The Pufferfish Tank Is Ruined (Can I Fix It?)

[@SerpaDesign]

What would you do if it were your tank? Would you dial it in or make a completely new one? Also, I hope you enjoyed the mini update on the animal room. I hope to do a full tour soon when I finish up a few projects.

[@jaredhowell7536]

I would probably honestly just redo it

[@hajbajisbsuudbb6699]

Are you Bob

[@jaredhowell7536]

@@hajbajisbsuudbb6699 are you funny? Nah

[@Charlotte-wk2nz]

I would restart it because the algae was over growing and it may not be worth the hassle to keep on cleaning it Also love your vids

[@crowharryc1648]

I mean it still looks great

[@alexanderballance2996]

The store after tanner visits: yeah we need a truck load of 100% silicone. Yes, a whole truck, please.

[@SerpaDesign]

LOL

[@jmicaha2655]

“Hello? Yeah. He came back. Yes please, just double the shipment, he’ll be back again. I just know it.”

[@TheMambojack]

hi ! I won't tell you how much i love your videos and that you have greatly influenced the way i built my BTS terra, but i will ask you if you will do a topic on how you propagate your plants later on, that would be of great use to me and surely to a lot of people ! Anyway, thx for your content, it's of the greatest quality and really soothing !

[@eikebraselmann4306]

Yo Tanner, you might add a bunch of Kuhli Loaches to that puffer tank: They're awesome at clean-up, so would help keep the tank balanced, and the puffers leave them alone. As an extra benefit, when they live in a group they loose they're not shyat all and bustle about during the day, which is a delight to watch.

[@theouterinn]

thank you for uploading, tanner. keep up the good work and have a good one

[@tomrockholm-timeless_morph6691]

I think I’d build another tank to get it established but while doing that I’d try and dial in the current puffer tank. If you get it working the way you want then you have another established setup to put something else in, if it doesn’t work then you have a tank ready to go for the puffers.

[@crimson918]

I have ranidophobia, so videos like this just really help me get used to frogs or toads in general

[@willierants5880]

balance the tank. can you get some bottom feeders to address the food waste mess? Cats or shrimp for example?

[@rebeckajones4257]

Hey, love the content man! I really need to know the scientific name on the catfish that you had in your pond! Please i need to have those!!! I love all catfish.

[@muhammadumer1276]

Why u don't like scorpion Tanner ? 😕

[@L0GANTP]

I like many people hate hearing the old "like and subscribe" nonsense, but I love when you edit your face over a frog and do it.... It makes it bearable.....

[@ziggu77]

"I gotta put more--- mulch -- I was gonna say moss" Tanner always got moss on the mind, huh? lol

[@SerpaDesign]

Got my mind on my moss and my moss on my mind.

[@Teeniebfable]

There can never be enough moss! Badge moss being the best!

[@shazzorama]

If my lawn was solid moss, anywhere grass wouldn’t grow thickly, I would love that. Moss rules!

[@LucificNight]

Other comments have expressed this sentiment before, but I'm really glad you're willing to re-visit past projects for updates and course-corrections. It's nice to know that even the guys who do this for a living aren't perfect, and demonstrate the thought process when it comes to salvaging a bad situation. (That before and after comparison of the puffer fish aquarium was amazing.) Stream tank looks amazing, btw. I'm hoping for something more... fun than just millipedes in there.

[@Gamerkat10]

Millipedes are fun!

[@jbiz1202]

3:42 Serpa, that's some badass editing. 4:07 OMG 😂

[@SensationalBanana]

Me prior to watching this video: - I should take the leap and start my aquarium hobby again. Me post watching this video: - Nevermind...

[@alisonmaczka7359]

Ah its not so bad. I started it up again and I have 2 tanks right now both are doing pretty well. My smaller one is having a bit of a bloom but I'm slowly getting it rebalanced.

[@hayhay8347]

Do it! I just did and am felling that zen again :)

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

I started back into the hobby as a type of therapy/healing of the soul with a Back2the Roots system and a betta about 2 years ago.... I'm now back up to 6 nano tanks, and I am in the process of scaping 2 different 4' tanks. The best part is watching Tanner's videos and talking with other aquarium keepers here and Aquarium Co-op. Look up the Walstad (sp?) Method for deep substrate aquariums. The melt on the plants benefits the tank, and after 30 days, the tank is ready for fish. I like the low maintenance, so I can spend more time enjoying.

