How to Setup and Maintain Freshwater Tank? FULL Beginner guide to Healthy Aquarium!

[@AquascapingCube]

What is your experience with your first tank? What was the biggest issue? Share with us!

[@fmatt98a]

Stemplants, stemplants, stemplants when establishing a new tank. They take far more nutrients from the water that can prevent a severe algae bloom :) maybe some elodea densa etc

[@LF4RUNNER]

Thank you for making this video!

[@AquascapingCube]

My pleasure! :)

[@FishLoft]

I really enjoy all our videos. Thanks for breaking down all the steps to support a beautiful aquarium.

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you, it really means a lot! Glad you like them! :)

[@musashi0221]

Those crypts are magnificent..amazing growth.

[@AquascapingCube]

Yes they are! Fantastic plants for almost any setup.

[@marioaqua6441]

What a great video. Super useful for all beginners, great job!

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you! I’m glad you think so!

[@AaronLeflur]

Excellent summary. Very well-made video, really good to hear all the experience and thought process.

[@AquascapingCube]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@massimobrigati6649]

Hi, I learned to use bags (to prevent the nutrient substrate from mixing with the sand), they are the bags that are also used in filters. I put the nutrient substrate in the bag and then cover with sand, if you have to remove a plant from the tank, which has important roots, there is no risk that the fertile substrate mixes with the sand causing problems! Excuse my English I use Google Translate 😏

[@AquascapingCube]

Hi, thank you for commenting! Yes, this is very useful trick! And I use it sometimes. I didn't use it here, because I wanted to keep it as simple as possible :)

[@angelaf8597]

What a great video! Thank you! This was exactly what we needed :D

[@AquascapingCube]

So glad! Thank you for watching!

[@stoneysscapes7544]

Great job on coming up with a rock solid video on achieving a successful , stable aquarium that anyone can get a win by following what you have clearly been enjoying and same with the entirety of your Playlist. There's nothing better for someone to get a chance to be successful and that my friend is easily what makes Aquascaping Cube one of the best on KZbin 🌿🌱🍀

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you so much for your kind words :) It means a lot!

[@iszsvnnyknight5688]

Thank you for the guidance!

[@AquascapingCube]

Any time!

[@koussy]

I love when things are simple. Thank you so much for your videos. I have a bit of a silly question, but I think it's important: how do you enjoy your tank? Do you sit in a chair and watch them for 10 minutes, or just take a quick glance every day? Or do you enjoy making changes and watching them eat? I think it's important, otherwise, why have fish?

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you! I enjoy all my tanks ;) I have almost all of them in my office, so I can look at them entire day. I love to see the fish behaviour, interactions, I like feeding them. I love to see the changes in the tanks, plant growth, decay of leaves, entire circle of life. I especially enjoy to watch my fish breed, little fry, how they are born, how parents care for their children. I even like the process of maintaining those tanks, cleaning, trimming, all of it :) I'm doing it for years, got my first tank when I was around 10 years old, and now I'm 40 and still love this underwater world ;) Yes, so probably I'm a bit crazy in this way :P

[@leanderfoldy9293]

Hello. I have a question. I have a similar setup that’s been running (rather) successfully for over a year now . The only major difference is that I used a potting soil/aqua soil mixture as a thin bottom layer, which was also capped with a deep sand layer. It also has almost the same kinds of plants (crypts and anubias) but it also has valisneria. It also has a similar wrgb led. I never used liquid fertilizer, or any chemical for that matter. It only has 1 betta and a nerite snail so bio load is minimal, insufficient even. It even has a food web. It used to have java fern though but it always died off slowly… The leaves just turned brown, then disappeared. So it was because of nutrient deficiency in the water column. Some Anubias leaves have lately even turned yellow or got holes. Floating plants are not growing or propagating at all (salvina and forgbit). Nitrate and Phosphate levels have always tested 0 from day 1 and I never had a single spot of algae visible even though I have 3-4cm layer of decaying leaf litter in 2 spots of the tank. Now the question: Is it only possible to keep java fern with liquid fertilizer? And wouldn’t this hurt the food web and microorganisms? Sorry for the long text, I just want to describe the circumstances. Thank you. And also thank you for your great content!

[@AquascapingCube]

Hi. Thank you for the explanation! Yes, it look like deficiency of liquid ferts. They are needed if you have more plants that are not typical root feeders. In my case, I had very little Anubias, so it could live of small amounts of nuntrients avaliable in the tank. But in your case - they were used by floating plants. Liquid ferts should not hurt any life in your tank. But when you start - you have to be careful about algae. So start slow with 30-40% recommended dose, then increase it very slowly. Observe any algae development, don't rush it. In general Java Fern is much more sensitive to lack of nutrients than Anubias, so this is why you got problems with it.

[@leanderfoldy9293]

@@AquascapingCube Ah I see. This makes a lot of sense now! Thank you very much for the advice, I hope I’ll be able to keep java fern now 👍👍

[@dmalgaming7276]

Sir please could some idea for me. . No soli tank for shrimp

[@ranjith.v.s]

❤

[@AquascapingCube]

😄

[@creativity2323]

What type of sand is that? Or really do you know what grain size it is? I keep struggling with crypts melting after 3 months of setup and I think it’s because the sand I use is too fine and is choking out the roots

[@AquascapingCube]

It was sold as river sand, grain: 1,2-1,8mm. I used it in many tanks and it works great for me

[@Aquaman_0212]

what is deep basis?

[@AquascapingCube]

This is a type of active substrate, but a bit bigger. Usually it's used in combination of 'normal' active soil. It's a source of nutrients for any plants that are root feeders.

[@Aquaman_0212]

@@AquascapingCube okay... Thank you😇

[@RandomTheresa]

After 20+ years in the hobby I only use sponge filters now. Anubias definitely need liquid ferts. Easier to use a dechlorinator rather than leave a bucket of water sitting overnight where it can collect dust, pet fur, etc.

[@no-knickers-emma1112]

Not true about water. It's best to leave it for a day like he mentions in the video. It takes out the gases. Put a lid over bucket. I only use sponge filters now. I have two cannister filters stored away.

[@AquascapingCube]

Yes, sponge filters are awesome and I use them in many of my setups. But internal filters are better at circulating the water properly, so I also include them when I feel it's needed. But I use both. Anubias needs ferts if there is deficiency in the water. If you have very small amounts - they will live in what is produced by life in the tank. I have many single Anubias plants in my tanks and they live just fine for years with zero added ferts. So it really depends on your setup - in this one it would cause algae.

[@AquascapingCube]

With dechlorinator I think that it's unnecessary complication for beginners. Besides leaving the water is super easy and also let's water temperature to even out. So you don't have to think about it anc check before moving it into the tank. And for beginners it's better to keep those things as simple as possible.

[@angelaf8597]

​@@AquascapingCube Agree. Leaving water in a bucket is much better than chemicals.