The Truth About Dirted Tanks: Water Changes
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- This is the second in a series of videos… The Truth About Dirted Tanks, and in this one I talk about Water changes within a dirted tank. I will go over why in my opinion why they can go much longer for a water change compared to a traditional water tank. I also ask for your input on your opinion on the subject. I will ask that of you add a comment do so respectfully or the comment will be removed. We all must open our minds and understand each other if we are ever to get over this silly controversy no matter what side you sit on.
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#fishroom #waterchange #dirtedtank #fish
Big subject, but I'll stick my neck out a little bit. Stability is important in the long term success of a tank. And in order to provide that stability, we ironically need to introduce change from time to time. The frequency of change depends on many things - setup style, bio load, live plants, temperature, feeding habits and the list goes on. What matters most is the health of the tank inhabitants, much more so than even our own bias. Learn from the behaviour of your fish in the hours and days following a water change. They might just be telling you something important. 🙂
Valid points
@@ProdigalAquarist excellent points and couldn’t agree more, your fish and inhabitants health are more important than any type of method or style we want to keep our tanks. Observation is key😁👍
My shrimp die off when I do water changes. When I just top off, they thrive.
@@grant5293 you need to drip feed the water into the tank. I use a 3 gallon jug of very high quality water and a length of air line with a loose knot tied into it.. syphon the line, and tighten the knot as needed to get a couple to a few drips per second. The shrimp are super sensitive to water changes. Also because of their small bio load you can crash the tank without enough poop for the bacteria to thrive on.
@ I have heard that before unfortunately
I 100% agree with the water table perspective. I feel like if someone can get proper amount of plants going. Topping off with fresh water is a must.
@@shahshank I feel water exchange can just be beneficial for so many components within an aquarium personally and definitely is a must for me😁👍
Great video Patty😊 I love your fish room!
I agree that there are many ways to keep fish. I love plants in my aquariums (I have 30 🤪) I love them to look as natural as possible in a glass box. Some of mine need water changes monthly because of my big nasty cichlids, others I’ve gone almost a year before I felt like I needed a water change because the fish are small & the aquarium is BIG (240 gals)
To me a water change is like opening a window in your house and letting some fresh air in.
There is no need for all the fighting that goes on online, but some people just like to argue.
Keep up the great work Patty 😊
Thank you and thanks for sharing. I also think that's the perfect example of a water change, opening a window to let fresh air in.... perfect
Well, I believe the load one attempts to keep determines if, when and how much water to change. Two goldfish in a 20 gallon long tank vs 10 endlers in the same size tank have different needs.
Once again Patty GREAT topic. Thank you
@@davidshultz4654 thanks Dave and you are 100 percent correct, the fish load is a big determining factor 😁👍
I agree with you in every aspect of this video Adam. I do water changes a small amount now that my tank is seasoned, there was a point where I didn't do water changes but was only topping off and I noticed thing were going a direction I did not like and went back to water changes. Even in my UGF tank I do water changes but I don't gravel vac and let the filter do it's thing and that one is also planted.
I also agree we all need to be open minded and learn and just quit the crap of constant threats and bitterness because we keep our tanks differently. I am subbed to many that I may not agree with how they keep their tanks but I am always staying opened minded to learning. Hell it took me forever to do a dirted aquarium.
Thank you for your openness in your video's it is truly a blessing to see.
@@MFTAQ thank you John, my hope is more can be open minded to everything in the hobby because we can learn so much from each other regardless of how we keep our tanks. I appreciate your support 😁👍
Thank you for your balanced approach. Nowadays everything on the net seems to become a war. I've seen it everywhere. From gardening on subjects like compost, or painting cars, doll making, you name it. There is now a Discus keeper attacking what he calls "swamp tanks" and accusing those with "natural" tanks of abusing their fish. He actually strives for what he calls "sterile water". If that's what he wants, and it works for him, fine. But he has been downright nasty, calling those who tend toward a "natural" approach, a "cult". In the words of Rodney King, after he took a beating from the LA police, triggering riots: "Can't we all just get along?"
@@saabtech3510 your welcome and will never understand why people feel the need to make things personal, this is a hobby we all should enjoy regardless of how we keep our tanks. I know who your talking about and unfortunately ultimately their will be people that just like to argue regardless of the situation.
I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the great work and content!
Thank you I appreciate it😀
I never stopped
Even when I seen the clickbaity thumbnails, from the big guys
I totally get the nutrient base side but the no water changes totally tuned me out
Well explained video Patty 👍👍👍
@@aquariumdelirium thanks Mal, I never stopped either but definitely tested the length to go in between. It’s all about balance within our own aquarium ms and knowing how they tick
I don't do a water change often in my planted dirt aquarium - but something tells me when . . . I'm happy. I enjoy your open manner.
