yes, if you add a fish that isnt even native, that can destroy the whole ecosystem. That pleco will eat the food that some insects eat and the trout eat those insects. They wont eat a 2 ft pleco.

[@PaulZyCZ]

I used to go fishing with my father as a kid, I lost an interest later (maybe I will get a permit one day), but I remember here in Europe we had an outbreak of some disease affecting eels. All eels caught were to be killed and buried deep in the ground. So I can imagine that part (parasites), too.

[@KGTropicals]

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[@ChristopherShurts]

I literally laughed out loud when you mentioned the parent that gives in to making tenders over being patient.... Years later, they complain about not being able to get their kids to eat anything but mac n' cheese and nuggets.... I've had some fun conversations w/ parents who have kids that have "food aversions," like, you did it... (I'm a school counselor, with a pretty righteous FatherFish natural tank in my office). PS. I love your videos. Very informative.

[@matthewbrady8844]

All agree with most of what you're saying about feeders. But if you grow your own feeders and breed them and control their food and all of that, it's not really a lot different than if you're feeding brine shrimp or water fleas.

[@janicescott-reederking6536]

Dumbest thing I do is not organize tubing and electrical cords. They start out organized and look like a rats' nest three months later. Then they shrink and I have to get another power strip or move the aquarium.

[@deaconvelos8352]

One comment on releasing fish, I live in Wisconsin and we used to be part of the Alligator gar's natural territory and I would love to see them make a return. Even if they need a little help to do it as they were hunted to extinction in most of their range

[@KGTropicals]

There are conservationists that will take care of such things. Some dumb fish keeper (not you) throwing their Alligator Gar in there wont help things, it'll just make things worse. Also idiots that do that kind of thing aren't doing it to save a species, they're doing it cause they're fixing a problem that THEY caused.

[@EuroGupper]

I add a solution of yeast into my fish tanks (to support and boost micro fauna, it seems to boost bacteria growth as well because the tank water becomes very clear after the yeast cloudiness subsides)

[@justinzduniak6499]

Alright John, what about puffers !!!?????!! Most need those live crunchies to keep the beak filed. Shrimp ,snails, clams are a must to do so..... anbi aint gonna lie watching a puffer hunt for ghost shrimp is pretty cool 😎 yes you can feed the other foods, but then you got buck tooth puffer lol

[@markflopresti]

i’ve done all of these, years ago when i was a beginner. but as an advanced aquarist, it’s important to make sure the fish’s well being is put first and you can’t go wrong.

[@WhatIsMisophonia]

14:00 You may be correct on feeder fish in terms of health, but the problem is you're presuming the intent of the person feeding them. Sometimes people simply want to observe nature taking its course in the macroscopic level, and are not necessarily getting a power rush out of it, just like people observing hunting behavior in other animals. You say you don't get it, so don't be so presumptuous. No I don't use feeder "fish", but will likely start breeding live cultures of various animals to feed to the fish because it's better for them. I also find it kind of fascinating to see fish hunting bugs, but no I'm not getting off on it.

[@peaches8864]

I am guilty of this, i saw a little guppie all isolated in a bowl, bought him and a friend, realised they needed way different care, and have now spent a zillion dollars trying to make them happy. whoopsie.

[@r1verman]

Agree 100% on feeders. Unless a person is quarantining their feeders its very detrimental to use them. I worked at a pet shop in the eighties. We'd get hundreds of feeder gold fish every week. Most oftened died due to disease. I would often net a hundred or more a day that would go belly up.

[@mikesmith-wk7vy]

In both my tanks there is no feed the top water fish until they’re full and drop sinking food in . My fish will eat all the flakes then still go nuts when the sinking food arrives , they all like it more so I have to use a pvc pipe to get it to the bottom or just put huge amounts even then my loaches and catfish will get it way before any pleco comes out . And this is for both my tanks so I don’t think it’s as simple as they make it , and I do a lot of water changes so I overfeed even

[@zatoth13]

I did not regret my one impulse buy of fossil catfish. They became my favorite aquarium fish and were a delight to have! If I could, I would do everything better and start with them. I so miss Deimos and Phobos!

[@samanthaalexander1756]

I am loving your videos. I first started watching, I think, 13 years ago? (would that be right?) I know it has been a long time but I have not always had reliable internet so there has been gaps. I TOTALLY agree with you about feeder fish. I recently saw a video of a guy who caught frogs to feed his piranha. I was absolutely horrified! It was really barbaric and totally unnecessary. OK, if that is what they do in the paddock, let it happen, but we should be above that. These days, because we are allegedly civilised, we do not have to sacrifice live chickens for the rain to fall. We have access to an amazing selection of foods for any kind of fish so please, spare the fish or frogs from being eaten alive in a horrible death. I know it happens in nature, but we are not trying to replicate nature, we want to give our fish their best life.

