When I worked in the pet store years ago, I would tell the customer what they needed to know and didn't recommend a lot of this stuff. I think in the long run, we had a bigger and better customer base because they trusted us than compared to our competitors. I think you're doing right, Nick.

Thank you so much for your honesty. I started watching another KZfaqr because of the beautiful aquascapes he did using low cost items. But now he has sponsors that’s all we hear about. Keep your honesty and integrity it’s what we all love about you and your site.

I'm sure that for you, running a fish room with multiple tanks with the sole intention of breeding fish as a business, air driven sponge filters are great. They are very efficient and particularly cost efficient. The problem is that they are ugly, take up a lot of room in the tank and they are noisy. Yes, they trap waste but the moment you disturb them to clean them they drop half of their detritus back into the water. These things are of no concern in your circumstances. I run a large canister filter on my display tank and I wouldn't swap it. It's virtually noiseless which is important if it's located in your living room, it removes particulate from the water column so the tank water is clear and it only needs servicing every 2-3 months. I just turn it off and disconnect the pipes; nothing trapped in the filter goes back into the water column. The only things in the tank are the inlet and outlet pipes, they are black and almost invisible.

I've loved your channel from the beginning.Your commitment to remaining a no bs fish keeper is refreshing.That Australian humility and integrity shines through.Cheers from Canada!

I am in my eighties and just setting up a community tank after 53 years since I last had aquariums and I am amazed at the amount of 'goodies' we are expected to buy. I was a member of an aquarium society in Uk in 1959 and had around 15-20 tanks. Like a lot of members I was breeding fish, showing fish and selling them. It was pretty normal to fill a tank with tap water, provide a heater, pump/air stone, and filter and around 2 or 3 days time add fish. Change some of the water every week, replacing it with more tap water. (it is quite likely that the tap water back then was much less 'polluted' with chemicals !) About the only plants available were amazon swords and a floating weed that I can't remember the name of. We had never heard of ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, water chemistry cycling and so on. It all seemed to work well at the time. I am of course using all this stuff now and we will see how it goes. Progress or just money making? (Standing by for an ear bashing)

Not a "bummer video" at all. You are helping folks new to the hobby not make the same mistakes that you (and I) made by learning the hard way. Your list is spot on.

Sponge filters definitely have a place in the hobby and I use them in smaller tanks and love them. But good luck using those on a 6 foot cichlid tank or a salt water tank. What aquarists in general need to do is know your fish and its needs and then plan accordingly. Some fish can get by just fine with Sponge filters and minimal maintenance, where other fish require fast moving water and over filtration because of their requirements. Enjoy the videos. Keep up to good work.

Agree 100% so many worthless products that don’t work, or cause more harm than good! Thanks a lot nick🙂👍🏻💯⭐️

Finally!! I've never cycled my tanks with chemicals. You add a few fish and lots of plants, then add a few more fish. It cycles itself 👏👏👏👏👏 Never lost a fish doing it this way.

Thanks for this. Of course, it's all depending on what's your goal, priorities, and budget: but definitely agree that lots of things in this hobby can be found cheaper, just not branded as such.

You are NOT offering negative input! You're seriously giving information that is legitimate and insightful! KEEP IT COMING!

Hi Nick, I'm setting up my first aquarium in over 25 years and what your saying is absolutely true. A little bit of patience and creativity will reward any hobbyist with a beautiful, thriving, and rewarding aquarium. And, ultimately, for me, less time spent on aquarium maintenance is more time enjoying my aquarium. Thanks for the reminders and good luck in all your endeavors!

Don't undersell your "crap" opinion. Your experiences can help people find better success and enjoyment in the hobby. Well-done video.

Sponge filters are great if you have a glass box with just water and fish in it. If you want a nicer setup with live plants and substrate they probably won't cut it by themselves. They aren't good for mechanical filtration and don't circulate water very well.

Used sponge to jump start a cycle. You can also use some plants like horn wort, guppy grass, or water wisteria. The goal is to control the nitrogen compounds.

