Nitrates and Water Hardness - Two Problems that DO NOT EXIST!
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- Опубліковано 16 січ 2024
- In this insightful video hosted by Father Fish, two crucial topics in aquarium maintenance are explored. Firstly, the video delves into the dynamics of nitrates, emphasizing that their control is intricately linked to algae rather than relying solely on water changes. Father Fish also sheds light on how understanding the planted aquarium’s role in nitrate management can lead to more effective strategies for maintaining water quality in aquariums.
Moving on to the second topic, the video focuses on water hardness and unveils a positive correlation with a heavily planted aquarium. Father Fish discusses how a thriving aquatic plant environment contributes to the regulation of water hardness, creating a more stable and suitable habitat for aquatic life. Viewers gain valuable insights into the interconnected balance between plant life and water chemistry, offering a holistic approach to maintaining optimal conditions in their aquariums. With engaging explanations and practical tips, Father Fish provides a comprehensive guide for aquarium enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of nitrates, algae, water changes, and the influence of plant life on water hardness.
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#aquariummaintenance #nitrates #waterhardness #fatherfish - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
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I have four tanks now and they're all Father Fish Tanks, tons of plants and fish, deep sand cap. All incredibly stable! Appreciate everything sir 🙏👍
What did you use for your substrate? Did you buy his soil or create your own?
@@David-dw2iqcreated my own as it wasn't available in Europe when I started.
I set up my first tank in March 2023. Father Fish has been my guide.
It's a 50 litre tank with a dirt substrate capped with sand. It has several platys and plenty of plant life in it. My tap water is pH8.4. I only top up with tap water and have never done a water change.
Being a former industrial chemist, I felt compelled to buy a water test kit and used it every week for the first 4 months just out of curiosity - I don't bother now. The pH remained constant at pH8.4 and nitrates varied slightly between 20ppm and 100ppm.
Plants, fish and ramshorn snails are all healthy. The only maintenance I do is topping up the evaporation loss, pruning excess plant growth and feed the fish a tiny amount every week or two.
Thank you Father Fish for teaching me the simplest way to keep a healthy, balanced aquarium.
ok
I lost track of the number of posts on FB about nitrates and how people do multiple water changes someone in one day because their level 20-40 ppm. It seems like such a waste of water and time to me. I haven’t done any water change in any of my FF tanks unless I need use it to setup a new tank or a new culture or whatever. Once you can get over the brainwashing that’s been occurring in the hobby you will begin to understand how simple and enjoyable the hobby can be. I wish people would stop overcomplicating it.
I expected to hear cheers or something 😂
You're the best boss!
That was a fun 'Closing Word'. I laughed out loud. Bless you FF.
I was expecting to hear applause 😂😂love your witty sense of humour ffish 🐠
You have no idea how much I appreciate your knowledge, research and experience. Your methods are so needed right now in the aquarium hobby.
The "finale" was so funny :))))) thank you FF, bless you!
thank you! this is what I was trying to find out about, puts my mind at rest.
"CHEERS" from Ireland for Father Fish. Excellent. More! ❤
Great wisdom as always. Can’t wait for this snow here to melt and start getting back into the wild collecting. The Lake 5 minutes away from my house has a ton of plants right by the shore begging to be collected
This is a huge video. Debunks a lot of claims for critics who are trapped in the corporate aquarist cycle.
I really believe it is about profit
My nitrates are 40ppm straight from the tap. Hardness also off the scale and ph of 7.8. The local water source for my area is the underground chalk aquafiers of the uk south downs. I test weekly and never seen it change tbh. I need to rewatch this as it has gone over my head.
Thank you very much for this clay in pond explanation FF. Cheers!
Great information, thank you very much for the wisdom of many years condensed in many videos, you are a source of inspiration
Amazing information as always Father Fish
Great video father fish, always interesting and educational 👍
Thank you father fish..you made my tanks so much better
Thank you 😊 ❤ I love ❤️ your videos ❤
Eversince i first seen u you have change my life in aquarium keeping ...... thank you
Baba ! Öyle bilgiler veriyorsunki seni tebrik ediyorum ve herkezin bu bilgilerini öğrenmesi gerektiğine inanıyorum .İyiki seni tanımışım.
awesome so glad I found this channel, I am getting more plants today, I am learning fast that pet shop ppl; cept for a few, don't give proper advice about fish anymore than they do about, lets say, guinea pigs which I used to own in fact I was involved in a rescue and learned all I needed to know from real experts like father fish, it's been the same with the fish, thnx FF
Cheers!
