How to Save Money on a Low Budget Planted Aquarium

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  • čas pƙidĂĄn 6. 08. 2024
  • It's sooo expensive to set up your first planted tank. Here are 5 possible ways to cut costs.
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    Aquascaping kit by SubstrateSource from www.chewy.com/substratesource...
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    0:00 How much a new aquarium costs
    0:43 Tip #1 Buy used equipment
    2:24 Tip #2 Buy cheap substrate
    4:33 Tip #3 Get landscaping supplies
    6:02 Tip #4 Buy from local hobbyists
    7:53 Tip #5 Skip on aquascaping tools
    8:46 Honorable mention: dirt
    9:47 Honorable mention: DIY fertilizers
    10:49 How I personally chose to save money
    #aquarium #plantedtank #fishtank

Komentáƙe • 282

  • @GirlTalksFish
    @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +17

    *Need some more help with your planted tank? Check out my favorite tutorials here: **czcams.com/play/PLlBBJ7xBuquZWUAQTV_qV-4RT526rh1sy.html*

    • @AussieAquatic
      @AussieAquatic Pƙed 4 lety

      1000 views in an hour!!!..........WOW :)

    • @danielpaiva3805
      @danielpaiva3805 Pƙed 3 lety

      Any info on how you keep your alkalinity stable? I have the beta and the plants but im having trouble with my high ph. Help !!!

  • @AussieAquatic
    @AussieAquatic Pƙed 4 lety +210

    TOP Money Saving Tip............Make your Birthday and Christmas wishes WELL KNOWN, and see those gifts pile up :)

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +25

      Lol! 🎄🎅⛄

    • @marypaigeflynn4512
      @marypaigeflynn4512 Pƙed 3 lety +2

      đŸ‘đŸ€—đŸ˜‚đŸ™

    • @hannahsms3816
      @hannahsms3816 Pƙed 3 lety +13

      Done that so many times, but you can’t really hint because they’ll give you the wrong thing.

    • @viviai1779
      @viviai1779 Pƙed 3 lety +2

      haha! I will!

    • @dpowers2005
      @dpowers2005 Pƙed 3 lety +13

      @@hannahsms3816 ask for a gift card to your favorite pet store or online store. That way you can buy what you want/need.

  • @FishForThought
    @FishForThought Pƙed 4 lety +118

    Some cheap LEDs on amazon amazon nowadays makes me happy c:

  • @UserError7861
    @UserError7861 Pƙed 4 lety +16

    Mark shrimp tanks had a good tip for preparing sand for an aquarium.
    Put the sand in a bucket, then use the garden hose to fill overflow the bucket with water while stirring up the sand in the bottom. The overflowing water will carry all of those very fine particles away. And you’ll be left with sand that doesn’t cloud up the water. I used this method when doing sand in my tank, it worked very well.

    • @taramansion
      @taramansion Pƙed rokem +1

      That worked for me. I live in Florida and can't justify buying sand, lol.

  • @littlemidwestrebornsdolls
    @littlemidwestrebornsdolls Pƙed 4 lety +71

    You always give good info. Especially for those of us who are new. đŸ đŸŸâ€

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +4

      Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the video. 😊

  • @bass-man5401
    @bass-man5401 Pƙed 4 lety +13

    NICREW Classic LED PLUS Planted. This is the light with the full light spectrum RGB, aluminum housing, 6500K, 1150 lm with the 30-36" one. Get this with the NICREW timer. I grow high difficulty plants with this light. Its a beast.

  • @thomasb4467
    @thomasb4467 Pƙed 4 lety +39

    I agree. Just be patient and buy things when they’re on sale for a steal.

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +8

      Keke, what can I say? I like brand new. đŸ€­

    • @blackosprey2219
      @blackosprey2219 Pƙed 4 lety +3

      The best deals I ever got was when a fish store was liquidating its old stock so it could have a makeover.

    • @thomasb4467
      @thomasb4467 Pƙed 4 lety +1

      Amanda Lin
      I can’t wait to come back to the states and go to a fish store where I can read and speak the language lol.

  • @pokfu6440
    @pokfu6440 Pƙed 4 lety +51

    You know what’s so good about this underrated channel is that this beautiful lady puts time and effort into these videos just to help us and makes sure that they are a required standard. She listens to what we have to say and engages in her comments which I think is great.

