Dumb S**T People Do With Aquariums

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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. 🙃

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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 😂.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@starlikeromp]

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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. 🤣

[@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.

[@_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. 😍

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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...😢

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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!.

[@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... ;)

[@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.

[@richardheudorf2245]

I don't understand people who buy fish they know nothing about. It's 2024 people. If I see a fish I Iike but know nothing about, I step aside, I whip out the phone, Google the fish and find out everything I need to know in minutes. Has saved me some heartache.

[@KoraBug01]

Literally what i was thinking!

[@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

[@louiewgroenewald]

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

[@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!

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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)

[@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.

[@quaffncoff1718]

Hey, I love all the videos you guys do and have learned so much. I have been trying to research a product and can't seem to find much about it. The product is betta water renewal by aqueon. I did not know what that does and if its necessary to have a healthy betta tank for my betta. Thank you!

[@DrSKMetz]

Love the Zaire Blue Frontosa.

[@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 😂😂😂😂😂

[@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

[@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. ❤

[@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

[@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

[@mileycywuskleiner978]

I dont agree with her 3:47 doing everything she said in the beginning is what made me like the hobby even more. Its those fails that make you a better person. Its does deaths that make them become less

[@BroChacho-y3f]

She sounds like SHE KNOWS IT ALL. Like come on woman, if i do a bedroom tank its gonna be 🔥🌲🌄🍂🌌. They assume they are smarter than others since they've worked so hard, their experiences just couldn't match anyone else's... 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@marksmithj9892]

Great info! Totally agree about the feeder fish BTW!

[@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

[@gamersince8425]

What aggravates me is I have explained the the proper care for plecos and people would scoff and tell me that he person working at the fish store told them that they were fine

[@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.

[@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.

[@snikerdoodlefox3979]

At my work we wont sell people fish that will get too big for their tank. Example , yesterday someone wanted angelfish for a 50lr but left with some small tetra instead. So we can help with avoiding the first mistake 😅

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@Jerry-lj3cf]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@tiaandelport9093]

John and Lisa I'm from South Africa and yes I made these mistakes before as well. But I agree a 100% with you as far as feeder fish 🐟 are concerned

[@ShamuAquatics]

When I go to a fish store and see a fish that I’ve never seen before and I fall in love with it, I find it super difficult to just pull out my phone really quick and look that fish up. Lol

[@garbagegremlins4707]

2:39 skill issue: I am redecorating my living room to accommodate new aquarium…. Sorry couch you gotta go

[@bonniegoodwin5653]

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

[@evan_rifkind]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@matthelm3795]

I am guilty of recently doing an impulse buy. I saw a nice looking flowerhorn for a good price. Luckily I do know the care requirements. But still one of those " lord what did I do?" moments when I got home 😂

[@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

[@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.

[@TheSalient1]

Always love your style!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@twist4710]

DUDE YOU'RE HILARIOUS 14:30 please i have a baby blue gill about 2.2 inches i throw in cichlid pellets in he grabs them but spits them out. how do i feed him ? i dont want him to die but would like him to eat the pellets instead of blood worm

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@rafaelgonzalez4175]

That really is why I got into fishkeeping. First tank was given to me. Set it up. Ran it for a little bit. Bought small fish. Lost a few the survivors got bigger. I got a bigger tank. Then I had to stock the smaller tank again. lol then I got another tank lol then more fish. Wait it's a kunundrum.

[@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.

[@softaco3088]

When you are supposed to setup a 125G, but your master bathroom decides its time to need a new subfloor resulting in all the money that was going towards a high tech setup into a 5k Bathroom remodel (Even after you did the work yourself).

[@junepearthespork1469]

Whenever I go to the fish store and I see a fish I really really want you guys pop into my head saying "are you sure?🤔 And its just enough to make me not impulse buy lol

[@stewartfooter3580]

Awsome vid john,and lisa of course!

[@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 ?

[@marcproulx7965]

I have a 220 gallon with a 55 gallon sump and the biggest fish I keep is my Oscar’s and a bullhead!! I have to feed the Oscar’s first then the catfish!! 😂😂😂