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Ive never seen a youtuber struggle with floating wood on camera before and tbh it makes me feel better about my own struggles. That’s exactly how I’ve had to sink some wood recently

You need a black background if you are going to want them to really show color, you have light substrate light background. Itll help loads and make the tank look less hazy

I don't know if it's within your scope or project ideas but I'd love to see you re-create one of your earliest video/scapes and show/tell us how your knowledge has increased and progressed along the years sort of what you would have done differently if you knew then what you know now. On top of that I appreciate the knowledge you have given me and also your videos have got my oldest son interested in the hobby and that bonding is priceless 👍🏽

Thanks for keeping it real showing the mistakes, it makes it more genuine. It's a great lesson for all of us.

I love that MD doesn't hide all the challenges involved in setting up an aquascape. Great job showing everyone what's involved in solving problems like a buiyant driftwood! These fish are super exciting. I'm definitely looking forward to update videos as they get more comfortable.

Matt looks so happy explaining about these fish. So cool.🙂

Now that youve gotten into cichlids, I would love to see you tackle a shell dweller aquascape

An idea for those not needing immediately sinking decor: I once had a very large piece of malaysian bogwood that floated like a cork. I put it in a black trash can filled with water, put the lid on and let it sit outside in the sun for a week. The sun on the black plastic heated the water to the point it was too hot to touch, leaching out most of the tannins and thoroughly soaking the wood. After cooling for a day it behaved quite well in the tank and the tannin level was perfect.

I can attest to the amazing results from using API's Accuclear. I used it in my paludariums and it gave great results. But where it truly was game-changing was in my outdoor pond. The water became crystal clear, that helped spur plant growth, which helped the water stay clear. I used it 3 times in the first season until the plant growth made using it unnecessary unless I cleaned the filter pads, which stirred up some cloudiness. The balance of nutrients from fish waste and utilization of wastes in plant growth is often difficult outdoors. I eventually had minimal algae growth, mostly then eaten by the goldfish, and green water became a thing of the past. This year I began by harvesting excess plant growth and using it around my garden to shade plant roots as mulch. That and muck from washing the filter pads spurred growth in the plants around the pond!

I like that you added the plant names! Thank you!! Looks amazing! 😊

I really like when the fish lurk in the undergrowth!

Have a good day MD🍀

I've got everything i need here, a glass of milk, a plate of cookies, and an MD vid.

Microctenopoma ansorgii! Very rare fish in Indonesia 😅 I applaud you and wish you luck in keeping them! PS. Please keep some a African tetras with them?

I found an amazing piece of wood that I used in my outdoor tub. I pre-soaked it before setting everything up and once I did, I had the same thing happen as you in this setup. I was so upset because I couldn’t get it back in the same place so had to make do as was. Your tank still looks great though. I don’t know why but the wood kinda reminds me of a teapot for some reason and with all the botanicals to me it’s a “teapot tank” 😂 A real British tank MD 😊Good job 👍🏼 😊

I was thinking it’s been a minute since the latest video- the universe was listening 😂

The scape looks great! I do love that chunky piece of wood! Botanicals set it off just perfect too! Those are some very interesting fish! Never heard or seen them before now. I know they aren't colored up with their dark stripes yet, but I noticed their bright red stripes on their fins. Very pretty! I don't remember if Matt mentioned those red stripes or not. Hope they keep them! Thank you, MD, for keeping it real, and showing the difficulties of aqua scaping, and not just cutting that floating problem part out. Have a good night!

Happy you flipped the wood peice, looks good

You're so fortunate to have so many tanks and species. Love that you are trying a new species of fish! Always great content.

Just saying, really enjoy your videos.

Really appreciated the commentary and extra footage showing the fish behavior

Enjoyed viewing. Beautiful! Thank you.

So there are a few things you can try. Boiling the wood is one. Drilling holes in the wood, fill the holes with ball bearings, and seal it in with resin or glue is also pretty effective. As much fun as it looks like you had filtering the botanical tea, humic concentrate, or blackwater extract (a number of brands offer something along those lines) is your friend.

U need some of the bigger floaters with the long roots! I think they would love them, and they would look good in that great tank!

Boy oh boy the buoyancy of that wood ....so glad you figure that one out.

Really love this. I kept Microctenopoma ansorgii 12 or so years ago in a 15 gal heavily planted tank and they were beautiful but very, very shy. In terms of getting them to come out - the bright wall behind the tank bouncing light into it is a problem. Put a dark, if not black, background on the back glass.

My mother walked in the room and was watching too, just a couple minutes before you said, “The neons are very interested in the testicles” and she was like “Wait, what did he say?!” 😂

The wood looks like a snail with wings😄💙

Gorgeous hardscape. Love dragon stone.

i play your videos to give me motivation to work on my tanks your voice is so chill to have in the background and every once in awhile i pause what im doing to see whats going on in the video and its very relaxing to feel like someone is doing this with me no one really talks about the days where its hard to trim the plants and scrap the glass and having to come back to that after those days are over

I recently picked up 2 of these guys from my LFS and they are in my heavily planted 75g with Angels, Rams, Cory’s and Pencilfish. These guys definitely lurk amongst the shadows. Towards the front I have many low growing plants creating cover that I usually see these guys in, aswell as cracks and crevices of rock structures. For food I culture white worms, grindal worms, scuds and daphnia along with some frozen foods. I personally haven’t really tried prepared foods and I do believe these guys are notorious for not eating prepared foods, just a heads up. Nice Scape!