  • @mondraymondo
    @mondraymondo Pƙed 3 lety +3

    I’m a simple Asian man... I see “save money” I hit like lol
    Oh btw I have a little input about using dirt from my experience: for the first few days I let hornworts float on the surface and block all the light. Overtime my dirt sticks and I see less and less cloud dust when I fiddle with the plants. They’re worth it but maybe more suitable for larger tanks that can handle slight error :)
    Thanks for the tips!!

  • @faithsaquaticzoo1524
    @faithsaquaticzoo1524 Pƙed 4 lety +10

    I have officially started the journey to get a fully planted tank for my bettas.

  • @metrikal1
    @metrikal1 Pƙed 4 lety +14

    Get an easy fast growing plant, like guppy grass, then let it fill in the tank (this won't take long), then start selling chunks of it on craigslist and use the money to buy more new plants, straight up hustlin

  • @not_ur_senpai866
    @not_ur_senpai866 Pƙed 4 lety +30

    buying a used filter was the best decision ever!! I got an Eheim 2213 with cycled media and double taps for just 40 bucks!!

    • @AussieAquatic
      @AussieAquatic Pƙed 4 lety +1

      NICE :)

    • @geneseditz1360
      @geneseditz1360 Pƙed 4 lety +1

      Luckyyy, cycled media Is hard to find because most people wash I with tap water before giving it to you, and sometimes they even wash it with chlorine

  • @taradonelson9242
    @taradonelson9242 Pƙed 3 lety +2

    Tip #1: I went to a local aquatic shop and asked for a "budget" tank. The guy went in the back and got me a 10 gallon they weren't using and sold it to me for $10. It was a little foggy, but cleaned up well and no leaks during my water test.
    Tip #2: I looked at the online stores for the shops in my vicinity (local aquatic shop, Walmart, Petco, Petsmart, Feeders Supply), as well as Amazon and Google shopping. I found the cheapest place to buy each thing I needed and made my list for each store. I was also going for quality when possible, since that will save you money in the long run, so I found it helpful reading through the online reviews and the ratings on Google shopping.
    Tip #3 (best for last): Since I knew the prices of the online stores, I took screen shots on my phone of each item before I went in the store. If the prices were different from their online store, I asked the cashier to price match. And I had the pictures handy if they needed the proof. Or you can pull it up on the site itself at the register, but that takes slightly longer ;) That alone saved me at least $30.

  • @patpatterson6073
    @patpatterson6073 Pƙed rokem +1

    Like you said before waiting for a sale at petco or petsmart is a great way to save money. I was able to pick up a 29 gallon tank for 30 buck when they had their half off sale.

  • @sebiacvaristul5172
    @sebiacvaristul5172 Pƙed 4 lety +13

    I think I save the most because the wood I have in the aquarium is the root of an apple that I boiled and now it is sterilized. The stones are next to a nearby lake. The substrate is I think I save the most because the wood I have in the aquarium is the root of an apple that I boiled and now it is sterilized. The stones are next to a nearby lake. The substrate is made of flower soil and gravel

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +1

      That's awesome! Sounds like a beautiful budget tank.

  • @briankepner7569
    @briankepner7569 Pƙed 3 lety +2

    In the old days we used to buy the 50 lb bag of pea gravel which is little round gravel bits and they worked absolutely great. But we also used under gravel filter back in those days
    You can make your own box filters just takes a little ingenious work and hot glue
    Most pet stores have a pile of used junk that you can refurbish and it just is elbow grease to put new diaphragms in air pumps for example
    Recently I found the exact same LED light for sale in a grow supply store that was in the local pet store $399 in the pet store and $79 at the gross supply.

  • @claytoniumX
    @claytoniumX Pƙed 4 lety +16

    I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but I love that green (algae?) background in your tank. It looks natural and really makes those dalmatian mollies and red platy pop out.

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +4

      Yeah, baby! I originally grew my algae wall to keep the algae eaters well-fed, but now I love the look. 💚

  • @WhoTheHellIsHarvy
    @WhoTheHellIsHarvy Pƙed 4 lety +8

    A couple of years ago I got a 5ft tank with a complete set up and a bunch of cichlids, a bristlenose and a catfish, for ÂŁ140. I enjoyed that tank for quite a while before selling it on and start my own set ups from scratch. I didn't know barely anything about fishkeeping at the time and while I realized I made a mistake making an impulse buy, that first one really sparked my interest in the hobby and I learned an absolute ton before thinking about getting another. I then got my 50G second hand for ÂŁ20! Still so happy with that deal.
    I think that is most often the biggest money saving thing you can do, getting a second hand tank. If you're patient enough and keep an eye on listings, one will always pop up.
    Awesome video as always, thanks Irene!