[@SerpaDesign]

Do it again! I generally don't have issues like this at all.

[@ohrats731]

As someone who has two nightmare algae tanks at the moment, I really want to see you fix it lol. I KNOW it’ll be a long a frustrating process but I also know you’ll pass on some really valuable information!

[@AcrylDame]

I had the same issues. Check your nitrate and potassium levels, they should be neither too high or too low. Put iron fertilizer in and whatever is missing in the tank. A short lighting period helps. Good luck!

[@ohrats731]

@@AcrylDame yeah I think phosphates are a big issue for me. I’m also fairly certain the culprit is trying to do a dirted tank. Both of these tanks have a soil layer under the sand where as my others are just sand or bare bottom. I think I should have done a lot more research before doing a tank like that, I probably did it wrong. So for me I guess starting over would be smart but it’s just too much of a project to redo the 60g right now. I’m planning on taking down the 5g though

[@AcrylDame]

@@ohrats731 In a heavily planted tank phosphate can easily go to zero, even If heavily stocked. Measuring nutrients is annoying but it really helps you understand whats going on. Because you don't know whats going on, redoing the tank would probably be a mistake.

[@nospoon4799]

Floating plants will deal with most Algae probs.

[@dm5129]

Algae of any kind can be such a headache in aquariums. My freshwater aquariums are okay, but my saltwater aquarium is another story.

[@fostoriadistrictrailfan3907]

I Raise monarchs every year to help the species, it would be cool if you planted milkweed in your garden. they have nice pink flowers.

[@SerpaDesign]

I have a huge patch of it in my backyard actually. 😉

[@greenleaf3889]

Same....and its pretty too

[@cyuca4348]

For the puffers - do low light for 12 hours. That will help with the algae. Also, you can feed live scuds to the puffers (scuds will eat the decaying plants and algae while the puffers keep their numbers in check). Don't rescape/tear down and imbalance the tank. H2O changes and other items I mentioned and you are good to go.

[@cattfishing]

Exactly what I was thinking. I actually had a big clump of pilia moss that got covered in some stringy algae. I put the whole chunk in my snail/scud tank. They are getting it cleaned pretty fast. I can actually see the moss again within just a few hrs. I did this with some moss that had some black algae growing and when it's all eaten up, I put it back in the tank and my pea puffers love hunting the scuds and snails that were stuck in the clump of mosses.

[@baalwadi]

why hasn't he got a clean-up crew like snails and shrimps in there? not compatible with puffer fish?

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

@@baalwadi the pea puffers will eat them. That's why we are recommending amphopods (scuds), bladder/pest snails, and the like as clean up crew. Because puffers prefer to hunt live food, and need to eat snails regularly to keep their beaks healthy.

[@vituperation]

I would love to see him use scuds. I've always wanted to keep some in my tanks and it would be cool to see it done in a fully planted setup.

[@drugbuddy665]

@@vituperation Scuds rule, I definitely recommend it. I got lucky & started a colony of scuds from a cup of ditch water I scooped up a few years ago, and they do well in ecosphere jars with virtually no care. I'm surprised tanner hasn't stocked any jars with them.

[@UKFishCam]

I’ve not had one look this bad but I’ve had an outbreak of stringy algae which was awful, great video man

[@myneckbered]

Shrimp and manual removing are the best way to remove string moss.

[@bella78305]

@@myneckbered if it was another type of fish shrimp might be a go. Pea puffers can be difficult to keep with shrimp and snails (as they eat them) I would say manually removing and maybe try spot treating with hydrogen peroxide

[@myneckbered]

@@bella78305 I was replying to uk fish cam. As I'm fully aware of pea puffers to predators to crustaceans

[@melaniep.]

I LOVE when you show us your ponds!! They're beautiful! Edit: Tanner, this video inspired me and i finally, after so many years, fixed my front yard garden. It took hours and I still have to go back and get more dirt and stuff to properly fill it out but I wanted to say thank you for the inspiration! Have a fantastic day!

