To maintain a clean aquarium, it is essential to clean the outside at least once a week to prevent dirt buildup and damage. Outdoor aquariums also require regular maintenance, such as cleaning filters and monitoring water chemistry, to prevent algae growth and keep fish healthy. With the right equipment and care, you can change out about 20 of the water in the tank every week to keep the water clear.
To remove fingerprints and water spots from the outer glass of your fish tank, buy an aquarium-safe lime cleaner and use a gravel vacuum. Aquarium maintenance is crucial because an aquarium is a closed system with a relatively small volume. To get crystal clear water, turn off tank equipment like lights, filter, and shakele Basic H glass cleaner.
To effectively maintain an aquarium, run all water in the tank through the filter at least four times each hour. Check the water filter at least once a week for blockages and clean or replace it once a month. Live plants may also help keep the water in your tank clear.
For larger tanks with more pets, perform a partial water change, clean the filter, and have a general clean-up of the tank at least once a month. From an aesthetic point of view, wiping down the tank glass, cleaning the ornaments, and siphoning the gravel/sand will instantly improve the overall look of your tank.
Easy habits to keep your fish tank clean include using water testing kits, performing regular water changes (20 every 2 weeks), and physically cleaning the tank. By following these tips, you can ensure a clean and healthy aquarium for your fish.
📹 The Simple Secret to Keep Your Aquarium Clean!
WHAT IS A CLEAN TANK? FATHER FISH explains the basics of a clean fish tank. A clean tank does not mean constantly cleaning …
How do I keep algae off my aquarium glass?
To prevent algae growth in your aquarium, consider the following steps:
- Reduce lighting: Avoid direct sunlight for part of the day to prevent algae growth. Use artificial light only for eight to 10 hours each day and use a timer to turn them on and off.
- Feed less: Overfeeding fish can increase phosphate levels in the water, so feed small portions and watch the fish eat. Remove uneaten food promptly.
- Perform regular water changes: Change 10 to 15 of your aquarium water every week to lower nutrient levels and remove nitrate, which is a main fertilizer for plants. Test your water source: If it is high in phosphate, consider using phosphate-removing chemicals or find another water source like filtered water.
- Clean up: Remove algae growth on glass, rocks, or other hard surfaces by scraping, removing rocks, and vacuuming the gravel. Keep live plants: Live plants absorb many of the nutrients that algae thrive upon, reducing fuel for algae overgrowth.
- Keep algae-eating fish: Keep Siamese flying fox, otocinclus, plecostomus, or other algae-eating fish to help reduce some algae in the tank.
To deal with common algae types, know the type of algae you have and how to deal with them. Brown algae, also known as gravel or silica algae, is common in new aquariums and can be easily wiped off with a gravel vacuum. Blue-green algae, also known as slime or smear algae, can spread rapidly and be difficult to control. Good water care will help, but special treatments may be needed if the water source has phosphate. Erythromycin is effective against blue-green algae, but use it judiciously as it may harm the beneficial bacteria colony in your biofilter.
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- Red or beard algae: Dip in a weak bleach solution for a few minutes to kill this type of algae. Green algae, also known as hair, thread, or spot algae, is a healthy type that will not overgrow as long as the tank is well-cared for.
- Green water, also known as an algae bloom, is caused by the growth of microscopic algae suspended in the water. Water changes are usually ineffective, as the remaining algae will quickly multiply. Test the water to ensure it does not contain any ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, or phosphate, as these all promote algae growth.
How do I keep algae out of my outdoor aquarium?
To prevent algae growth in your fish tank, follow these steps:
- Monitor excess food intake. If your fish doesn’t eat within 3-5 minutes, reduce the amount of food.
- Change the water regularly, ideally 10-15% each week, to maintain balanced nutrient levels. Over time, accumulate nitrate and phosphate, which can contribute to algae growth.
- Test the water’s pH, nutrient, and mineral levels. Use chemicals from pet stores to reduce additive levels.
- Consider adding live plants, as they require the same nutrients as algae, reducing the amount of nutrients needed for algae growth.
What color light kills algae?
Algae can be caused by excessive light intensity in any color, and a low intensity can allow lights to be on for longer periods. However, plants can change the color of the incident light to fit their needs, and vendors often charge outrageous prices for their “full spectrum” bulbs. This misconception allows vendors to charge outrageous prices, as plants can change the color of the incident light to fit their needs.
No one has proven that any “full spectrum” bulb grows plants any better than an ordinary bulb found in a supermarket or office building. For example, ADA bulbs were never “full-spectrum” bulbs, as they are extremely high in green, even having the model name “NA Green”. No one has ever questioned why their bulbs are not “full spectrum”, as green light penetrates deeper into the tissue, allowing it to reach chlorophyll cells and improve the quantum yield.
In conclusion, there is no color that can completely avoid algae, and it is important to consider the specific needs of plants when choosing a bulb.
How do I keep my aquarium soil clean?
To clean aquasoil, use a siphon to remove surface detritus and avoid disturbing more than 1cm of the substrate. Deep cleaning is necessary for tanks with large amounts of old roots or used substrates that have been used for years. This process can only be done after plants have been uprooted, usually through replanting cycles. The goal is to remove detritus from deeper layers using a small spade or fingers, and manually clearing out old roots and growth trapped in the soil. This process should be accompanied by a large water, as stirring up deep layers of substrate can release ammonia and labile organics into the water column.
To enrich depleted aquasoils, mix in rich new ammonia-rich aquasoil every 3 to 6 months or use nitrogen-rich root tabs, such as the 2hr Aquarist APT Jazz root tabs, which are designed to release slow-release ammoniacial nitrogen. This helps maintain a healthy and healthy environment for your aquatic plants.
