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My first time here. I will incorporate my tilapia tank in this arrangement using sand. Thanks so much! I'm hoping I can use aquaponics with this. Will need to watch more of his videos. Thanks!
Just found this video Father Fish. What good timing setting up a new aquarium and debating between no substrate and sand, sand wins out. Thank you for all the great advice, young man.
So the crazy thing is we have two tanks, one is my daughter's which does have gravel and a minimum of plants and mine which is much closer to the FF method. I took some of her guppy fry and the difference between the two tanks, for the same generation of fish, is astounding. My tank is cooler but my fry are bigger, more colorful, and a lot more active and I've fed them maybe twice in two months. More natural environment equals healthier fish, surprise!
I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL, AND I LOVE YOU, FATHER FISH!!! lolol...thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do to be our online go-to fish encyclopedia😊 I am BEYOND happy to have found you. I was tearing my hair out for 2 whole days researching to educate myself (huge learning curve to overcome) while worried about my little betta who had developed fin rot. I know I sound dramatic but I've been trying feverishly to order enough stuff online quick enough to set up a decent aquarium (without going into too much expense) while at the same time thinking I had to wait 4-6 weeks for my tank to cycle!! Sheesh!! I got so frustrated with all the info it was completely overwhelming. Then I found you!! How refreshing!!! To know we can just use practical common sense and set up a completely sustainable, living mini-ecosystem for our beautiful fish where they will be healthy and happy living out their lives. While we get to enjoy them and not worry about trying to maintain a completely unnatural and HARMFUL fish environment. Right now I need to know what to do more to treat the fish rot (using aquarium salt right now) and I also need lots of plants--I've ordered 3, at ridiculous prices I'm sure, so I will check out your site ASAP. Again thanks so much and God BLESS you!!
Praise god for this living encyclopedia called Father Fish. I was hurting my mind about what to do to salvage my old eco complete, and here he affirmed the message in my head. Cap it with sand and move on. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I almost got emotional with your great videos Mr. Father Fish; I'm so happy to have found your channel, I bookmarked it immediately; somehow I've always believed that was exactly the way to go, even though the common advise was almost always in the contrary, I never ever change water, just add more due to evaporation; I always thought fish in nature live submerse in an immense variety of life, based on past recycle life. Thank You!!! I'm going to do the sand over my aged and high gravel; I wasn't sure that was a good idea up to now. I'd love to show you my setup; an unheated freshwater 75G tank connected to a 150G tank by a a 2" diameter primed pvc tube over the top and filtered by a wet dry setup build from a cheap plastic furniture over a acrylic container I built. I'll keep watching your videos, and again, thank you very much.
Thank you for sharing your wise advice. All my fish and shrimp are doing very well. My fish have babies and shrimp are swimming everywhere. Appreciate what you doing here.
New to the hobby upgrading from 15gal to 55gal. Due to my inexperience and lack of research the orignal habitate was too small for the first fish i obtained. But the ones that survived are a albino rainbowfish and a featherfin catfish. So working on my gravel tank with some plants atm. I'm on week three of not cleaning the substrate before going to a local river here in michigan to borrow some sand to add as well as some leaves that are already in the water. I'm nervous about the adition but from all your videos it sounds like this is going to work and it just plane makes sense. Thank you for the videos and the discord. I always thoight it was weird the norm was to make such an artificial environment for your fish. But this way just makes way more sense.
With that many tanks next to windows you know this guy doesn't care about algae growth. More power to you brother, I have one tank near a window and it's very established and vibrant and the fish are healthy when you can see them lol.
I had a 75 gallon in a window years ago and caught so much grief from people about it, it was honestly one of my most well balanced tanks algae was never an issue with it
I did keep a tank in the window and it became infested with hair algae and then with glass mucky green algae. Killed my plants, they melted, I dunno… planted tank, 3 inch substrate
I bought a house with a build in natural pond in it. With lots of plants,some big fish too. The owner told me he never feeds them except summers...so called fish stores told me no thats wrong you should feed them. Other so called experts told me too many plants take some out. I end up with 4 of my precious fishes dead...then they told me i need filter system and oxygen pump ...I was allready making a list to spend money for all that. After watching some of your videos i realized the previous owner was right, i should have left everything alone...I messed it up, now i will get some mud and sand from creek neearby and add slowly some to the pond and add some more plants again. Thank you for your beautiful videos ❤❤❤❤
@@adeptusmagiand then when algae is blooming, plants are decaying, you buy an algicide, you buy fertilizer, you buy "liquid carbon", and the list goes on and on
Years ago we had pond, we rarely fed the fish. Bag of daphnia once a month as a treat. I think they ate bugs and worms that fell in. When we did throw in food they didn't seem that interested.
Gravel shouldn't be used by itself, that's for sure. In my current ecotank, my substrate's bottom layer is a mixture of top soil and aquasoil, the second layer is sand, and the sand covers most of the tank floor and all of the dirt/soil. In the front of the tank, I have a half-inch deep layer of gravel. Not the cheapo rainbow gravel, natural gravel. It's working just fine. I don't gravel vac it, ever. But within this tank are a variety of snails (ramshorn, mystery, cappuccino spike and pagoda, plus three zebra otocinclus). It's really easy for them to move the gravel around and clean it. The snails pick the river pebbles up and clean under then, too. It's awesome to watch.
@@FatherFish It's a fun tank to observe. In my classroom's Walstad tank, the gravel became an issue in a few spots. I think it was because I used the smoother textured gravel, that cheapo stuff, rather than the natural stuff I'm using now which is rougher and also doesn't pack together tightly. This gravel seems to be able to "breathe", for lack of a better term. Maybe you've also noticed this, but I've found that tightly packed gravel doesn't help to oxygenate the tank.
Thank you sir, keep breaking down the lies that big box stores have told us. I purchased $20 worth of aquarium gravel because I was told that’s what I needed as a beginner.
Went dirt for first time about 1 month ago. Capped it with number 2 silica sand and the plants are really taking off. Low tech , with 6500k floodlights...90 gallon. I am a believer in dirt. Cheap as dirt too..lol.
cheers Father! I don't use sand, but Vulcatec, which I always use as substrate for my houseplants. It is like sponge that holds water and oxygen, basically a nano version of lava rock, or micro pumice, just without the float^^ thats perfectly fine aswell, isn't it? So far everything seems fine, three months in, no water changes, only refill. edit: I should clarify: dirt as a base, Vulkatec as barrier, around the centerpiece wood I topped with Akadama. slow growing plants inside, and houseplants outside that rooted in the aquarium water. lovely watching the chili rasboras darting thru the roots^^
@@FatherFish Thank you for the confirmation! Yes my grain size is 1-4mm. I am a plant nerd for many years and have a vivarium for several years aswell. I had all the materials already at home and my accumulated knowledge in addition to research for natural aquarium suggested it should work perfectly. But you'll never know until you try^^ thank you for your videos, you are a priceless source of information and I very much appreciate it. Kind regards from Germany
Thanks to you, and your wealth of knowledge, Father Fish I added a deep sand substrate, to our heavily planted tank, quite a while ago and view algae as our fishes' friend and feed even less commercial food than I was doing. I feel so much more confident looking after these special creatures. I would post a photo, but haven't worked that one out here.🙂
I already have a gravel tank (with a layer of aquasoil underneath the gravel layer). It has already got plants and stuff. If I don't want to take everything out and start that tank all over from scratch, can i just top off the gravel layer with sand?
I sometimes see river beds that have gravel on the very top layer. So I'm curious, if I start with a layer of dirt and a layer of sand, then put a layer of natural gravel on top of that, does that work? Is it that I shouldn't use gravel at all, or I shouldn't use gravel as my only substrate?