I agree with you completely. I've bee in the Aquarium business for 30 years now, and let me tell you, 30 years ago we didn't have all the "expensive" tools we have now. From filters, to driftwood, from food to lighting ... everything you just said we did it 30 years ago ... awesome !!! I don't see it as a negative video, but informative one. Good job !!

I have dove down a rabbit hole lately with your videos among the other big names, and you have been my favorite one thus far. Complete honesty and genuine love for the hobby. This video, when you mention chemicals and how you care more about honesty than the sponsorships cemented me as a fan. That level of passion for the hobby and not money grabs is what sells me. Thank you for your genuine personality and love of fish. If I ever visit Australia, your shop is, for sure, a place on my list.

Awesome video Nick! As a beginner, I dodged basically all of these, but recently I've decided to take fish keeping and aquariums to the next level and creating more higher tech tanks, but that's after about 4 years of keeping fish (not very long, but for me it is lol), and my latest aquascape was 20l and spent $500 on it. I definitely recommend all these tips for beginners, and if you want, you can spend more as you get more sucked in to the hobby. I also recently bought Quick Start, never believed in it myself, and when I use it and stock fish straight away, I always let the tank run for a week with some cycled media as well. I'm also trying to approach aquascaping in a cheap way, by growing more demanding plants with low budget lighting, fertiliser and keeping fish with just little internal filters. This was a great video, and glad you're letting beginners on the truth! The message was very clear and spot on! Keep it up man! 👍

Well done Nick. Brilliant video. You may not endear yourself to sponsorships,, but will definitely increase your subscribers with your honesty and integrity. Common sense and patience is all that is needed. Newbies should remember when visiting fish stores that profit will always come first.

I respect your honesty and the fact you won't sponsor a product in an attempt to chase money from big-box fish product manufactures.

My son wanted to get his brother an aquarium for Christmas, and my initial response was that it would be a ton of work and money. I think that's because I didn't know any of this stuff (I knew next to nothing, really). I thought all of this stuff was necessary, or essential even, and I had so little interest in taking on that level of complexity and overhead to keep a bucket of water with some fish from dying. I ended up researching because one, I thought it was a really creative and thoughtful gift. Two, I love to learn things. I don't think it's too negative to put this stuff out here because had I known it, I would have gotten into the hobby sooner-I wish I found content like this earlier on. Really, I thought it was so much more money and time than it is, and the rewards are much greater than expected as well. That information is hard to find if you aren't explicitly looking for it. Generally, the content you find is people trying to convince you that you do need this stuff. This might sound controversial but in regards to food... I stopped buying it. I went with a Walstad-style aquarium, and it seems to generate a lot of food for the fish. We don't have any big ones (the largest is a 2" cory, I think), and the fish-to-tank ratio is pretty low by most people's standards. It's 10G for 8 chilli rasboras, 6 cherry shrimp, 5 snails, and 3 corys (2 of which are even smaller than 2"). I'll drop in small bugs, occasionally culture some daphnia, scoop mosquito larvae from standing water if I find them, drop in white worms from our worm composter, etc every week or so. The tank absolutely thrives. I've left the house for days at first, then weeks at a time eventually and came home to clear water, happy fish, lush plants, and no troubles at all. As far as clear water goes, I haven't replaced the water at all in months; I only top it up. There's no algae on the glass or anything. One of the filtering mechanisms we use is terrestrial plants. I keep them in baskets along the back edge of the tank, and the shrimp seem to love the root systems. They comb through them all the time. Anyway, all of this was basically free. It's beautiful, low maintenance, extremely rewarding, and so cool to learn more about. If you want a very specific kind of aquarium, you might need to pay for specifics. If you're content to let nature do its thing, you can spend very little to establish an incredible tank very quickly. Thanks for this! There were some things I wasn't aware of yet, and otherwise it's really nice to be reassured by someone who knows better.

This all needed to be said thanks for your honesty. Water and plants, really all you need for a fully functional aquarium. The rest is on maintenance

Truth!!! Be told! This wasn’t a negative video.