@@janemarriott3389 perfect and thanks for sharing Jane😁👍 Thank you 🙏
I’ve enjoyed the hobby for about 50 years (on and off). Even 50 years ago, it was noted that some German aquarists never changed water and had good success, and others changed some amount of water regularly and had good success.
perfect example that there is more than one way to do it. Thank you for sharing
Great video Patty, way to break the topic down in a very common sense way. Lol, I also wonder why water changes are so controversial.
I run an aquarium cleaning business and set up all sorts of aquariums. For your setups, the water change schedule is perfect. I have a lot of clients who overfeed (no matter how many times I talk to them about it), over stock, want high tech tanks, low tech tanks, ecosystem tanks, so on so forth. Every tank is different and I like you try to keep an open mind. There are also African cichlid tanks or turtle tanks where we can't keep live plants. Discus tanks for example really appreciate lots of water changes...
At home I run a combo of hi tech to very low maintenance tanks. Some require big weekly cleanings due to the fertilizer and CO2 use. I know this isn't for everyone, but I really love how plants grow in these types of setups. Other tanks are more designed around keeping particular fish species happy. My dwarf rainbow tank doesn't appreciate big water changes so I've let the plants take over.
Having done this hobby for over 30 years, I'm not fixated on any one type of tank or approach and don't get mad at people who enjoy the hobby in different ways. As long as livestock are happy and healthy, people are free to go about it their own way. Thanks for keeping an open mind and asking others to as well.
@@freshflowaquatics Thanks Mike and I appreciate your input!
I’m my opinion you hit it right on the head, there are so many different types fish and ways to keep them, all requiring their own schedule.
So why the controversy?? Well in my opinion it’s mostly a mix of angry people that are just trying to start stuff and people who hate Father Fish. Now he doesn’t help matters by making videos telling people not to do water changes but does them himself which gets people who hate him to hate him more and people that follow him to say that your never supposed to do water changes under any circumstance instead finding what best fits there tanks and fish but that’s a whole different conversation. 😂
Bottom line like you stated whether you do water changes every day or never as long as our inhabitants are healthy that’s all that matters .
it does make sense what you are saying, your fish are healthy and your plants look great so you are doing something right for sure.
@@GCaquatics thank you Gabriel 😁👍
I jumped on the natural bandwagon and after my tank had a beautiful phase it went worse and worse, and now im putting my foot down and making some water changes. I could not see the sand anymore, had snails explode and eat most plants. Whatever we say a tank isnt a lake or a river. Its a glass tank. Im picking up slack and making it pretty again. Whatever people think doesnt matter. Thanks for the balanced information
Thank you and you absolutely need to maintain your tank in the way that you want to. You are also correct that it doesn't matter what people think, its your tank and your hobby
Though mine are traditional aquariums, I am intrigued enough to check in on the occasional "dirted" tank video. I enjoyed your presentation.
@@sschario60 thank you, I really believe we all can learn from each other no matter the style of tank and that was the goal in this video
For me, why I feel so successful with my no water change dirted tank is that I’ve gone lidless. My tank evaporates enough water volume all week long that I’m topping it off with fresh water twice a week. The other day I added almost 3 gallons to my 29 gallon tank (10%) of the volume the other day because I was gone for a couple days and the hubbie let it go. Lol!
This tank is spot on. I can’t get it to grow algae it’s so lush and healthy.
Good luck to dirted tank folk! Tank on!
i am the same (plants, no fish). High evaporation rates require alot of top offs. Strangely this seems to work with plants. I don’t understand it. Strictly speaking a top off is not a water change. Been doing this 4 years now. Would my plants benefit from a water change. I have no doubt they would. Just don’t need to. I may change my mind over time.
@@somethingsfishy7662 that’s great thanks for sharing 😁👍
@@thesolaraquarium that’s awesome and thank you for sharing 😁👍
Hey Adam.
I have to admit i do more water top ups than water changes. I lose a lot of water because of the furnace and the air exchanger.
My turrestrial plants really help especially with my unplanted goldfish tanks
Plants are key as filters
Some very good points pal
@@stubbsaquatics6080 thanks Chris, I do a lot of tops offs this time a year as well and plants are natural filters and so beneficial 😁👍
Very informative patty. I have a couple tanks that go 6 months, some 3 and a few every other week. Mainly because in that amount of time the nitrates start to rise. My shellie tank i change every other week mainly because of bio load and no plants. Rest are heavily planted and stocked. I can understand the every week, spotless tanks for display, but show me a fish in the wild that lives in a pristine spotless environment.
