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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- (play at speed 1.25. I talk slow)
For a low maintenance aquarium that is easy to maintain, healthy, grows plants, is loved by fish, has crystal clear water, and is a beautiful environment, you need to have a deep substrate in your aquarium. Not one inch. Not 2 inches. But at least 3 inches of sand, preferably covering an inch of Father Fish soil with its unique additives.
I have many videos explaining how to set up these wonderful natural aquariums. Be sure to subscribe to Father Fish and watch more videos on natural systems. I promise you will be delighted.
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Interesting to see a fish shop treating aquariums like hobby tanks.
Nailed it.
Back in the 70's and 80's in New York some small pet shops where just like Father fish.
Those where the good pet shops but not all where good.
reminds me of ocean aquarium in San Francisco. Father Fish where is your hobby shop?
@@georgeb6822 its in Florida
@@Bushapes No vacuuming, low maintenance tanks
35 years ago the gentleman that taught me how to set up an aquarium said minimum 100 pounds of substrate in a 55. Best tanks I ever kept.
BEST ADVICE YOU EVER GOT.
Father Fish absolutely
Yes! I read the title and instantly clicked. I do deep substrate beds in all my fish tanks and have great success, even in the one I don't use a filter in.
That is awesome!
Wisdom right there.
You´ve convinced me to try an all natural aquarium. Wasted to much money on bad advice...can I use potting mix with matured manure? And sand from a beach will do? Greetings from Portugal.
Yes to all and best wishes. Please post your tank on Discord for us to enjoy. discord.gg/GdakStEjAy
I love your tanks. I'm a Peace River native and also a fan of deep sand beds in my planted tanks (5 so far). So happy I found your channel as there is always so much to learn in this hobby. Your tanks are inspirational.
this is one for the books. thank you so much
Good day to you sir I am very pleased to see the video I really appreciate your knowledge and I'm keeping in mind when the same thing I'm new at the hobby I also want to ask do you have an easy organic way to kill the string algae without killing anything else. I hope you may reply
@@johnprofessionalexoticshri5276 hi
Hey Father Fish, I've been doing some research and learnt that back in the day, fishkeepers used to place iron nails underneath the substrate to supplement iron for the plants as a slow release supliment. Sounds crazy I know, but I'd like to know more about this practice and if it works or not. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Thanks!
We use iron oxide as a deep substrate supplement. Yes. It has the same effect of adding chelated iron to the substrate.
Can't believe I just found your channel. Love the old school aquarium techniques. The KISS method from the early 70s when I had gotten in to the hobby. As a kid a neighbor w/ 'advanced' life experience. got me into the hobby in the 70's. He had been in the hobby since he was a kid. Evey tank he had he ran this way. I ran deep bed for decades always had great results. Back in the dark ages one could find the old plate filters / under gravel filters really cheap. I added a bag of poly fill @ 1-2" deep then place the filter plates on top of it then add @ 2+ " of soil then sand & river /creek stone for cover. the plates and poly would save @ 2-3 " of depth. great way to get deep bed advantages and to save space. 4" vs 6" bed depth. I always ran a deep bed irregardless of what aquarium I ran fresh, brackish, salt and reef systems and NEVER had to water changes on any of my systems. The method is incredibly stable.
BRAVO Daniel. Happy to hear from you. Yes, my grandmother was the love of my life.
I love deep sand beds no problem ever with nitrates
Well I did it, I put a layer of dirt with potting soil and the additives you use in my new 65 gallon aquarium. And then I put three inches of pool sand. And then added some leaves and planted all my plants. You ought to make up little bags of all your additives and sell them. I had to go out and buy the smallest of each bag and I'll probably only use it one or two more times. I guess I'm going to get some pots and plants some tomatoes and peppers so I can use up all the additives. Will keep you posted
ED! I have been selling bags of additive for years. How did you not know this? Guess I need to promote more actively. Best wishes with the tank. Good job. Post some pics on our DISCORD channel
@@FatherFish I just came across your channel 2 weeks ago and dove In deep. Are you talking about the bone meal and lime etc.... And yeah to go out and buy all that stuff is about $70 dollars. And like I said I have 99% of the stuff left over but I'm going to plant some vegetables
@@FatherFishl
This is my favorite way to do tanks. I've been doing my tanks similar to this, but never so deep. I'm excited to try it.