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

That's awesome! May you enjoy your yard all summer!

[@thebakermaker1500]

I know update videos don't perform as well for you but much appreciated!

[@donnymarkowitz8413]

Store: how much silicone do you need? Tanner: yes.

[@atex6175]

Man I get so pumped up when I see your notifications. I love looking at your set ups to get ideas for my own tank.

[@toddmitchellchristensen1848]

I'm interested to see you dial the existing puffer tank in. I think it would be fun content for us to watch and would be helpful for a lot of people to learn from

[@ZamanCraft]

Love for 💖 SerpaDesign

[@susanlutz7427]

Keep the puffer tank...just update so we can see your progress. Also, thanks for reminding us how we should honor the memory of our pets...and how they gave us joy. Love it.

[@meflo]

I don't know how you do it but you always make something absolutely amazing. And love the garden

[@phreeesubz]

*What if the pufferfish tank had a specific "feeding area" that would be more easily cleanable after a feeding? That way the rest of the tank wouldn't be effected by their messy eating habits. Think of it as eating in the dining room, vs the livingroom or bedroom.*

[@SerpaDesign]

I kind of already do that, but there has to be some spread to make sure they all get food.

[@morganw.4711]

“Commemorate them and show appreciation for the joy they bring us throughout their lives.” Above everything else, the thing I most appreciate about Tanner is that he doesn’t treat his animals as decorations or disposable. They’re living creatures and part of the family. Great role model and a truly gentle spirit. Thank you Tanner!

[@countessoflemongrab]

How long would you have to wait for salamanders? They get my vote!

[@Salamanders1018]

Some species I’ve waiting in lists 3-4 months before the clutch is even laid.. it’s not easy to get them as there is absolutely no importing or exporting of them.. and some states make it so hard to own any species without permits it gets a lot of push back but salamanders for the FRICKIN WIN I say Tylototriton shanjing but he would have a relatively hard time finding them but if he did he’d build the best scape and breeding set up for em forsure. Tylos for the win

[@teddiethathal1116]

I’d definitely give it a little more time. The set up is beautiful and it’s looking way healthier after the clean up. Definitely still has a lot of potential.

[@Nin-Gen-Alpha]

I love seeing the updates but I truly love seeing Tanner happy more.

[@billbertbuzzums8166]

I like how you bury your fish. I don't have a pond to bury mine around, so I bury then at the top of my hill where the sun shines every morning, and put little cairns on top of them.

[@raykim1949]

can we talk about how sweet him burying the fish was 😭

[@Lukeanator91]

That's awesome you mentioned doing that with your praying mantis.. been doing cool little set ups like you was talking about doing for couple years now!! I love it!! definitely another good way to show you creativity.. A swallowtail butterfly and a black widow are Two of my favorite scene recreations I've done. The super glue can definitely be a pain though!! Lmao

[@angelcatano]

Nice update

[@cathyb7806]

Loved the video! Great idea to frame pics of the 'family'. Re: algae. Keep the tank. You know what caused it. Fix all that and maybe think of a good 'puffer-proof' cleanup crew to balance the ecosystem. A small species of loach and 'old school' guppies come to mind.

[@20greeneyes20]

I was just ready to get rid of a good size aquarium until I saw yours this morning. I have all the goodies the moss, rocks, ferns, wild violets ...to create one so now I need to get busy. To add, you sure have a great eye for design and creativity. You are truly blessed.

[@alicer3423]

That animal room looks like it would be quite relaxing to just sit in there with some nice music.

[@SerpaDesign]

No music needed. 😎

[@Reptile_Gecko]

@@SerpaDesign so true haha, I feel like once I hate a warm feature or two it would be quite relaxing to listen to that, tho I'd be the type of person to listen to music while doing chores to make it go more smoothly and keep my mind busy hehe 😅 Or the nice noises from some animals like frogs especially in some communal like whites tree frogs, maybe red eyed tree frogs 🤔 those are just what I'm thinking about, but imo seeing animals enjoy what you build just seems to relaxing and I can't wait till I can start keeping and creating (plus, I love bios and dat moss!!!)