I LOVE these microctenopoma They are beautiful and work well with your aquascape

Thanks MD. Another wonderful tank. Gina

You succeeded in creating a natural environment, no doubt. And that is seen in the fish behavior, they entered in full alarm, as in wilderness. Probably, in time you will replace the surviving neon tetras with other kinds... And thanks for another glimpse at the other black water aquarium which is still amazing!

Der Aquascaping-Künstler hat wieder zugeschlagen! 👍 Buschfische kann man nicht mit Neon oder Zebrabärblingen vergleichen. Sie sind ungleich scheuer und, wenn sie Versteckmöglichkeiten haben, nutzen sie diese auch ausgiebig! 😂

I love my African dwarf cichlids ❤

5:35 That driftwood looks custom made to that tank!

YOOOOOO crumbling the food in the filter flow?! How have I not figured that out yet? I love you, homie.

I have bought most of the API products because of your videos 😅

First time seeing these fish. Can’t wait to see an update

Verrrry nice build MD

Such a cool fish!

It may be worth putting the other bits of driftwood (which are dotted about in the studio) 6 weeks each in your water storage tank. That will allow them to become waterlogged and ready for any potential future projects. 👍

They're already colouring up that soon after being introduced to the new tank! Miracle. Right proper miracle. MD Fish Tanks works miracles, API or no.

learned a lot from you. and love your gentle humors

This is one of my favorites I've seen you do! Great video and great result as usual. 🎉

I put 6 neons in my bettas tank and he loves them. Sometimes he gets feisty and flares up to chase them around. But he has his bubble nest spots and the neons use the remaining part of the water column to shoal up

very cool fish

I kept a group of these climbing perch a few years ago, they were very shy until i added a dark background, some twisted vallis and a group of harlequins. Within hours they were out in full view and showing off their colours.

Very cool set up! I've never kept thees fish either but see them often where I am. Might have to give these a try

Sir, I really love you tank builds and you new studio is amazing💚. Really a dream 💚💯🥰

I love that you are just being you!! I also love that I can sit at home and watch my fish theatre instead of going out with fake people and spending money on dumb shit..keep living your life bro

this process (re the floating wood) was good to see! ie overcoming challenges

Excellent work work with the black water tank

I love this tank.

so glad you included all the issue you had with this build and showed how you resolved them .thanks man great vid....peace out

Beautiful job man, your tanks are stunning...

It's like an African Paradise Fish.

Cheers from my fish room in chicago, where I'm actually setting up a tank that's VERY similar. TY!

Name this tank ‘the star’ 👍🏻 good looking piece of work

I love that your wife organizes your fish mess too😂 thought it was just me.

They look like a form of Paradise Fish .

That suspect botanical, too funny. Love your work, keep them coming.

they look like our native climbing perches lol , magnificent creatures

Nice 🙂. Waiting for the discus tank setup

Another great video

Your patience and persistence with that PC of wood is heroic level Id chucked the thing across the room lol

Said “unlucky buddy” to the moth but has an insect zapper right next to the tank ! Buddy didn’t stand a chance 😂

Great video as always!

20:06 Caught ya almost swear accidentally XD. It's just funny to me.

Neat fish. Have some of the green plants in back. Were called Taiwan lilies where I bought them. Such a bright light green and really easygoing

Süper Eline sağlık👍🇹🇷

I love your videos!!! Always gets me excited 🤘🏼

More is More! 😀

I literally searched to see if you had posted a new video just a couple hours ago!! I was missing me MD content! Perfect timing!

Its such a pity that wood didnt stay put! The scape was very impactful visually at first

Great video keep it up

It looked so freaking cool in the first position

Very nice, I like!

love the music on your vids!

Those fishes are cool

@MDFishTanks Pure Rooibos tea works well to get that black water look. Plus this way , you can control the level of tannins

Hi from Australia ❤

It took nearly 4 months for my huge piece of driftwood to fully sink. I had to put up with rocks sitting on top of it the whole time. I was so happy when when I could finally remove them.

great looking tank. you handled this well. i think i would have gotten too frustrated over the floating wood and rescaped

Delicious botanicals 😅

Remind me of paradise fish. Look up the Chinese paradise fish for some fantastic colors. Ctenopoma is one of the 1st fish I'm looking forward to keeping in a large tank. Didn't know there was a nano version.

Bro i love the crocs 😂

Before you were placing aquasoil in filter bags as base, why have you stopped this technique may i ask?

Looks like some type of Badis !!

Hi MD I’m a big fan

top tip with this bottle

Quick tip! Boil the wood so that it sinks ;)

Hey MD are you still using filter media bags for your substrate? Do you still recommend it?

I love that fact that I am 20 minutes into this video and I still don't know what fish(es) you are making this scape for, and it doesn't bother me one bit.

Hi, they are called climbing perch for a reason, lookout for them escaping the tank

Try to make a terrarium sometime :)

it looks like a thanksgiving turkey lol

Such a wide variety of botanicals, which shop were these from or were they stock you already had?