Pro Tip: set playback speed to 1.5x
you the real MVP
some people's brains are faster than others.
Can i only put 4 inches of sand in my natural aquarium. There were no soil and it is a settled 2 fit tank with 6 guppy and a lot of Java moss?
That’s worked for me so far. As long as you feed light so the waste and detritus doesn’t foul the water.😁
It works because it's basically the same as occurs in nature.
Preciisely.
So true, I NEVER see fish poop in my 29 gallon 😁
Father in 8 to 10 inch deep substrate what is the ratio of mud and sand?
2 sand to 1 dirt
what if im keeping a non planted flowerhorn tank...will having a deep sandbed help? if so how deep? ive got a 50 gallon tank (36x18x18)
deep sandbed will maintain a balanced environment. No less than 3" deep.
@@FatherFish thats really thick, thank you sir!
@@saswineey i like thick
Those are very happy and healthy fishes; this is the first video I see of your channel, keep the good job up, I will subscribe.
What type of plant is in the back right corner of that first 200 gallon acrylic tank he shows along 3 min into the video? I love it!!
Nice Video you remind me of some pet shops in New York in the 70's and 80's before Petland Pet Shops.
Great education. Say supposing I want to make an aquascape with higher plant decor than other plants can I just keep adding sand and build up until it produces a big mound? Thanks and I hope You understand my question.
You must have strips of material barricading the sand from levelling. Terracing is the effective way to do this. Cut sheets of flexible plastic about 2" wide to hold sand in place. Hope you understand.
I set up a 16 gallon with a deep substrate, soil capped with fine sand after 4 months I was Losing faith on this tank because plants were not growing and was about to tear it down and start something else but something told me to just wait and I’m glad I did the tank is now one and a half years old and it just keeps getting better especially for growing plants, I was told that the soil would only feed the plants for 6 months to 1yr, but they keep growing and staying green .
If you are not removing dead material it will continue to thrive indefinitely. Smart, that one, for patience has.
Hi! I bought sand like u said but can i add small layer of gravel on top of sand? I dont want to just throw gravels away.... Also can the combination of sand and gravel support natural plants?
Yes, definitely.It will work beautifully Jisoo.
Beautiful! What's your opinion about deep substrate with a plenum on the bottom?
plenum serves no function. It is one more clever idea with no science to back it up.
Thank you so much. All this time I was wondering why my fish was always die on me. I was using gravel all this time. Thank you again.💚💚
They don't die because you use gravel.
@@mandriva4280the dirt substrate is exposed with gravel
@@mandriva4280
Maybe not directly but indirectly yes. Gravel becomes so disgusting just over 3 to 4 days and the water smell is unbearable.
All of this is fixed permanently with sand.
You don't even have to change water.
what TYPE of dirt cause I'm fixing to set up a 110 gal stock tank
with a 800 gal per hr pump with jet stream for water circulation.
check out my video on substrate ingredients. ua-cam.com/video/azRa1wnAcSU/v-deo.html
Hey....nice Aquarium set up.Ever heard of Green Aqua....out of Budhapest?Its a good brand.You can seen there videos on youtube-Green Aqua.
Great video, I have to agree 110%, i have 14 tanks but the one tank I never have to use ferts in and my swords grow out of control, is my 55gl tank with 5 inches of Caribbean Sea substrate in.
Can I use sand from the river? Do I need to clean it in some way first?
Thanks
No need to clean. The biological activity in the sand is vital.
We need to spread the wisdoms! Most freshwater hobbyists have no clue about the sciences behind their aquariums. The ones that do have an understanding are usually limited to the nitrification cycle and how to measure ph, but that's only half the homework. There's the denitrification cycle, allelopathy, microbial biology, and fungi that can colonize and keep your aquarium healthy. There are very few individuals trying to educate people on the science and that's why the saltwater people refer to us as FRESHWATER SCRUBS! Time to step up our game
Justin Thillens so there is only one correct way? Salt water people tend to be superior aholes.