Is it OK to have a fish tank in sunlight?
Aquariums can thrive in bright, sunny environments, even near windows, but the misconception that sunlight causes algae can lead to issues. To keep your tank clean and bright, avoid three common pitfalls: excessive nutrient levels, such as excess phosphates and nitrogenous wastes, commonly found in industrial and aquarium fertilizer. These ingredients are known to cause algae blooms in ponds and oceans.
Algae require light to grow, and the presence of excess nutrients is a requirement for this to occur. To avoid algae, avoid adding too much fertilizer, especially in the early stages of a tank’s lifespan, and overstocking the tank. Instead, maintain a steady routine of water changes and avoid adding too much fertilizer or fish food or waste to your tank. Similar to farmers controlling their fertilizer runoff to prevent algae blooms, hobbyists should also avoid adding too much fertilizer or fish waste to their tanks. By avoiding these common errors and maintaining a bright, sun-filled environment, you can ensure your aquarium remains healthy and free from algae problems.
Is it OK to put aquarium outside?
To prepare your aquarium for winter, consider designing it as a year-round or indoor option. Use a heater for colder months, avoid placing it under trees, and choose a shaded area with shade from the house. Use a filter to keep the aquarium clean, and consider adding aquatic plants for a complete ecosystem. Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter to receive a free download of the DIY eBook “Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter”.
What kills algae outside?
Pressure washers are effective for cleaning patios, but not everyone has one or wants to buy one. Alternatives like vinegar and chlorine are cheaper and can be used to clean patios without a pressure washer. However, these methods can be harmful to plants, grass, and herbs. White vinegar is less damaging and can damage natural stone with high lime content. It is recommended to test the effectiveness of vinegar or chlorine in a hidden spot first.
A mixture of soft soap, soda, and hot water can also remove algae from wooden surfaces, but it is time-consuming and may miss some spots. HG’s products are designed to remove algae without harming plants or grass, and can be used to clean patios and remove green algae from concrete.
How do I keep my outdoor aquarium cool in the summer?
To cool an aquarium, strategically place fans near the water’s surface to promote surface water evaporation and lower the temperature by a few degrees. Proper ventilation and positioning are essential for optimal results. Fans can be removed from the tank’s lid for easier water evaporation.
Aquarium chillers are specialized equipment that control water temperature by lowering it and keeping it steady. They function similarly to a canister filter and are box-shaped with two hoses that extend into the aquarium. The tank’s water is sent through one pipe to the chiller, and the other hose returns the chilled water to the tank. Some chillers use a drop-in titanium coil to chill the water down, but they require placement close to the aquarium due to length limitations with the cooling line.
In summary, using fans, chillers, and chillers can help maintain a cool and healthy aquarium for your aquatic inhabitants during heat waves.
Can I use dirt from outside in my aquarium?
A planted aquarium’s success relies heavily on the soil used. A very rich substrate is not necessary, as garden soil is full of organic matter that can leach harmful microorganisms into the aquarium. Normal soil, found in backyards, is recommended, as it has less decaying matter. Aquatic plants, especially stem plants, grow on soil that has been washed away by the water column. To recreate this ecosystem, at least three types of soil are recommended:
Gravel, optionally used as the first layer, can be laterite or clayish soil. Do not add fertilizers at this point. If root tabs are added later, the clay should absorb it for easy access for the plant’s roots. Scatter the clay/laterite over the bottom of the aquarium, ensuring it is at least an inch thick.
The second layer is a mixture of 1 part loam soil to 4 parts normal soil. Make sure the loam is composted properly and no longer contains decaying matter. Remove leaf litter or twigs and do not mix gravel with the soil. Gravel will make it hard for roots to penetrate once the soil settles underwater. Avoid compacting the soil while applying it. If desired, have 2-3 inches of this mixture on top of the laterite, and use more if needed.
How do you clean the outside of a water tank?
To clean a water tank, use a pressure washer to quickly and thoroughly clean the tank by filling it with water and an appropriate cleaning agent. Spray the tank’s interior and exterior walls and openings with the high pressure. The cleaning agent depends on the tank’s contents, with citric acid being environmentally friendly and suitable for freshwater tanks. For chemicals or hazardous substances, special cleaning agents are needed.
It is recommended to clean the tank at least twice a year to prevent biofilm buildup. It is essential to replace the contents every time the tank is filled, and to consult a specialist retailer for suitable agents.
What is the best thing to clean the outside glass of a fish tank with?
Maintaining the cleanliness of your aquarium glass is crucial, and can be done using a lint-free cloth or soft paper. Gently scrub the outside with warm water, avoiding chemical cleaners as they can contaminate the inside. If chemical cleaners are needed, spray them on a cloth away from the aquarium, not onto the glass. This simple task ensures a clean and healthy environment for your fish.
📹 Crystal Clear Aquarium Water – Top 3 Tips (SIMPLE)
Crystal Clear Aquarium water is not hard to achieve. Everyone wants their fish to be happy and healthy, but as aquarists we also …
My most balanced 55g aquarium ever had a bottom layer of Miracle Grow Potting Soil mixed with non-clumping, unscented cat litter, and Flourite; Capped with 2 inches of gravel. I heavily planted it, and inoculated with pond creatures from my wild Daphnia culture. After a month of running, I slowly added small schools of fish, every few months. After the first year, I hardly ever did water changes. I had to remove excess plants every few months and give them to friends. This tank ran for 12 years, until I had to move it to another room during a renovation. Biodiversity and balanced ecosystems require less intervention.