[@juliansimo2815]

check out his second channel, he has longer and chilled videos there :)

[@SteveScapesYT]

If you can, maybe get a whole mess of pond snails and make the puffers predate instead of feed frozen. Probably less mess while trying to reign this in.

[@phutureworks2452]

I personally wouldn't start over with that tank unless there are no other options. Great video as usual!

[@petramatkovic4122]

I think it would be challenging but also fulfilling to fix the tank and get it back into shape! Don't give up!

[@jessethomas4777]

I think putting the fish into a holding tank until this one can get established. I wonder if there are any detris feeders you can include with the puffers without upsetting them.

[@wynja77]

I used to have problems with algae in my puffer tank too, and I mostly put it down to them eating snails. Snails are rather good at keeping algae at bay, after all, but the puffers gobbles them up. I had luck with big amano-shrimp, though, and they took care of the algae (and probably left over food too) very quickly. Puffers CAN eat shrimp, though, so I was a bit hesitant to try, but in my case it was very much worth it.

[@dumoulin11]

I had the same problem with a new set up that got smothered with algae. I added floating plants (Salvinia cuculata), continued doing water changes and reduced my lighting to 7 hours a day. After 3 months the algae is almost gone. I was going to take everything down and start over but decided to see if time could bring the tank to balance, and I'm glad I waited.

[@lisacampbell9257]

Ither choice you take with the pea puffer tank will make for a good video. You just gotta ask yourself which video will benifit the hobby most? I think the 'how to save this pea puffer tank' would be a good video.

[@jynxwolfe]

You're like the Bob Ross of aquariums - the pond looks so good, I'm trying to convince my spouse to let me make one in our yard 🤣

[@fishdakid895]

AntsCanada and serpadesign in the same morning this is great

[@thinriches]

Balance that tank out. It's a really good scape, the rock at the bottom right commands attention, which is then drawn up to the top of the driftwood where your gaze starts to flow left along the wood to the end of the tank where you're left thinking "woah, that's pretty cool". It even looked cool when it was an algae filled mess! The key here is the lighting and the scape work too well together to scrap it. This should be preserved.

[@Jarethenator]

Could those fish not get along with some kind of cleaning crew large enough to not be predated on? Like a shrimp species about their size if not slightly larger? They could clean up some of the gunk.

[@iriestorm1508]

12:50 Holy teaser Batman! I can't wait for the video on the big tank! Come on Tanner, what's going in there? A lizard, such as a tree monitor, water dragon, or basilisk? Or a snake, like a boa or a carpet python, or maybe an emerald tree boa? Or how about a multi-species community? Also, is that all cork bark?!

[@wrs8895]

Can't you just put in plants, like water Wisteria, that take up a lot of nutrients? That's what I did last time I had a large algae problem and I no longer have said algae problem.

[@SlightlyCivil]

Do you have the schematics of the reptile racks ya built? I am thinking of building something similar but for aquariums

[@dirtywhitellama]

Might be nice to see an attempt to salvage the puffer tank, if nothing else as a learning journey for the people who don't have the resources to just make a whole new tank and try again. :)

[@dtylice]

Thank you, Tanner. You’ve inspired me to set up two moss & mini orchid terrariums. ☺️

[@ilikejazz8070]

Dude that creek paludarium just looks so awesome😍 Was thinking about making something like that but now im definetaly gonna

[@jardbob6712]

Hey tanner try putting in a bunch of floater plants to soak up the extra nutrients. Maybe a supplementary filter with carbon?

[@aquaticbanana6971]

i would try to balance the current tank, less stress on the fish and you can keep the current scape. If that doesnt work after a few months, you can always start over

[@roblavalle7800]

You need to get small pea snails for the Pea puffer tank they will help and also the puffer will keep there numbers in check.

[@blockednostril9739]

I’m in a similar position with my pea puffer tank, I’ve added a handful of amano shrimp to kind of damage control the build up 😅 my issue is I need high light for some of my small plants at the bottom but this gives too much light to the plants higher up so the floor of the tank is pristine but the anubias and moss is all taking a hot fit it. despite the mess in their I bet the puffs really appreciate the extra gunk, they’ll love hunting through the added biofilm etc. I’d just leave it be and see how it keeps running 💚

[@jaa7286]

Awesome video Tanner. Loved the updates. I would def try to get that puffer tank established. The hard scape and plants look amazing

[@klcpca]

I had that salvia last year and the bees LOVED it!! Had to shoo bees off of it at the store before I could buy it and within 10 mins of being planted it had more bees on it and they kept coming until frost took it down!!! Defiantly getting more this year!!