@@jerichoron knowledge is the way.
Justin Thillens I’ve been keeping fish for over 40 years. I do water changes and I can successfully keep any fish. So how is my way wrong?
@@jerichoron no, I said knowledge is the way. If you have done your research and you've learned from your experiences, then you have knowledge. If you're ignorant of what's going on in the tank, whether you're having success or not, you dont have knowledge. How you apply the knowledge is up to you.
We aren't advocating for everybody to use deep sand bed/walstad methods. We are just advocating for people to learn more about the nature of their aquariums
@@lcsaw21 Oxygenation is a necessary component for insuring that hydrogen sulfide doesn't make it into the water column. "No maintenance" more simply refers to an almost non existent need to do water changes after the necessary maintenance for set up has been completed.
I'm not here to defend anyone. I'm here to support the growth of knowledge amongst freshwater hobbyists and this channel is a great source of exactly that.
Hello Father Fish. 1 of my dirt/sand tanks that has been setup for about 3 months. Is sending up bubbles like the other dirt/sand substrate tanks. However when I smelt the bubbles at the surface. They had a rotten egg smell. So most likely Hydrogen Sulphide gas. Should I be concerned?
needs more sand, at least 2". If it is continuing add another inch.
@@FatherFish Ok thanks! I have made 1 of my 30 gal tanks, 6 inch deep fine silica sand substrate. This was a tank I had as 4 inch dirt and gravel for about 8 months. I did as you said. I just emptied dirt and gravel down to 1 inch. And then added 5 inch's of the sand. I have 5 adult Super Red Bristlenose in the tank. It has been doing well now for the last 3 weeks, with the water parameters staying the same at : Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrates less than 10. And a pH stable at 7.8. I am now looking to change all the rest of my tanks with 4 inch dirt/sand substrate to 6 inch substrate.
do you still need to do water changes if you have a deep substrate?
As needed to control nitrates and Ph
With that hat you look like John Hammond but instead of resurrecting dinosaurs, he got into fish tanks.
I am very happy to see this video. This video is a great example of how beautifully aquatic plants can be grown using ordinary garden soil/dirt and sand. Every aquarium you have is very beautiful and so are the fishes.
Many many thanks KM> Your efforts in this effort to teach the deep substrate soil system are vital. Congrats on your video using garden soil for substrate. It is excellent. ua-cam.com/video/sCmcmHiQGtc/v-deo.html
@@FatherFish Thank you 😊
I have 20 lbs of eco complete in a 20 gal long and I have 40lbs of caribsea naturals sand waiting to cap. How much should I put on top to prevent the sand from sinking below the eco complete?
2" of sand. It will not sink.
Hi, what type of sand do you suggest for a black bottom tank? Love your videos
The nature aquarium shop that,.. I believe it was aquarium co-op, visited (in some town I don't remember), had very deep substrates. More like 10+ inches and they used little to no filtration and no water changes and those tanks had been healthy for many years. They didn't look too shabby either. Just lots of substrate and lots of plants and critters and voila! Virtually maintenance free aquariums.
Good friends from Myanmar. Shop is in SF.
@@FatherFish Bingo! :)
Thank you so much
I use minimal substrate and use plant pots way easier to maintain and grow amazing plants and keep fish alive longer.
I have two 29’s with about 2 inches of sand Carib sea. I change the water every two weeks. Do I need soil below the sand? Willing to try this concept of not changing the water. Also, can I get leaves from my yard? I’m in the city…
You need leaf culture to kick start the food web. Starting over would give you all the benefits of a dirted deep substrate. You could simply add sand to your Carib sea. In a few months it will build a soil base.
I’m totally convinced Father Fish. Can’t wait to set up my new tank using these principles!
I've used his store for at least 15 years tanks are constant. He also does salt water too.
Very interesting. Question. Do you do water changes or just add water as needed? If add only. Would that make total dissolved solids very high?