I appreciate you being honest instead of craving for some sponsorships. And I agree with almost everything you said. - I personally would use sponge filters only for breeding / grow out / quarantine tanks. I am a filter sump fanboy 🤷🏻‍♂️

I love how honest and straightforward you are, thx for all of the great tips and all of the honesty

I agree. I've had freshwater aquariums since the 1970's and always just had the basics. Keep It Simple.

at last someone with some honest common sense and the balls to say it, well done.

Thank you for always being honest, straightforward and informative with your videos about such things.. i really appreciate it. I hope your business prospers in no time... Take care..

Thank you- you are so right about all of it! Sponge filters are so so easy, plus the don't break and leak on the floor as I have had HOB's and a canister do.

Look at what we do in reef tanks, you could add a sump to your setup and do all your filtration/dosing/bioballs there, more room in all your tanks and more over all water volume.

I commend your honesty. Thank you for sharing with us your experiences!

I think SOME beginner packages are worth it.. I got a 55 gallon top fin aquarium with everything, filter, adjustable heater, thermometer, net. And it was only $150

I love the honest opinions, but 2 points though. Quickstart, when you don't have an existing tank to share media from, is awesome. This idea of "taking it slow" doesn't exist for someone just starting into the hobby. Sure, if you've been doing it for a while, no problem. Also, about 3 weeks into my first tank, I wanted to move a fish out very quickly and Quickstart gave me the confidence to do that. Secondly, your opinion on lighting is probably true for breeding or fish-only tanks, but for a planted tank I think good lighting is important. I went with an old hydroponics light I had lying around, but I can see the plants growing much faster under that in the main tank than those plants in the sump under a cheap LED light - same system, so same nutrients in the water.

Thank you for the video. I love the honesty. It is good to hear successful fish keepers perspective on the hobbies accessories

After 30 years away from the hobby I've just bought a 42 gallon tank. It had a built in filter which I've removed due to your advice about filters and guppy fry. I'm going with an undergravel and a sponge filter. A 42 gallon tank might seem a little large for guppies but I intend on a few small corys and a bristlenose too!

Stumbled upon your channel and I'm really enjoying your honesty and humbleness, thanks for sharing!

5:30 lol, I agree. If anything I will syphon some of the detritus from one tank and put it in the new tank and you're good to go.

Definitely agree with you. When i first started, i was one of those who would go for the brands or high priced items, because i thought they had better quality or smth like that. But now I know that a lot of the things you need for aquarium to work and your fish to be happy and healthy don’t cost all that much. Unless you’re into aquascaping and the aesthetics, cheaper and the ‘lowtech’ items are the better route. I had a walstad tank that don’t cost too much and is thriving, and next to it is another tank i set up with high tech gears and isn’t doing very well.

its so lovely to see you speaking from the heart. keep up the good work!!!

I think what you're putting up here is really good and informational. When I started out years ago, i spent so much on equipment because I was told to do so, I was taught the wrong way of cycling tank. I spent so much on bottled bacteria and filtration. I lost so many of my fishes because the tank just wasn't cycled or ready or the filter was a pain to maintain. After all this experiences I stick to basics and simple steps and lots of patience and now I have a well established 6ft tank for my Asian Arowana that I've had for 4 years now. It's my base tank for seeding my media for other tanks. You have insipred me to setup a shrimp tank and currently working on seeding for that tank. Great content you have and its really honest. Great job!

Thanks for sharing Nick, I really enjoyed that

Thank you for gifting us with your experience. I found your channel when I got my first Blue Dreams and I'm just flying through your videos. This old lady appreciates your honesty and I enjoy watching your adventures.

man what is that sus looking thing lol 5:05

Great video nick, glad you pointed out the many elephants in the room, had to be said by someone. I’m surprised you mentioned to boil the wood and rocks. When i was a kid, I’m over 60 now, that was what i was told to do when setting up first big aquarium: get a big pot and boil the wood and gravel and sand, anything you suspect needs a good disinfecting. The wood stopped leaching in a few days and never again. I still do it, like when i re-use my gravel and rocks from a decommissioned aquarium. I also found cheap filter media from pillow cases and other stuffed toys etc., back then i had to improvise. You made a great point here, you can buy readily available materials or find alternatives with some effort.