[@bager1982]

I've been to reptile and animal shops several times and done exactly that, seen something new, or something exciting, and immediately get that feel "i should own that.... lucky me though, I never have given in into that temptation without having the housing for it at home, i like the "fantasy" of owning it, settting up the tank in my mind, yet, rarely I end up owning stuff that started with that feeling. i know the time to tend to it, is not on my side, so I have to wait, til my time schedule is way better. Nice VIdeo!.

[@DBUrbex_]

I'm from South Africa and a few years ago (like 4 years ago) I found a baby catfish in a river. I took it home and put it in my 40 liter tank. Afew years pass by and this thing is getting BIG. So I decided to go to my local pond which already had catfish in it and I dropped it off. Sometimes I wonder if he's still in there

[@lewashcliffe]

Great video, John and Lisa! And I also hate that some "macho" people think feeder fish is cool! I've also been tempted by a number of fish when I go to the local aquarium shop just because they are cool to watch, but I do resist! So, thanks for the reminder!

[@TheClownfight]

I buy feeders to start a tank. To generate some waste and light ammonia at little risk. Also as a test to see if fish could live in my outdoor horse water trough. Turns out they love it!

[@DaveL-s7b]

I think aggressive fish like African Cichlids can cause some of these problems because the males are so aggressive and maybe they were bought small. It ican be hard to have places to put a fish if the planned aquarium doesn't work out.....

[@Robert-s1k8p]

My daughter won a feeder goldfish and her school carnival. We ended up keeping it in a big tank for years I ended up giving jujube to someone who has a pond. Unfortunately he was probably one of the few who lived any length of time. That was about twenty years ago

[@ericagraham733]

I raised a feeder goldfish until it was huge and beautiful and we let it go in a big pond with other goldfish, it looked so happy there, I was so happy for it!

[@JellyAnimated]

There’s no shame in doing something wrong we always learn

[@KGTropicals]

There's ABSOLUTE shame in doing something that kills an innocent living thing. There's also shame in saying there's no shame in it.

[@ShamuAquatics]

When it comes to buying a baby Oscar, pleco, redtail catfish, or some other little fish that will grow to a foot or two long, I am a huge advocate for waiting until you already have in your possession, the tank that’s large enough to house an adult version of that baby fish. Yes, I put roseline sharks, which need at least a 55 gallon, in a 46 gallon bowfront 10 years ago but I also had an established 125 gallon tank at my other house and that’s where they ended up after a few months. If I didn’t already have that 125 set up, I wouldn’t have bought those roselines

[@evan_rifkind]

The "no Christmas Bonus this year" comment hit a bit too close to home for me! Lol.

[@MrPJM22]

Guilty. But many years ago before the internet. Feeders were sold in every pet store (still are), and to someone new to the hobby, it just seems to be what you’re supposed to do with large carnivores. Thank you for spreading the word. Wish more pet stores would get on board and quit selling them.

[@j.t.cooper2963]

I'm against feeder fish too but in all reality even the prepared foods we use come from what was once alive.

[@PatriciaAnnLewisMacDougall]

I have to call you out on one teensy little detail! The first dumb s**t thing mentioned was buying fish that will grow way too large for the size of tank that fish will be housed in. Then at TS, 2:56, there’s a shot of a beautiful aquarium filled with angelfish. There were 2 or 3 large angels and then there were roughly a dozen juveniles and even though that’s a beautiful tank, dumb people with money to spend will see that and will buy way too many juvenile fish so their tank looks great now but when the fish become adults, the aquarium apocalypse hits! That being said, I’ll share one of my tragic “dumb s**t stories.” I have a 90 gallon tank and wanted to add a spiny eel to my family of fish. Went to my LPS and saw a tank labeled spiny eels and tire tract eels. So guess what I came home with? Yup, a tire track eel! And I thought it was the most beautiful fish in the world! When I brought it home it was roughly over 2 “. When it DIED this New Year’s Day, it was 10” long.

[@KGTropicals]

That was a massive tank with all those fish. If it was a 55 I would be with you but that tank could handle it.

[@Workhardsavemore]

Actually I bought fish I knew were going to get big Because my wife wasn't going to let me get a big tank but she and I are not cruel to animals So I put on one of your videos So that she could see it and as a result she allows me to get the big tank I wanted in the first place so now I have a 225 gallon it's strategic planning as a marred man 🤷‍♂️

[@kayleemcbay1200]

Haha this had me laughing 😂

[@meganleaf1802]

Random question: can tetras school with other tetras? Like will neon school with black neon, or with runny nose?