Greetings and Salutations "Father Fish". Just discovered your postings here on You Tube. I am getting back into the hobby after a few years. I previously had a small 1 gallon Beta tank (More like a jail cell for the guy). I discovered from you a number of goof ups I made with my deceased Beta, "Carl". He still managed to live with me for a couple of months over three years. Really goofed up with complete water changes every three to four weeks and over feeding. The Spirit moved me to get back involved with aquatics once again. I had in mind is what I discovered from you Father Fish is a "natural fish tank". I was planing to use is Flourite Black Sand for my sub-straight and Black Gravel which the bag states it "promotes beneficial bacteria with some quarter size lave rocks on top with various live aquatic flaura/vegetation. My new aquarium is 6 gallons, I would go larger but I am already pressed for space in my apartment. It will be the new home for a planned GIANT Betta. Father Fish, my questions are, "Will the previously mentioned products would do the trick to attain my objective, or do I have to look around for the sales receipts? Also the depths of each sub-straight layer and in what order. I have been getting so many different answers from the personal from various pet store merchants and the internet that I am totally confused! In a episode of yours you mention something about "Peat Moss" and this "soil" you mentioned, Does one go to the local nursery for that dirt and/or peat moss? I feel blessed to have found you on You Tube with your postings of what I consider as my "Aquatic Bible". Thank you "Father Fish", God bless you and your beloved ones. - Christiaan Scott, "The Man in Black". (Hence the reason for the black sand and gravel)
lol Thank you Christiaan. Join us at FATHER FISH SHOAL on Discord. discord.gg/szj4Gzfm Great friends, great conversation, and more knowledge than you ever imagined.
Wish I would have found these videos before setting up my 75 gallon tank with gravel, plants, decor, and a bunch of fish… now debating on taking it all apart to do this method. Wondering if I could transfer all the fish and live plants to a large tote temporarily so I could accomplish this tank setup. I probably have $200 in gravel and fake log sets and plants I never would’ve bought had I known there was another way. It makes complete sense, I’m just feeling defeated having spent so much money and time already and now basically throwing much of it away as it cannot be taken back.
sell it on a market place for others who may want it. there is more than one way to have an aquarium. And sometimes people use fake plants in their aquariums as place holders as they slowly buy and add plants.
I'm with you!! I've always done deep sand because well, that's what you find in nature!! Even areas WITH a completely rocky bottom, what's under the rock?? Sand !! I do have tanks set up with river rock.. but I put the rock ON TOP of a deep sand bed. Without the sand, it just doesn't work right...
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.. There is a lot of conflicting information out there. One older fish shop in my area swears by finer gravel (1/8" size) He uses it as deep substrate in all his planted tanks. And he is against fine sand. I have course sand and he seemed OK with that. He doesn't do water changes on most of his tanks.
Is your shop Oceans in SF? He is a magnificent shop with a deep understanding of deep substrate systems. He does things very differently from me. Both are effective. He use CO2 gas for his plants. I do too but mine is created in my substrate. I would love to talk with this old man and his wife.
you should do a video with a deeper explanation about how to add sand in an aquarium previusly seted up with gravel, and how you should ensure the nutrients that plants need. I love your channel and your videos thanks for your work, Greetings from Colombia!!!!
hello idol father fish... thanks for the wonderful info.. 2 of my tanks plus 3 of my tub ponds are in a dirt substrate with sand cap.. they are doing really great with minimal maintenance. i have a question for my 15 month old aquarium, i put a thick sloping small gravel substrate 2 inches in front to 5 inches at the back....now i can see the layer of fish poop at the bottom. can i just top it off with fine sand about 2 to 3 inches and put a lot of plants with good lighting? is the old layer of fish poop collected for over a year enough for the plants to grow well or should i add fertilizer? thanks so much... love lots......
Thank you for the fresh natural approach!! When planting in a tank with 1” soil capped by 2” sand, should the plant be put in with the roots down in the soil under the sand? Would the ideal way to set up the tank be to set the roots in the soil and then pour the sand on top of the soil?
Is a mix of sand and river gravel different than the typical gravel? I am emulating a river stream with North American darters, and they seem to love the river stone gravel. I also use hornwort as it takes a lot of nutrients from the water column. Then some patches of monte carlo I'm trying to grow. I appreciate your knowledge, thank you for sharing.
Hi father fish...just something i was thinking about... If you cap dirt with gravel... would that not mean that the fish waste would break down quicker..?.. It would have access to the dirt...creating more food for the plants...? Just wondering..where i do see fish waste on top of the sand... Thank you🙏
Good question. Gravel allows water to flow down to the soil, leaching it into the water oclumn. If detritus is lying on the sand the sand is not deep enough to accommodate the rate of detritus being created.
I have a 20 gallon long . Well anyway before I seen any of your videos I set the tank up with a clay based substrate about 2 inches of it and then 1 inch of sand with about 1 inch of gravel. I put a box filter in it on a corner and 3 root tabs in it,been set up now for 2 years .I put 5 different types of plants. Now I find myself taking out plants so the fish can swim. So I no you no exactly talking about. I do give them a small pinch off food everyday. I used to feed them 5 times a day. The fish are healthy and some are even fat. I just wanted to say keep up the work and maybe none believes will believe.
I got some amano shrimp, and once at home found a tiny fish fry that i didnt take. i have a few predatory fishes such as a betta, black tiger darios, and scarlet badis. I didnt have much hope of survival for the lil one, 9 months later and the lil bugger is a molly and he or she is pestering all the other inhabitants. I never fed her and didn't even think she was still alive until 3 months in. she seems to be the healthiest in the aquarium, so i slowly reduced food for the others and realized what you are talking about is absolutely true, as long as you have plants and a healthy substrate and system there is always food but most importantly keep the fish doing what they were designed to do (scavenge/hunt/lure/graze).
I have gravel, if i want to put sand do i have to remove all my decorations ( wood, rocks,plants etc....) to evenly distribute the sand or just add around rocks branches etc...
Dear Father Fish, Iove your works, it's amazing to hear someone explaining how to keep live aquariums, instead of sterile ones. I set up a dirt tank, but I'm thinking I might have messed up. I put dirt, then sand, and then gravel from my local river. Since it has dirt/sand underneath will the detritus just sink, and I can keep it like this, or should I cap it with sand? Thank you in advance!
I had 2 inches of gravel when I set up . After watching your videos I added 3 inches of sand . I couldn’t add dirt for obvious reasons . Have ordered a load of plants and leaf litter .
@@pwulfe8728 .. some ppl do boil to remove some of the tannins . I bought leaf litter that was already cleaned and sterilised . However I will soak the leaves before putting in tank . Hope this helps
@@wendy70ish Yes, thank you. I have a couple of tanks with a combination of gravel, sand and eco strata substrate. So, I won't be adding soil unless I feel like undertaking the task. I've slowly adding a sand cap per Father Fish's advice. After I get some more of a cap going in these tanks I may try soaking some leaf litter and adding it.
I have tried a long list of substrates. And different ways of setting them up. But my absolute favorite is decomposed granite. It's extremely dirty and takes a long time to clean but it's well worth it. I use a couple of inches of it and it works absolutely wonderfully. Have you ever tried it?
Wish i had found your channel before we bought a used tank, it had snails and live plants. I really don't like snails so like complete noobs we completely emptied the tank removed the overgrowing plant and all the snails and now the tank keeps going bad and smelly after just a week. We were overfeeding by a lot and the tank constantly keeps turning into sludge. I will definitely follow you're setup video if it goes bad again its been almost a week and it's looking clear and clean. Do you recommend removing the gravel completely or can I still add it on top of the soil/sand layer
Dear father fish. By the time you know i am a big fan of yours . Issue is i can't have dirted tank till i redo . I added a layer of sand in my newer tank of river sand substrate . The older tank has little less than 2 inches of aquasoil only. I am letting dirt to accumulate and have added leaves . I have stopped putting liquid fertilizer. I have started feeding the fishes once a day . I started with 6 golden shrimps now i have bred 60 + in it . I do have a hangback filter with a lot of punice stone . I do have co2. I have a lot of plants ,grass and red plants . Will my existing setup help growing sustainable ecosystem if i stop doing water change ? I have a hair algae issue on the moss on my driftwood.