Thank you for mentioning Lee Chin Eng. He kept the first reef tanks without filtration, using only live rock, natural seawater, and an AirStone. He was the first to successfully keep these reef tanks. Of course, it was helpful to live in Indonesia on the coast, with all the corals, fish, and other livestock. Also he had all the fresh seawater that he would ever need. I was given a copy of his tropical fish hobbyist magazine article about his natural aquariums that was published in 1961.
I lived with a roommate for about 5yrs. I had a planted 40g, he had a 120g saltwater. I did weekly water changes, he would change water multiple times a week and add/subtract nutrients to optimize his tank. Needless to say, his tank had 2-3 mass extinctions while my plants and fish were multiplying and I was giving them away to local stores. He finally asked me what I was doing, and I told him “tap water and leaving it alone.” Once he switched to a more relaxed approach his tank looked beautiful.
As a teenager in mid 70’s Aquarium was my hobby. now 62 I like to get into the hobby again so I’m checking you tube & all these new tech stuff w/ the CO2 injections that I can’t understand / seems complicated. I rather go simple + natural like the old school. I used to go pickup plants w/ hitchhiker snails from freshwater river narrow inlet & they grow like crazy in my tank & was free! article AAA Thanks.
I’ve wondered what would happen if electricity went out as to how long a tank and everything in it would be ok. I’m trying to learn all I can and I’m literally just starting to read and try to understand all about tanks fish and coral. I’m so grateful for people like this gentleman who know so much and generously share their knowledge. Thank you sir!!
I got my first aquarium in 1976. I have had 1 or 40 since then. I have 6 running right now. I taught my self everything you just talked about. I live on a acreage. I too have a 20 year untouched tank full of dirt sand and rocks. All my tanks do. You are sooooo right!!! I wish more new keepers would listen to people who keep fish instead of stores who are there for profit not your best interest.
I’m so happy to see this confirmed by a professional. I figured this out a while ago when my dislike for high maintenance things combined with my experimental nature and I found the more I neglected my live planted, live fed tanks, the better they got! I’ve been keeping fish, invertebrates, and microorganisms alive and thriving like this now with great success. My fish thrive in the water column and produce their waste, my plants provide habitat and decaying materials, my invertebrates consume and maintain that material and waste, my flounder helps a ton by mixing that material down in the sand when he buries himself as do the blackworms who don’t get eaten and bury themselves, the material gets down into the layer of fluval and add nutrients, and the plants use that to thrive and provide oxygen. It’s an excellent cycle to observe.
I’ve been raising reptiles for over 20 years and set up my first bioactive terrarium when I was 14 years old by mistake when I used dirt and branches from outside. that tank was self sufficient and it’s inhabitants the healthiest. bio active aquarium makes perfect sense to me, I set my aquarium up like I would a terrarium with a drainage Layer of gravel at the bottom with plant soil then topped with black sand, I added shrimp and Corry cats as my clean up crew but never thought to add mud from my local creek. in my terrariums I add fauna from outside like spring tails and isopods which would be the equivalent of adding the micro organizms found in creek mud to my aquarium. thanks for opening my eyes to the missing ingredients in my aquarium. 👍
I took your advice Father Fish. I drained my tank to the gravel and left all the waste on top. I added 2 inches of sand directly on top of the gravel and filled the tank. I added some store bought plants and went to my local, clean river and pond and snatched up plants from there. I added the plants with the soil attached to the roots and planted them straight in. My fish are so happy because now they can dig around the decaying debris and search for food like fish are supposed to. So happy I did this conversion. Added bonus, one of the plants had a big fat snail on it. Double score
I also had an aquarium as a Teenager and didn‘t clean it as ofthen as I was told to. I accidentially created a selfsustainable biome. It is so nice to Watch your article and get an explaination for the phenomen my Tank was clean, without cleaning it. My Fish ofthen became ill, after changing a Part of the water. So I Didn’t do it so ofthen. Sorry for Bad english. Greetings from germany 🙂
Nice article. I’m returning to my favorite hobby after 30 years. I’ll be creating a low-tech aquarium in a spherical tank. As a civil engineer, I’ve had the opportunity to work in some natural water treatment facilities, and I plan to incorporate those concepts into my aquarium. I’m not a YouTuber, but I’ll do my best to share the journey and results. The main principle is simple: a large base where bacteria can thrive, as well as plants and microorganisms. In my 8-liter aquarium, I’ll be keeping a couple of shrimp, some snails, and daphnia, moina, and branchonetas. Here in Brazil, we have plenty of options, but I live in the south, where it’s colder, making things a bit more challenging. I learned everything you mentioned in my childhood while experimenting with my 200-liter aquarium. Initially, like everyone else, I used plastic and resin toys, some colored glass gravel, but soon I learned from my grandpa’s biology books. I radically changed everything by using mud and topsoil from a pond, planting real aquatic plants, and using river gravel. Soon, I had green water—not water in a green color, but alive water, full of microorganisms. I bought a magnificent glass to observe the little creatures—water bears, tiny branchonetas—and it was amazing. I carried that experience with me throughout my life. I don’t know if it’s a midlife crisis, but I feel that I should bring back some hobbies since I’m tired of working so much and only working.
