Why I don't use heaters any more - 10 fish keeping mistakes

[@dominicflorio5708]

The shallower dirt is good advice. I've done that in some tanks for the very reasons you gave. Also, I have six tanks and everyone one of them has houseplants growing out of them. I would never again have a tank without houseplants.

[@FatherFish]

Really good advice. I especially appreciate your use of a shallower dirt layer based on certain plants that do not require substrate nutrient.

[@Colin-m2l]

Finally someone that agrees you don't need a heater I have never used one and my fish are doing amazing

[@pattys_aquatics]

Great video Andrew, with the heaters I very much would like to eliminate all of them but my fish room is in my basement and gets cool. I have transitioned over to more cool water species to eliminate the heaters but my Oscar and Fahaka not sure if I could get away without them. Great tips throughout the video 😁👍

[@Sec_coach]

Heaters are essential when setup safely with redundant safety I’m not removing my heaters since I need temperature stability

[@caspermaul7583]

Heaters only use power when they are heating... If room temp. is equal or greater than the set point of the heater, it uses ZERO power... But if your central heating malfunctions the heater will kick in and save your fish... I don't understand why it would make sense to remove the heater...

[@webjaker]

What about Plecos and shrimp?

[@Sec_coach]

It’s just a bad idea keep them separated since they will compete for the same food the biofilm that grows in the tank

[@jodip719]

I successfully keep shrimp and plecos together without issue. I have some plecos that are obligate algae eaters and some that need a more carnivorous diet the older they get. I don't target feed my shrimp, but I do target feed my plecos. Plecos tend to eat more when the lights go out, so I feed mine a little extra after the lights shut off to ensure they get their nutritional needs met.

[@Hydrahandle7]

I Breed the L number plecos and without shrimp there is no chance without shrimp and snails.. Anyone who says shrimp are not to be with plecos has no real experience.. They complement eachother for make a perfect ecosystem.. And I could give at least 5 reasons why you must have shrimp plecos and snail..

[@jodip719]

@Hydrahandle7 do you have any experience with the L411s? I won some on a raffle and am just trying to gather as much info on them as I can as far as anyone's personal experience. Would love to breed them when they mature.

[@Hydrahandle7]

@@jodip719 No that's one I've not seen around..But I have L046 L173 L236 rb sw L236 rb L333 L260.. All the same when it comes to breeding and care..

[@victorlowe]

I learned a new word from this video: exorb "Exorb" is an obsolete verb that was only used in the mid-1600s. It comes from the Latin word ex(s)orbēre. The only known use of the verb is in a 1657 translation by Richard Tomlinson. "Exorbitant" is an adjective that means something is excessive, immoderate, or extravagant, or goes beyond a normal limit. For example, you might describe a price or fee as exorbitant if it is much higher than it should be. Based on context, i'm pretty sure you meant to say ABSORB

[@MarijkeWillemsen990]

About the pleco,s (preferably ancistrus type), you are right! Ik will never start or have an aquarium without my pleco’s. They are very funny, peaceful, interesting and useful fish. The last 15 years or so I have never cleaned the glass of my tanks, and I don’t intend do, I don’t like cleaning the front glass every week, my pleco’s do that for me. Also no scratches on the glass, they clean them with their soft mouths. After more than 15 years my tanks still looks like new. I recently sold one of my tanks to buy a bigger one, the fact the glass was like new, made me quick sale and good price. Also pleco’s can keep people in the hobby who are tired of cleaning all the time or who had to take a few week out, no time for cleaning and they find the aquarium looking ugly and dirty and they decide to quit. Mind you buy the ancistrus type , they will stay small, not the common plectosomus that can get tot 60 centimeters. If you worry about some poop, take some floating plants to suck up the extra fertilizer, a bigger filter or clean the filter. I never find debris in the water and I have 3 or 4 in a tank. If there is almost nog algae don’t forget to feed them with tablets for bottom dwellers, zucchini and green canned beans. Don’t let them starve, waiting for a few spots of algae on the glass!

[@darlenestanks9742]

I didn’t see the water change hose system you use in the description.

[@thedirtytank]

@@darlenestanks9742 you're right! Here it is: amzn.to/3BWEUhA

[@MarijkeWillemsen990]

I find the water python system largely overrated and it wastes a lot of water. Really a lot: clean water and aquarium water. For example you cannot use all your aquarium water for your garden. I use a Gardena flexible hose (non expanding) and a pumphead and a faucet adaptor. And a valve to close the hose. Quick and easy and no waste of water, I have 25 meters of Gardena hose for 5 tanks in 3 rooms with the same faucet. I walk with the hose and empty 5 tanks in different rooms, then I change adaptor, open the water in the faucet and fill those 5 tanks in one go. Can the python pull 25 meters? Also this Gardena flexible, non expandable hose with pumphead fits in a bucket under the sink. Python cannot do that and has a cheap hose. And you can use the Gardena hose for your garden, balcony etc.