[@SerpaDesign]

They're a great plant!

[@ankhorman]

Dial it in, maybe add some plecos and some cory cats to clean up the waste so it makes your job easier.

[@forecaster182]

I'm subscribed to rougly 130 channels. I never thought I would be interested in terrariums but I must admit that I get the most excited when I see a new vid from your channel pop up. Keep it up! :)

[@pixel3610]

The biodude sells captive bred marbled newts if you want to make a trip to texas

[@dovinedrake6482]

Try to balance the puffer tank. It's beautiful and they look happy.

[@andresrivero4440]

Dude use this problem to teach us how to fix something like that and how to know when it cannot be done

[@alexanderballance2996]

You should keep the puffer aquarium and see if you can fix it I think

[@nicholasthomas4410]

An orchid praying mantis would be a fun one to keep!!

[@futrerockstar]

The bees love the lambs ear once they flower!

[@BrightxSide]

notifcation Squad rise up !

[@Spacey7]

Stick with the original tank & do the work needed. That's what we'd have to do!

[@cherishireland9194]

I feel like you need some helpers to clean up after the puffers and just some more time with the plants to set 8n right. Don’t give up on it, I think it’s really pretty.

[@anesthetized7053]

that little speech about the fish and how you commemorate them was really touching. damn near brought a tear to my eye

[@gr4ph1t3]

Those pea puffers are so dang cute. Thanks for showing us that imbalanced tank, I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt relieved to see that even the pros have to deal with problem algae outbreaks!

[@jasonhilts9281]

I would dial in the tank. It looks like a nice aquascap.

[@tristinrev]

This is definitely one of my favorite videos you've done. I'm just starting to think about owning a house and it makes me excited to finally have space to do my projects

[@maurinedoyle9964]

I was having problems with my puffer tanks too I added peace lily, pathos and dracaena (lucky bamboo) Algae cleared right up in all 4 tanks Your house is beautiful Nice work

[@jaystube7713]

Pond looks great and I love how you preserve the praying mantis, fabulous idea.

[@Reptile_Gecko]

Hope you find some salamanders, I would love to get some myself in the future, but from what I've looked into so far, it may be tricky atm to get any Captive Bred specimens, as well as not get anything from mill breeds like underground reptiles, blackwater reptiles etc Hope you find some, but millipedes can also be rightfully beautiful 👍

[@MOONOVERMIAMI]

Hello great video information

[@jonahvelasquez7836]

Really liking the editing flow on this one 👍🏼

[@Ishiisan]

You can keep Loach-type fish in with the Puffers. That could help. In my Puffer tank, I have a Loach and a colony of Cherry Shrimp

[@squidarcherb9707]

I’ve had an algae outbreak about as bad as this, and even though it took a while I managed to dial it under control.

[@deltadeann1969]

What about a terrarium book nook?

[@ImbecileDk250]

Hey Tanner have you thought about using more active soils in your aquariums, for me it changed the hobby forever, i am able to keep plants that i normally wouldnt be able to, and algae havent been much of a problem, if so i dialed the light hours back 1 or 2 hours.

[@Pawpawlogan]

For your tank I would try to save her. Can u put snails, shrimp and any other clean up crew members to help off set sloppy eating habits? Also if you can get your pothos going it will help pull waste out. Keep up the great work.

[@abaddon1371]

That pea puffer tank could benefit from some scavengers. Common Mystery Apple snails and Kuhli Loaches would fit the bill. They can have great colours, and give some life to the tank. And they won't compete with the puffers. Kuhli Loaches are usually nocturnal feeders, which fits perfectly with the puffers who likes to tug in for the night (activity 24/7 on shifts!) And the Loaches are bottom feeders that will eat anything the messy puffers lets sink to the bottom. The Mystery Apples would be at it 24/7. Didn't you also have shrimps in that tank?