Plants absorb minerals
Do you have a video of plants and what size they get to be ? Trying to figure out what plant to put in what tanks and betta bowl
all plants continue to grow. Stem plants can fill a rank with a single sprig
So father fish also got cockatiels and budgies
YES!
@@FatherFish omg i can't believe u replied to me. Father fish all my tanks r just like urs. Ecosystem tanks. I hv been making these a long time....ppl make fun of me when i tell them i don't need to change water cuz the aquariums r stable....i started thinking i was d one who was wrong and then i found u. U taught me so much
@@FatherFish btw i recognized the sound of ur birds i too have tiels and budgies🖤
It's so easy I always want to touch up things but really got nothing to do.
Like AT ALL !
Two full weeks now into this technique and already everything I got in there is growing and thriving.
Baby fishes quadrupled in sise, snails tripled in size.
Some of my plants that I saved last minute from wintering are now back to their summer look. Some have doubled in size already. I had to do cuttings 😮
No visible waste at the bottom or bad odors.
It's like magic !
@FatherFish just one problem. Microfauna can't thrive in there because it gets all eaten up pretty quick. I will have to continue to raise them in a jar until I find a solution.
Got any tricks under your sleeve ?
add a small handfullof dry leaves every week. As they build up microfauna will have paces to hide and multiply
Do you dose the plants, CO2 & ferts etc? Also, are air pocket build up bad and it's better to add snails that turn over the sand? When you sell pants, you're disturbing the substrate when you remove them. Confused. Are rooting plants a must? Can you use only artificial or non rooting (into substrate) plants?
Too many questions to answer in this format. Please join our FATHER FISH SHOAL on Discord where these issues are being discussed routinely. discord.gg/2PB236za
@@FatherFish Thanks
No, no, yes, don't touch, yes, no. 😉
I completely agree. I ran 4” deep substrate in a 55gallon Dirted tank. 2.5” dirt, 1.5” Flourite sand. Ran for a little over 3 years, even had a dwarf lily in it just gobbling up the nutrients. As long as you don’t have fish that will dig it up it’s amazing. I didn’t mix enough amendments my substrate though, and after about 1 year I started seeing potassium deficiencies, but the tank was PACKED with plants.
Haven’t had that problem since I’ve increased how much greensand I mix in my dirt
What about installing a screen midway into the sand layer ?
Roots could pass but not fish.
Same as reef tanks always use deep sand beds great video 👍
i have 3or4 inches of sand in my ten gallon and im trying to make a monte carlo carpet without co2 but with ferts
Probably will not work. The best way is to grow the Monte directly in dirt emergent, with only enough water to wet the dirt. Cover with saran wrap and put a light on top 24/7. In about a month you should have a lush carpet and can then fill with water after about 1/2" careful sand capping.
What is your thought on using Flourite Black Sand? I was also thinking of using this with maybe a pond soil on the very bottom.
excellent
Can I keep worms(Lumbriculus variegatus) and Cories with this combination of soil and sand, or do they mix the sand and soil too much?
Not a problem at all.
@@FatherFish great :) thank you
Cant agree with this man more. A mature deep sand bed tank is rock solid. No cycle issues or old tank syndrome. The only problem is it takes a while to mature.
Thank you J F. It does take a while to mature but you can begin with plants and fish immediately.
I guess you don't sell much high-tech synthetic substrate in your store :-)
The main reason the pet stores near me don't advocate the natural method is probably that it impacts their sales.
Frontosa with angelfish wow haha
What kind of Dirt are you using? I have a deep substrate and I used a combination of Miracle grow potting mix and sand.
That works. See my video on substrate ingredients.
Sir, great videos, really inspirational. may i ask if you dose the tanks with plant fertilizers? which if any and how much every week?
I never dose with ferts.
What soil do you recommend. And how do you prepare the soil. I been dreaming of a tank like these. And in my head it should work but every thing I read says buy off the shelf big aquarium name brand soil
Formulas for soil are pasted on various videos and on DISCORD. Basically it is potting soi, mulch, and peat moss to which my special additives are mixed and, poured into the tank 1" deep and 2" of sand capping the substrate.