Hello Father Fish! I ran saw your video on natural tank set up and i loved everything you do and can't stop watching your videos!! You are amazing! I have a small aquarium with gold fish and some cleaning fish. The gold fish had babies and i m preparing a bigger aquarium for when they grow. I d like to follow your advice on making a natural tank but i m unsure about dirt and sand as I ve heard the fish will eat dirt and make water dirty. What s your adice. Also..can i use sand from the beach? Do i need to rince it off ?
Watch some more videos about making a natural aquarium. There are many. Come join us on the Fathar Fish shoal: discord.gg/G4fkAE6qNw. We will help you.
I got a second hand tank with gravel in it , my plants grow fine , I don't do anything to my tank , it's 3 foot long and has over 50 fish and probably 100 cherry shrimp, some other shrimp and 2 wood shrimp, I've had it for years and only clean my filter once a year , sometimes I change it round for a different look , I wish I could send u a video because you can grow in gravel my friend
I have bought some plants from you online shop Father Fish. This video was 2 years ago. What I don't understand is why the pictures of many of your plants for sale are showing growing in Gravel? Now, I just moved, never tried sand in the past, and I am now trying gravel and sand. I am getting this not only from your videos, I am going back to "Exotic Aquarium Fishes" by William Innes, book went from 1935-1966, and shows using sand for plants and fish. I am 66 and have been in the aquarium hobby since 12. I am disagreeing with what you are saying here, and I do know that the modern aquarium practices and rules are terribly off track. Like the Aquarium Store Owner told my mother when she bought our aquarium 55 years ago said, "A hungry fish is a healthy fish."
@@FatherFish Hi there hope you are well just wanted to ask a question I have a 91 gal tank I've put aqua soil but I was getting frustrated by floating bits So I decided to get some gravel to keep it down only a thin layer Now I'm thinking to cover it with sand will that do the job as will still be able to be an suitable and have an eco system or better just remove the gravel and then put the sand
@@booboobambos7911 I am pretty sure from listening to Father Fish, that you can just put 2 inches of pool sand over your gravel and dirt to cap it and that will work great.
Peace. Thank you for the video. I have a tank that is maybe a month old. I have plants. I have fish. But i started it with gravel not knowing any better. My question is how can i fix my tank with fish already in it along with gravel? Should I remove the gravel? Or can I add sand ? Sorry for all the questions. This is my first tank.
I keep sand in planted aquarium but gravel in oscar aquarium. Suggest me the change. Earlier I was having sand in oscar aquarium. Sand became very dirty within 6 months. And not easy to suction .
I use i thin layer of gravel then 2 inches of sand on top i would use dirt but my fish like to fig and don't want hom reaching dirt to get sterd to the surface
Hi father fish. Can I just add sand on top of my gravel? It’s an established tank had it for over a year it seems it’s doing fine but I would like to make sure I’m heading in the right direction.
live in the PNW by a river called Sandy River that is a main steelhead, coho, and other salmon types run. The rivers name is due to that most of the whole river is a sandy bottom. Do you think using that type of sand would be good? Or too many chances of problems coming from it? I was thinking about setting up a small 40gal breeder tank I have sitting around with a very deep amount of this sand, but have not yet due to worry of problems that might take more of my time and take away from my established tanks.
Hey FF! I am getting ready to set up a heavily planted 75 gallon tank with corydoras, tetras, and a few mollies. What kind of dirt do you use, garden soil or dirt from my yard?
Damm just set up a 40 gallon..1.5 inches of gravel..then ..2 inches of top soil mix, then 2 inches of sand..?will this work?? I got like almost 6 inches of substrates..then going with plants..
@@FatherFish thank god..was dreading removing all the sand and dirt ...my 10 gallon is exploding with the new guppy babies...need to get the 40 gallon up and running...got a 29 gallon started also...gonna skip the gravel on this one..
BTY, my red Kleiner Bar swords are growing fantastically in sand and are producing baby swords weekly. The hardest part was training the fish (some are still juvies) to only eat once a day (a very small amount). Wonderful to watch the tank evolving. To those who are frightened of deep sand bed/substrate tanks (mine is 4 inches), absolutely NO toxic gases and fish and shrimp are thriving. Tank is still young as its under a year. Looking forward to the next 10 years.
Hi father fish,after i rescape my tank of putting compost,sand and gravel,i have 4, 3inch goldfish,hiw often should i feed them after the 3days you said not to feed them,as at moment i feed them 2 times aday🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
So I just got my first big tank ,65 gallon. I am going to put 1 inch of dirt and then 2 inches of pool sand. I trust what you say , I grew up with many ponds on our land and the baby fish always got bigger and there was no filters or air stones and sterile decorations from pets mart in them. So I am looking forward to seeing how this tank with lots of plants turnout.
Order my supplement on father.fish. I also have a great deal on plants. Good luck and be sure to share your creation with us on DISCORD. (link in description)
@@FatherFish is that supplement the "substrate" you use, and is it enough for a 30 gallon tank ? Do we just put it straight into the tank and add the sand and that's it ? Thanks 👍
Father Fish please advise me how to add 2" of sand on my gravel . I understood that I should add well rinsed sand 1/2" a week. This amount 1/2" of sand do I spread it uniformly all over the gravel or put it in sections each week? I am afraid if I spread uniformly the 1/2" little by little will sank into the gravel. Please advice. Thank you so much . Warm hugs🤗
I tried to find a answer for this on your answers and în the video but I cannot find a precise explanation. Please just tell me where you said , in the video or in other Questions answered ? I will retry to find . Just please lead me where to 🙏
Hello there , i have a 2 foot tank with aqua soil mixed with i hate to say it semi fine roman gravel but the top is sand , but now by putting plants in has caused the aqua soil to surface being the least heavy substrate and the sand has mixed with the gravel and some trapped aqua soiil right at the bottom so now itsaqua soil - sand/gravel-aqua soil ( now on top) i managed to mix some sand /gravel back on top half way across from the middle of the tank to the back shall i put 2 inch of sand on top and leave it all alone , i have no fish just plants as ive spent all my money so far on sand gravel aqua soil and plants i dont know when i will have money to buy fish ANY 😂....i may have a planted tank with a sponge filtered fishless tank for months do i need to feed my filter to keep the filter bacteria alive in the sponge with a few fish flakes each day or is that a myth ?
I have 1 10 gallon tank left with gravel, which has Ludwigia in it. I couldn't get it to grow in the sand. The Ludwigia grows great in the gravel. Otherwise all my other tanks are sand and they look great.
I think you'd like a 20 gallon tank I set up a few months ago for guppies. I started with one inch of dry cow manure (I have cows, so it's free), then one inch of potting soil, and capped with two inches of pool filter sand. The bottom is full of crypts, and the top with hornwort.
Hey Lou, any tips for dealing with neon tetra disease? The parasitic microbe that causes total color loss about the spine shortly before death. Losing some fish in quarantine, thinking about letting it go acidic again. It was cardinal & ember tetras and corys and the ph got to 5.8-6.0, but they seemed to do well in it despite high ammonium. Then I made the mistake of doing some water changes to gently get it neutral and got some guppies. My thinking is the lower hardness and ph will be more comfortable for all the soft water South American species, boosting their immune system so they can fight it off themselves, particularly the cardinal tetras. Maybe light the tank to help the plants keep ammonia low. Already lost both female guppies and two cardinals, hoping to prevent too many more.
I have a betta and mystery snail in a 9g tank with natural stone gravel on the bottom, do i need dirt on the bottom? Can i just put sand on top of the stones? And do i need to take the fish out of the tank to do this? I just came across this channel and am learning so much.
