My 16 Years of Planted Aquarium Experience in 1 Video

[@AquariumCoop]

Buy aquarium plants & supplies at www.aquariumcoop.com Visit our fish store & partners at www.aquariumcoop.com/pages/retail-partner-store-finder

[@AshTaw]

Sir, I am your subscriber from India 🇮🇳 and want to know if I can use Chira stone is also known as laterite stone in English. Laterite is a type of soil and rock that is rich in iron and aluminum. It is commonly found in tropical areas that are hot and wet. . Will it effect my Fish or plants ?

[@meikahidenori]

As someone who's ALWAYS struggled with planted tanks, thank you for this.

[@j.t.cooper2963]

👍🏻😎I'm 60 and have been in the hobby since 1988 and it's nice to see someone who is giving consistent and solid advice. I only recently (about a year ago} decided to check out the FishTube side of KZbin and of the big FishTube channels your's has really won me over and and earned my respect because of your knowledge and consistent advice. I really appreciate what you are doing for the hobby and your products are great too.

[@terrymartins2552]

Watching ACO over the last couple of years has made my fish hobby so much more enjoyable. The only thing missing in this great video is to have patience and learn to enjoy what you have.

[@Tampa_tom]

Over the last week, I have been watching all of your plant live streams and videos because I’m getting ready to redo my 125. This was good timing. Hope your doing well Cory. God bless

[@BLASTER95_TTV]

Use sand & root tabs!!!!

[@lruddy8820]

Sand is overrated

[@ericbartolotta6567]

Been keeping fish for 30 years and plants for 10 and im still here learning. Thank you

[@omarbenouameur9780]

Weather your a novice or an expert I find Cory's videos to be the most helpful all around. Great video!

[@furiousstyles08]

I've been keeping fish for over 15 years...and can fill the Grand Canyon with the things I am still learning. I'm always looking for videos like this for newbies...videos that are grounded in experience and guides them away from myths and towards what is worth worrying about and clarity around their specific goals. Thanks again.

[@lazyremnant380]

Do you have any specific myth you can bust that probably haven't been mentioned anywhere?

[@TheRiager]

​@@lazyremnant380I got one, anubias and buce must be attached to rock or wood and not in substrate or they will rot. While mine all grow very well in it, better then on wood or stone. Just dont put them to deep.

[@TheMFLAV]

I'm a little surprised you said gravel but your point makes perfect sense. I'm 4 years into Landens aqua soil and need to replace and replenish which is a full teardown and rescape on a 125-gallon heavily planted tank. I am not looking forward to it. Actually bought more aqua soil 6 months ago. lol, 100% agree on slow-growing plants. I planted tons of stem plants when I started. I have since ripped them all out. Way too much work. Thanks for the video Corey.

[@TheCommunityMic]

Great video! Learned a lot of new tricks. ALL of my plants are low tech and I was getting a bit impatient like we all do in this hobby 😅.. I will definitely be trying that air stone trick before buying co2 now. Thanks for taking your time to share your expertise

[@Paleoshrimpyt]

This is awesome to have all your knowledge on this stuff in one video!

[@scottplumer3668]

You should write a book! I'm going to be redoing my 55 soon, so this was really helpful, but still kind of overwhelming.

[@GrowMoreVeggies]

That point on light spread is so true! When I first tried two lights on my 2ft wide and deep aquarium, I didn't take that into consideration. My plants weren't happy and algae started popping up. It took me two months of slowly changing the variables to realize my lighting situation was bogey. Let's be honest, straight dooky. I find that just like with gardening, you need to be prepared to make these mistakes so you can grow from them.

[@davidshultz4654]

Cory, you absolutely the Master. Your are an honest and totally believable. Thank you

[@andy0266]

This is the most useful video I have ever seen regarding the keeping of fish and plants, thank you so much ☺️

[@shaunneal9981]

Two things I would like to add - patience, nothing happens quickly, nothing happens overnight, watch and wait and see how things change. The second is don't be afraid to try different things to find what works for you, your method of keeping fish/plants and your water. Just because people say what you are doing should work, doesnt mean it will definitely work for you. Experiment and enjoy trying to achieve the best you can. If you enjoy the process then it won't feel like a chore or a failure.