My favorite thing about the api aquarium salt is that it doesn’t effect the ph. I’m assuming the rock salt from the store has metallic impurities which I don’t want to test out on my mystery snails.

Useful, honest and forthright information Matey

7:51 $200 lights are nice but I've always gotten the best growth from just cheap shop lights.

Nice to see someone a bit more chill about the hobby. I only got into it about a year ago and most of the online stuff (looking at you reddit) is INTENSE. Basically makes you feel like you need a chemistry degree to keep any kind of tank and if you do the slightest thing "wrong" you get crucified lol. Got a new subscriber here just for being chill.

great honest video!! I especially was surprised by the quick start great tip

Grate video can’t wait to see the progress on the fish store / breeding room

True. I agree with what you say. There is absolutely no need for all the expensive stuff unless you really want them and are ready to spend that much. 👍

Good video, I agree with everything that you mentioned. Thanks for your honesty.

Honest and simple video. Well done!!!

Excellent recommendations! You are proving what works. Keep up the good work!! Not negative - truthful!!

You're absolutely right about the sponge filters, and aside from being cheaper, they're also more energy-efficient. I replaced 2 4 watt internal filters with 1 4.5 watt airpump, driving both tanks. So I think the more tanks you have, the better sponge-filters are in that regard.

Been a while since I regularly watched fish videos. After 3-4 years they all start to look the same. Liked this video. I remember watching a few videos from this channel a few years ago. Much progress. I would add to the list of 8 and say that non-standard, combination "lids with lights" are also a waste of money. A glass top is nice and depending on what you want and what you're keeping a cover is optional. For some people a heater is optional, and to the extent that you may need the heater, having a thermometer (at least for spot checks) is highly recommended. On a side note, when talking about beneficial bacteria, it must work as public aquariums use them and release 10's of thousands of dollars of fish in new setups. However, as a beginner taking it slow is key, and if you're doing a planted tank (my preference for sure) planting first and then stocking 3-4 weeks later (test parameters, populate slowly, step by step) is the way to go. If you do it right it can be years before your first fish dies from age. Also, once you have one tank started, there's not reason not to have pre-cycled media ready whenever you get ready for another tank. Even then, its good to take it slow with the next tank if you can. Plant first. Move slowly afterwards.

Im just starting out and you just saved me a lot of money. Nothing negative about it. Thankyou very much..

BUDDY... Mate, you are a Bloody Legend Bloke 🤘🤩👌 I Really Do Appreciate HONESTY!!! And you seem to Always be STRAIGHT UP 👍👍👍 I hope to actually meet you some day.

Great advice Nick! when I was breeding fish I only ever used sponge filters in my tanks and I always had my spares sitting in my ponds so they were ready to go, none of my ponds have ever had filters unless they had a water feature, I have had a heap of people ask me this, if you have a pond just fill it with plants and substrate and be patient it will look after it self, I didn't even use chlorine neutraliser, I'd top up my biggest tanks and then wait for a couple of day and use the large tanks to do a water change and then just top it up again, there are ways around things, it's pointless for a beginner to spend a heap of money if their just starting out, spend more money when you find out if you like it.

That was really helpfull! Wished i saw this video before i started thus hobby 😀

Finally sachez putting out something good for the viewers !!! Good job bro

Love it. Thanks Nick. I agree with you.

You’re so right! I believe a lot of places recommend unnecessary things to beginners.. there’s always alternatives and it never has to be complicated!

I appreciate your honesty and you are entitled to your opinions 😊 If people don't agree, they can just do what they need for their situation. There are so many options and different ways to make this hobby work for anyone who is a part of it.

I found that if you hook a water pump up to your sponge filter so it blows water down into the sponge and it works very very well better than any filter ive ever had. also need something to keep up surface aggitated so the water surface doesn't get nasty. I use an 80gph pump hooked up to a sponge but a 50gph would have worked good.

Good stuff, Nick. Thanks.