I've just added sand to my Walstad tank today. I hope it'll fill in the gap between the gravel I've set as the substrat. Next plan, I'll also collect some dead leaves and anything can support the system of my tank.
I put over 2 inches of pool sand over the gravel in my 35 gallon tank yesterday. The tank has been running for about a year and a half prior to this. However, I didn't think to put outside dirt down first? Does that mean it won't work? Should I try to dig it up and put dirt under the sand now?
So you take sand from nature and put it as is in an established tank!? I want to take care of my tank and not kill my fish I’ve had them for years. I have those sphere fluval vitamins as the substrate and was going to add gravel to keep the plants in but now I wonder if I should put sand instead
I used 1.5-2” organic topsoil with a thin cap of sand then a deep cap of medium gravel that goes from 2 1/2” in the front to 4” in the back. I’m waiting on my plants to come in and am going to heavily plant everywhere. Am I completely headed in the wrong direction? Should I redo before the plants get here? I added some water to just come above the top of the gravel and I haven’t had any levels of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate yet…
Hello Father Fish. What do I use on the bottom of a tank with big clown loaches that destroyed all the plants? I have some Java fern and anubias, but even they are having a tough time. So basically I can't have plants in the substrate. Do I still use 2 inch of sand?Thanks!
Is it okay to keep only just sand, about 3.5-4 inches deep and use root tabs in case of providing nutrition to the plants? And please suggest there's any fish other than betta, livebearers that can be kept in a 1.5 feet cubical tank.
My tank has 4 inches of river sand and is over 75% planted with various swords and a variety of cryptocoryne. I keep adding more baby plants as they are produced in my other tanks. I only added root tabs for the first 6 months. I chose plants with deep root systems. I also have some anubias and java fern growing on driftwood but its the roots that grow down into the substrate that keeps it healthy.
I thought an Under gravel system was more “natural” than say a sponge filter or hang on back filter to create water circulation. Doesn’t it suck the dirt and fish waist into the gravel and break it down so plant roots can grow with a “natural” fertilizer?
It also washes it out into the water column, making no differentiation between the nutrients in the substrate and those in the water column. This promotes algae and water borne pathogens. A deep substrate almost never has algae growth and is rarely diseased. UG is always troubled with algae and disease.
My sand substrate is an inch. Can I add sand to my tank now while the fishes are in the tank so that it can be at least two inches? Do I just put it directly on the sand that is already in there?
Well, there is one substrate worse than gravel: colored glass and plastic beads . I know. That was my very first attempt at a fish tank. Trying to keep it clean was pure insanity, and it didn't take long for the fish to die. I had no clue what I was doing. I have deeply repented from my ignorance and my next 29-gallon tank set up will be a 100% Father Fish tank!
Please suggest what type of plants to put with goldfish and comets and I mean full grown fish they are always looking for food in the sand so I know somehow they will uproot my plants if I put any
STEM PLANTS BUNDLE SALE - Over 75 plants - 15 Species for $59! Limited Time OFFER so HURRY!
father-fish-aquarium.myshopify.com/
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Thank you Father Fish you have really helped me understand how simple and cheap it is to have a wonderful ecosystem in my living room!
Is my first time watching Father Fish videos, and I immediately fell in love with this guy? New subscriber here
Welcome aboard! We are a loving community. You are right at home. Check out our DISCORD server. Lots of friends. discord.gg/5PueUJEm
My first time here. I will incorporate my tilapia tank in this arrangement using sand. Thanks so much! I'm hoping I can use aquaponics with this. Will need to watch more of his videos. Thanks!
Just found this video Father Fish. What good timing setting up a new aquarium and debating between no substrate and sand, sand wins out.
Thank you for all the great advice, young man.
lol. Thank you mark. I do not wish to be a young man again. Too many problems.
@@FatherFish What FF said is correct.
We are still sowing/working, but FF
Is happily harvesting.
FF has it all figured out.
So the crazy thing is we have two tanks, one is my daughter's which does have gravel and a minimum of plants and mine which is much closer to the FF method. I took some of her guppy fry and the difference between the two tanks, for the same generation of fish, is astounding. My tank is cooler but my fry are bigger, more colorful, and a lot more active and I've fed them maybe twice in two months. More natural environment equals healthier fish, surprise!
I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL, AND I LOVE YOU, FATHER FISH!!! lolol...thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do to be our online go-to fish encyclopedia😊 I am BEYOND happy to have found you. I was tearing my hair out for 2 whole days researching to educate myself (huge learning curve to overcome) while worried about my little betta who had developed fin rot. I know I sound dramatic but I've been trying feverishly to order enough stuff online quick enough to set up a decent aquarium (without going into too much expense) while at the same time thinking I had to wait 4-6 weeks for my tank to cycle!! Sheesh!! I got so frustrated with all the info it was completely overwhelming. Then I found you!! How refreshing!!! To know we can just use practical common sense and set up a completely sustainable, living mini-ecosystem for our beautiful fish where they will be healthy and happy living out their lives. While we get to enjoy them and not worry about trying to maintain a completely unnatural and HARMFUL fish environment. Right now I need to know what to do more to treat the fish rot (using aquarium salt right now) and I also need lots of plants--I've ordered 3, at ridiculous prices I'm sure, so I will check out your site ASAP. Again thanks so much and God BLESS you!!
Praise god for this living encyclopedia called Father Fish. I was hurting my mind about what to do to salvage my old eco complete, and here he affirmed the message in my head. Cap it with sand and move on. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I almost got emotional with your great videos Mr. Father Fish; I'm so happy to have found your channel, I bookmarked it immediately; somehow I've always believed that was exactly the way to go, even though the common advise was almost always in the contrary, I never ever change water, just add more due to evaporation; I always thought fish in nature live submerse in an immense variety of life, based on past recycle life. Thank You!!! I'm going to do the sand over my aged and high gravel; I wasn't sure that was a good idea up to now. I'd love to show you my setup; an unheated freshwater 75G tank connected to a 150G tank by a a 2" diameter primed pvc tube over the top and filtered by a wet dry setup build from a cheap plastic furniture over a acrylic container I built. I'll keep watching your videos, and again, thank you very much.
James, please join us on Discord. Link is in the description. Would love to see you tank. You can post pics and short videos on Discord.
Thank you for sharing your wise advice. All my fish and shrimp are doing very well. My fish have babies and shrimp are swimming everywhere. Appreciate what you doing here.
I like sand .I added sand over my gravel .I don't have problems with my aquarium. 10 months completed .Thank you for your knowledge ff.
So nice of you
@@FatherFish 🙏🏻
What type of sand did you add
You put dirt and then sand what kind of dirt the kind that you buy us aquarium shop and the sand can you use the same that they use for like pools
New to the hobby upgrading from 15gal to 55gal. Due to my inexperience and lack of research the orignal habitate was too small for the first fish i obtained.
But the ones that survived are a albino rainbowfish and a featherfin catfish. So working on my gravel tank with some plants atm. I'm on week three of not cleaning the substrate before going to a local river here in michigan to borrow some sand to add as well as some leaves that are already in the water. I'm nervous about the adition but from all your videos it sounds like this is going to work and it just plane makes sense. Thank you for the videos and the discord. I always thoight it was weird the norm was to make such an artificial environment for your fish. But this way just makes way more sense.
This channel has saved my fishkeeping hobby!! Thank you Father Fish x
Great to hear!
With that many tanks next to windows you know this guy doesn't care about algae growth. More power to you brother, I have one tank near a window and it's very established and vibrant and the fish are healthy when you can see them lol.
I love tanks in windows. Thank
you 5 Mile Macc.