Absolutely a fantastic article!!! I had an Aunt that gave me my first aquarium when I was 8 years old. She had several scattered around her house ranging from 10 to 75 gallons. What she originally gave me was a 20 gallon short long tank. It was one that had the old stainless steel frame ( I still have it ). She and I set it up with dirt, and sand from her existing established aquariums. Then went to the creek for some gravel, rocks, a waterlogged tree stump, and a few plants. This was my start in the love of freshwater Aquariums. I’m 62 now. This little 20 gal. has been moved several times over the years. Hundreds of generations of live breeding fish like Guppies have been raised from her original fish. I seldom pass on a yard sale aquarium. No telling how many I’ve given kids over the past 50+ years. It’s such a calming hobby!! It teaches values, and love for the environment. Most of the kids still have setups. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with people who wasn’t lucky enough to have a Aunt like mine was!!!!🙂
I was just recently passed on a tank with three dying fish inside and asked to keep them going, I had never owned a fish tank before, let alone take care of fish. I am learning a little bit more each day and today I found your website and I feel so lucky that I did. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us. I guess we never think of simple ways like letting nature do what nature does. Take Care!
You are such an inspiration. My great grandmother had aquariums in west Texas in the early 1900’s. She even had a small seahorse….all before she had electricity. Thank you for connecting me to her Spirit through this hobby. Your fount of wisdom and experience amazes me, but you sharing all of this so freely makes you an absolute gem of a human being!
Sound advice. Mine is completely outdoors in 3 large multi-levelled garden pots. Most of the plants and little creatures are from the local river. Fish occupy the middle level with the upper and lower imhabited by local frogs. The pump and filter are all solar powered and it basically needs very little intervention once set up. Great Vid!
I have a 36 gallon with 6 gold fish in it. I have gravel and 2 fake plants and a big log in it So my water is clear and i clean it once a month. Been going strong for a year now. Do you agree with all of this? I’m new to the website and love it so far. Keep making great articles. God Bless and take care.
Love It…and Love You!..Way back in the 70’s my brother and I kept a tank doing the very things you describe…no money…so we had to run around gathering whatever we could find from Nature around us…kept that tank our entire childhood…(Then, we grew up and started using all the mechanisms sold today!) Incredible how little children can just know things by doing what you said…”Observing Nature”…sadly this is something our youth today have missed out on in a big way. Thank you.
It makes a lot of sense. What better environment for a living being to thrive than in its natural one, only without any predators to worry about? You can tell Father Fish has a lot of wisdom from years of doing this, and I’m glad I came across this website. I will be using this website to guide me through my entry into the fish world. I’ve always wanted to recreate a natural body of water, this website will be perfect for that. And I kinda like the idea of being maintenance free, too 😂
I’ve come to realize you have to embrace what your tank is doing. The moment I stopped trying to mimic the real pretty Facebook and instagram aquarium posts my tanks started to thrive. They now look like the slice of nature they should look like, healthy fish living in a booming ecosystem. Amazing advice!
Have a 20 gallon fish tank that has never had a water change. Java fern thriving and needs constant pruning. Water super clear other than the tanning from the dift wood. Have had multiple fishes spawn in it already. Other than topping off the water and cleaning the sponges in the canister filter, its maintenance free.
Thank you for this article. I did my first bio aquascape in a bowl and decided to take a dried mulberry leaf off my tree outside and place it in the tank. Few days went by and i saw tiny jumpy micro things in the tank. I thought oh no I’ve ruined it. Turned out my tank is super healthy and all i do is top ups
Perfectly said… I feel that many has forgot to trust mother nature and neglect to learn to understand her methods to maintain balance to her offspring with is nature itself… This article warmed my heart to know there are still people out there who shares the same connection and appreciation for nature and its inhabitants ❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥💯
Long reply I know, but I’m a nerd when it comes to the hobby! I Love what you are teaching and promoting here, and much of what you are saying is on point. I’d respectfully disagree, creating a perfectly balanced near ecosystem 24/7 without ever experiencing a crash is anything but “the easiest thing to do” but it certainly is a fun challenge even to the most experienced aquarist. I also was successful in a marine fully closed ecosystem using nothing but a mason jar, Opae ula shrimp, a pinch of algae a small piece of live rock, and glued the top lid closed never to be open again. The system survived 9 years before the lid eventually started to leach rust down into the inside of the jar (highly toxic) and was its ultimate demise otherwise had I sealed it properly in plastic or something similar, it had the potential to go much further. Never fed the tank, being completely enclosed I never had to replenish nutrients or water, about the only thing to watch for was adequate lighting to keep the algae growing yet not let the jar get to much direct sunlight that would create an algal bloom or dramatically change the temperature inside. This is as I’m sure you know has been a system that we have experimented with in space as well. I also had a 200g open freshwater system with fish, invertebrates, clams, snails, and plants and that one did have sand and plants. I allowed for livebearing fish and the shrimp were Amano and cherries allowing everything to naturally balance out itself and procreate as needed for longevity as well as natural replenishing food on it’s own (as is in nature) and It lived for a good 7 years before I finally got bored and broke it down.
I raised 6 goldfish to be 5-6″ long. I ended up giving them to a friend with a small 8′, outdoor pond just because i was tired of doing monthly water changes and hearing a loud filter system 24/7. This makes me want to get another aquarium. I love the idea of self sustainability. I just never knew how to achieve it properly.
For those worrying about goldfish and plants, I keep anubias, java fern, java moss, and bolbitis. These are plants that are attached to wood or rocks. I experimented with a couple of swords and after a couple of months, they live untouched. I put rocks around the roots so they do not get dug up. I also feed them cooked string beans everyday to give them their veggie requirement. Besides that, they eat daphnia and frozen raw shrimp with added garlic, meant for human consumption. I feed NO commercial foods to any of my fish, goldfish or tropical fish. If you have hard water, take out a few gallons and add fresh when the tank needs topping off. Otherwise the minerals will keep building up. Oh, and add those leaves and pond substrate; the fish love it.