Father fish this tank is 200 gallons. Also that doesn't look like 8" of substrate
So glad i found this video. What kind of filter are you running on the first tank of the video, the 200 gallon Frontosa tank?
It's a sump filter
Can i use potting soil from lowes like orgainc soil or all purpose? And use the multi purpose sand from lowes?
yes
I'm setting up a 4" deep sand bed; adding California blackworms and planting swords and crypts. I have a geophagus (red head tapajo, just one) going into the tank with angels, tetras and corys.
Since there is only one geophagus going into the tank, in your experience with earth eaters and cichlids, do you ever have a problem with them disrupting your deep sand beds?
The geo will not disrupt the bed but will polish off the worms.
LOL! I was afraid of that! I will have to be prepared to replenish the worms periodically or try breeding them. Thank you Father Fish for all of your advice!
I hear your birds 🥰 I have a pair of female budgies as well as a 20 gallon aquarium. They are so sweet and sing when ever they hear your voice Father Fish.
Thank you Irene. That fills my heart with smiles. I miss al my birds.
Having the soil under thw sand cap, will it affect ph? Raise or lower it depending on what elements are in it?
Yes. It acts as a buffer the keep the Ph stable.
Thanks so much for all the helpful information. I understand that you don't clean the substrate but I'm wondering if you do water changes or just top off the water when needed?
Water changes when needed, not automatically. Top off as needed preferably with 0kh water
I’m pretty sure you got this comment before but is it ok if the soil got exposed from a fish digging it up, will the nutrients crash the tank? What do you think about plenums? Thanks in advance!
Plenums are a net zero. A little dirt will hurt nothing.
Thanks! because I’m trying to do a marine seagrass tank with your method might get a jawfish. :>
What water changes do u do , do u run filters also
water change as needed, increase in nitrates, drop in Ph, etc. Filters as needed to control detrius.
Father, i recently build my 60cm tank (about 17 gallon) and i am using nearly 3 inches of substrate and i am using undergravel filter + sponge filter + hob filter.. and fast growing stem plants.. maybe i just made my tank setup too much?
Add an inch of sand and remove the tubes from the undergravel filter.
@newagetojo wow for some reason i agree with you, still 5 months to the hobby and i did use undergravel for all my tanks because how fast that filter to make the water clearer in no time
But yeah, i thought i could combine the thick substrate with the UGF system to ensure the longevity of my tank...
Hi father fish! just want to be clear, So that first tank you show at 1:50 you say it’s roughly 8”deep. Seems like it’s 6inches of dirt capped with 2” of sand?
It is more like 4 and 4. I added 2" of sand about 6 years after it was set up to cover a mulm buildup
Aquariumscience.org
All you need to know and no profit based links
I accidentally made a Deep Substrate when i poured way too much Sand (or so i thought) on top of the dirt in my tank...4 years later and i havent had to dose ferts other than some roots tabs and everything is looking great. Maybe once a year i run a vacuum in a few spots to mix up the sand a bit but thats it.
I am convinced, will try to add more subtrate in my tank to meet 3 inches.
Good. It will make an amazing difference.
will the deep substrate help floating plants to grow, as they arent planted into the substrate
the fish will
I clicked on your video because I thought you were Tommy Chong. Lol.
HMMM! Can I capitalize on this?
nicee👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you 😃
Love the set up! Thank you
the variety of fish in the first tank is awesome
love watching your videos over again haha I'm setting up a 55 in the next couple days I just made a stand out of 2x4s need to paint it and the back of the tank then put the soil and sand 🥰 I'll make a video of it soon thanks FF your the best 😊
A local guy who has visited your shop through the years got a great surprise to see your videos on the UA-cam keep it up.
Awesome! Thank you!
Thank you for your wisdom. May I ask your opinion on akadama for substrate instead of dirt?
It is OK but does not contain enough mineral to last more than about a year. It is volcanic ash.
There are no biologicals and apparently little iron. It should be mixed with a rich garden soil and capped with sand. It can be used as a dressing on top of sand. I have been experimenting using it as an alternative to sand. Expensive stuff.