I do too, and so do the fish. How beautiful they are with the sun shining on them, rippling
I had a 75 gallon in a window years ago and caught so much grief from people about it, it was honestly one of my most well balanced tanks algae was never an issue with it
What if I put a nice layer of dirt underneath the gravel?? That’s what I did and now I regret it after watching this video 😭
I did keep a tank in the window and it became infested with hair algae and then with glass mucky green algae. Killed my plants, they melted, I dunno… planted tank, 3 inch substrate
I stoped useing gravel and move up to sand, never looked back. Love the sand look
Hi Debra. Great for the whole system.
Father Fish,I love you man!! Greetings from Poland!
Thanks I love this advice that your giving everyone your a blessing for this great hobby
So nice of you Rego.
I bought a house with a build in natural pond in it. With lots of plants,some big fish too. The owner told me he never feeds them except summers...so called fish stores told me no thats wrong you should feed them. Other so called experts told me too many plants take some out. I end up with 4 of my precious fishes dead...then they told me i need filter system and oxygen pump ...I was allready making a list to spend money for all that. After watching some of your videos i realized the previous owner was right, i should have left everything alone...I messed it up, now i will get some mud and sand from creek neearby and add slowly some to the pond and add some more plants again. Thank you for your beautiful videos ❤❤❤❤
yeh they told you to do it there way and give them loads of money in order to make it work
@@adeptusmagiand then when algae is blooming, plants are decaying, you buy an algicide, you buy fertilizer, you buy "liquid carbon", and the list goes on and on
Years ago we had pond, we rarely fed the fish. Bag of daphnia once a month as a treat. I think they ate bugs and worms that fell in. When we did throw in food they didn't seem that interested.
Everyone loves a garden pond.
Gravel shouldn't be used by itself, that's for sure. In my current ecotank, my substrate's bottom layer is a mixture of top soil and aquasoil, the second layer is sand, and the sand covers most of the tank floor and all of the dirt/soil. In the front of the tank, I have a half-inch deep layer of gravel. Not the cheapo rainbow gravel, natural gravel. It's working just fine. I don't gravel vac it, ever. But within this tank are a variety of snails (ramshorn, mystery, cappuccino spike and pagoda, plus three zebra otocinclus). It's really easy for them to move the gravel around and clean it. The snails pick the river pebbles up and clean under then, too. It's awesome to watch.
Once you apply the basic principle it i=becomes possible to be flexible with materials. Sounds very nice Alexis.
@@FatherFish It's a fun tank to observe. In my classroom's Walstad tank, the gravel became an issue in a few spots. I think it was because I used the smoother textured gravel, that cheapo stuff, rather than the natural stuff I'm using now which is rougher and also doesn't pack together tightly. This gravel seems to be able to "breathe", for lack of a better term. Maybe you've also noticed this, but I've found that tightly packed gravel doesn't help to oxygenate the tank.
Thank you sir, keep breaking down the lies that big box stores have told us. I purchased $20 worth of aquarium gravel because I was told that’s what I needed as a beginner.
When you return it suggest you have decided to create a living aquarium, not a toilet.
@@FatherFish yes, sir. 🤣 ❤️
Thanks for your reply. That was for my 75. Now I'm doing one 29 in your honer. Dirted capped with sand for hopefully raising apistos. Thanks!
Sounds great! Keep us posted Bill.
Went dirt for first time about 1 month ago. Capped it with number 2 silica sand and the plants are really taking off. Low tech , with 6500k floodlights...90 gallon. I am a believer in dirt. Cheap as dirt too..lol.
You betcha Driftin.
cheers Father! I don't use sand, but Vulcatec, which I always use as substrate for my houseplants. It is like sponge that holds water and oxygen, basically a nano version of lava rock, or micro pumice, just without the float^^ thats perfectly fine aswell, isn't it? So far everything seems fine, three months in, no water changes, only refill.
edit: I should clarify: dirt as a base, Vulkatec as barrier, around the centerpiece wood I topped with Akadama. slow growing plants inside, and houseplants outside that rooted in the aquarium water. lovely watching the chili rasboras darting thru the roots^^
a very nice fine gravel. Use a fine grade. beautiful product
@@FatherFish Thank you for the confirmation! Yes my grain size is 1-4mm. I am a plant nerd for many years and have a vivarium for several years aswell. I had all the materials already at home and my accumulated knowledge in addition to research for natural aquarium suggested it should work perfectly. But you'll never know until you try^^ thank you for your videos, you are a priceless source of information and I very much appreciate it.
Kind regards from Germany
The best Father Fish! Such a life of experience and expertise! 🙏🐠🍀🐠🙏
This style of fish keeping is very cathartic and freeing. Thank you🙂
Yes Fritha. It is.
Thanks to you, and your wealth of knowledge, Father Fish I added a deep sand substrate, to our heavily planted tank, quite a while ago and view algae as our fishes' friend and feed even less commercial food than I was doing. I feel so much more confident looking after these special creatures. I would post a photo, but haven't worked that one out here.🙂
I already have a gravel tank (with a layer of aquasoil underneath the gravel layer). It has already got plants and stuff. If I don't want to take everything out and start that tank all over from scratch, can i just top off the gravel layer with sand?
yes. Perfect.
I sometimes see river beds that have gravel on the very top layer. So I'm curious, if I start with a layer of dirt and a layer of sand, then put a layer of natural gravel on top of that, does that work? Is it that I shouldn't use gravel at all, or I shouldn't use gravel as my only substrate?
Smart! I like to use river gravel as a dressing for my decorated tanks. It adds a natural quality.
@@FatherFish Awesome! Thanks for anwsering my question. I can't wait to set up my first natural tank. :)
Years ago I stopped using gravel after seeing all the rotting food and poop it collected. I stopped having issues with fungal infections and fin rot.
That is the key. Good job!
Glad I found your channel. A lot of Fish keeping wisdom here.
Welcome aboard Christopher!
Greetings and Salutations "Father Fish". Just discovered your postings here on You Tube. I am getting back into the hobby after a few years. I previously had a small 1 gallon Beta tank (More like a jail cell for the guy). I discovered from you a number of goof ups I made with my deceased Beta, "Carl". He still managed to live with me for a couple of months over three years. Really goofed up with complete water changes every three to four weeks and over feeding. The Spirit moved me to get back involved with aquatics once again. I had in mind is what I discovered from you Father Fish is a "natural fish tank". I was planing to use is Flourite Black Sand for my sub-straight and Black Gravel which the bag states it "promotes beneficial bacteria with some quarter size lave rocks on top with various live aquatic flaura/vegetation.
My new aquarium is 6 gallons, I would go larger but I am already pressed for space in my apartment. It will be the new home for a planned GIANT Betta. Father Fish, my questions are, "Will the previously mentioned products would do the trick to attain my objective, or do I have to look around for the sales receipts? Also the depths of each sub-straight layer and in what order. I have been getting so many different answers from the personal from various pet store merchants and the internet that I am totally confused! In a episode of yours you mention something about "Peat Moss" and this "soil" you mentioned, Does one go to the local nursery for that dirt and/or peat moss? I feel blessed to have found you on You Tube with your postings of what I consider as my "Aquatic Bible". Thank you "Father Fish", God bless you and your beloved ones. - Christiaan Scott, "The Man in Black". (Hence the reason for the black sand and gravel)
lol Thank you Christiaan. Join us at FATHER FISH SHOAL on Discord. discord.gg/szj4Gzfm
Great friends, great conversation, and more knowledge than you ever imagined.
I love all the new things you have taught me I was one of the people that was doing it all wrong thanks
Wish I would have found these videos before setting up my 75 gallon tank with gravel, plants, decor, and a bunch of fish… now debating on taking it all apart to do this method. Wondering if I could transfer all the fish and live plants to a large tote temporarily so I could accomplish this tank setup. I probably have $200 in gravel and fake log sets and plants I never would’ve bought had I known there was another way. It makes complete sense, I’m just feeling defeated having spent so much money and time already and now basically throwing much of it away as it cannot be taken back.