  • @Evil_Genius_888
    @Evil_Genius_888 Pƙed 4 lety +10

    In my limited experience, I’ve found going super cheap on equipment usually means I end up buying the better product later. As for substrate- I want to try an aqua soil, but I can’t find it locally and it is cost prohibitive. I’ve gotten good results from sand or eco complete. I will never do dirted. I’m also getting plants from other hobbiest online. So far that’s been really good.

  • @chrisshelton3504
    @chrisshelton3504 Pƙed 4 lety +4

    I had the some of the same experiences with used equipment for aquariums as you have experienced, so I too have started shopping around for deals on new equipment. I have mostly 10 gallon tanks bought for ~$15.00/tank at Walmart.
    My “planted” tanks are not pretty like yours, because none of the plants are in the substrate. I use just enough Walmart packaged aquarium gravel on a portion of the bottom to maintain some beneficial bacteria, but so very easy to siphon debris when doing water changes. My plants, to make a comfortable living area for the small species I maintain, are guppy grass, hornwort, american frogbit, a few accidentally acquired amazon frogbit and duckweed. They all are free floating.
    I don’t consider my tanks truly “planted”, but my appear to feel secure and healthy, which was my primary consideration.

  • @Anom_Ali
    @Anom_Ali Pƙed 4 lety +10

    One of my favorite tools is a regular cheap turkey baster! (not used with food, of course)
    Also, I'm kind of fangirling over your molly tank because we are pretty much running the same 20g setup right now

  • @marypaigeflynn4512
    @marypaigeflynn4512 Pƙed 4 lety +4

    I'm going to go with the Black Diamond sand but I am doing a dirted tank! I've been buying aquariums off of marketplace. I saved my most money on lighting. I went with an inexpensive MingDak lights off of Amazon.. and for some of my other tanks I just use LED desk lamps..😁 everything seems to be doing well!! Thank you so much Irene, you always give us great tips and tricks! You are awesome! Hope you have a very blessed day?đŸ‘đŸŒ±đŸŸđŸŒżđŸ™

    • @WhatIsMisophonia
      @WhatIsMisophonia Pƙed 2 lety

      Yeah, it's kind of annoying that she didn't mention cheap lighting; All of my tanks are lit by the cheapest standard residential leds with the diffuser caps popped off, and they grow plants just fine. The intensity of the light is more important than the spectrum, unless you have immersed plants that you want to flower: Flowers need a good bit of red light to bloom, and you can get that from a typical warm white bulb around 2700 kelvin. I sometimes mix cool whites and warm whites for more varied spectrum and to create a brighter appearance than if I were just using warm whites.

    • @marypaigeflynn4512
      @marypaigeflynn4512 Pƙed 2 lety +2

      @@WhatIsMisophonia thanks for sharingđŸ‘đŸ„° one thing for sure is LEDs has absolutely changed the game for me as far as growing plants 🙌😁🌿đŸ’Ș
      I remember the first time around in the hobby trying to figure out fluorescent lights and never did have much luck!! It's amazing what you can do on a budget when it comes to lighting now!! Like you said learning the color spectrums and intensity can definitely enhance what you're trying to do, but yet you can use a little desktop light and still grow some great plants !! I hope you have a wonderful dayđŸŒżđŸ‘đŸ„°đŸ™đŸŒżđŸŠđŸŒż

  • @rat_dragon
    @rat_dragon Pƙed 3 lety +2

    Agreed with everything said here! I actually received a really cheap stainless steel "professional" aquascaping tool kit for Christmas! It was on sale for $6 and came with two tweezers, a substrate spatula, and little scissors, all safely wrapped in packaging in a nice bag! Still probably the best gift I've ever received :D

  • @catfishcave379
    @catfishcave379 Pƙed 4 lety +26

    1. Buy gravel from a rock/stone company. Most actually sell an “aquarium gravel”. Or choose other colors. Any size.
    2. 1$ per gallon sale
    3. Build your own stand - super easy for 29g or less tanks.
    4. Buy the best light you can afford. You may have low light plants now... but you will try others...
    5. Don’t buy one of each type of plant. Buy multiples of 2 or 3 types and let them grow. See what works. Add a new type if your tank needs it.
    I don’t think aquariums are expensive. Phones are expensive. Coffee is expensive. Clothes can be expensive. For a fish nerd, aquariums are not! (Reef tanks on the other hand, are pricey...)