Love it!
Cheers!!
I just tested my tap water. Can i say "SHOCKED". It is better then the spring water i get. Only problem is it is very hard. But now seeing this, i will use my tap water for now on. Thank you for saving me tons of money. Also the advice on the nitrates. I just got plants last week, that hopefully, will bring done that to a better level. It is well over 200, but since you say it is ok, then so be it. Again thank you for everything you do.
You are such a great guy FF
makes sense !
I added a bonsai mix as a subtrate to my tank. Dried fir bark, lava rock, pumice, and clay chips. Figured my blood parrot would go nuts for the new substrate texture. Enrichment for her. She also loves the dried leaves I give the tank!
Cheers ! ^^
FF,
Ever since I switched to sand substrate over gravel wow what a difference. I have a planted 55 gal and a 20 long and I haven’t done a water change in them since I converted to planted and sand substrate. I actually get worried like when is a water change supposed to happen lol. I only top off and my nitrates are never above 5 ppm in either tank. My plants and fish are thriving. Thank you for sharing. I have a 5.5 gal lightly planted and that tank has remained stable and it has sand also. Wow crazy no ammonia and nitrates low. I do have to bump up my ph and water hardness because I have a water softener whole house system so that Isn’t to big of a deal. I try to mess less and let the eco system run and I try not to interfere. In my 20 long planted that I mentioned when one of my nano fish die I start to freak out and than I realize that it’s nature and fish don’t live forever and when it dies means the fish has at its time. I don’t pull the fish out and the bottom feeders tend to clean it up and well the fish helps the other fish and plants. Protein I guess. Yeah I haven’t had any issue since I added plants and sand in all the tanks I could. The only one I don’t have plants in is my 100 gal CA / SA tank. They dig a lot I do regret putting gravel in there over sand. I wish I knew sooner than later about the benefits. Sorry this is a long comment I appreciate the videos.
One trick I recently found is that there is a bypass valve on the back of my water softener. I push that in, then fill up my buckets with hard water from the laundry faucet, then pull it back out. I haven't needed to mess with egg shells or crushed coral since.
I did water test last week, all were very high. This week checked again, all very low. What changed?
cheers pops... i have more then 30tanks 1feet cube all bettas the center apeace .. I have learn everything from u .. ..im from Malaysia and a betta player it's a thing in south east asia... u have open my eyes by keeping betta.. it's a whole new world... i will learn more and teach people in the east the proper way of fish keeping.. tq u so much pops. God bless
God bless you!
Thank you for the informative videos! I've recently found your channel and have been basically binge watching them. I've had fish before, and I learned how to keep them from my grandfather, but it was so much work I stopped owning fish about 5 years ago or so. I'll soon hopefully get my own money though and want to start anew with the proper, healthy way to keep fish. While there are a lot of channels on here, they all use some sort of equipment that is either not available where I live or just top expensive. And I know keeping any animal is expensive but I was hoping to find someone who could teach me in a way that would be more sustainable for me.
And then I found you, Father fish! :D
What I have a question about is feeding. I've seen a lot of people feed their fish with brine shrimp. And I mean the fish gobble it up so they must love it. And I thought about giving mine that once I get some, as I could probably manage to farm the shrimp and thus produce my own fish food. Obviously there is a lot of types of food for fish in the stores, but even the small ones are getting so expensive that it seems better to somehow make my own food. Not to mention I've seen that there are so many additives in the cheaper pet shop fish foods that I'm actually questioning whether it's actually healthy to give it to them (like feeding a human only fast food basically).
So I just wanted to know your opinion as I see what you feed your fish but I'm not sure I could find the same/similar foods here.
Help from you as well as others would be deeply appreciated! I don't know for sure when I'll get fish, this year or next, but I want to be prepared so my fishies can live healthy and long lives.
I don't know where you live, but if you have small fish, well they don't eat a lot so the food don't get too expensive :)
In my aquarium that require the least maintenance, I have put aquasoil at the bottom and then I have a lot of plants. I don't use a lid, so I have to fill up with water a bit now and then, and I have to use a heater because it's so cold where I live. But I don't get any problems with algae, the water always seem to be perfect when I test it and all the inhabitants are thriving.
