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Today's a new day.

Yep. You have to remember that anyone can set up a youtube channel, it doesn't mean they're an expert, even if their tanks look beautiful at first glance.

George Farmer is a famous, talented aquascaper, who creates incredible aquascapes, and also has a YT channel that's worth watching if you're into planted tanks and aquascaping. He knows his fish stuff too, but his focus is on planted tanks and aquascaping, naturally, since that's his area of expertise, and he's incredibly good at it. But he'll admit himself that many aquascapers set up a stunning tank, work on it for six months or more to get the plants grown how they want them, often in high CO2 since that's the best for plant growth, but they're growing and building the tank for competition or shows, will stock the tank just for the occasion, then tear the tank down. The show aquascape tanks you see aren't your general, long term, hobbyist tanks that always look that stunning, with those fish and shrimp living in them full time.

There are also a lot of "fishtubers" and "pet-tubers" out there with zero real knowledge, merely collect animals for clicks, because they have an audience of children who don't know any better, and just want to see the pretty fishes and cute animals. "Catch em all fishing" and his gang of friends are one such group, that create videos for clicks, don't actually care about fish, or their welfare, or keeping their aquariums and stocking long term. For them it's all about the money, they have kids that watch and don't know better, and they're raking in the money. Which lets them pull more outragious stunts, make wild claims, and set up fake "rescues" where they've dumped fish they bought into a swimming pool or something, then claim they just found it, and they're gonna catch it and save it.

Not all people on youtube, or anywhere, for that matter, are well intended, or as expert as they pretend to be. Cynical, but true. Be selective in who you watch, always take it with a grain of salt, as Colin says, and bear in mind that even "good" fish youtubers, like Aquarium Co Op, for example, know a huge amount, and has good intentions, along with also promoting his businesses - but that he IS also promoting his businesses, and that his knowledge isn't flawless in all areas.

So, grain of salt, even with good youtubers.
 
Do I need to be 18 and over to order online by myself?
I don't know if there are some age regulations in Australia to order online.
Ah, I see. So why do good aquarium YouTubers do shrimp bowls without filters?
Mostly it's a temporary scape. So, for a short while, a filter is of no issue.
You have to remember that anyone can set up a youtube channel, it doesn't mean they're an expert,
So, true...
 
The only way I would to any tank without a filter is a Walstad-style tank: Heavily planted, lightly stocked. Then the plants (along with water changes) serve as your filter. I think the Walstad method would lend itself admirably to a small shrimp tank.
 
Yep. You have to remember that anyone can set up a youtube channel, it doesn't mean they're an expert, even if their tanks look beautiful at first glance.

George Farmer is a famous, talented aquascaper, who creates incredible aquascapes, and also has a YT channel that's worth watching if you're into planted tanks and aquascaping. He knows his fish stuff too, but his focus is on planted tanks and aquascaping, naturally, since that's his area of expertise, and he's incredibly good at it. But he'll admit himself that many aquascapers set up a stunning tank, work on it for six months or more to get the plants grown how they want them, often in high CO2 since that's the best for plant growth, but they're growing and building the tank for competition or shows, will stock the tank just for the occasion, then tear the tank down. The show aquascape tanks you see aren't your general, long term, hobbyist tanks that always look that stunning, with those fish and shrimp living in them full time.

There are also a lot of "fishtubers" and "pet-tubers" out there with zero real knowledge, merely collect animals for clicks, because they have an audience of children who don't know any better, and just want to see the pretty fishes and cute animals. "Catch em all fishing" and his gang of friends are one such group, that create videos for clicks, don't actually care about fish, or their welfare, or keeping their aquariums and stocking long term. For them it's all about the money, they have kids that watch and don't know better, and they're raking in the money. Which lets them pull more outragious stunts, make wild claims, and set up fake "rescues" where they've dumped fish they bought into a swimming pool or something, then claim they just found it, and they're gonna catch it and save it.

Not all people on youtube, or anywhere, for that matter, are well intended, or as expert as they pretend to be. Cynical, but true. Be selective in who you watch, always take it with a grain of salt, as Colin says, and bear in mind that even "good" fish youtubers, like Aquarium Co Op, for example, know a huge amount, and has good intentions, along with also promoting his businesses - but that he IS also promoting his businesses, and that his knowledge isn't flawless in all areas.