I just got into freshwater aquariums within the past year. My doctor actually “prescribed” it for my PTSD and anxiety. It has been incredible! Unfortunately I did get off to a rocky start and lost quite a few of my fishies in the beginning but I’m eagerly learning and thankfully getting better. I still have sooo much to learn and I’m so thankful for your website and others like you ❤❤❤❤❤
I’ve been doing this exact approach to my heavily planted tank and its going great for over a year and a half no issues. I’ve got all the little organisms, Neo cardinia red shrimp breeding, started with 15 now over 100. Serpae tetra fish are vibrant red and happy. I love the serpae they are a gorgeous color, way prettier than the ember tetra and they are not as expensive.
The only thing I’m doing on my 200L aquarium with chinese firebelly newts and shrimps since 9 years is cutting back the overgrown plants and cleaning the glass. No filter, nothing – just lights. Works so great and the animals love it. All the people I told that they dont need to clean every so often if their bioflora is healthy can’t understand me, because ‘the smart guy at the petstore told them to put these products for 90 ish bucks every month into their tank plus regular cleaning and the fish will be fine’. Just cant understand these people its even less work and the animals have a far better life!
I am so glad I found your website! You have made me consider things that no other youtuber has talked about in just one article. I haven’t started my aquarium yet but I kept a lot of fish, frogs, crabs, and other animals as a child and I’m trying to do my research before starting a tank in adulthood. Thank you for making things simple, I am excited to watch more of your articles!
You are 100% right. I started small 50l tank in 2016. I add no chemicals; I dont change water (only add evaporated). There is a small simple pump with sponge filter. But I think the key is to keep relatively large amount of plants. They stabilize the ecosystem and control algae growth. I can enjoy Tanichthys fish that are reproducing and also small shrimps ang snails. Best wishes from Poland.
I started my first FF tank 2 weeks ago. Love it so much! I’m in the process of transforming my second tank to FF. I have a third 75 gallon tank with green severums and loaches. This tank has 3 inches of sand and plastic plants. Everyone told me that no real plants can survive with severums. I would love so much to transform this tank in FF. 😟
Sand or soil really is the best way to keep a freshwater tank, I used to have aqua soil with a gravel cap with some stem plants and I had all sorts of issues in the past. I decided to do a refresh on my main tank after learning so much more from YouTube articles and experience. These days I use aquasoil with a sand cap and a more heavily planted Aquarium of slow and fast growing plants, alongside the correct algae clean up crew should the tank need it, the snails and SAEs make short work of it should it appear. It has done wonders for the overall aesthetics and health of my fish and plants, the tank is vibrant and colourful, the water clean and clear, not a single algae issue and little to no water changes required, outside cleaning the box filter every now and then, when I notice a little too much Biofilm on the surface.
It’s really neat how my tank has evolved over the years. I started with cleaning scrubbing the glass, water change every week, vacuuming, fert, minerals, etc.. now, I haven’t scrubbed the glass in a couple years, no fert, maybe a small water change once a month or so, just sponge filter, and I have crystal clear water, no algae, thriving plants and breeding fish. I have small snails and scuds that offer a supplemental food source. A month ago my power went out for 3 days. Zero fatalities. The hobby is so much more rewarding when you create something that lives on its own.
Now i just listen that amazing grandpa while looking my high tech equipment invoice which is about 3k dollar. I guess current aquarium community and markets all about dumping full of shits to bazaar.Its like full plastic surgery beatfull women vs natural beuty. Hi from Istanbul / Turkey . just sub to this great website.Very valuable informations in here
I absolutely love this even though I am a saltwater marine hobbyist. You remind me of Paul Baldassano, another “grandpa” but for saltwater 😊 He too believes in the natural way of doing things. These days it’s rare to see mostly naturally filtered saltwater tanks, but Sanjay Joshi’s tank comes to mind.
I started up a new mini aquarium in December, planted it with ground cover and two anubias, put the cheapest sponge air filter in it, added some water from another tank and a scoop of daphnia from a rainwater bin outside, fed daphnia spirulina. Noticed Cyclops swimming about too. After 6 weeks added some aquarium bred Ramshorn snails, they worked hard and cleared up all the green algae off glass and plants and showed their happiness by having lots of babies. I then added cherry shrimp. Since then I have squeezed the sponge filter out a couple of times but it’s barely dirty, I haven’t done a water change in weeks because the nitrates are fine. I feed the shrimp and snails a bit twice a week, and that’s all I’ve had to do. I don’t need to scrape algae, I don’t squeeze brown gunk out of filter sponges, the plants grow. I enjoy perusal the shrimp and snails. It’s just lovely. ☺️ I’ve had an aquarium in the house almost constantly since I was a child, I think this one’s my favourite.
Ah, I have a betta and here I was worried about having boiled the leaves from outside to put tannins in the water. Corporations are great at instilling anxiety when people become responsible for a delicate life. Some parents are so worried about their babies, for instance, that they put their trust in the industry and the FDA to feed them premade baby food for every meal, and put none of that trust in themselves, without considering what we’d done before now. Factory-made or packaged things don’t instantly have special properties that cannot be imitated.
Father Fish is correct, the aquarium industry wants your money. I just did a water change on two tanks, nothing new changed in the 10+ yrs I’ve had my tanks, and for some unknown reason I lost a total of eight fish overnight. Going to try this out since I’ll be starting over again minus the monthly water changes.