[@J.Olivers_Guppies-Aquatics]

Best plant tip video I've seen!

[@KailynDanielle]

how many vacations does this guy think i’m going on!? All jokes aside, I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this video.

[@kurtbrutting5118]

Awesome video Cory! Tons of knowledge.

[@angelaarden8204]

thank you

[@tannerbroadwell5488]

I love using a combo of substrate. All my tanks have an 1in-1&1/2in of aquasoil + seachem flourite mixed up with root tabs sprinkled in. Then I cap that with 1&1/2-2in of sand. Then I sprinkle different sizes of gravel on the sand to add more of a dynamic size gradient to the substrate. It always looks great and I find it much easier to plant things in the sand as opposed to straight gravel especially stem plants when they dont have established roots yet. I will admit the surface of the sand does tend to collect detritus over time but I think the ease of planting and good plant growth make up for it:)

[@timpekarek9159]

When I first started with the hobby in the 70's I recall that the big idea was to have the substrate in a steep slope from back to front. The conventional wisdom of that time was that the detritus would naturally flow downhill to the front of the tank and it would be simple to siphon out the visible waste. I don't know why but that type of scaping seems to have mostly disappeared.

[@mikehunt9392]

If you’re growing plants in a aqua rich environment, it has become hydroponics at that point to use a hydroponic light that way you can dim it like you saying and also have the spread and output you need and a complete spectrum❤

[@amuseinthecraftroom6257]

I just glanced over at my Betta tank as I started watching this....every plant in there has come from you over the years. I should trim up these crypts and give them a root tab though. 😂

[@pingary7502]

Thank you for the information humble fish master 🙏

[@whitneyfry3236]

This video is perfect! Just ordered the mystery plant box and plan on redoing my three tanks. Thank you!

[@Les-OZZYTHEOSCAR]

You have a great way of explaining what you are saying in easy form. A great video for all aquarists

[@rickwallace2091]

Corey this is an outstanding video, and recaps very nicely all the various bits and bites of information I have seen and read over the past year. I’m a new keeper, I use stratum, got a fluval plant light, floating, and stem plants and a low fish load of 10 neons and 4 mini otociclus to keep the algae down to a minimum. It’s a rimless cube tank, 32 gallon, 20x20x20. Thanks for sharing

[@FullTimeWilly]

My best personal results are sifted organic soil under a 2-3” sand cap. Tannins might release during the cycling period, but that helps mitigate ammonia build up, and most fish thrive in 6.5-7 ph. I’ve also never had a tank “crash” in ph bc of this.

[@calsd107]

One of the most beginner friendly and comprehensive videos I have found on KZbin that is actually useful and not made only to sell products.Thank you for taking the time to explain everything in an easy no nonsense way. The Aquarium co-op products I have tried so far are great, especially the plants, the fish food, the easy flow sponge filter, and the liquid fertilizer. The only thing I would change as a personal preference is the root tabs, I wish you had the non floating type, cause my substrate is not deep enough and those capsules always end up popping out of the substrate and bursting into the water column. The aquarium light is really great, though, and your advice and experience shared on this channel are very helpful.

[@PromiseMan-xbox]

Amazing video

[@woofmeowackwoof3810]

I love this vid. Thank you for sharing your knowledge dude 😎

[@adamlanham6356]

What type of plant is that at 12:33

[@IMaqua]

Greetings from sunny Croatia. Cheers

[@deniseraley4204]

ENJOYED this Immensley!!!!!

[@aquablaster86]

I have a 125gal that was my Fahaka puffers tank, I used sand as a substrate for him but also wanted plants. While yes, plants can survive and grow in sand, it is ALOT slower growth and nowhere as easy as my 40 breeder that has eco-complete.

[@pyleaquatics]

It is always interesting to see all of the different options on what is the best and what is the worst. Seeing completely different opinions and how different people have great experience with different substrates tells me they all can work, and it depends on the different factors and preferences. I personally love something very few every know about. I love decomposed granite. It needs to be heavily washed first. So, my recommendation would be to experiment and learn what works best for you. I have tried lots of different methods except the expensive aqua soils.