    • @huh407
      @huh407 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      Oh trust me, IT IS EXPENSIVE. For example in the UK ÂŁ1 per gallon is literally non-existent and you can expect to spend over ÂŁ60 for just a bare 10 gallon tank. In pets at home (basically petsmart or something like that) literally the 2.5 gallons are ÂŁ20. :[

    • @finley6161
      @finley6161 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      Yes! You guys over in Canada and America are sooo lucky with your dollar per gallon sales. My 24l (6.6 gal) tank cost me over ÂŁ20, and that was the cheapest I could find! From there, it gets even more expensive. I can expect to pay ÂŁ100 for just a twenty gallon.

    • @preethashetty1858
      @preethashetty1858 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      its more cheaper in India. 10 Gallon is 700rs(10$) and everything is cheaper

  • @SequoiaElisabeth
    @SequoiaElisabeth Pƙed 4 lety +12

    Interesting topic, the line between beginner aquarist and advanced. You mentioned several of what I consider advanced methods, though I do see how they apply to your topic of budget aquariums. So saving money can be for everyone :-)

  • @WhatIsMisophonia
    @WhatIsMisophonia Pƙed 2 lety +4

    If you want the fast growing benefit of a dirted tank without a lot of the drawbacks, try potted plants. You can diy some small shallow pots that you can hide behind hardscaping and cap the soil with sand or small gravel. I have several potted plants in my 20 gal which are made from the cut-off bottom 2 inches of 2 liter bottles.

    • @ryanrogers8211
      @ryanrogers8211 Pƙed rokem

      what is the drawback of a dirted with sand cap tank?

    • @WhatIsMisophonia
      @WhatIsMisophonia Pƙed rokem

      @@ryanrogers8211 that's a big can of worms you should research, but from my point of view, I'd say the main drawbacks are that you cannot have thin bits of soil, nor too many thick chunks of wood that would block off the substrate; and you'd still need to siphon off excess waste if you have large fish or lots of fish, plus maybe need some external filtration such as a sump or canister. A deep sand bed can only take so much poop.

  • @paulakreinberg1448
    @paulakreinberg1448 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    i put "hoticultural sand" through a seive to end up with a gravelly sand so i could see the bottom of my black tote pond. Got bags of it for free on craigslist. I mixed ir with crushed coral for the bottom of my new 9.00 petco ten gallons. I used my favorite 4/14.00 foam filters on all my tanks.

  • @ReeceCaruso
    @ReeceCaruso Pƙed 4 lety

    Great suggestions this is such an important topic to be discussing right now. I really enjoyed the video!

  • @joebyrne7928
    @joebyrne7928 Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci

    Really cool info thank you Irene. Always great

  • @Hussam_14
    @Hussam_14 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    I like how you make it simple for everybody to keep fish or planted tank ❣ and thank you for sharing the knowledge ❣

  • @ThrivePetDesign
    @ThrivePetDesign Pƙed 4 lety +2

    Your videos are always so informative and helpful! I’m definitely on a super tight budget so this is SO helpful. I have pool filter sand in my planted paludarium and my betta aquarium and it works super well and I love how naturalistic it is 😊

  • @TheOrdinaryGamertag
    @TheOrdinaryGamertag Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Getting plants or even fish from local club members helps alot. Great video!

  • @elizabethG633
    @elizabethG633 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    I agree on buying new. Although my first tank was used, I preferred buying a new heater, filter and substrate, just so I could learn it all from scratch. The other three tanks were brand new and so is the gear that went into them. I have only been fish keeping for 8 months but I have learned a ton.

  • @4-hfarm671
    @4-hfarm671 Pƙed 4 lety +2

    I have petsmart black ssnd and I love it but also hate it gravel vacumeing takes more time and if I take decor out it has sand on it

  • @drewzero1
    @drewzero1 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Thanks for making me feel better about not using dirt! I set up a new tank a month ago and was looking into it but was worried about the mess. It hasn’t mattered so far because the plants in there anchor to rocks and driftwood and feed from the water column.