This article gives me hope for my two aquariums. I thought I was doing too little, sometimes forgetting to feed for a day or not changing the water, but just topping it up. Well, the water is always clear, the fish/neocardinia are constantly reproducing, there’s dirt under the gravel & the fish habe never been sick so far. The only thing I really can’t slack on is cutting back the plants about once a week, cause they’re growing crazy. So I guess I must be doing something right. I’m still forever gonna worry about if the tanks are fine the way they are 😅
I live next to a river here in SW Ontario. I can not wait to explore and gather the plants from there. I have a new 20 gallon tank with so many baby guppies and their 6 parents. I want to start this natural method so hardcore in my other 35 gallon tank once my Mississippi map turtle is relocated to his new home. lol thank you Father fish for your valuable advice 💜🖖🇨🇦
I have a couple of questions. Soil: Does it matter what kind of ‘soil’ I take? Can I use soil literally out of my garden or any bagged soil intended for the vegetable garden for example? Sand: can I use sand bought for the kids’ sandbox? Gravel: can I still put a layer of gravel on top of the soil and sand for aesthetic reasons (I like the look of black), or will it interfere with things? Thank you!
Know what’s crazy compared to a normal fish tank now, we have trouble keeping it clean. I remember when I was younger I had a turtle and set up his tank just like his environment, and I used stuff from where he came from, like moss, water, and plants. I remember it never really had to be cleaned. Thank you for reminding me!!❤
That is very interesting… I had a reef aquarium a few years back and used to collect salt water from the ocean to add to it during pwcs – both for saving artificial salt money as to adding phitoplankton. The fish loved it and started to “mouth” at invisible things in the water whenever I did it. But, having freshwater tanks since I was a kid, I never thought of doing something like that for them! I’m planing to go to a park nearby whenever I can and collect some of the pond’s water… let’s see what it can do… 🙂
Back in the day pre 1968 I used to show my fish at the local fish shows. Guys would brag how they never changed the water ever. (Neither would I) We had basic undergravel filters and lots of plants in the tanks and they worked perfectly and I didn’t lose fish. Nowadays trying to buy a fish at a store and especially Petsmart/Petco they are obsessed with the size of your tank. They never ask what filtration system am I using etc. How many plants etc. Big Als in Cambridge Ontario Canada refused to sell me 10 Celestial Rasbora for my 90 gallon tank…because he said it would send the tank out of wack. It was an established tank with a good growth of plants and very few small species fish in it. Go figure.
I had a goldfish that lived from Summer 1984 when we won him in a fair, and he died 3 years ago in 2020. All the other fish died over the years, the plants were replaced over and over… but Jaws, (his name was Jaws 😀 😀 ) lived from 1984, till 2020. He was fat as well. He would also swim up and down the tank and follow you if he was hungry. Great in the morning because he would actually remind you to feed him by following you as you walked past. Just good genes I think with Jaws. Hardy, old-school (ahem), and just took everything that was thrown at him.
Out of all the articles I’ve watched lately, this is the most basic as far as editing goes. And I love every minute of it. Very informative, to the point, and not filled with babble to increase the article length. It has to be the only article I’ve watched lately that I didn’t find myself skipping through for the main dot points. Well done mate, I’m subscribing and going to work my way through your article history. 👍
Finally! Someone in the freshwater world applying the same theory to that side of the hobby as the whole reef keeping saltwater world has been preaching since the beginning…. I’m new to the SW hobby after 25+ years of FW fish keeping and knowing the theory of nitrifying bacteria and the fact that the vast majority of your filtration is accomplished by Live rock I’ve been scratching my head wondering why there’s no freshwater version of live rock and live sand especially after having accomplished true 0 water change FW systems and wanting to figure out a way to accomplish the same thing with my reef tank and the theory’s seem to work both ways although they’re not commonly talked about or applied from one side of the hobby to the other in applicable ways
Natural systems balance themselves. So long as you know what’s needed for a balance that is healthy for your fish and nudge it in that direction, the aquarium will be way more stable, require way less maintenance, look far better and be healthier for the fish than if you’re constantly scrubbing and cleaning and vacuuming and changing the water . The only time I need to do anything other than trim the plants in both my tanks is if I messed something up. I doubt I even need to feed my 30 gallon any more. It has gone over a week without food with 40 small fish and a biblical swarm of shrimp with no noticeable changes
Something I do with all animals I keep (reptiles, fish amphibians, mammals) is keeping their enclosures/hábitats a bit messy over a bit longer time, that way, their inmune systems are stronger. I have done this for years and none of my animals have ever gotten sick. Animals have an excellent inmune system, we shouldnt waste it by sterilizing their enviornement too much
Love your articles just wanted to ask is it possible to keep African cichlids with these methods mostly cichlids that originate from lake Malawi. I was under the impression they enjoy strong currents and clean water. Just interested to know if my tank could be kept in this manner as I feel like I’m over cleaning and maintaining it to much. Thanks 😊
I fear father fish that a lot of aquarists are more concerned in having a big flash super bright, super clean, polished glass tomb to show off the poor inhabitants, usually crammed into sterilised bare uncaring aquariums… They are more interested on how it looks, and fits into the decor than the lives of the fish…hell if one fish dies just get another, they dont want a natural looking tank they want a statement…ok I’ll stop now and get a cup of tea…..grated article as usual father.🏴🐇ignore the wabbit….😊
I used to keep fish back in the 90’s, many tanks in all kinds of sizes it was just something I really loved as teenager. I did exactly what you said without any knowledge or experience. I would get my tanks, pick up gravel and sand from outside and various things from nearby lakes and put it in the tank. I had no idea about bacteria and things like that I just knew the fish loved to eat the little critters. That tank, my first it was around 200 liters, lasted for 15 years until we moved. I rarely had any issues, fish were spawning, plants were thriving. Even had a neon tetra live to the age of 8 which blew my mind for such a small fish. However there was a downside for me using sand in the tank. The pump I used back then did not like it and it would wear down the metal spinning part inside of it, had to replace it twice and the store didn’t like it. Eventually I figured out that having sand near the pump wasn’t such a good idea so put a gravel and a rock under it and problem fixed itself. These days when I hear about people keeping fish they make it sound like a job. You have to do this or it’ll fail. You have to buy this or your fish is doomed. I don’t know what happened to fish keeping but it’s apparently serious business nowadays. When it came to the fish themselves it was a learning experience. We didn’t have internet back then like we do today. All that kind of knowledge I would get from going to the library after school and reading about the fish and then trying to make educated guesses which fish would fit well together.