[@Boja23]

Love, love, love, sand! Cap some good aqua soil with about 2 inches of sand. I have a 20 gallon packed with plants with this setup. Beautiful, easy to clean (if needed) and every fish love it. My goldfish suck it up and spit big mouthfuls, looking for food, and now they've taught my koi the same trick.

[@ZenCoryCat]

Wow! Another video! I feel spoiled. Thanks, Cory!

[@kaeliecaulfield7798]

Omg loving all this content!! Thanks guys!!

[@jennysoderstrom]

Great content😊

[@jimmyreese4740]

Absolutely love this video so much information!!!

[@LF4RUNNER]

Amazing content! Love you Cory!

[@Paleoshrimpyt]

How good are the high cation substrates at pulling fertilizer back out of the water column to recharge?

[@LadeanaWhite]

A little dirt never hurt! Deep substrate-dirt capped with sand for my tanks with stem plants, rooted plants. I do have tanks with only sand, or only stone. Those tanks have mostly epiphytes and floaters. Either way, I do use co-op root tabs and easy green. Only for a few months till the natural fertilizer from my livestock feed my plants. There are so many ways to do this hobby. All kinds of filtration, lighting, yada yada yada. It’s an ongoing process, learning what works for your aquarium and makes you happy and your inhabitants healthy. Enjoy the journey and don’t stress! 😊☮❤🐠🦐🪴

[@TheKeegan55555]

I love this Cory ❤ Very helpful. I'm pretty new to all this. Have issues with algae and have had for a long time. Have a Fluval Nano light. Have been adjusting it lower and lower to find the right fit. To me, setting the light is the hardest. I've read about other people's settings and they are all so different. I just need something simple 😕

[@LadyandtheScamp4Ever]

I have too many plants so I didn’t realize that I wasn’t fertilizing enough even though I’ve got quite a few fish & I feed daily… the plants sucked up everything fairly instantly & eventually they started looking unhappy & I started to get algae… learned my lesson + got a few nerite snails to help me out 🥰

[@BirdwellingtonAmalgamation]

Double livestream Sunday, more CoOp already? Bless you Cory 🙏

[@audrameyer9558]

That was awesome to start the week 😀

[@RobDouglas3]

This is super informative and helpful.

[@gennawelshkasun3959]

Love this - like so many other ACO videos. Does a sponge filter do the aeration of an air stone?

[@stevenforgione]

Can you add root tabs if you have an UGF?

[@shivanismith]

Just started a 20L with fluval stratum capped with pool filter sand. Stem plants coming in soon. We’ll see how my experiment goes!

[@joshuaeasterly7273]

Great video. It’s nice to get the info without all the dogma.

[@carl5848]

Great video. Structured, packed full of info, and has recommendations. There is only one bit of info I am missing. I'm in the planning stages of a planted tank. How would I go about adjusting the light. Start with 8 hours, but if I get algae, decrease the light? When would I increase the loght duration?

[@fvvfvbbbb]

Geeat video...jist looking to start up a little Fluval Flex 9 low tech planted tank. Any particular size gravel work best? Your video looks to be about coarse sand size?

[@dirtyoldfarmhand3]

Awesome. Thanks for the video.

[@MythicSton3]

thank you cory!

[@Pipefitter310]

Do I wait to purchase my 36 inch led light now or wait till you find a new manufacturer???

[@RonaldRam-z5f]

I'm new at aquarium plants, I have gravel substrate, I've added tabs and twice a week add liquid fertalizer. Why are the my stems getting brown and slimmy then breaking off?

[@amymorris9827]

To the point about no lights = less oxygen, I do have a few air stones including my sponge filters BUT, does the "moon light" setting on a light fixture counter act that? Is that enough light to prevent the gas off? Thanks!! Love your channel & love what you do!! 👍🏽

[@GenRN]

I’d love to see a video on live plants with fancy goldfish.