Father fish what kind of soil do you recommend for plants to put under my sand?
I understand that plants use nutrients from grave and grow and keeping nitrates under check. But in non planted aquarium, what is the benefit.. Will this not increase nitrate level in non planted tank if we don't do gravel vac
I do not use gravel. Sand separates the anaerobic from the water column and breaks down nitrate into nitrogen gas, harmless.
Harry, Father Fish is referring to Denitrification, a process largely carried out by anaerobic bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrate, and denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate into nitrogen gas. Thus, even without plants, there is still a nitrogen cycle, and in fact a variety of bacteria are in competition with plants for the assimilation of nitrogen.
"Nitrification-Denitrification can result in substantial losses of N [nitrogen] to aquatic ecosystems. In aquaculture ponds, one investigator found that only 43% of the added fishfood nitrogen could be recovered in water, soil, and fish; the remaining 57% of added N was believed to be lost through denitrification."
"I did some experiments to see if soil alone (no plants) could remove nitrates from the water. I used duplicate plastic bottles with tapwater and a soil/sand substrate. I added nitrates to the water and then measured both nitrate and nitrite levels twice a week for 32 days. I found that even in bottles containing a hefty 250 mg/l nitrates, nitrates started declining substantially within one week and were completely gone within 1 month. During this experiment, nitrites appeared in the water at 3 days indicating that some nitrate respiration [anaerobic bacteria converting nitrate to nitrite] was also occurring. In similar bottles without the soil/gravel substrates, which would have very little bacterial activity, nitrate levels remained high."
- Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, Walstad.
How do you feel about quartz pool filtration sand as a cap? Do you suppose duration will help the moam to dull the stark white of its appearance?
perfect
Interesting. I have about 1" of soil, then 3" of natural river sand on top of that (even has a bit of gold specks in it as it's a gold bearing river) and a well-respected fish store told me it would not support my plants and sold me a bottle of fertilizer and said my plants would not grow in my substrate without it and that they get their nutrients from the water thus the need for weekly fertilizer drops. Was this all BS to sell me something I don't need?
Yes. That is what roots are for.
@@FatherFish : I you were me, would you return the fertilizer? Or is ok to use it?
@@AG-6969 If it is liquid fert try to return it and exchange for plants or fish. Tablets can be pressed deep into the substrate and are useful.
@@FatherFish Thank you!
@@AG-6969
The first question I ask myself is "would I drink this" ?
If not, then why give it to my fishes . . .
This is amazing!!!!
Great content. Playback speed recommended 1.75x
1.25 works well with no distortion.
Is CaribSea super natural aquarium sand suitable for this type of setup?
Yes. It is fine. You will need one pound per gallon. A 20 gallon tank will cost you $40. for their sand. It is mined sand, nothing special.
A 40 lb bag of blasting sand at Tractor Supply is $10.
A 50 ;b bag of pool filter sand at any pool supply store is about $15.
Loews sells sand for .10 cents a pound but it needs to be rinsed.
I'll be trying this asap
I just came over here from My he Secret Life Living In Your Aquarium channel (and Facebook group) because one of the members recommended it. I am setting up a 20 long and was going to gather soil from a river bed lower than 6” deep to hopefully get a jump start on anaerobic bacteria, then add coarse sand on top of that. I’ve never tried using river mud and silt before, so I hope I don’t regret this. I will be using change water from my guppy tank to fill this over the next few weeks as I add plants, and I plan on taking nitrite/nitrate tests as I go to see if changes are happening
Sounds good. You want a minimum of 2" of sand on top of 1" of soil. Fine sand is preferable to coarse sand. We have a DISCORD channel where this is being discussed daily. Feel free to join in. It will be an opportunity to engage in conversation with others doing the same thing.
Link is on the COMMUNITY tab.
Welcome to Father Fish
I just discovered that channel and this one. By far the best two out there
A small tank, height of 6 inches, nearly a 2 galloon tank - if the substrate is 3 inches, it takes up nearly half the height of the tank. Would that be sufficient or can I reduce the substrate depth to 2 inches? If so, can each layer of mud and sand be an inch respectively? Also, can we use white sand above the layer of mud?