[@JessMcCrossan]

I love this! I'd much prefer being able to empty it into my garden! What is a pump head?

[@tracys.6033]

I couldnt afford the python style water changer so I made my own with a small pump. I have disabilities and water changes wore me out! I fill all my buckets in bathroom or kitchen depending on which tank I am working on. I put the pump in the tank to drain water other end drains out window, sink. Then switch it around, put pump into buckets to fill tanks. It doesn't work as easily as the store bought python systems that you dont have to switch around but it works better than carrying water which helps me so very much. I don't understand the comment that stated water changes waste water. Maybe they trying to say they don't do water changes. IDK.

[@MarijkeWillemsen990]

This is a good method. Just skip the buckets and connect your hose to the water tap with an adaptor. Remove the pump head with one click and click the hose to your water tap. For switching between water out and water in you just disconnect the hose from the water tap. (the waste of water is only with the Python system because you have to keep the water tap running to produce a suction power to suck the old water out of your aquarium, suppose you want to remove 50 liters of aquarium water, you could easily spill the same amount or more of clean water going in the faucet.)

[@tracys.6033]

@@MarijkeWillemsen990 Thank you. My main goal when I built was to find a way to not have to carry water. Clean or dirty. I didn't build to attach directly to faucet because I have well water. I have always understood that if I was doing water changes it was better to let water sit in bucket for awhile before adding to tank. I fill all my water containers/buckets first before I start work on tanks. It usually sits about 1.5 to 2 hours, sometimes little longer, before going into tanks. I admit freely that I do not have the experience that most of you have. I am learning as I go. I very much appreciate you taking the time to reply to my comment with your suggestion.

[@JessMcCrossan]

I do the same. But I still manage to make a mess carrying the pump back and forth.

[@tracys.6033]

@@JessMcCrossan I did to! Then it dawned on me to set/hold the pump inside a container, anything that doesn't leak, when I carried it back and forth. Container catches all the water instead of my floor. I happen to use a 1 gallon pitcher. Couldn't believe I hadn't thought of sooner! Maybe you could try something like that.

[@droggy2069]

I use a python brand connector to my tap, connected to a garden hose. Depending on elevation, can run water just to start the siphon and then again after filling. I run the water while holding up the other end of the hose and looping it up to get most of the water out. Then i put it away.

[@OldFashionWhiskey]

What was the disease that wiped out your tank?

[@izan7587]

I appreciate all the good advice, but heaters have a thrmostat, so it only turns on when it needs to. When you keep the desired temperature in the room, the heaters will not turn on and will not consume energy.

[@pezmojado8275]

I use a transfer pump every time a change water.

[@stevegee8010]

Luckily, my LFS quarantine the fish themselves before allowing them to be purchased.

[@WhiteCloudAffinity]

So underrated, wish more people saw this

[@peaoat3608]

It’s interesting to value the lives of small creatures in how much money we lost when they died. Forget the fish. Mourn your money!

[@TheSalient1]

Either way you slice it. The advice helps both, u just chose to say this because u want people to believe your a tough cold hearted person, well congratulations, we all just think you are ignorant and hope you don't keep fish, would you say the same for your dog?

[@waltonwilson2149]

Your water change will waste more water.

[@Nevoexpo]

care to explain how or why it would use more water?

[@TheLargino]

@@Nevoexpo Simple. This system uses water flow from a tap (faucet for seppo's) to draw water out of the aquarium. The water from the tap is wasted water and has a greater volume than water drawn from the aquarium. The operating principle is the Venturi Effect.

[@AndrewFishman]

@@TheLargino Yep. Incredibly inefficient when a siphon does just as well. Also water should be aged before adding to a tank, parameters adjusted, temp adjusted etc. So , these things are totally out of your control refilling direct from the tap.

[@TheLargino]

@@AndrewFishman You do understand the tap and siphoned water do not flow into the aquarium? @4:06 The Dirty Tank explains how his system operates and all the water flows into a household drain. Refilling of the aquiarium is a separate operation.

[@AndrewFishman]

@@TheLargino Thanks. After 45 years of fishkeeping I needed an explanation of venturi flows. Of course the water does not go back into the tank. The water flowing from the tanks and the tap go down the drain, a huge waste of water. I live in Australia. Can you say "drought"? We live with water restrictions much of the time. The water running down the drain is wasted. Of course you refill as a separate operation. You flick the switch over and the water flows straight from the tap into the tank instead of down the drain. At whatever pH, hardness, temperature and chlorine load it comes from the tap. This is something that will mess up many systems really fast. Do not try it in a Tang tank. Or a blackwater tank. Or...