  • @ninorivera5560
    @ninorivera5560 Pƙed 4 lety

    Hello Irene! Thanks for sharimg these tips! What i did for my 2nd tank, is i joined a grp in Facebook that specializes in planted tank. It's like a community where you can also buy and sell aquarium hobby products. Prices are much cheaper but one need to pay for the shipping/delivery fee. Turned out, my 15 gallon cost way more cheaper compared to my first tank which is a 3 gallon😁

  • @KingsAquariumsAndAntWorld

    Great video, very informative, thanks for sharing

  • @kassieguzman4514
    @kassieguzman4514 Pƙed 2 lety +2

    The diamond blasting sand works for stronger plants that can take a beating. I use it in my 55g and almost a year later I already want to take it down and redo it. I now want to use an affordable lava rock base(eco complete) and cap it with a more expensive aquasoil(fluval stratum/Controsoil). The black sand would cut my stem plants when my corys would move the sand and plants around and the plants would be holding on by it strings like how celery gets. Would recommend if you don’t have bottom dwellers.

  • @CosmicWaffle26
    @CosmicWaffle26 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Oh and shop lights are pretty great to I got one for my 55 gallon for $20 it does grow a bit of algea but I don't mind because it looks natural

  • @isaiahdooley5953
    @isaiahdooley5953 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    These are always super helpful! Very relative to my current situation since I got a 5.5g tank from a neighbor recently.
    It would have cost me around $50 at my LFS, which always has their prices jacked up 3x what you could find the same thing for anywhere else. Definitely a much better idea :)

  • @Lumpydog
    @Lumpydog Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Great informative video as always. Thanks for sharing. Cheers

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety

      Thank you, Lumpydog! Always great to see you in the comments. 😊

  • @HCAqua
    @HCAqua Pƙed 4 lety

    Gosh, I can't think of any additional tip that you haven't covered. I already spend too much on my planted aquariums. Great tips Irene!

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 3 lety

      Thank you so much! Haha yes, planted tanks can be quite addicting...

  • @jamestea00
    @jamestea00 Pƙed 4 lety

    Great video idea! There are SOO many ways to save money

  • @Antskills
    @Antskills Pƙed 4 lety

    Haha! I have the same exact stand! I painted mine chalk white and heavily planted it! Wish I could post pics here to show y’all😊

  • @GardenTronics
    @GardenTronics Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Great info! Thank you! đŸ‘đŸŒđŸ’•đŸŒżđŸ 

  • @fishandfloral
    @fishandfloral Pƙed 4 lety +1

    I have no local fish clubs or fish stores. 😕 I ordered a lovely piece of driftwood from Etsy, as I could select my piece rather than being shipped a random one. Two 50 lb bags of pea gravel from a big box store was < $10 when I redid the substrate in my 125g with some left over. As my severum ate all my plants, I’m considering setting up my 10g just for plants, a couple of snails and shrimp.

  • @stephenjayco8174
    @stephenjayco8174 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Hello. I was waiting for the part where you would suggest cheap plants for the poor planted aquarium. Awesome video. :)

  • @martincregg
    @martincregg Pƙed 2 lety

    Just flat out solid advice!

  • @awilson1578
    @awilson1578 Pƙed 4 lety

    After building planted tanks for over the last few years I agree figure out what your wanting price it out save up and set it up right the first time. Trying to skimp on plants only makes the struggle harder and you end up spending more.

  • @pershop4950
    @pershop4950 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    One of the cheapest ways to get an aquarium and some equipment is to get them free! It's amazing how many people just want to get rid of this stuff once they are done with it. Basic Aquarium stuff is one of those things that you almost can't even sell it for $10 or $20..People want it free!
    I also use a lot of dollar store items in my tank. For example, a soap basket with suction cup can act as an emersed growing area, or a long BBQ fork or something can be what I use to dig down into the substrate. I even used a 1/2" PVC pipe to direct my food to a certain spot, especially if it's something like wafers that you want to fall into a dish for the bottom feeders to come get.

  • @johnjwedrall4290
    @johnjwedrall4290 Pƙed 2 lety

    Thanks for the information 👍

  • @welsan2074
    @welsan2074 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Setting up planted tank in tropical country ( my experience is from Indonesia ) setting up tank costs less than 30 dollars because of how cheap the stuff are ( excluding the tank ) great video đŸ”„

  • @claudeclawsonne4510
    @claudeclawsonne4510 Pƙed 2 lety

    I use a diatomaceous earth filter whenever replanting or messing about stirs up much soil from my dirted tank. I am also using the black sand-blasting sand mixed with black aquarium gravel for topping my soil. Seems to work well. No mud involved.