[@blockednostril9739]

I give my fish the same kind of burial. They all get either a spot in the garden or in an outdoors potted plant ❤️

[@II-ns2cj]

You look like the offspring of Tony Hawk and Ugga from The Croods. Not saying this to pick on you, just saying there's a resemblance. Also i enjoy the videos. If you haven't seen Ant Canada's videos yet then i would recommend it, you might like his work. Keep up the flow good Sir.

[@meaghanb9118]

You've done so much work to clean the tank, don't quit on it now! (If you want, that is!) I'd add some floaters maybe, if pufferfish would be ok with that. Start sucking up excess nutrients. Your Reptile Rack is better than what I've seen in many zoos and aquariums! Ever think of marketing your skills to them for that? You could travel a lot which would be hard for taking care of everything at home though. 🤔

[@sarahjulia89]

I’ve had my peapuffer tank for a year, I’ve tried different tanks different light, planted not planted, different substrates, different filters, over filtration. The tanks are always a complete disaster, pea puffers are so hard to keep tank wise especially when you have a proper group. Mines not that bad but the algae that grows in there is pretty unique looking. The build up in the worst. I have 7 goldfish plus a community fish group that is large in 40 gallon, I know way too small got a 120 in the works, but pea puffers is 10000% worse still!

[@sushmasarkar5037]

Love from India 🇮🇳 pls give a heart Btw biggg Faannn

[@claireturtle1]

First, I ADORE the pond! Truthfully, for the puffer tank, I'd start over - in my experience, sometimes when you have debris like anacharis leaves and hornwort needles constantly shedding it can just become totally overwhelming no matter how many water changes you do. For pea puffers, something with nice broad leaves that bloodworms will rest on like a plate for easy picking (good ole anubias...) might help them find the food rather than letting quite so much sink to the substrate. I'm not sure how you feel about bare bottom tanks, but that helped avoid mess with my goldfish and axolotls because they were horribly messy eaters as well, and I could see waste to vacuum it up immediately. All that to say, sometimes you have to start over to avoid that exhausting water-change burnout... gotta do what you gotta do! Always love your videos, thank you for the update!

[@MrDJsArcade]

Yo Serpa Squad representing! I’ve just subscribed somehow but I’ve watched loads of your videos cause when KZbin suggests them to me I can’t help but click on them. I have 4 tanks set up right now but none of them are on your level. I love the idea of a living habitat that helps to clean itself. I have some ringtails in my tanks and want to order isopods soon. If I have a question for you it’s this: Do you have any experience with Axolotls?

[@sarahbelmonte8888]

Do you have amano shrimp and Siamese cat fish to help? Definitely could use some extra help like a bristlenose pleco for the wood. Just my contribution thought, you’ll figure out what’s best for you. LOVE the pond btw, beautiful

[@graffic13]

I'm gonna suggest adding siamese flying fox fish to the puffer aquarium.... or maybe try some mollies.... to pick that off just buy males .... or you can put them in the pond after you've got your tank clean!!

[@empressakitla7544]

I mean, if I was going to restart a tank, I would have done it when it turned into the green pond. But it looks like you’ve gotten some control over it since then with more plants, shorter photo period, etc. If it was my tank, I’d probably just fight the algae. I had the same problem in some of my tanks, but added some floating plants like water lettuce, salvinia, and even the dreaded duckweed, and now my 55gal is pretty much algae free. The trumpet snail hitchhiker helped, too, but snails won’t help the pea puffers in a janitorial capacity, lol. Can’t wait to see what’s to come. I’m always excited when you upload a video.

[@Christodophilus]

You need some bottom dwellers, to help clean up the leftover food, like Kuhli Loaches. They can live with pea puffers, and would get a nice spray of orange in the tank. Some Otocinclus would also help with the algae. Extra residents will bring extra bio-load, but they do their part to help knock back the excesses causing problems in the water column. The fast growing plants are a good thing, but the additional fish will help the plants do their job.

[@KillahSpitVenom]

Is that black mulch around your pond safe for bioactive snake Enclosures?? I really like how it looks,also where'd you get it from/what's it called & contain??