You will be victorious when you have completed the transformation.
sell it on a market place for others who may want it. there is more than one way to have an aquarium. And sometimes people use fake plants in their aquariums as place holders as they slowly buy and add plants.
I'm with you!! I've always done deep sand because well, that's what you find in nature!! Even areas WITH a completely rocky bottom, what's under the rock?? Sand !! I do have tanks set up with river rock.. but I put the rock ON TOP of a deep sand bed. Without the sand, it just doesn't work right...
Precisely Mike. Study nature to learn to keep a vibrant aquarium.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.. There is a lot of conflicting information out there. One older fish shop in my area swears by finer gravel (1/8" size) He uses it as deep substrate in all his planted tanks. And he is against fine sand. I have course sand and he seemed OK with that. He doesn't do water changes on most of his tanks.
Is your shop Oceans in SF? He is a magnificent shop with a deep understanding of deep substrate systems. He does things very differently from me. Both are effective. He use CO2 gas for his plants. I do too but mine is created in my substrate. I would love to talk with this old man and his wife.
I've had gravel bottoms, beautifully planted tanks , bred fish, wonderfully for years! I'm really surprised at this!
In a dirted tank gravel allows soil to be mixed in the water.
A great guy with huge knowledge and beautiful life passion...
Greetings from Suisse👋🏻
So nice of you Marcin.
Love your videos I have started a 20 gallon tank following your help looking great 👍
you should do a video with a deeper explanation about how to add sand in an aquarium previusly seted up with gravel, and how you should ensure the nutrients that plants need. I love your channel and your videos thanks for your work, Greetings from Colombia!!!!
yeah i was wondering whats the benefit of adding sand over gravel that has no soil ?
The sand allows detritus to accumulate in the gravel layer without being washed out., THAT becomes a soil player in time.
Every time I learn something new. Thank you. ❤
Much respect…so informational ❤️
In case of non-planted tanks the river sand which we use as building material can be used ???? TIA
Any sand will do. If the sand is acting as a cap for an inch of soil it will balance the system and grow luxurious plants.
Thank you for emulating nature! We (humankind) have so much to learn !
Yes we do. Here's one you will enjoy:
ua-cam.com/video/tc_3khg-Pcs/v-deo.html
hello idol father fish... thanks for the wonderful info.. 2 of my tanks plus 3 of my tub ponds are in a dirt substrate with sand cap.. they are doing really great with minimal maintenance. i have a question for my 15 month old aquarium, i put a thick sloping small gravel substrate 2 inches in front to 5 inches at the back....now i can see the layer of fish poop at the bottom. can i just top it off with fine sand about 2 to 3 inches and put a lot of plants with good lighting? is the old layer of fish poop collected for over a year enough for the plants to grow well or should i add fertilizer? thanks so much... love lots......
Yes. Absolutely. Cap it with about 2" of sand and it will be amazing.
Thank you for the fresh natural approach!!
When planting in a tank with 1” soil capped by 2” sand, should the plant be put in with the roots down in the soil under the sand?
Would the ideal way to set up the tank be to set the roots in the soil and then pour the sand on top of the soil?
The plant should be no more than 1" into the sand cap.
Is a mix of sand and river gravel different than the typical gravel? I am emulating a river stream with North American darters, and they seem to love the river stone gravel. I also use hornwort as it takes a lot of nutrients from the water column. Then some patches of monte carlo I'm trying to grow.
I appreciate your knowledge, thank you for sharing.
cap an inch of sand with river gravel to replicate natural stream bed.
what do you think is the best plants for cold water tank with gold fish?
Anubias, Java fern, Amazon sword or Hornwort
thank you sir @@FatherFish
Hi father fish...just something i was thinking about...
If you cap dirt with gravel... would that not mean that the fish waste would break down quicker..?..
It would have access to the dirt...creating more food for the plants...?
Just wondering..where i do see fish waste on top of the sand...
Thank you🙏
Good question. Gravel allows water to flow down to the soil, leaching it into the water oclumn. If detritus is lying on the sand the sand is not deep enough to accommodate the rate of detritus being created.
@@FatherFish ... Thank you 🙏
No food for a few days... Fasting! Love it!
I have a 20 gallon long . Well anyway before I seen any of your videos I set the tank up with a clay based substrate about 2 inches of it and then 1 inch of sand with about 1 inch of gravel. I put a box filter in it on a corner and 3 root tabs in it,been set up now for 2 years .I put 5 different types of plants. Now I find myself taking out plants so the fish can swim. So I no you no exactly talking about. I do give them a small pinch off food everyday. I used to feed them 5 times a day. The fish are healthy and some are even fat. I just wanted to say keep up the work and maybe none believes will believe.
Nice Bill. We would love to see your tank. Please join us on Discord where you can post pics and short vids. discord.gg/GdakStEjAy
I have gravel tank for over year and a half no problem. Plants still use waste i think. What do i do now if doing ok
Add an inch of sand. You will notice a substantial improvement.
I got some amano shrimp, and once at home found a tiny fish fry that i didnt take. i have a few predatory fishes such as a betta, black tiger darios, and scarlet badis. I didnt have much hope of survival for the lil one, 9 months later and the lil bugger is a molly and he or she is pestering all the other inhabitants. I never fed her and didn't even think she was still alive until 3 months in. she seems to be the healthiest in the aquarium, so i slowly reduced food for the others and realized what you are talking about is absolutely true, as long as you have plants and a healthy substrate and system there is always food but most importantly keep the fish doing what they were designed to do (scavenge/hunt/lure/graze).
Adam it is amazing how much food naturally occurs in a healthy balanced tank. Good job with the molly
Liked and shared, thanks for the wisdom!
Yours in the dirt,
Jim
Awesome! Thank you James!
I have gravel, if i want to put sand do i have to remove all my decorations ( wood, rocks,plants etc....) to evenly distribute the sand or just add around rocks branches etc...
Just pour clean sand 1/2" every 3 days.
I usually cap my substrate with a thin layer of gravel for the look but I still have dirt beneath for the plants and whatever else lives under there
Dear Father Fish, Iove your works, it's amazing to hear someone explaining how to keep live aquariums, instead of sterile ones. I set up a dirt tank, but I'm thinking I might have messed up. I put dirt, then sand, and then gravel from my local river. Since it has dirt/sand underneath will the detritus just sink, and I can keep it like this, or should I cap it with sand? Thank you in advance!
I should be fine.
@@FatherFish Thank you for the answer! You're amazing :)
I had 2 inches of gravel when I set up . After watching your videos I added 3 inches of sand . I couldn’t add dirt for obvious reasons . Have ordered a load of plants and leaf litter .
Nice work! Keep us posted.
On the topic of leaf litter. Do you suggest boiling leaf litter prior to adding to the tank, to kill off parasites?
@@pwulfe8728 .. some ppl do boil to remove some of the tannins . I bought leaf litter that was already cleaned and sterilised . However I will soak the leaves before putting in tank . Hope this helps
@@wendy70ish Yes, thank you. I have a couple of tanks with a combination of gravel, sand and eco strata substrate. So, I won't be adding soil unless I feel like undertaking the task. I've slowly adding a sand cap per Father Fish's advice. After I get some more of a cap going in these tanks I may try soaking some leaf litter and adding it.
@@pwulfe8728 NO! Do not boil the leaves. The native microfauna is critical for balancing and improving the diversity of your aquarium.
I have tried a long list of substrates. And different ways of setting them up. But my absolute favorite is decomposed granite. It's extremely dirty and takes a long time to clean but it's well worth it. I use a couple of inches of it and it works absolutely wonderfully. Have you ever tried it?
Yes. I prefer not to clean it but mix with soil for an inch and cap with 2" plain before water. The dust acts as additional bacterial host.
@@FatherFish that would definitely work.
