Every fishkeeper's journey is shaped by the videos that taught them something new or showed them a better way forward. This page celebrates the content that influenced The Tank Guide's educational approach - from our own FishKeepingLifeCo videos documenting real tank builds, to the community creators whose expertise deepened our understanding of aquarium science. Found a video that helped you master water chemistry, set up your first planted tank, or troubleshoot equipment? Use our contact page to recommend it, and help us build this resource together.
A promotional short for our book Life in Balance: The Hidden Magic of Aquariums. Quick nitrogen cycle overview that keeps the science accessible without skipping the important parts.
by SerpaDesign
Sumps intimidate people. The concept sounds advanced - overflow boxes, return pumps, baffle chambers - and most tutorials assume you already understand plumbing basics. Tanner's approach in this video is different: he walks through the why before the how, explaining what each chamber actually does instead of just telling you to drill holes and glue baffles.
What makes this tutorial particularly valuable is the baffle design walkthrough. Many sump guides gloss over chamber sizing or assume you'll figure out water levels through trial and error. Tanner shows you how to think through flow rates, surface area for biological filtration, and how to position baffles so you're not fighting microbubbles or dealing with overflow issues. It's the kind of detail that saves you from rebuilding the sump after realizing your return chamber runs dry every time the pump kicks on.
We featured this video because it represents good DIY education - not just copying someone's measurements, but understanding the principles so you can adapt the design to your own setup. Whether you're building for a 20-gallon or a 90-gallon, the logic stays consistent. You learn how sumps work, not just how to build one specific configuration.
The pacing helps too. Tanner doesn't rush through cuts or assume you can visualize what he's describing. He shows each step clearly, gives you time to understand what's happening, and explains common mistakes before you make them. It's the kind of teaching that builds confidence - you finish the video feeling like you could actually tackle this project, not just that you watched someone else do it.
Watch it for: Clear baffle design logic and accessible DIY guidance that works for first-time sump builders.
These videos aren't random selections pulled from search results. Each one here played a specific role in shaping how The Tank Guide approaches aquarium education - either by teaching us something that changed our perspective, or by demonstrating teaching methods we wanted to emulate.
Some videos taught us the importance of testing assumptions rather than repeating industry myths. Others showed us how to explain complex concepts like the nitrogen cycle or filtration mechanics in ways that actually make sense to beginners who don't have chemistry backgrounds. A few demonstrated equipment setups or maintenance techniques that became core recommendations in our guides and articles.
The FishKeepingLifeCo Archive documents our own educational content - videos we created to test ideas, explain concepts, or share what we learned from our own tanks. These reflect our teaching philosophy: make science accessible without oversimplifying, use humor when it helps information stick, and always lead with education rather than sales pitches.
The Community Video Picks highlight creators whose work influenced our approach. These are the videos we return to when we need to refresh our understanding of a topic, or when we're trying to explain something to someone who's brand new to fishkeeping. They represent good teaching - clear, accurate, and built on real experience rather than marketing copy.
This collection will grow as our community shares what helped them. If you've found a video that taught you something valuable - whether it's understanding water parameters, troubleshooting equipment, or setting up your first planted tank - we want to hear about it. The best recommendations will be added here, building this resource alongside the people who use it.