So, grain of salt, even with good youtubers.
This is interesting. I was talking about good youtubers, not the ones who do the wrong thing. I now do have an understanding of what Youtube videos to watch and what videos not to watch. People like me should not tear the tank or bowl down, just keeping it. So people may tear the scape down behind the scenes.
 
Friday, Australia Day. Or as the Aboriginals call it Invasion Day. One of the biggest days of the year. Just got up and fed the tetras. Being cautious when watching good pet youtubers. The tetras are doing okay currently. I argue against the parents because of the house rules.
 
It's the afternoon and I did a stocking calculator for the 10.6L aquarium. It is nearly at 100% of the minimum stocking level. I put 7 chameleon shrimp into the calculator to see the stock level and read 96% when it was calculated. 7 is the maximum number of shrimp you could put in a tank like that. I am hoping for the setup to be long-lasting.

AquStockImage.png


Now there's four shrimp bowls made by Aquarium Info? I just saw the shorts and the full videos (cherry, golden cherry, glass and opae ula) and they're similar to each other. Better need to watch them with caution.
 
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The days go by overtime and STILL waiting for the 10.6L 22cm cube project to begin due to the already many-time broken deal made by parents. Question of the day: What other cube aquaria (other than petworx ones) would you recommend to me in Australia and is it a good aquarium for fish, shrimp and snails?
 
Hi @Colin_T, @AdoraBelle Dearheart and everyone else watching the thread, can you tell me a good, uplifting story about your fish please? Feeling a bit down today presumably because of an earlier argument between me and the parents. I need to keep company in the forum. I need storytime to make me happy again. :) I know I'm a 17 yo, but I'm young and brave at heart with a dislike of strict parents.

I keep updating the thread every hour or few hours to see how I'm going currently. The parents and younger sister went bowling an hour ago and now they are home.

I understand that bad things happen in the hobby, such as death of inhabitants and somewhat fatal mistakes and tank crashes. I try not to make those things happen. Does two tanks equal Multi tank syndrome? The hobby is constantly evolving, and there will be more tanks added to my collection in the future. I just need to not give up on the hobby and continue my good work.

Regarding the fish evolution thread, I could say rainbowfish were originally marine fish that transformed into freshwater fish. I am going to revive a thread that was posted 11 days ago. :)
 
I'm not Colin or Adora, but I can share my fish story. I haven't been keeping my fish for very long, and his story doesn't have a happy ending, but that's only because the story's not over yet!

I had an acquaintance—a student volunteering in the laboratory I work in—who moved and couldn't take her tank with her. I wasn't able to get many details about the tank before she had to leave. I only knew that she had tetras. She told me she had kept lots of aquaria in the past, so I thought she was more knowledgeable, but this tank is only 5.5gal (20L) and was home to a small group of neon tetras. I'm sure you can already see that this tank is much too small for them. Apparently, she had also been using untreated tap water for water changes... Well, by the time she gave me the tank, all but one neon tetra had died for various reasons. Now I have a poor, lonely, single neon tetra in a tank that is still too small to give him enough room to swim.

However, I had already promised to take the tank, since no one else could. I didn't have time to prepare a larger tank for the neon before I got him, but I resolved myself to get him a better home, and this is what really reinvigorated my interest in fishkeeping. I've named him Jelly, because it would feel weird to have just one fish but not name it. Jelly's tank at least had a lot of live plants, but it was also overrun with cyanobacteria. When I got the tank, I spent a whole afternoon taking out all of the plants to wipe off the cyanobacteria and prune unhealthy leaves. I also cleaned all of the glass, the lid, the filter housing, everything. The tank looks much better, the plants look better, and I do think Jelly is happier. I'll be doing the weekly water change for him on Sunday.