[@charleswieand4445]

I use a needle for shots without the needle in it. I have a 3 inch piece of air tubing on the end of it and I just pull Polish springe full of liquid fertilizer, then stick it down in the sand by my plants and give it a shot seems to be working all right..

[@christophermarvin85]

My tank has been up. Almost fifteen years 😊

[@pauldaugherty8271]

Where do you get your aquariums made? I remember you mentioned it before, but can't remember the place.

[@davids6043]

Another great video! What about heaters? Is one better than two? And would you recommend a UV sterilizer? Why or why not?

[@CarriesFishRoom]

How do I know how many root tabs to use for each plant?

[@michaelsacy]

Thoughts on flourite

[@joshuaeasterly7273]

It’s crazy how sometimes you set up a tank and things will work, in another they don’t. Got to grow what you can I guess.

[@jedeo299]

Any thoughts on building out a greenhouse underwater space? Or will y’all stick with importing?

[@AquariumCoop]

It's an idea for sure. Would be a few years until we could afford it at least.

[@cloverdog85]

I have aquasoil on the bottom then I made a trench and put sand in the trench for a river. Then on the aquasoil I have gravel. I also have marbles lol

[@ricardodeleon5065]

Hello Cory! Unfortunately in the apartment complex that im currently living has an infestation of roaches. I currently dont have any fish tank set up. My fear is that once i set them up. One of those little insects will go inside the tank and if a fish eats it, it will kill the fish. Because of any poisen that insect was in contacted with. Have you had any customers telling you somthing like that?

[@globaldad511]

Hi, I was watching Forged In Fire and the episode was dealing with making Greek mythology weapons. I thought that was you but his name is Robert. 😊 Striking resemblance

[@Jweiss76]

I own both a finnex led light and a hygger led light. I've been more impressed with the hygger especially for the price. I haven't had it a year yet so we'll see how it holds up. I'm on my 2nd finnex since the first one died after a couple years. I'd prefer the fluval but it's so expensive.

[@LassoKid7777]

My favourite is java fern all of them

[@momadyt]

A lot of information for beginners like me, so Thank you so much 🙏🤍

[@yantremblay-cote2597]

HI Cory, I think it would be great to do a video about colored aquarium gravel and plastic decorations. It seems that there's a lot of opinions and less objectiv facts. Estes is an American company selling gravel for more than 50 years.

[@KimWhippie]

is the fertilizer harmful to invertebrates?

[@AquariumCoop]

Most aren't including our Easy Green All in one fertilizer.

[@sabinekatsavrias4422]

finally found an apparently easy red stem plant..no co2 , 40 litre shrimp tank, ada soil capped with sand, hardly ever dose ...Rotala bloodii and yes, I have killed those red tiger lilly...lol. and no ...i did not plant them too deep. And no i did not try those in a tiny shrimp tank ..it was larger tanks.

[@jessicahussey1255]

I like how plants grow in aqua soil but I hate how aqua soil breaks down over time to silt. Then bottom creatures kick up silt into water column

[@5shotgroup451]

I’m using fluval stratum right now. My plan is once it breaks down and begins to float, I’m going to cap it with either gravel or sand

[@TheDon8923]

Love the content! Thank you aquarium co-op. Any advise on scarlet badis care?

[@eveningclicks7767]

When pulling out a plant with a big root system in a dirted tank, pull it out slow for a bit, and after you have a good amount of roots, snip then plant it where you want. Cover the spot the plant was in with more sand.

[@robindhood9125]

If you live near a place where there is a fish club then overgrown plants are never a problem if you trim and keep bringing them in, but be forewarned there is a danger of you becoming their favorite member

[@jovanstrezovski8167]

Moving whole aquarium twice in a year with half water Is it safe? I want aquarium but i will moving twice and i m not sure about the impact on the fish and plants.

[@AquariumCoop]

Depends on the size of the tank, but usually I drain it down to like 1-2 inches over the substrate.

[@jovanstrezovski8167]

@@AquariumCoop thanks for your fast answer.It's 26 gallons and 3 hours driving.Will fish be ok?