[@JesseT951]

Regarding feeder fish. I never done it myself but cant you just feed fish fillet from market instead of live ones?

[@sewerrat7612]

Can for some species others perfer to hunt.

[@robertwayman7974]

With the thought in mind about giving disease's to your fish, how do you feel about giving fish, and seahorses, etc., live brine shrimps from the local pop store or on-line to your fish ?

[@1yoshitube]

I hate it when people buy feeder fish. When I was about 7 my brother and I decided to “save” 3 goldfish from the feeder fish tank and they grew to a good 5-ish inches. We had them for awhile. ❤

[@Jeswald1]

Going to Petcosmart and seeing an aisle of additives... one to cure everything, so you buy the Prime, water clarifier, quick start, ammonia spike, Stress coat, etc. etc. $150 dollars later... some people* will start adding a dose add to your the regularly "just in case" even though the tank is OK. Then, the tank crashes. "But the bottle says it will make my tank perfect!" If it ain't broke... *who, me? Never!

[@karac5337]

I like John's new, honest, slightly crotchety attitude. 😂 No more sugar, just blam "It's like this..." How many different ways are there to say something? I've been watching them about 6ish years now. He and Lisa have said all of the sweet things repeatedly. Stupids don't understand sugar coating and get offended by bluntness. I'd rather be blunt and hear it that way. Don't have time for all of that extra feelings stuff anymore. Life is too short.

[@joseeguizabal6712]

Honestly, I would love to be extremely blunt with people at work. I work at a pet store and deal with this kind of ignorance and stupidity day in, and day out. I have gotten to where I don't sell certain fish or critters to people who A. want to impulse buy, and B. Are not aware of how their care really is. Plecos and goldfish are definitely the most abused fish in the business.

[@catlady9123]

I'll add, have a tank, right now, that is SET UP AND RUNNING! I've done it in the past, got myself a new baby Oscar thinking I'll put him in one of my tanks as he's all of 1.5" now, I'll grab my 75 out of my storage shed, set it up and move him in (I always have spare filters running on my tanks in case of needing a hospital tank....we dropped the 75 bringing it in the house 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Amandarobertson-d7o]

I have a question my filter broke today so I’ve ordered another one which is coming tomorrow I have an air pump but will I have to do a 50% water change tomorrow when I put my new filter in as tank might be a big dirty

[@KGTropicals]

25% water change should be fine. Test your water to be sure, though.

[@DrSKMetz]

Love the Zaire Blue Frontosa.

[@berated4541]

Your content has really swung from educating the KZbin community on fish keeping to a series of “vlogs” ranting about what grinds your gears in the community. I don’t really believe you enjoy talking trash on the people that do the things you “hate” because I think your honestly a better person than that. I think since your first “rant” video you got a surge in views and engagement via comments. While this is giving you a small bump in “engagement” in the short term, it only serves to lower your ceiling long term. There’s more than enough anger, lack of tolerance/understanding and division in the world, let’s use fish keeping as a medium to help bridge these gaps instead of driving the wedge deeper?

[@KGTropicals]

How is "Don't buy a fish before you're ready", "Don't buy a fish on impulse", "Aquariums aren't decorations", "Educate yourself before you buy a fish", "Don't release fish into the wild", "The hobby requires patience" and "Don't feed feeder fish because it's too risky" NOT educating? Did you even watch the video or did you type this up just based on the title?

[@berated4541]

@@KGTropicals No I watched it in its entirety to make sure there wasn’t some sort of light hearted epilogue rendering my point mute. And while the bullet points of the video aren’t “ranting” it’s the delivery and overall condescending tone when discussing the “Do nots” that I was referring to. And I’ll remind you I said content, so I was not just referring to this particular video, but the content as I see it, as of late. Now I will admit I don’t watch all your content. I used to, but have tapered off quite dramatically since I’ve felt like more of your videos are ranting/venting more than anything. My intentions were constructive criticism but it seems like I may have ruffled some feathers here. If I did I apologize.

[@sawyercustomaquatics3094]

spontaneous buy!! it got me today, I've been breeding paradise gourami for years and finally had a store local that had golden gourami.. I had to get them, bought 4, hoping they breed out. ended up with fire mouths and jack demises also.. was a crazy day at the pet store.

[@JulieNicholson-u5g]

I totally agree with your list. I have had to walk away from fish I really wanted because I knew I could not give them what they needed, and the one about releasing back into the wild, oh my goodness that is a hot issue for me too. We have rescued and rehomed so many fish as well as turtles because of this stupid thinking. Thank you for caring.

[@leighlester3857]

100% agree about feeder fish it is horrid they should be banned. There are so many bad owners who don't ask or read up on their pets, it is so easy nowadays with the net in my day we just had books and the local pet shop.