@@mcaquatics3143 thanks for sharing Mike and I every tank and situation may warrant different things and you are correct there are no clean environments in the wild 😁👍
Hey buddy - just saying hey and helping the algorithm!
@@LushSaltyAquariums well thank you Steffan I appreciate you 😁👍
Water changes... I have 10 tanks of different sizes and kinds set up at different times. I don't change water based on a schedule. Over time I developed a sense of when a tank needs a refresh. It's based on fish behavior, algae level, grime and sometimes the tank just doesn't look as fresh. I also take the opportunity to refresh filters when I change the water. I almost don't do WC in my shrimp nano tanks unless there is too much debris and poop build up. Shrimps don't like it. I top off the evaporation with RO water and that's another factor that helps a lot because the TDS stays the same. If I didn't have access to RO water I would change more water more frequently.
@@peaoat3608 I agree completely with not changing on a schedule, typically one can see when their tanks are in need. Thank you for sharing what you do 😁👍
Can I use clay soil as a substrate?
@@allahdengasis4283 I have heard of people using it before but I don't have any experience with it
I do 10 to 20 percent every two weeks in my FF tanks. I also clean my hang on back filters at the same time. This is also the time I trim my plants. I use easy green once a week as a supplement that seams to really help my plants grow.
@@Dogfish63 very nice to hear thank you for sharing your routine 😁👍
Hi Patty, I agree with you. I do water changes, but I am not a fan of just doing water changes for the sake of it. If I keep Discus or some large dense body fish that put out a large amount of waste, then I would do a weekly water change just to ensure the waste is not affecting the water quality. My densely planted tanks, I will be honest, I do water change every two weeks, or I may let a month go by. My water of the tap is high in phosphates and is like 400 TDS. So I use RO water and reconstitute. That's me. I have seen reef tanks filled with corals and fish running the Triton method where they don't do water changes at all. I do not discount any methodology in fish keeping. Things work. Look at LRB. No fliters, and it works. There are many ways to do things.
@@seannunes2041 thank you for sharing and 100 percent agree there are many ways to do things. And heck yeah LRB shows a lot when it comes on how to keep a tank that it can be done that way
People are people, if they are naturally a jerk looking for an argument, they will find the argument regardless of what the topic is. People doing peopley things 😉 and agreed there is no one size fits all advice recommending the weekly water changes was a safe cover your but recommendation from pet stores for years. Thanks for sharing 😊
@@jeffkane4391 very true Jeff, some just like to argue no matter what. 😁👍
@pattys_aquatics it is their life mission for some reason. All we can do is hope it helps make us a better person in the end.
in many cases our fish are healthier than those in nature, we protect them and medicate them which they dont get in the wild.
@@GCaquatics very true😁👍
I have a 55 that I do a 10 gallon water change on twice weekly. I have had tanks that water parameter wise was just fine. I can only produce 10 gallons of water a day for water changes. Typically go through 30 gallons a week
@@LakeMissoulaAquaticsandPlants thanks for sharing your experiences. 😁
Good video thanks
@@Jimsfish thank you😁👍
nice content..❤
@@ashikrafi290 thank you 😁👍
2:09 What are these skinny plants? I got one from the natural pond in my yard and it is multiplying
That is pogostemon stellatus octopus, it's extremely fast growing stem plant. It pretty much is a weed 😁
Michael's fish room recommend this channel to me because hes done with UA-cam & fishkeeping, glad I was passed over!
@@thekingofdiy3647 why that’s a huge compliment and thank you and welcome 😁👍
I followed father fish’s instructions, year later people are bragging on how awesome it looks. I’ve done a few water changes but once I stopped the tank did better.
I recently did a small water change to relocate the tank but it didn’t seem to need it a year after I stopped changing it.
I haven’t tested the water in as long. Everything seems happy
@@jamesgarner5946 I’m glad it’s working out for you and thank you for sharing.
Can I use clay soil as a substrate?
@@allahdengasis4283 I used potting soil, coconut coir and some blood meal+ bone meal, made an inch of that mud in the bottom not so wet that it lets the sand fall through.
1 inch of mud - 2-3 inches of sand cap. Any sand will do but some sand needs rinsed like pool filter sand.
@@allahdengasis4283 I can’t see why clay soil wouldn’t work but you’ll want to give it some organic fertilizer. I do organic blood meal and bone meal so it has no chance to mess with the fish or their reproductive health.