I like this video. After you been in the hobby for a little bit you learn ways to cut back on the cost. Like all my substrate, either gravel or sand comes from the hardware store.

I was lucky to have mum's koi tank with a canister filter going so I just flogged a piece of foam 😂.A sponge filter for little tanks is fine but as soon as you get to a large aquarium you need to step it up.I love the Led flood lights I run 30w over my tank the water shimmer is awesome.

Absolutely agree with you on all of these mate. It’s funny that we have to buy all the crappy ones before we find the gold that is actually good for our tank

As much as I appreciate your insight, I think for people with just one nice aquarium in their living room, some things mentioned do not apply. An external canister filter is much quieter than an air driven filter, and inlet and outlet can be hidden quite good. A variety of plants and the color of the fish are much more important, so a good light and good food are important. And as you only have one tank, you don't have any old filter medium or tank water and any help in starting the tank is appreciated. And if you already spent that amount of money, getting salt with "aquarium" printed on the box doesn't matter that much any more.

Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙏 wish I'd known this a lot earlier 😂 but soooo grateful to know it now! 🤯 life changing! Because so many of these things I'm thinking I need to do but can't afford it .... and now I know how to do the same things but not branded ❣

Stop saying you are being negative. You, are being factual. And what priceless information we reap, from your knowledge, and successful fish 'play with a purpose'. I wish more people were as real as this important information. AND! you help US have more money to put towards fish vs 'stuff'. Thank you. *\○/* ✌🏼🐠🙏🐠🖖🏼🐠

Awesome video. I really could have used this advice decade’s ago when I was starting in this hobby.

Love your videos. I wish I had seen this one last year lol. I have just started switching over to the foam filters. I have 2 ten-gallon tanks and one 55 gallons that I bought as kits because I thought that was the cheapest way. Now I am looking for a 75- or 100-gallon tank. I am trying to talk my husband into putting a tank in the wall between our bedroom and sitting/ entertainment room. We basically turned the basement into an awesome master suite. Right now, I have crayfish in the small tanks but will be adding them into the larger tanks at a later time.

Thanks for your honesty.

You should try to get your hands on a pea puffer fish and breed them I know they are really rare in Australia as I live there and go for about $200 but I would really like a budget breeding video of pea puffers or just a care guide/vlog Ps if you know where to get a cheaper please let me no

Right on the money! Great video, thanks for sharing.

loved the video. keep up the good work👏

THIS is one of the single most important videos regarding fish keeping I've seen in ages. A ton of beginners get caught up in this exact stuff you mentioned in this video and it ultimately hurts the hobby. Bravo to you sir.

Bottled bacteria is a good conversation, so many people recommend taking it slow at the start, being patient.

A good tip for food would be frozen peas. Just cook some with a clove of garlic in the water to give the peas the a garlic flavor. Don't ask me why, but fish love garlic :)

THANK YOU!!!!❤

In the uk we get ripped off massively with aquarium products. In America for example they will have deals on fx6 filters for double digits sometimes whereas in the uk we still have to pay $260 and that’s on everything we don’t get discounted products or deals and always have to pay full price

I really appreciate and respect your options. Thanks.

I go down to the river after a good flood and collect driftwood. I've found some really nice pieces

Haha, that’s what I thought you definitely will piss people off haha! Anyway great video Nick keep up the work. I’m excited to see the next Vlog of building your fish room / shop!

Thanks dude. Im about a year old in the hobby. You’re right.. I doesn’t take much to keep fish happy. There is a monster of a market aimed at taking advantage of novices .. but because most aquatic shop owners started as a hobby but, end up having to overcharge or upsell to keep the rent paid.. it really kills a lot of the essence of the craft.. Thanks for having the balls to say what you feel is right.. I agree with everything you said and learned how to save money. Great video and I hope you get sponsored by people like you who love fish keeping and love helping fish keepers too

I feel like the live bacterias just give you extra leeway when you’re starting a new tank and maybe don’t know what you’re doing. They can also be much more helpful, if something goes wrong, than an ammonia rid chemical would be. Like I would always try to recommend water changes and live bacteria to customers who had high ammonia in their new tank rather than ammonia rid chemicals