[@AshTaw]

Sir, I am your subscriber from India 🇮🇳 and want to know if I can use Chira stone is also known as laterite stone in English. Laterite is a type of soil and rock that is rich in iron and aluminum. It is commonly found in tropical areas that are hot and wet. . Will it effect my Fish or plants ?

[@Mojo_Jojo9869]

3:54 As for the amazon warranty. This may be a bad thing to do but if I order something on amazon and it breaks then I cant return it. I just order the same product say it arrived broken and switch them. It’s worked so far amazon never asks questions and accepts every return. I don’t think it’s fair when an item breaks after 3 months due to the company’s bad quality.It’s a moral grey area I’m sure Jeff Bezos will live. So thats a tip if you break something on amazon and want a new one.

[@csgarage3682]

Hi Newby to aquarium hobby here. Whats the best way to contact Cory? Does he answer to a phone call? Email? Thanks !

[@MrToncy99]

My tanks always trived when I dosed fertilizers and did once a week 50% water change , as soon I stop doing water changes for a 2-3-4 weeks my plants start dying of... Not sure why , is it I dont dose enough fertz or just fresh water has minerals and its own nitrate for plants dunno

[@awcm1507]

i have one tank with small gravel and it grows plants way(WAY) better than my tanks with sand

[@AquariumCoop]

Don't let the internet hear you... They'll disagree :P

[@benjaminvanlandingham5568]

Why don't yall sell fish online??

[@dannybonsai7102]

my blue gourami eats black beard algae, she's very special.

[@BLASTER95_TTV]

I pulled up one wisteria plant yesterday out of my soil with Sand cap & Ruined the whole tank. Right then I will only be using sand and root tabs

[@BLASTER95_TTV]

Right then I decided**

[@BLASTER95_TTV]

I had 1” of soil 2” of sand.

[@LassoKid7777]

Careful because plants find it hard to root in sand as it compacts tight use gravel as well to break up the sand so the roots don't have a hard time growing in

[@butkusfan23]

You could have just let the dirt settle and then use a syphon to vacuum it out. It's happened to me once. But only once, and if you're careful, it's very easy to avoid. I've gotten to the point that I can pull plants with good roots without even dragging up much soil at all past the sand cap. You just have to go slow and careful.

[@LassoKid7777]

Yes U gotta uproot slowly and carefully so the sand cap remains undisturbed or backfills as U pull the plant

[@Nigelaquaticsfish]

Why dose my hat look different 😂

[@Bushheadmonster]

rip... i started my first planted tank with sand a month ago

[@pathfinder0076]

How about 1 inch soil and 3 inches fluorite?

[@OldFashionWhiskey]

Ive been watching you for years, but i disagree about the sand. I’ve had the best results in my planted tanks using a sand cap over aquasoil.

[@lazyremnant380]

Yeah, I've watched a couple videos about Echinodorus' natural habitats in Amazon, and they can grow on sand alongside other plants no problem. There are also extremely beautiful videos of Anubias growing on sand at a Congo spring.

[@jmha2428]

@@lazyremnant380 where can I find some of these vids?

[@fownine4life853]

@OldFashionWhiskey if u choose gravel, and want plants then more times than not , u dnt have soil , because it has 2 b capped and if u dnt have soil of some kind, u cnt grow plants UNLESS u use fertilizer the entire time u have the tank up. Whose benefits from that financially 🤔. THE COMPANIES THAT SELL IT, CORRECT? LOL...

[@rodrigocanalizo5358]

@@lazyremnant380try growing more advanced plants in sand and while they might survive, they won’t thrive. Most will melt. They need a good soil to take in nutrients (aquasoil).

[@CA-tk8yn]

Wow. I have the most beautiful sand over soil tank that 11 yrs old. The store seller is selling folks!

[@saikatdas611]

First

[@fvvfvbbbb]

Was there a prize 🏆...😅

[@sandmoirben7177]

27 minutes in. BUT most people arent using a microscope to look at bacteria. water changes and gravel vacuuming are necessary to reduce bacteria etc (uv light sterilization isnt bad either)

[@Shade_91]

Organic Miracle Gro is like saying a healthy burger and fry from McDonalds lol