@@allahdengasis4283 eventually if left, the fish droppings will work its way into the sand and keep it going for years. Or so I’m told I’m only a year and a half into it.
Hey Patty, really enjoy your content! I've only been doing this for a few months now and put a ton of research in. I'm still a bit confused and maybe someone could help me, but to my understanding the main thing is managing nitrates in the aquarium but as you pointed out they register zero and planted tanks. Beyond that, is there any measurable thing that we can look to to indicate the need for a water change? A buildup of TDS maybe? I'm not sure. I know some people say don't change the water unless you need to and I thought need only really pertain to elements of the nitrogen cycle. Is there anything else? That's a big worry?
@@JK-rq5sj thank you, keep doing your research is one of the greatest things you can do to be honest. I’m still learning myself.
Nitrates were always the determining factor as to when to do water changes when I first started out but with planted tanks realizing there are so many different elements that contribute to them was eye opening.
I personally don’t test for anything but things like dissolved organics ( fish waste, uneaten food, decomposing plants material) can build up over time depending on numerous variables within an aquarium where water changes can be beneficial. Also with planted aquariums things like potassium, calcium and magnesium can be depleted and a water change can help replenish that . It really comes down to observation and seeing how your tank reacts.
I love my dirted tanks. I love my blackwater tanks. I love my biotope tanks. I love my high tech aquascaped tanks. Each to their own Patty. I say that as long as your fish are healthy, I don't care what your tank looks like. I feel that some of the dirt or ecosystem tank keepers can be a little elitist, and thinking they are somehow better the longer they can go between water changes. On the other hand, I feel that some people just want to trash talk what they don't understand.
@@Gilsfishroom very true Gil, there are extremes on both sides of the hobby and those are usually the ones making the “controversy” within the hobby. I as well don’t care how anyone maintains their tanks as long as the inhabitants are the main priority not standing on hill trying to back the method they use.
My tank is heavily planted...yay, no more water changes. 🥳
What's this? One of my Velifera has a swollen eye? Welp, time to do 25% water changes, every 2 days, until the problem goes away. 😋
A few additional informations, my tank is heavily planted, but I overstock and I overfeed, and so that tank is on a two 25% water changes a week regime, and even so, sometimes one of my Velifera (not necessarily the same one) get a swollen eye, I don't want to treat the whole tank, I don't have the space in my house for a treatment tank, and so I treat that condition with water changes. 🤓
@@ragnos28 thank you for sharing that experience and you are correct water changes can help big time in tanks that are overstocked and fed. 😁👍
@@pattys_aquatics Yeah, in short, water changes can reduce whatever "bad juju" you have in your tank, be that ammonia, nitrates, bacterial bloom, green water, etc, and is most likely the first thing to do when you notice that something is wrong in the tank.🤓
Everyone is getting on the UA-cam site to pass on their advice and methods! Father fish, MD, Richard, and his Neocaradina shrimps ,Pet Co, etc etc! I love the advice and the interesting content. I've been keeping everything from crayfish to Pirhanas to fresh water dolphins. I've snorkeled in Lake malawi,as i was born in Zambia. All i can say is keep plastic, synthetic shit out of your aquariums. Put organic potting soil under your substrate..it's natural, and your plants love it. I change 20% of my water every week. I only use rain water, so it does more good than harm. Decades of experience cannot be taught!!
@@Odipodi wow you seem to have some stories, that’s awesome thanks for sharing 😁😂
I’ve got dirtied tanks & never do water changes only do top ups when needed, lots & lots of plants there’s no need to change water my tanks a Cristal & the fish are happy thieving having fry & no diseases None
@@Saxonwomen that’s awesome to hear and thanks for sharing your experiences 😁👍
Take a look at all your tanks, which one is cleanest, which one is dirtiest, which one is healthiest are they all the same and on the same routine?
@@Nakamamas observation is huge to knowing and understanding our tanks for sure😁👍
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
@@LakeMissoulaAquaticsandPlants thank you🙏
Are you on well water, or why don’t you condition your water?
@@Moteb208 no I have city tap water. Honestly it started out of running out of conditioner once and seen nothing was affected. Now, is it smart? I don’t know I never had issues with my city water but if they change something with out me knowing it could cause some issues
Dirted Oscar tank is insane 🤣
@@mr_ant_0 I’m kind of a insane guy😂 things have been going good so far in all honesty but the next 5-6 months will be telling when it reaches it full size.
Ah yes, swamps
@@plantybara 😂