His living situation is still not very good, considering the small tank size and lack of a school, but now I have a 25gal (95L) that I've set up for him. This is my Rio Ucayali biotope tank. I put a sponge filter in his current tank to grow some beneficial bacteria on it, and in a week or two, I'll move it to the 25gal and will be getting six more neon tetras. They'll live in the 25gal until I'm confident that they don't have diseases and then Jelly will be able to join them! Eventually, I'll get a few more neons to have a school of about 10.

So, yes, Jelly's story doesn't have a happy ending yet, but I'm working hard to build a new and better home for him. Soon, he'll have a lot more room and friends to keep him company :)
 
It's the afternoon and I did a stocking calculator for the 10.6L aquarium. It is nearly at 100% of the minimum stocking level. I put 7 chameleon shrimp into the calculator to see the stock level and read 96% when it was calculated. 7 is the maximum number of shrimp you could put in a tank like that. I am hoping for the setup to be long-lasting.

View attachment 335592

Now there's four shrimp bowls made by Aquarium Info? I just saw the shorts and the full videos (cherry, golden cherry, glass and opae ula) and they're similar to each other. Better need to watch them with caution.
I have watched the videos with a grain of salt (caution). Colin is correct with the youtuber part, most videos are rubbish but you also need to watch the good fishtuber videos with caution. I also watched MD Fish Tanks as well but with some caution.

Back to the stocking level. 96% is just below the normal 100% stocking level. Now that I did the stocking levels, am I ready with the 10.6L shrimp 22cm cube tank yet?
 
am I ready with the 10.6L shrimp 22cm cube tank yet?
No. Your parents will not allow it...getting hostile with your parents will not change their minds about it either. A mature person does not behave like you are when they are told 'no'. They simply accept the decision made and move on without an argument even if they feel upset and frustrated. It is acceptable to feel upset and frustrated, it is not acceptable to show hostility towards your parents and argue with them when you don't get your own way.

My advice to you is to stop hyperfocusing on all these other projects and concentrate instead on doing what your parents are asking of you.
 
No. Your parents will not allow it...getting hostile with your parents will not change their minds about it either. A mature person does not behave like you are when they are told 'no'. They simply accept the decision made and move on without an argument even if they feel upset and frustrated. It is acceptable to feel upset and frustrated, it is not acceptable to show hostility towards your parents and argue with them when you don't get your own way.

My advice to you is to stop hyperfocusing on all these other projects and concentrate instead on doing what your parents are asking of you.
Yeah, I understand that, @CaptainBarnicles. I get upset due to the deal made by the parents. I do not like strict parents who try to strip my hobby away. But I will focus on your advice, Captain.
 
It doesn't matter that you don't like the rules, your parents have put them in place for a good reason. It's a parents job to teach and train their children how to be decent human beings and how to successfully integrate and live within society. If you can't live and abide by simple house rules now, how do you expect to live by the laws of the country when you're finally ready to live by yourself?

Those who refuse to obey the law, go to prison. Work on changing your attitude towards the rules and your parents, maybe then the maturity you show will be enough to change your parents minds regarding your hobby
 
It doesn't matter that you don't like the rules, your parents have put them in place for a good reason. It's a parents job to teach and train their children how to be decent human beings and how to successfully integrate and live within society. If you can't live and abide by simple house rules now, how do you expect to live by the laws of the country when you're finally ready to live by yourself?

Those who refuse to obey the law, go to prison. Work on changing your attitude towards the rules and your parents, maybe then the maturity you show will be enough to change your parents minds regarding your hobby
I understand that too. I'm only 17 and it can be difficult to abide some rules due to mental issues, but I'll eventually make it in the end. Sometimes I don't like the parents, but I will work on my attitude as well. Guess I'll have to deal with them for the last year of school...
 
No person who has read more than one of your threads can miss that you think your parents are too strict. Nor can they miss that you're angry and frustrated. We all need to vent sometimes, but you are non stop complaining about people we don't know, and whose side of the story we are unaware of. The forum isn't a diary.
Take a deep breath here, The people who read you are interested in what you are learning about the aquarium world. You have ideas. Mom, Dad and parents are key words you should delete if you type. If you don't get your own way, maybe you don't need to tell us so often. Things change. Keep learning, keep sharing the positive and people will read you and talk with you as a 17 year old person.
 

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