Wish i had found your channel before we bought a used tank, it had snails and live plants. I really don't like snails so like complete noobs we completely emptied the tank removed the overgrowing plant and all the snails and now the tank keeps going bad and smelly after just a week. We were overfeeding by a lot and the tank constantly keeps turning into sludge. I will definitely follow you're setup video if it goes bad again its been almost a week and it's looking clear and clean. Do you recommend removing the gravel completely or can I still add it on top of the soil/sand layer
You can cap the gravel. I recommend starting over. you will be happier.
Dear father fish. By the time you know i am a big fan of yours . Issue is i can't have dirted tank till i redo . I added a layer of sand in my newer tank of river sand substrate . The older tank has little less than 2 inches of aquasoil only. I am letting dirt to accumulate and have added leaves . I have stopped putting liquid fertilizer. I have started feeding the fishes once a day . I started with 6 golden shrimps now i have bred 60 + in it . I do have a hangback filter with a lot of punice stone . I do have co2.
I have a lot of plants ,grass and red plants . Will my existing setup help growing sustainable ecosystem if i stop doing water change ?
I have a hair algae issue on the moss on my driftwood.
cap the aquasoil with 2" of sand. Remove hair algae by hand. You are doing great!
Hello Father Fish! I ran saw your video on natural tank set up and i loved everything you do and can't stop watching your videos!! You are amazing! I have a small aquarium with gold fish and some cleaning fish. The gold fish had babies and i m preparing a bigger aquarium for when they grow. I d like to follow your advice on making a natural tank but i m unsure about dirt and sand as I ve heard the fish will eat dirt and make water dirty. What s your adice. Also..can i use sand from the beach? Do i need to rince it off ?
Watch some more videos about making a natural aquarium. There are many. Come join us on the Fathar Fish shoal: discord.gg/G4fkAE6qNw. We will help you.
1-2 mm Dennerle Crystal Quartz you consider it is sand or gravel ? I like the black one.
I got a second hand tank with gravel in it , my plants grow fine , I don't do anything to my tank , it's 3 foot long and has over 50 fish and probably 100 cherry shrimp, some other shrimp and 2 wood shrimp, I've had it for years and only clean my filter once a year , sometimes I change it round for a different look , I wish I could send u a video because you can grow in gravel my friend
All tanks that fail have g ravel as substrate.
@@FatherFish that may be true but not all gravel tanks fail
I have bought some plants from you online shop Father Fish. This video was 2 years ago. What I don't understand is why the pictures of many of your plants for sale are showing growing in Gravel?
Now, I just moved, never tried sand in the past, and I am now trying gravel and sand. I am getting this not only from your videos, I am going back to "Exotic Aquarium Fishes" by William Innes, book went from 1935-1966, and shows using sand for plants and fish.
I am 66 and have been in the aquarium hobby since 12.
I am disagreeing with what you are saying here, and I do know that the modern aquarium practices and rules are terribly off track. Like the Aquarium Store Owner told my mother when she bought our aquarium 55 years ago said, "A hungry fish is a healthy fish."
You are rambling
@@FatherFish Hi there hope you are well just wanted to ask a question I have a 91 gal tank I've put aqua soil but I was getting frustrated by floating bits
So I decided to get some gravel to keep it down only a thin layer
Now I'm thinking to cover it with sand will that do the job as will still be able to be an suitable and have an eco system or better just remove the gravel and then put the sand
@@booboobambos7911 I am pretty sure from listening to Father Fish, that you can just put 2 inches of pool sand over your gravel and dirt to cap it and that will work great.
Peace. Thank you for the video. I have a tank that is maybe a month old. I have plants. I have fish. But i started it with gravel not knowing any better. My question is how can i fix my tank with fish already in it along with gravel? Should I remove the gravel? Or can I add sand ? Sorry for all the questions. This is my first tank.
Add 2" of sand on top of the gravel and then begin developing a food web. Join us on Discord to learn these ways.
@@FatherFish will do. I will look for the discord also
I’m doing this now but I’m wondering if I should add more gravel first
I keep sand in planted aquarium but gravel in oscar aquarium. Suggest me the change. Earlier I was having sand in oscar aquarium. Sand became very dirty within 6 months. And not easy to suction .
Mmake sand 4" deep and NEVER CLEAN!!!
I use i thin layer of gravel then 2 inches of sand on top i would use dirt but my fish like to fig and don't want hom reaching dirt to get sterd to the surface
Hi father fish. Can I just add sand on top of my gravel? It’s an established tank had it for over a year it seems it’s doing fine but I would like to make sure I’m heading in the right direction.
Yes. Just add 2 inches of sand on top of what you already have.
i was wondering whats the benefit of adding sand over gravel that has no soil ?
live in the PNW by a river called Sandy River that is a main steelhead, coho, and other salmon types run. The rivers name is due to that most of the whole river is a sandy bottom.
Do you think using that type of sand would be good? Or too many chances of problems coming from it?
I was thinking about setting up a small 40gal breeder tank I have sitting around with a very deep amount of this sand, but have not yet due to worry of problems that might take more of my time and take away from my established tanks.
PERFECT! Dig into the sand and get some of the dirty sand. That will be filled with nutrients and life. You will be amazed. 4" is enough.
Hey FF! I am getting ready to set up a heavily planted 75 gallon tank with corydoras, tetras, and a few mollies. What kind of dirt do you use, garden soil or dirt from my yard?
There is more to it. Watch a video on creating a natural aquarium. There are 4 unique components of the substrate. Soil is only one.
Damm just set up a 40 gallon..1.5 inches of gravel..then ..2 inches of top soil mix, then 2 inches of sand..?will this work?? I got like almost 6 inches of substrates..then going with plants..
It will be ok.
@@FatherFish thank god..was dreading removing all the sand and dirt ...my 10 gallon is exploding with the new guppy babies...need to get the 40 gallon up and running...got a 29 gallon started also...gonna skip the gravel on this one..
BTY, my red Kleiner Bar swords are growing fantastically in sand and are producing baby swords weekly. The hardest part was training the fish (some are still juvies) to only eat once a day (a very small amount). Wonderful to watch the tank evolving. To those who are frightened of deep sand bed/substrate tanks (mine is 4 inches), absolutely NO toxic gases and fish and shrimp are thriving. Tank is still young as its under a year. Looking forward to the next 10 years.
Thank you Peace River. We need to plan a collecting trip.
Hi father fish,after i rescape my tank of putting compost,sand and gravel,i have 4, 3inch goldfish,hiw often should i feed them after the 3days you said not to feed them,as at moment i feed them 2 times aday🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
You may feed them more often but feed small amounts.
Ok thank you father fish🙏🙏🙏🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
So I just got my first big tank ,65 gallon. I am going to put 1 inch of dirt and then 2 inches of pool sand. I trust what you say , I grew up with many ponds on our land and the baby fish always got bigger and there was no filters or air stones and sterile decorations from pets mart in them. So I am looking forward to seeing how this tank with lots of plants turnout.
Order my supplement on father.fish. I also have a great deal on plants. Good luck and be sure to share your creation with us on DISCORD. (link in description)
@@FatherFish thank you and I will!
@@FatherFish is that supplement the "substrate" you use, and is it enough for a 30 gallon tank ? Do we just put it straight into the tank and add the sand and that's it ?
Thanks 👍
i used river sand + dirt 😁 its cheap and looks more natural and plants look healthy oh and i just added some dried indian almond leaf 😍
Perfect Pork Chop.
Father Fish please advise me how to add 2" of sand on my gravel . I understood that I should add well rinsed sand 1/2" a week. This amount 1/2" of sand do I spread it uniformly all over the gravel or put it in sections each week? I am afraid if I spread uniformly the 1/2" little by little will sank into the gravel. Please advice. Thank you so much . Warm hugs🤗
I previously answered
I tried to find a answer for this on your answers and în the video but I cannot find a precise explanation.