[@Treg106]

I so love you guys. We need to bring back the truth. Weather people want to hear it or not.

[@haste953]

I did #1 with Oscars and some other big fish, I started with my fish being less than 5cm each now they're almost at 20cm. I had them on a 50 gallon 100x40x50cm tank and even if the 50 gallon would've lasted me at least another 2 months I decided to buy a 120 gallon so they would be happy for quite a while longer.

[@TheSalient1]

Always love your style!

[@H0llowAsMr]

My suggestion is to only do impulse buying when your a very expirienced fish keeper. For me, I bought my silver arowana out of impulse buying and now he's part of the family in a 400 gallon tank.

[@88smatthews]

I trap my own minnows out of the creek behind my house to get my feeder fish for my crappie and bluegills the few cichlids i have with them love them too

[@darkpaladinlanceramessesii5719]

So when I first had my aquarium. I made a lot of mistakes and lost a few fish. I'm ashame of that. Now i do my research when a fish is interested in

[@NinniAquariums]

Well, you learnt something, right :) Everyone does mistakes, the most important is that we want to learn and want to do better.

[@darkpaladinlanceramessesii5719]

@@NinniAquariums That true. I love watching my fish every morning and evening.

[@Argacu]

Hello! I'd like to know how many Corydoras Paleatus I should place in a 30-gallon tank to avoid overstocking. The tank is only for them, no other fish. A minimum and a maximum? All answers are welcome, but please respond only if you have knowledge of this fish and experience. Thank you!

[@joeylowell293]

Hi i have a Question! how do you know when your fish say a guppy or Endler has reached old age and is ready to pass and not mistake it for being sick???

[@sewerrat7612]

If sick usually won't be the only one will also notice live bearers tend to get curved spines as they get older.

[@marksmithj9892]

Great info! Totally agree about the feeder fish BTW!

[@Jerry-lj3cf]

Love this video and I totally agree with you and Lisa. 😊

[@johnmcmahon76]

Can we talk about the "lies" around planted aquariums. Was constantly told I couldnt keep most plants together due to PH, lack of C02, etc. I dont think most people understand that most growers will use the same water amongst all plants or eill just pull plants from their own tanks.

[@tristantheentertainer3477]

Is it possible to recover a tank that didn’t cycle properly? I’ve been doing my best but I can’t seem to get those nitrates down to a more appropriate level

[@stucody]

Just be patient. Try using live bacteria and then waiting

[@bigrayray74]

The only way to remove nitrate is water changes and live plants. There is also anaerobic bacteria.

[@mr.octopus6972]

No gravel ! Put sand at the bottom or even nothing will be better than gravel. Gravel is THE WORST thing to put at the bottom, it allows food and 💩 to rot at the bottom with no means for fish to eat it. Put plants in. You don't even have to have aquatic plants. Just regular house plants at the top feeding from the water column will do the trick. Plus, it is beautiful and fish just love to play and hide in the roots. The best aquarium, of course is a planted aquarium with both (aquaric and houseplants) that is imitating nature. If possible, get a filtration system like a fluvial that is holding many layers of filtration. I assume that you probably feed 5 times more than what your fish really need. The rule of thumb is one pellet per fish per day with 2 days a week of fasting. Another rule of thumb is, if you see food hitting the bottom, it was too much. Feed live food, you don't have to ruin yourself with market frozen food, just go to the gaz station and get earth worms. Cut one down to very small parts and shove that into your tank. Put fruits and vegetable that you made soft by boiling or in the microwave, these can last a very long time in the tank and won't rot. Fish LOVE picking on them all day long. You will learn what is their preferred fruit by trying. My goppies just go xrazy when I give them a piece of apple softened in the microwave. Once every week or two. Cut a clove of garlic in very small parts, make them soft in boiling water, put this (with the liquid) in your tank. Fish are just fond of garlic and it's a natural intestinal dewormer and has many other health benefits. Always wait until ALL the food you put in there got eaten before adding more food. You can try adding raw beef (in very small quantities) but you have to make sure they consume 100% of it or it will rot and make your problem worst. Get lots of snails, shrimps and bottom feeders like corys. They are the best to clean an aquarium naturally and work for free. Good luck.

[@Noxlion28]

I agree with the other suggestions in your replies. If a tank “won’t cycle”, you are doing something wrong. And keep in mind that some nitrates are okay. I wouldn’t let them get over 40ppm but if they are below that threshold and you have no ammonia and nitrite I wouldn’t worry.

[@bonniegoodwin5653]

Well watching dumb stuff people do is kind of educational for new fish people so I say give us some more lol

[@moosey1978]

I'll send you one of my banded sculpins and you try to make it eat flakes or pellets. Mine only wants worms or shrimp. And won't touch frozen either