I don't go "full on" the Walstad-method or doing things exactly like Father Fish, but if things aren't bad, I don't try to fix them, and I do my best to not make too many changes at the same time in the aquariums, so if something goes wrong, I know why and can fix that issue.
Ok mind blown with this video. I never knew this about nitrates. It’s another one of those “you need to this” things that get drilled into your head when you start out in this hobby. I haven’t gone above 10 ppm nitrates since I started my dirted tanks but this is something every hobbyist should know. Thank you and here is your applause 👏👏👏👏👏😁
@@aquaracer65can you provide evidence other than just a statement? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I am curious to know.
@@HakunaMatataAquatics Takayuki Izeki, on behalf of the ZNA, conducted some research into the effect of nitrate on the shiroji (white) koi of kohaku.
He found that the maximum acceptable level of nitrate for koi keeping should be 15 mg/L, saying: "anything more than this and the skin gradually begins to deteriorate
Scientific research on the effects of nitrate levels in aquariums shows varying results, particularly regarding what concentrations might be harmful to fish. One perspective, as highlighted by Aquarium Co-Op, suggests that nitrate levels up to approximately 800 ppm were required before they became lethal to guppy fry. This source recommends maintaining nitrate levels in fish tanks below 80-100 ppm for safety. The article also emphasizes that nitrate is a necessary nutrient for plant growth in planted tanks, suggesting an ideal range of about 50 ppm for such environments [oai_citation:1,Is Nitrate Good or Bad for Your Aquarium? | Water Chemistry 101
- Aquarium Co-Op](www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/nitrate).
Another source, Aquarium Science, discusses the complexities of measuring nitrate levels accurately and points out that nitrate toxicity studies often involve higher nitrate concentrations than what is typically found in home aquariums. This source mentions a study on zebrafish juveniles which suggests that chronic exposure to high nitrate levels (above 100 mg/L or 440 ppm) can cause histopathological changes, potentially impacting the general health condition of fish. However, the study also notes that this applies mainly to juveniles, which are generally more sensitive than adult fish. The discussion extends to other species such as tilapia and Atlantic salmon, where even higher concentrations of nitrates (up to 2,220 ppm in the case of tilapia) did not show adverse effects under the study conditions [oai_citation:2,Nitrate in the Aquarium](aquariumscience.org/index.php/5-4-1-nitrate-in-depth/).
These findings indicate that while extremely high nitrate levels can be harmful, especially to more sensitive or juvenile fish, the commonly suggested upper limit for nitrate in aquariums (around 80-100 ppm) is likely safe for most adult fish in typical aquarium settings.
Cheers! :D
GRATITUDE 💥🐟💥
A lot of people flip out about the idea of putting limestone or sandstone rocks in an aquarium due to the rise of hardness and PH.
Do you recommend not using limestone or should it be ok with a heavily planted tank?
I prefer having some stones in my tank but 95% of our local rocks here are limestone.
I actually add crushed coral to the substrate in my freshwater tanks because my municipal water is so soft and adding a little hardness helps stabilize the pH and keeps the snails' shells looking shiny. The water is a little harder than my tap water (not a lot) but actually still quite acidic because my tanks are full of plants!
Hi FF,
I've had two fishes die, one last week and another today.
I've made my transition to the FF tank back in Feb 13th.
Could you do a video what symptoms we should look for in fishes if it's ammonia, nitrite, ect...?
Just like your water cloudiness video. You showed, explained, and provided solution.
TY!
Lol @ your ending!😂❤
I never even owned a "test kit" until recently. Just had strips for testing ph and ammonia. Online forums had me so worried about nitrates that I bought a test kit even though everything in my tank looks optimal. Wish I had saved the money tbh. I have super hard water but looking at my tank I have to say that that must not be a problem for the tank inhabitants
Snails, clams, plants, fish i think they all need hard water more or less. My tap water is very hard if i look closer i can literally see white particles in it. When water evaporate white color attach to glass and snails come and eat it all 😊. I also add crushed eggshells to make water even more harder 😂
Father fish I have watched your videos since discovering them on UA-cam and I am impressed with your level of commitment to educating people on fish keeping.