  • @businessstudieswithsimatel6713

    Great tips Irene

  • @lil-mumma-adventures
    @lil-mumma-adventures Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Hello from your new subscriber 😊 loving your channel so far! 💓

  • @-8_8-
    @-8_8- Pƙed 4 lety

    Ohhhhh!!! The whole razor knife! Great idea!!

  • @FireAndFoodCompany
    @FireAndFoodCompany Pƙed 3 lety +2

    Definitely buy used if you only want a small tank to start with. There's a million 5 and 10 gallon tank kits being bought constantly and then getting abandoned by people months later. I'm not comfortable with getting a massive tank used (no giant exploding tanks please) but a small tank is pretty easy to test and even fix if necessary

  • @jackjmaheriii
    @jackjmaheriii Pƙed 4 lety +2

    Tip 4 is the best! Everyone in our local FB group is super willing to give away their plant trimming, and live bearers.

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety

      Oh man, that's the best! I love that the members of our local fish club are so helpful and generous with each other.

    • @LittleKosherLunch
      @LittleKosherLunch Pƙed 3 lety

      Same experience here. My Buy Nothing Group has gifted me bags of plant trimmings and even some baby Mollies (who are all grown up now). It's been fun during the pandemic to grab a ziplock from a neighbor and beautify my new little tank.

  • @joshszooofanimals5416
    @joshszooofanimals5416 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Always an entertaining video 😊 I got a new guppy strain and some Limia Perugiae uploading the video tonight 😃

  • @KGcichlids
    @KGcichlids Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Great video Irene!

  • @delaineld7766
    @delaineld7766 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Another nice video!

  • @Isaac-ul8yz
    @Isaac-ul8yz Pƙed rokem

    I’ve had great success with used Ehim heaters. I haven’t had on fail and majority of my heaters are used.

  • @Moonlight-jx2sf
    @Moonlight-jx2sf Pƙed 4 lety

    I have three 10 gallon tanks and one 20 gallon long. All four tanks are heavily planted and house shrimp and some have mystery snails. In my 20 gal I also have a couple Otocinclus catfish. Three of the tanks are scaped with lots of rocks and driftwood. I wouldn’t get any used equipment other than lights bc idk what those equipment have gone thru in their previous environment. You don’t know what the previous owner has dosed in their tanks or how well they were maintained. Also many big companies such as fluvial and tetra offer life time guarantee on their products. You will need to submit a proof of purchase when you contact them for replacement, and that wouldn’t be possible if you purchase your equipment from another person second-handedly. I am very into getting plants from local hobbyists for the reasons she has stated in the video: cheap, more adaptable and cleaner than most wholesalers (if you are against pest snails like me). I also would recommend purchasing shrimp from local breeders for basically the same reasons: cheaper, more easily adaptable to ur water and healthier. All in all my four tanks cost me $1400, including the shrimp that are so expensive even when purchased from local breeders. I have four different kinds of shrimp and they cost me nearly $350 for their colony starters. For the tanks I would recommend ppl to check out petco or pet supplies plus, they have dollar per gallon sale about three times a year. I bought all of my tanks during the sale and that saved me a lot of money. Idk why Irene says that one planted tank would cost $500. Maybe she meant large tanks? Even my most expensive 20 gal only costed me $425 including the $120 shrimp.

  • @justinearl5286
    @justinearl5286 Pƙed 3 lety

    Love you're videos.

  • @sten423
    @sten423 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Super good video😁

  • @IMaqua
    @IMaqua Pƙed 4 lety +2

    One suggestion would be not to go overboard with the size of your first aquarium. No you don't need 100 gallons haha, lets say 10 or 20 gallon is perfect for a begginer and you will spend less because of the smaller size of the tank (less of everything that goes inside).

    • @jimanast3593
      @jimanast3593 Pƙed 4 lety

      Smaller tanks r difficult due to parameter fluctuations; bigger ones have more capacity (U can add more fish etc), they cost less to buy & function (per volume unit), don't need much more effort to maintain, their parameters are more stable, so, they are easier (=>deaths r less likely).

  • @hampton1315
    @hampton1315 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Yes! You finally uploaded!

  • @hannahsms3816
    @hannahsms3816 Pƙed 4 lety +2

    When I get pond plants I like to put them in an immersed setup and that kills all the worms and bugs while also making the plant grow bigger with Co2.