Evening. I have a question. We have just set up our tank. It’s a tropical one. We have used stones on the bottom and recently added some fish to the tank. We also have plants in there. I don’t want to mess up the tank by adding sand now. Will it be fine left like that? Also can you add stuff from the pond/streams with it being a tropical tank? I might sound silly but I found this page extremely helpful and only just found it so it’s all learning as I go. Thank you
I had an aquarium with live plants, cherry shrimp & 1 fish. Snails came with the plants. I checked the water often and not once while I had that aquarium did I have to change or clean that tank. I was so proud of myself for creating, what I called, a perfect eco system. I had that tank for a year. Why only a year? My autistic daughter decided to feed the fish marshmallows. She got up during the night, broke the child safety lock on the cabinet door, opened a bag of marshmallows & dumped them all into the tank. By morning everything was dead. I was so heartbroken over. I couldn’t even get the tank clean fully from that and everything had to get tossed. I haven’t had a fish tank since. I’ve been recently thinking of getting a new one going again.
I got my first and only fish when I was 8. I won him at a fair in a carnival game. I am now 25. So he’s about 17 years old. I never took care of him correctly though. I feel bad about it. With maturity I realized this and am trying to do right by him now. I have him in a 20 gallon with a filter and some river stones and that’s it. Just today I bought him a 40 gallon and a new filter and I am planning to upgrade him to something larger. I plan to follow your advice for the new tank. This is essentially what we in the reptile community would call a bioactive enclosure. That’s why it’s so great!
Great article! So nice to see someone covering this topic in the hobby. I remember when I was working in the hobby and I was talking to a reef owner who used NO filtration or protein skimmers! People couldn’t believe it but he used the substrate and the coral rock (which were all very well established and mature) combined with good waterflow and the right stock mix. I wouldn’t be game enough to try that but it shows you that if you can get that natural system balanced it can really work!
Sir, This is my first time that I saw your knowledge article… And I must admit that it was never that simple for me till today to manage and understand how I should maintain a healthy aquarium. I feel blessed and lucky that I was able to find your great article in this ocean of unnecessary and misleading list of articles that teach us to spend thousands of dollars in maintaining our planted / unplanted aquarium. May god give you good health and happiness for spreading your world of knowledge with us.
I’m about to make my very own father fish aquarium. I’m very excited to do this – I’m adding soil and then sand to my established tank and filling with live plants, leaves ect I’m lucky though as my tank seems to thrive already at nearly a year old – my corydoras are always spawning and I’ve even managed to have a batch of eggs hatch and four or so babies survive in the main aquarium. Thanks for your super advice.
When we started our local marine aquarium club back in 1996, one of our first guest speakers was LeRoy Headlee, and his wife Sally Jo. Most everyone that kept reef tanks then were using wild collected Coral fragments in their thanks. We had a group of about 60 people, and LeRoy amazed everyone by cutting up soft corals and Acropora corals. It kind of freaked everyone out when they saw him cutting up these animals. He deserves a lot of credit to home and commercial propagation of marine organisms.
Thanks fishdaddy. My dad used to scoop tadpoles out of a scummy pond and raise them every year. He would put an apple in their basking area to attract fruit flies for them to eat. He had lots of plants and nothing but a simple filter and the water was always clear. Those tadpoles would go on to frogs. It was really cool to see and he did it like you. Thanks for bringing this to remembrance.
I’m very happy to hear you saying this. The aquarium hobby needs more of this kind of thinking. I have cultured a healthy ecosystem in my aquarium by adding some natural local water. I have zero filtration aside from my bio filter. My water is crystal clear with no solids floating around. I have beautiful plants and local algae growing like grass, and my shrimp which breed like crazy. Finally someone in the hobby who isn’t pushing bad products or useless machines.
I have no plans to set up an aquarium but I thoroughly enjoyed this article, from an ecological perspective. Absolutely fascinating and everything made sense. Why do we continuously fight nature by complicating things, rather than observing the systems that have worked so well for millions of years? Thank you ❤
I was active in this hobby some 40 years ago gathering fish and plants from the wild. It did raise a question in me back then as to why all the need for all the filtering gizmos instead of just replicating how nature does its housekeeping. But no tropical fish keeping guide book seemed to address this topic. Thank you for this wonderful insightful knowledge.