I would love to try your method here in Ghana but I have a small problem. I have access to a tank, dirt and sand and potential fish as well. But I do not know how to get the nutrients you use in the set up process. Also another challenge is access to aquatic plants. Can I use houseplants and achieve similar results?
Also looking forward to your book. It would be a blessing to the hobby. Take care
Join us in the Shoal to discuss the supplements and material for a deep substrate. There are folks who will help you. discord.gg/father-fish-shoal
@@FatherFish thank you. I will do that.
The water in my tap is harder than your average cichlid tanks so even in my planted tanks, I can’t top off with hard water
Yes I'm dealing with 15+gh, 3dkh, ph 7.8 out the tap. Even in my densely planted tank with 6+ inches of eco complete, my TDS skyrocket unless I top off with RO
Can you use dirt and sand over a gravel bottom?+
Are pothos plants being grown outside the aquarium with their roots in the water helpful to keep nitrates at bay?
As long as they receive adequate lighting, they will.
A new fan here father fish. I have been silently watching your videos. I am curious. Is it fine to use well water when it comes to having live plants?
perfect
💚
CHEERS 🐟
👍👍👍
i am making AQUARIUM BACK GROUNDS... they will trap alot of water causing the trapped water to not circulate at all.. is this stagnated water actually good for your Aquarium or must it be periodically drained out ?
“I expected to hear…cheers or something.” All these stable aquariums are the “cheers”.😂
Father Fish... I'd like some insight into your thoughts on a tank that has fake plants, and mid-heavy stock.
It's been running for about a year now (240ltr or 60 Gal in the US). The thing is... I do 25% water changes every two weeks, but I Gravel Vac every four weeks to get the surface muck out. The substrate is four inches deep gravel of 5-8mm sizing of grains. I know of such desease problems that this could create, but I do indeed keep it clean as I see fit.
How do you feel about how the nitrates build up that this set up would have for the fish?
Should I do weekly water changes, and would this help?
If algae does indeed keep Nitrates in check, why are my Nitrate levels so high in all my tanks that have Mid stocking with minimal bio-load and it is overtaking everything?
I feed the right amount to each tank, and I just don't know why my levels are so high...
Many thanks.
Plants reduce nitrates. Deep substrate also secures nitrates. Yours are building up because nothing is controlling them.
Just looking for some confirmation from the community. I’ve seen father fish comment in other videos and imply that organic potting soil with a sand cap is acceptable (but not optimal). I have a fantasy of carpeting an aquarium with hair grass and maybe a single betta fish.
The alternative would be that I buy father fish substrate off of his site. Just seeing if buying something at the local store is acceptable. Thanks guys!
For a diverse range of microorganisms I always tell people to go for 1. Soil from a healthy forest OR 2. Soil from an unfertilized garden OR 3. Potting soil. Always a good idea to add just a bit of pond/lake/stream mud. Its rich in nutrients so dont add much
If you really want biodiversity, collect healthy soil from different locations
@@Desmond000007 thank you! I live in Alaska so everything is frozen right now. Makes collecting material challenging 😂
follow up question for you. If i have plants and only a few fish, is a air pump/diffuser necessary? can i just have a sponge filter to help circulate things or is the air pump necessary?@@Desmond000007
@@David-dw2iq FF recommends sponge filters
The water in my area has high PH around 8. Can I keep tetras?
My ph is 8. I am keeping ember,neon and another small tetra I can’t recall the name. However the rummy nose tetras are down to 6 from nine added a week ago. I am led to believe they are not happiest at that level.I also have diamond and eye spot tetras at 8 ph.
Curious about Father Fish thoughts on TDS.
I try to keep politics out of the conversation. OH. S
ORRY. You mean total dissolved solids. Yeah. I pretty much ignore them.
I have 995 tds on a 10 gallon. The shrimp not only survive, they thrive. All of my tanks (27) have 350 tds or more. It’s never been a problem for me… but that’s just me. Your situation may be completely different.
Question: How many fish should I start out with if I’m wanting to do a community Apistogramma tank? I really want to have a trio of apistos with a couple schools of emperor tetras, rummynoses, 3 or so swordtails, a school of corydoras, and maybe some pencilfish. I want to try out the natural dirted aquarium to have lots of plants for my Apistogramma pair
start with 3 and add more weekly
@@FatherFish thank you father fish
@@FatherFish even in a 55 gallon?