I agree, on the salt, chemicals, decor and food, but the filter's I like to use canisters and hang ons. I find them easy to clean than sponge, (only use sponge when I have fry) but, then again, I fill my hang on and canister with aquarium wool, instead of all that other rubbish, that comes with it. I don't use that stuff to get rid of amnonia and chlorine I have 2 rain water tanks. I don't buy any medication, at all. I buy healthy fish right from the start, so there's no sickness. So, yeah, that's how I do it, lol

The reason I listen to you is because of your opinion. And if that means listening to poor choices I've made for a better understanding. I'm happy for that! And to finish it off. I'm my eyes, if yiu are willing to lose brand deals for your viewers. I'm sticking with you!

Agreed. Good old school way of thinking. We live in a strange time of extremes, people nowadays becoming instant fish keepers, just buying, investing, googling, that light, that food, that company, that filter... Maaaan. Actually, it's simple: You need to provide certain temperature, enough water, good nitrogen cycle, good food and comfort environment for fish. Like you said, fish doesn't know what is written on a box. Most of success comes from experience, not from equipment, but people complicate everything because they want instant results.

Your so right bro! i watched so many videos on breeding and keeping fish and all the Bullshizzle they say! these are big youtubers aswel .... as i learnt more as the time went on! i used to start aquariums with just a sponge filter and fish and tap water that was 24 /48 hours old and i used to breed guppies mainly but aslong as i did water changes every week the system so so clean and clear and it was easily kept clean when i turned the hang on back filter on for 10 minutes every few days .... because it ended up pooling all the dirt into one so i could just turkey baster it all out in 30 seconds .... plus it gave the fish a little exercise to swin into a little current! keep doing what your doing bro i see you growing! i've not made a video for over a year i think and still getting 1k hours watched for my videos because i studied my fish and learnt how to breed and keep them now i learn others for free!

Very good video. Not realy negative, just very helpful. IMO.

I've been watching your videos for a while but after this one I finally subscribed. Even if I don't fully agree with you, the fact that you keep it real and give your honest opinion makes your channel one of the few worth watching amongst the sea of sell outs on youtube. In regards to fish food, many contain mostly fillers such as cereals and fish meal (and let's just say it's probably not from the best sources), I would like to avoid those. Do you have any specific recommendations?

I'm waiting for the update on those beautiful betta frys you have! Curious to see the color combinations off of every batch.

Man I really appreciate your honesty I am a new subscriber and also newish to the hobby. I am 59 yrs old and had a tank as a kid, back then we new nothing of water ammonia and nitrite and such. I bought a tank recently and done a little research on setting up my tank and man! I was quickly confused as to what chemicals to use. Long story short, I found that most was a waste of money. Wished I would have seen this video 8 wks ago 😆 looking forward to more honest and informative videos keep up the good work 😉

I have kept fish both tropical and salt water fish for litterally decades and have come to basically the same conclusions that you have young man. Thankyou for something extremely rare:"an unbiased opinion"

yeah tbh i use to believe that whole thing about sponge filters but honestly there only good when you changing water constantly, a massive concept around water purification is the movement of water and sponge filters just don't they move air which moves a little bit of water but in all honestly they are shit when it comes to proper aquascape aquariums if you wanted a simple setup you'd just put in a re circulation pump with a porous media and live plants

best way to start a new aquarium is get a bucket, go to someone who has a fish take some of their water and wash out the filter in there, get all that stuff from the filter in there. put that in your new tank with a couple fish and you are good.

Oh sponge filters. They have they're use but if you want a dirty tank use them. They keep a tank cycled but don't move enough water to properly keep a tank clean which is beneficial for your fish. Fish foods. If you want bloat, cloudy water, and excessive phosphates buy cheap food. They're are over priced foods that aren't much better than the cheaper ones but don't skimp on food. Look at the list of ingredients on the bottle. If in the first 5 ingredients it says flour, wheat, wheat germ, soy, yeast, ect them a large portion of the food is filler that offers no benefits to your fish. If in the first three it says these things it's a terrible food.