Please just tell me where you said , in the video or in other Questions answered ?
I will retry to find . Just please lead me where to 🙏
Wont plants especially if rooted into the gravel just eat the waste product and essentially clean the tank anyway?
That is pretty much the idea. MMa
@@FatherFish he meant in gravel, I think
@@hoorayforyoutoob yes my phone auto corrected me and now I cant fix it because it will remove the heart father fish left me
Another great clip. Do you have a video already in which you talk about what you look for in your dirt/sand or which brands you like best and why?
Yes. Check the most popular vids on my channel.
Pool filter sand yes or no
Yes. Absolutely.
Hello there , i have a 2 foot tank with aqua soil mixed with i hate to say it semi fine roman gravel but the top is sand , but now by putting plants in has caused the aqua soil to surface being the least heavy substrate and the sand has mixed with the gravel and some trapped aqua soiil right at the bottom so now itsaqua soil - sand/gravel-aqua soil ( now on top) i managed to mix some sand /gravel back on top half way across from the middle of the tank to the back shall i put 2 inch of sand on top and leave it all alone , i have no fish just plants as ive spent all my money so far on sand gravel aqua soil and plants i dont know when i will have money to buy fish ANY 😂....i may have a planted tank with a sponge filtered fishless tank for months do i need to feed my filter to keep the filter bacteria alive in the sponge with a few fish flakes each day or is that a myth ?
you need fish
I have 1 10 gallon tank left with gravel, which has Ludwigia in it. I couldn't get it to grow in the sand. The Ludwigia grows great in the gravel. Otherwise all my other tanks are sand and they look great.
curious
I think you'd like a 20 gallon tank I set up a few months ago for guppies. I started with one inch of dry cow manure (I have cows, so it's free), then one inch of potting soil, and capped with two inches of pool filter sand. The bottom is full of crypts, and the top with hornwort.
Sounds spectacular Glenn. Come and share your tank with us: discord.gg/YJ63RaVH
Hey Lou, any tips for dealing with neon tetra disease? The parasitic microbe that causes total color loss about the spine shortly before death. Losing some fish in quarantine, thinking about letting it go acidic again. It was cardinal & ember tetras and corys and the ph got to 5.8-6.0, but they seemed to do well in it despite high ammonium. Then I made the mistake of doing some water changes to gently get it neutral and got some guppies.
My thinking is the lower hardness and ph will be more comfortable for all the soft water South American species, boosting their immune system so they can fight it off themselves, particularly the cardinal tetras. Maybe light the tank to help the plants keep ammonia low. Already lost both female guppies and two cardinals, hoping to prevent too many more.
Try the garlic cure. Crush garlic leave in water for a few days. If you have a few days to wait. Put by teaspoon into water. This worked for me.
You may be on to something Caleb. Guppies willl tolerate lower Ph if adapted slowly over a week or so.
I agree Vicky. Garlis is a wonderful prophylactic.
I have a betta and mystery snail in a 9g tank with natural stone gravel on the bottom, do i need dirt on the bottom? Can i just put sand on top of the stones? And do i need to take the fish out of the tank to do this? I just came across this channel and am learning so much.
Keep watching videos
i was wondering whats the benefit of adding sand over gravel that has no soil ?
I've just added sand to my Walstad tank today. I hope it'll fill in the gap between the gravel I've set as the substrat. Next plan, I'll also collect some dead leaves and anything can support the system of my tank.
Bravo! Collect some rotting leaves from a pond, just a few.
I put over 2 inches of pool sand over the gravel in my 35 gallon tank yesterday. The tank has been running for about a year and a half prior to this. However, I didn't think to put outside dirt down first? Does that mean it won't work? Should I try to dig it up and put dirt under the sand now?
I just stopped using gravel from the pet store and started to use river sand from a river
So you take sand from nature and put it as is in an established tank!? I want to take care of my tank and not kill my fish I’ve had them for years. I have those sphere fluval vitamins as the substrate and was going to add gravel to keep the plants in but now I wonder if I should put sand instead
@@DianaFerrets i've used river sand as well. No issues. But I only used it to start new tanks, never tried dumping it in an established one.
I use very fine almost sand-like gravel, fine crushed lava rock, and aqua soil in a plenum setup.
You might consider capping that with an inch of fine sand.
Love this! Thank you!
I used 1.5-2” organic topsoil with a thin cap of sand then a deep cap of medium gravel that goes from 2 1/2” in the front to 4” in the back. I’m waiting on my plants to come in and am going to heavily plant everywhere. Am I completely headed in the wrong direction? Should I redo before the plants get here?
I added some water to just come above the top of the gravel and I haven’t had any levels of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate yet…
With the gravel you need at least an inch of sand. If you need to add more just put it on top. It will sift through the gravel.
Is there any reason why I wouldn’t be getting any ammonia leaching at this point?
Excellent thankyou ✌️ I shall be using all your advice and wise words advancing on to 2 new big tanks.
Keep us notified on Father Fish Shoal: discord.gg/GdakStEjAy
Hello Father Fish. What do I use on the bottom of a tank with big clown loaches that destroyed all the plants? I have some Java fern and anubias, but even they are having a tough time. So basically I can't have plants in the substrate. Do I still use 2 inch of sand?Thanks!
the loaches need a cave to hide in.
Yes, I have many caves, but I'm getting a 500gal tank to replace my 220, and I don't know if I should go with sand or bare bottom.
Is it okay to keep only just sand, about 3.5-4 inches deep and use root tabs in case of providing nutrition to the plants? And please suggest there's any fish other than betta, livebearers that can be kept in a 1.5 feet cubical tank.
After a few months you will not need to add root tabs.
Tetras, cory catfish, algae eaters,
@@FatherFish Thankyou 😊😊
If you are making a fish tank, it is not okay to keep only Just sand. You had to add declorinated water in the fish tank too.
My tank has 4 inches of river sand and is over 75% planted with various swords and a variety of cryptocoryne. I keep adding more baby plants as they are produced in my other tanks. I only added root tabs for the first 6 months. I chose plants with deep root systems. I also have some anubias and java fern growing on driftwood but its the roots that grow down into the substrate that keeps it healthy.
@@rayionkingu2908 I see what you did there lmao
I thought an Under gravel system was more “natural” than say a sponge filter or hang on back filter to create water circulation. Doesn’t it suck the dirt and fish waist into the gravel and break it down so plant roots can grow with a “natural” fertilizer?
It also washes it out into the water column, making no differentiation between the nutrients in the substrate and those in the water column. This promotes algae and water borne pathogens. A deep substrate almost never has algae growth and is rarely diseased. UG is always troubled with algae and disease.
Do Koi's like plants and what kind of plants? I love you knowledge and advise!
i have a 29 gallon tank qith about 10pounds of gravel shoud i add a inch of sand?
Add 2" of sand. the substrate needs to be 3" deep.
My sand substrate is an inch. Can I add sand to my tank now while the fishes are in the tank so that it can be at least two inches? Do I just put it directly on the sand that is already in there?
Yes you can Sherice
Well, there is one substrate worse than gravel: colored glass and plastic beads . I know. That was my very first attempt at a fish tank. Trying to keep it clean was pure insanity, and it didn't take long for the fish to die. I had no clue what I was doing. I have deeply repented from my ignorance and my next 29-gallon tank set up will be a 100% Father Fish tank!
BRAVO! You are correct. Marbles are worse than gravel!
it all comes down to coarseness and type. How fine is ideal? Does type matter (river, beach..)? Should we wash it first?
I do not believe it matters.
Please suggest what type of plants to put with goldfish and comets and I mean full grown fish they are always looking for food in the sand so I know somehow they will uproot my plants if I put any
floating plants work well, especially hornwort and guppy grass.
Podemos agregar cualquier tipo de tierra? Osea, puedo ir a un parque, sacar un poco de tierra y ponerle de primera capa?