I created tank what father said. 1 inch soil and 2 inch sand.and a lot of submersible plants. its one month now. It's thriving still clean but a little foggy. May be I feed to much. Xd .
Hard water is ice
Can anyone tell me if by capping gravel with sand will work with plants please
yes
Does not changing the water for nitrates count for neocardinia shrimp also? I've seen people online say to keep nitrates under 10ppm, 20ppm, anything under 40 is fine, and some breeders just make sure it stays under 100ppm but swears their shrimp do great in it. Thats such a wide range that it's really confusing for a new shrimp hobbyist like me, haha.
Nitrates will not kill your shrimp. That is a myth.
The answer to the nitrates question is a heavily planted tank. I sell plants very reasonably fatherfish.fish
My city water has hard water how do I get rid of it
Your fish adapt to your water
Then what kills the goldfish that are put in like a half gallon? It’s the nitrate is it not?
How to reduce tannins
I've been told active carbon filters
If i use tap water how do i make it safe for my fish
Use a dechlorinator like Prime
Is distilled water better or worse for the health of the fish?
Distilled water is incredibly pure, having gone through a process that removes almost all minerals, contaminants, and germs. This purity means it lacks the essential minerals that fish and aquatic plants require for optimal health. Minerals play a crucial role in maintaining water hardness, buffering capacity, and pH stability in an aquarium. Without these minerals, the pH of distilled water can be very unstable, which can be harmful to fish. Fluctuations in pH can be particularly stressful or even fatal to fish, as they rely on a stable environment.
@@HakunaMatataAquatics
Thanks for your opinion my problem is a high TDS from city water and so I thought that might be the solution
I cheered for you don’t worry 🤣
what about worrying about water getting too soft and lacking minerals over time? Or what about if your starting water is super soft? thanks
I'd look into crushed coral or something yo place in the tank. Research.
You could add Seachem Equilibrium to increase the gh.
disclaimer this is true if you got a ff set up with your deep substrate and some plants , at the very least sand bottom .
y got in a 1200Gal pool about 35 KOI i raise them in 6 months to 20 to 40 cm the biggest from 4 inches , 4 plecos big as well about 18 cm the smalles and the other 2 are about 35cm .
i feed a lot lke 8 times a day and chage water about 50 to 80 % everyday with filter cleaning.
all this is possible beacuse i got about 1000 pounds of sand in the bottom of the pool , that is the seed of success people , the sand harbor the bacteria y need the water changes and cleaning dont affect my fish what so ever if any they get happier , hungier and even jump went eating .
also im heavily UNDERFILTERED
You do an 80% water change every day AND clean the filter?!
This approach does not work for all fish. Studies have been done that show some species get nitrate toxicity at 10ppm. The amount of nitrate that it takes to make fish ill widely varies from species to species. This is a fact and has been proven by studies if you do some research. You cannot take one study that used one species and say nitrate has no ill effect on fish. Frustrating blanket statements. Size of fish also plays a part in nitrate toxicity. Come on guys just do a little bit of research on your own.
You sure showed him.
But do you know the difference between fact and fiction?
That is true some species have more sensitivity to nitrates than others but I don't think I've ever had nitrates go over 20 parts per million in any aquarium I've ever owned
Matter of fact I don't think my nitrates are above five to 10 parts per million
aquariumscience.org/index.php/5-4-safe-nitrate-levels/
"Nitrite levels are meaningless" ??? I'm sorry, this is just false. I started a tank about a month ago, and am still getting it balanced. I have deep substrate, lots of plants, etc. Things were going fine, and critters started dying. I tested the water, and Nitrite was over 5.0 ppm. I started doing daily water changes to bring it back down, and added some beneficial bacteria packet that came with the sand, and things appear to have stabilized. If I've learned anything, it's that it is irresponsible not to test your water periodically, and water changes are a good way to bring the Nitrite levels down quickly so they don't kill your fish. Long-term it may be fine to get things balanced and not have to manage Nitrites through water changes, but you do need to check, and you do need to do something about them if they rise.
He said nitrates, not nitrites (unless I missed that)
What does the title say?
He's talking about ( nitrates ) not nitrites bro 😂