  • @christophercasanas386
    @christophercasanas386 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Very helpful 👍

  • @theanimaladdiction
    @theanimaladdiction Pƙed 4 lety +2

    I made a dirted tank with organic topsoil and I did it 3 times in 1 day and it was super easy and fast. I also breed fish though so I redo tanks every year or so when I want to get new breeding fish so dirted is the way to go if u ask me

    • @theanimaladdiction
      @theanimaladdiction Pƙed 4 lety

      I've also found that if u cao dirt with sand its a lot easier to keep the root tabs down

  • @binnytheearthhero
    @binnytheearthhero Pƙed rokem

    There is so much conflicting information out there!! I wish I hadn't spent money on fancy aquasoil. It makes such a mess and the pellets always pop up when I'm replanting. Will definitely be trying inert substrate next time!

  • @infinity2z3r07
    @infinity2z3r07 Pƙed 4 lety +2

    Something about black substrate against green plants. Just does it for me 😍

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety

      That's definitely my favorite combo too. đŸ’šđŸ–€

  • @wanda7004
    @wanda7004 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Hi Irene I love your videos!I was wondering if you could do a video on betta diseases and treatments?Im always looking to level up my knowledge so I’m ready for anything!;)

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +1

      I actually do plan on making one for the Aquarium Co-Op channel eventually, but it'll take a while since I'm working on other projects right now. đŸ™‡â€â™€ïž

  • @misfit6679
    @misfit6679 Pƙed 4 lety

    You are so beautiful! Thank you for the tips for a low budget tank. I'm looking into a nano tank right now, I want it to look super cute! Would it be possible to make a video to list all the best nano tanks too?

  • @Avantg1976
    @Avantg1976 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    I am using pool filter sand/root tabs from aquarium co-op and my plants are growing out of control. My amazon swords are HUGE! My main issue is where to trim everything because I have the too much gene so I just do small bits here and there. My cherry and amano shrimp absolutely love hanging out in what has become a mini jungle though.

  • @angiebear8727
    @angiebear8727 Pƙed 2 lety

    Patience is my best saving money tip on plants. Most will be easy to propagate if given time to grow. Especially stem plants and crypts! For example. Started with one crypt 4 or 5 months ago. Now have five. Works with anubias as well but takes even more patience 😊😉

  • @brianp6180
    @brianp6180 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Great info! I have been keeping fish for years but not too good with plants. I do have java and Anubis’s growing on rocks and wood. I use a small pebble Caribsea substrate Called peace river. Very small almost like large sand. I don’t want to take it out. Is there anyway to grow plants in this by added fertilizer? Root tabs? I really like the look Of it and it’s been in my tank for 15 years

  • @charliemalinis5028
    @charliemalinis5028 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Awesome tips

  • @ArnoldQMudskipper
    @ArnoldQMudskipper Pƙed 4 lety +2

    I think the best money saver is lots of planning & research beforehand.
    So you know what you need & what you don't and what the going rate is for it all. And the total you need to save up.
    That way you can grab bargains as you see them and don't waste money on plants that aren't going to survive in your setup, for example.

  • @alvinyao788
    @alvinyao788 Pƙed 4 lety +13

    One of the biggest misconceptions i see constantly being spread around is the concept of root feeding plants. Crypts and amazon swords don't actually need root fertilisers when underwater, water column fertilisers are fine too, as they can just as easilly take in nutrients through their leaves. Their roots are mainly for when they are emersed and also to hold them in place. Check out this video, where an experiment was done with half the tank recieving root fertilisation, while the other half did not, and in both sides the plants did fine, even the amazon swords: czcams.com/video/AgXQ6mBvhK8/video.html. There are benefits to root fertilisation though, such as not having to fertilise as often, as root fertilisers last way longer.

    • @WhatIsMisophonia
      @WhatIsMisophonia Pƙed 2 lety +2

      Fertilizing the soil rather than the water column helps to keep down algae, which is one of the main selling points of dirted tanks.

    • @alvinyao788
      @alvinyao788 Pƙed 2 lety +1

      @@WhatIsMisophonia yea that is another benefit to root fertilisation

  • @mikes6490
    @mikes6490 Pƙed 4 lety

    nice tips

  • @fififinance7469
    @fififinance7469 Pƙed 4 lety +6

    l learnt to save my money and then invest and it works for me. It also motivates me to save money. As you see your net worth growing as well......... I've much more calmer this year..... Being with family and having a grip with finances has been a blessing.đŸ’Ș

  • @phsavatage8681
    @phsavatage8681 Pƙed 3 lety

    I got a $15 scaping kit when i was just starting and I've only used once four tanks later for the past year lol

  • @ToddSchweitzer
    @ToddSchweitzer Pƙed 4 lety +4

    SafeTsorb is also a great substrate. It's $6 for a 40 lb bag. It's basically Seachem Flourite. It's calcined clay. It doesn't have nutrients....other than iron but it absorbs them and slowly releases them.

