Detritis worms in the substrate! ONLY way to go. My setup now have them and they are like little vacuum cleaners!

It’s the charcoal that will kill as tank.

I have no filter for my betta fish… he is in a 5 gallon and have zero amonia, nitrat and nitryt

One of your best so far!!!

I’ve said it a bazillion times……Beneficial Bacteria is grown in the tank!!!! Not in the filter!!!!
The filter is simply used for mechanical filtration and you should empty your “TRASH CAN” as needed.
So many fish keepers wonder why their tanks are so unstable….go figure!!! LOL!!!!

Carbon does not remove Ammonia, you also can’t use it as biological media the pores are too small to support anaerobic bacteria something you need if you don’t want sky high nitrates.

Hey Cory,
I am willing to help
about: “✅Know two languages? Help us Translate our Videos: http://bit.ly/2MFwdtx”

but I have no idea how to contact you in private.

Yeahhhh… I’m still keeping my filter on my goldfish tank lol. I think that is a necessity with goldfish

I had an aquarium for many years, my fish lived many years. I had to return them to the store when they were too big or too numerous (like guppies, they breed a lot). And I didn’t have a filter, only a cascade and a bubble thingy, I changed the water maybe 4 times a year (it was bottled water, and refilling due evaporation was also bottled water) and that’s all (I never could get good light for living plants). So I’m one of those that think filters are not indispensable.

I added unobtanium to my tank its expensive but worth the risk. My comets have x ray vision now. I know this because they swim away fast when I walk bye. Lol

Lol Corey, It made me unreasonably happy scrolling over the thumbnail of the timeline watching you wave your hands above your head because you’re a hand talker and the camera’s framed high. XD I’d say to zoom out but… is so entertaining.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on overclocking sponge filters with aquarium pumps. I have a couple hundred gallon pond on my back porch, currently with a sponge filter advertised for about half the water volume I have, but I have it on a pump that cycles my pond water about 20 times an hour (Yes, I know that’s excessive, but my fish don’t know that and seem to heavily disagree) So far after a few months the only downside I’ve encountered is I have to clean my filter every 3 days because it’s clogged entirely after 4.

i disagreed slightly but alll in all i love these videos and you give out the best info for beginners and advanced aquariums keepers.

The slime inside the filter doesn’t see the light and is in an anaerobic environment, this means that denitrifying bacteria that you need to deal with fish waste outcompetes algae because algae needs light and oxygen.

This video seems in conflict with your one on maximizing your filter. You suggested adding all kinds of added sponges.

I’ve been trying to explain this to people for sooo long.. so glad someone finally addresses this. This is one of those things that is wide known in saltwater but not in freshwater. The single most important part of fish keeping is water circulation. My freshwater systems are setup similar to salt with 30-40x circulated flow and 4-6x filtration flow which is mostly mechanical filtration just to keep the water clear. However I also run fine sand bottoms in most of my tanks which adds tons of surface area. The only bio I run is super heavy stocked tanks and a little in other systems just to season the media for larger more heavily stock tanks. Even when pulling all media from a tank To place in another I’ve seen no crash or mini cycling

As for eliminating dead spots.. its best to use wave makers near top of tank pointed upwards. One each side opposing up to 6’ then you need some on the back wall facing forward. Cycle them off and one one at a time. I like the jeabo that come with controllers as they will slave and master each other and cycle each other off and on every 30seconds. In a 6ft tank it takes about 20seconds to get a full gyre from my experience. That leaves really only 10seconds of full circulation before flow changes directions. I stop cleaning my substrate a long time ago once I started doing this. Looks as good as if I just added the sand today. The key to eliminating dead spots is constant changing flow patterns. One speed constant on pumps do nothing but create dead spots.

A plant to two? I can’t count them.

I use a hob filter and a airstone

If the flow is higher (45gal bowfront tank, 70 gal filter) will it not move the water sufficiently??

I think this is one of Corey’s greatest videos. Very helpful information.

Could putting a heater on the bottom of the tank give adequate circulation in a 10 gallon tank through the convection currents? Also are there any fish that can thrive in a tank with no heater or filter? What adjustments to the tank would I need to make in that case

I have never changed my pads or sponges on my filter. Just rinse with old water rarely. I also leave the back side of the back of my tank alone most of the time. I also always put my heater next to my filter intake.

I left mine off for 3-4 months, had no problems water crystal clear, but i have a bubble thing running the entire center of the tank. If your tank is healthy it should survive without a filter

I’ve had AQUACLEAR filters for years, and with these 2 new ones, Aquaclear 110’s, the baskets rise, even after only a few days being cleaned. I don’t know why they rise, but I do know, that even with the intakes cleaned off regularly, from blockage, they still rise up. I have to use paper clips to prevent it. I’m sick of it!! . I used to love AQUACLEAR, but now, not so much.