1/2" soil 1" sand
@@FatherFish also please tell if it is fine using white sand
@@swethagurumoorthy8169
Yes it is ! Any sand will do.
Wash it previously tho.
I am sorry if it was in the video and I missed it but what happens to fish poop? doesn't it just sit in there and keep releasing ammonia building up over time?
It is consumed by microfauna until it is small enough to sift into the sand where it is broken down by soil to become nutrients for plants.
@@FatherFish thanks for sharing the wisdom!
@@FatherFish That makes sense.
Same thing that happens to make compost!
@@rdred8693
Get snails and shrimps and daphnea and red worms and a loache of a bottom feeder.
Food retains 80% of its nutrients after being pooped. It may be eaten and pooped over and over before finally going into the sand.
Don't over feed (you can do it just once or twice a week in VERY small quantities) fishes will thrive I promise.
It's a complex thing to immitate nature. But nature does not need you.
Fish eats - fish poop - snail eat - snail poop - repeat - repeat - poop goes in substrate - microfauna eats - microfauna poop - bacteria eats - again - plant eats and release oxigen - plant filter poisons in the tank - algues grows - microfauna reproduce - microfauna eats algues - fish eats microfauna ...
and repeat 👍
Do you have a video on how to convert a tank from gravel and fake plants to soil, sand and live plants and which to use? And I only have one 29 gal, plus a 10 gal ADF tank. Where do I put everyone while this is happening? Thanks for any advise!
You can start over but an older tank may simply need a few inches of sand to create a perfect substrate.
A 200 gallon tank would weigh just under 1,600lbs in water alone...am I right?.... I am thinking of a 80-140 gallon tank and worried about weight, do I have my calculations correct?
Yes you do. Amazing!
How do you clean the sand? Mine had cories in it that like to snuffle around and admittedly the biggest problem is me messing things up by moving stuff around so the sand flies everywhere and poop goes under the sand. Should I just adjust the sand back then leave it as it is and only vaccum stuff off the top even though there's poop underneath?
You have not watched my videos explaining the purpose of deep sand. Waste is broken down by the sand into nutrients that feed plants.
Great video!See you soon on live stream!
Why all those pipes when you don't do water changes ?
closed system
Still needs filters and air i belive.
@@jamesbackyard7192
Water stays alive if it moves.
I'm currenlty trying the no filtration technique. I just removed everything that was inside my fluvial system and let it run like that.
So far everything seems fine.
Incredible!!!
Hello. When I was researching deep substrates, I read that when you gravel vac , don't disturb the sand/dirt substrate to much, because it disrupts the bacteria and other organism layers . If you know the reason why then can you please elaborate on this further. Thank you.
Two reasons. 1 - it makes a mess
2 - it destroys the anaerobic layer
@@FatherFish Thankyou for the quick reply. I have a 16gallon planted aquarium. I'm using aqua iron sand substrate by Oliver Knott with Seachem root tabs . It's a 5cm ( 2" ) sand bed. (1) Is that deep enough? (2) Do you need a soil substrate with a sand cap or is my way good ok? (3) Have you ever experienced a sludge substrate that smelled? I've had that in the past , not with the current substrate though. But, ADA amazonia soil. Hopefully the current substrate don't experience that..
@@urbansk8r231 you dont need to gravle vac, just keep a good circulation in the tank and crap will move to the filter intake. I stoped gravle vac my main tanks almost 10 years ago.
Well my plants are swaying on the other side of the tank, so I guess I'm getting good flow. Whether it's flowing to my intake is is something I'll have to look at. Thankyou for the advice.
@@urbansk8r231 If your intake is taking in it is flowing.
Many people says discus should be kept in bare bottom tank, they required a lot of water changes and people use commercial product like discus buffer to maintain water quality along with seachem prime. Do how much water you change for discus and how often and discus can breed these kind of tank as well. Tia.
I keep discus in dirted tanks with lots of plants and rare water changes