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety

      Oh, I've heard it mentioned in passing but never tried it before. Thanks for the suggestion!

    • @setapartforHim
      @setapartforHim Pƙed 4 lety +1

      What brand would you recommend?

    • @do1du
      @do1du Pƙed 4 lety +1

      What brand and stores

    • @ToddSchweitzer
      @ToddSchweitzer Pƙed 4 lety

      @@do1du it's made by Molton Company and it's the one in the green and white packaging. I bought mine at Tractor Supply Company

    • @do1du
      @do1du Pƙed 4 lety

      Todd Schweitzer how long have you use it i hear it Break down after a while thanks

  • @lynnbonica4342
    @lynnbonica4342 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Love your tank. Got a question to ask u. I really want to get some green neon tetras but I have hard water. Can those tetras do ok in hard water? If not, how can I soften it, do u know?

  • @wyrdscynce
    @wyrdscynce Pƙed 4 lety +1

    seramis makes a great substrate

  • @parachuteface719
    @parachuteface719 Pƙed 4 lety +5

    isnÂŽt it funny how she used to wear glasses inside? :)

  • @preetamdas2318
    @preetamdas2318 Pƙed 4 lety

    You are looking so cute 😳 and this video is very helpful for me. Thanks for your help 🙏🙏😍

  • @lauchlanstill6677
    @lauchlanstill6677 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Just made my first planted tank, I’ve bought 3 bags of ada soil (ouch) a 50 dollar bag of a natural brown sort of stone for the front, but I still use a cheap 30 dollar light, it’s mainly white but has a few greens and pinks, it was actually too bright, so I put duckweed on top, plants growing amazing, I use a cheap pond plant (the long grasslike plant) a plant with large large leafs which was my most expensive and some other rare plants, I have no co2 and have zero clue what any of the plants are called 😂 but it’s growing amazing right now!

    • @zoar5968
      @zoar5968 Pƙed 2 lety

      ADA is very good however you should definetly not spend more on substrate than light

  • @kirani111
    @kirani111 Pƙed 4 lety +14

    Thanks 😌
    -broke person

  • @alvinyao788
    @alvinyao788 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    For bright lights that can grow plants, I like buying white led bulbs and screw them into cheap lamp sockets that come with a cable and a plug from ebay. I find this much cheaper than buying led lights made specifically for planted aquariums.

  • @mrswiggles2012
    @mrswiggles2012 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    LOL..if you like playing with mud, LOL..that made me laugh!

  • @NekoDorei.
    @NekoDorei. Pƙed 4 lety

    I did a dirt plus sand tank as my 75 gallon to save money. Boy was it a pain in the butt to balance, now that the plants are fully grown in it looks amazing but removing anything is a nightmare.

  • @deepertoons8902
    @deepertoons8902 Pƙed 3 lety

    I got my substrate at a lake it's some nice gravel my parents don't really support me having fish so I had to do what I gotta do

  • @jfgaxeworks3447
    @jfgaxeworks3447 Pƙed 3 lety

    When I discovered PLASTIC razor blades, it was a game changer for me. They won't scratch glass or acrylic. And you can use them to get stickers and labels off of things easily, too!

  • @emeryz10
    @emeryz10 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Can you do a video on brackish fish tanks?

  • @secretmemesstudio
    @secretmemesstudio Pƙed 4 lety +2

    This video was useful as a fish🐠🐠🐠

  • @Vidslistchannel
    @Vidslistchannel Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Great video but why isn't the sponge filter air turned on?? Lol

  • @spencemp3
    @spencemp3 Pƙed 4 lety

    Using sponge filters and shop lights :)

  • @toomanyhobbies8351
    @toomanyhobbies8351 Pƙed 4 lety +22

    I would have driven back to that Craigslist guy’s house and chuck that yucky canister filter at his front door!

    • @GirlTalksFish
      @GirlTalksFish  Pƙed 4 lety +6

      I know, right? I was so mad, but mostly at myself for being so gullible. Lesson learned!