Is Your Fish Tank Really Cycled?

‎ Cory sits down and explains the importance of Seasoned Tank Time (STT), why it's better than cycling a fish tank, why algae isn't necessarily a bad thing for your tank, and how to tell when the aquarium ecosystem is finally stable.

WHO WE ARE
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At Aquarium Co-Op, we focus on your aquariums. We specialize in freshwater tropical fish, aquatic plants, and the overall betterment of the freshwater fish keeping hobby. Our goal is to help you with your first pet fish and graduate you to an advanced aquarium hobbyist. If you'd like to take it to the next level, subscribe to Aquarium Co-Op and check out our weekly videos.

Cory McElroy is employed by Aquarium Co-Op LLC. He also owns Aquarium Co-Op LLC. Therefore, all content is sponsored by Aquarium Co-Op.

0:00 - Intro
0:12 - What is Seasoned Tank Time?
0:56 - Why I’m Against This Way of Starting a Cycle
1:47 - A Fish Tank Has to Adapt
2:19 - Dealing With Waste in an Aquarium
2:44 - How I Start up an Aquarium
4:25 - When is a Tank Seasoned?
7:05 - Benefits of Algae in an Aquarium
8:30 - 800 Gallon Aquarium
9:11 - Viewer Question

#Aquariums #Aquariumfish #Fishtank

[Deadyu]

When setting up a planted tank, the experts are usually always right. Stock up on plants heavily at the start. I've always done this and have gotten to where I want to be very quickly.

[bastianoiry-codello]

Me having aquariums running for years : I'll watch a video about cycling an aquarium 🤔. I'll watch anything from Cory.

[danielbarrett]

I’ve used the fishless cycling method multiple times with great success and yes you can see bacterial blooms, grow algae, and diatoms. Takes 4-6 weeks and the fish don’t have to swim in ammonia and potentially burning their gills or killing them if it gets to high.

[ECFUTAH]

This is the best and most important video you've ever made. I've been in the hobby 20+ years. I rarely test water parameters and I've never "cycled" a tank either. I try to teach people they need to build an ecosystem not an aquarium and your method is very similar to mine. If a person with no experience comes into the hobby this is the first video they should see.

[rebeccamccoy]

I am currently cycling/establishing my first tank and this video just gave me SO much peace! I put two plants in to start and once I saw them put some growth on, I figured that was a good signal to invest in more plants. I just finished putting in all the new plants last night and it looks beautiful, but I am going to give it some time for all the plants to establish before I put in some shrimp or easy fish. I have been stressing over how I will be able to recognize the cycle as established, and how often I will need to do testing… But going with a planted tank has given me so much more peace about it and I feel really good about letting it sit and watching the plants as the signal to how healthy the tank is and ready for fish!

[adrianneavenicci]

I’m an absolute beginner but my intuition told me to start growing plants first too. If the plants are growing well then surely the fish will be healthy too.

[alexandragreene]

Love this! It took me getting really sick for a few weeks where I physically couldn't do water changes or anything but feed the fish to finally realize this. Letting it sit allowed it to reduce like a quality pan sauce

[calebcologna]

My biggest issue working in a fish store is people for whom waiting even one whole week before adding fish is an inexcusably long wait

[PorcheGardener]

I never thought I would be applying my permaculture knowledge to an aquarium! I recently got my first aquarium (got lucky on craigs list with a 97 gallon) and I've been in a flurry of learning. It's early days but the fish are happy and my daughter is ecstatic that we finally have an aquarium

[BenOchart]

Very sensible approach. I've been using, probably stolen from you, the "seasoned" term. I've been setting up tanks with the Fritz Zyme7 and Turbo products with success and recently, along with media from established tanks. Seeing algae, life, is a good thing. It's truly a fluid situation!

[JamesCroney]

I love the disclaimer "I made this up but it's also true" haha feels like science was involved.

[heyitsnovabound]

I'm in the process of cycling my 75g after moving to a new house and just got my big coop plant order yesterday. I got nitrites so far and had JUST decided yesterday to wait until my plants started getting settled in and growing before getting fish and THEN this video comes out lol. Thank you for the reassuring info

[shesellsfish]

I use your "seasoned" term all the time now. Makes perfect sense to me. I've always used plants, hardwood leaves, and a mystery snail as the first occupant as they produce tons of good infusoria to really get that seasoning going quickly. Then I add in some ramshorn snails, and when they start reproducing and doing well, THEN I start adding in shrimp or fish.
👍💓👍

[lincoln]

Love Aquarium Co-Op! It's simple, common sense advise that I've been using for over 10 years. Glad to hear a Professional state good advice instead of ALWAYS hocking products. Good luck guys!

[chrdebru]

Is it weird to say that sometimes you just *know* when the tank is ready or doing well/unwell?

[cattfishing]

My best tank has always been my unfiltered, heavily planted, snail of every kind, copapod, daphnia, and other organism filled 5 gal tank. With shrimp babies on and off. I top off for evaporation, and will vac/small water change if too much food decay before being eaten.(darn zucchini) anyway, it has now become a black tiger badis nursery tank wonderland for the fry. Haha their is one of those teeny tiny sponge filter that is run currently. It's the size of a quarter. And was made for a betta bowl. Just to provide air/water circulation and a bit of filtration. Tho, that thing is so tiny, it's not really do much of that. Just another surface for life to cling to:)

[vesawuoristo]

I have always used live plants to establish new tanks, being from Finland plants are more common idea in aquariums.

[sarahwoodring]

Fantastic video! I agree that algae is the great unsung hero of the aquarium hobby. I love using it as an indicator of water quality and nutrient availability, and I actually like the way it looks on rocks and decor.

[TazawaTanks]

I embrace algae. On another note, I kind of like that little diver decoration! 😆🤿

[Ben-kvwr]

I found a sturdy 6 gallon dome at a second hand store and couldn't help turning it into a DIY rice fish pond. My bf was so frustrated with me for leaving it full of water but empty, save for a single snail and substrate for MONTHS. I insisted on having the algae bloom and bust at least twice before even adding in plants. Months later theres embers in there too now, and I'm thinking about some amanos to graze on the biofilm :) Thanks for the years of videos and tips like this, really helped me go nuts without killing fish once I finally moved out!