You are such a refreshing change from so very many content creators giving their advice to hobbyists in this fabulous interest. You mirror all of my thinking, thinking I’ve had since a youth in 1975 when I was gifted my first aquarium. I still have it ( it has two broken panels at the moment but due for repair) it’s 2’x2’x1′ with a narrow brass frame. I explain to new people coming in that it is a micro ecosystem, don’t use any chemicals, let your tank mature slowly, enjoy perusal it develop. I do use undergravel filters though with fine gravel, then occasionally do a light gravel vac, sometimes too much of a good thing can be not so good. Your comments on the greed from the supply trade to the hobby is quite shocking and the brainwashing of the poor buyers saddens me. As a kid it was very affordable on a meager amount of weekly pocket money but not now, chain stores like super markets make everything so much more costly. So glad I found your article Farther Fish 👍👍🙂
Exactly! I’m not saying I did it right. But my first duty station I got an aquarium and had a lot of fish. They never died and multipled. My tank always looked clean, but I had a little crab thing, and the sucker fish. I never had it clean anything. I just got lucky by accident. Lol. But I do remembered sediment at the bottom it the rocks like you mentioned lol
wait so what am I doing …. I pick up a 55 gallon complete aquarium tomorrow. Am I getting sand and water from a local freshwater beach or dirt or what? Given what you have said I could do all … and I probably will unless you respond with other advice. I can’t wait. at most I’ve had 2 x 20 g. and 2 x 10 g. at one time. Until tomorrow I’ve just had a 10 g. in recent years …. this will be the largest single one I’ve ever had.
I accidentally stumbled on some of these principles when I grew tired of not being able to maintain my aquariums which used gravel as strata. I was at a local river, checking out the water like many of us do, and noticed there was sand everywhere. Fine sand. I went to the local Home Depot, bought a bag of Silica Sand, NOT play sand, and replaced the gravel strata with sand, after I rinsed it. My tanks became almost self maintaining. Now it looks like I’m in for another change. Get some rocks and dirt under that sand to support plants and other critters and the slight amount of tank work I’m doing right now will be even less work! And it’ll be prettier.
Hi! Do you think i could bring a piece of branch inside and place it in my betta tank for a hardscape? Would i have to like bake it or anything? Its for a 5 gallon planted for a young male short fin betta so it would be a leggy and smaller piece of wood. Thank you so much im so glad i found this website 🙂 ❤🎉
Hello father fish I have question . Compared to sand doesn’t gravel hold more beneficial bacteria to destroy ammonia,also the fish poop and gunk stays up on top of the aquariam if you have sand if you have gravel the gunk goes into the gravel it breaks down the gunk and turns it to nutrient for plants
I think I found the Bob Ross of aquariums. My question is about adding pond gunk with the micro-organisms. Is there any type of tank you’d say no to? I used to do my water changes on my 150 gallon African Cichlid tank when I was a kid with lake water because our property was on a lake and they thrived likely due to the things in that water. That same tank now houses discus and I’ve thought of going to the river near my new home and scooping up some mud but discus are such a particular fish. I’m in Massachusetts if that helps.
Last time I had my aquarium going. I had it live planted with only gravel substraight. I never cleanes anything except whiping down spots on the glass. Never had to do water changes only top ups. Fish were thriving and happy. Started the tank up again after it being in storage for 9yrs last weekend with a soil gravel substraight. Time to see how well it goes thia time.
2:50 Some duff under your gravel or sand is a good thing but too much of it can create phosphate deposits or even mold (especially in sand). That’s why I am a huge fan of snails that rummage the ground substrate like Melanoides, Tylomelania, or Taia species. They “aerate” the substrate which is good. In my opinion, these snails (and honestly snails in general) are a must for every tank. “Pest snails” are not a thing. 4:50 I agree with you on this one 100%. Real plants (not that plastic nonsense) are an absolute must-have for most tanks with very few exceptions. The part after 5:00 is also 100% true! Microbial diversity is very important in aquariums. The microorganisms are the ones that actually do the filtering, the filter just pumps the water to them.
I use a chamber drain in the aquarium to filter the water. Thanks to this, I don’t need any electricity. After the experience when the current from the internal filter started to break through into the water, it killed everything living in the water. External filters take up space and I can’t stand the annoying growl of aquarium motors. That way, I don’t have to unplug anything at night, nothing hums and I don’t use any electricity at all. And I don’t have to think about whether I plugged it all in. Everything works, it works with chamber flow, where everything gets caught in the baffle with the filter materials, when I need to clean, I pull out the filter component and rinse. It belongs in a comment below.
Because of you i watched it last year 2023 starting year and i always change water and it keeps getting dirty, so after perusal your article i tried whatever u have said, Untill then and now i am So glad my tank is so clear and never changed the water my fish are so happy and healthy… an so thankful for you ❤️❤️❤️ i had live plants floating and growing down im so happy perusal my aquarium everyday. And i remeber u thanknyou again.
Hi, thank you for this helpful article. I got one question though… when u say to put microorganisms from outside, what exactly are you referring to? Which is in your opinion the best place to find them ? Seashore ? Nearby a pond maybe ? I’ve got a 100 liters freshwater acquarium and I would like to follow ur advice but I need to know where to take those micro organisms, and the best way to do it thx 😊
Lol — How do I love this “The most difficult part” — It is soooo true. I always say: You can’t beat nature. Don’t try to be smarter than nature. You are not in control. — What a pleasure to listen to you, good Sir. It’s even my philosophy for breeding, as you get better fish/fry. It’s so true, true and true. What a pleasure. Thank you!
The secret of a stable tank? 1; have more live plants than fish, fast growers/floaters, appropriate for your light level, my 28 Bow is about half full of Java moss, guppy grass (extremely fast growing and forgiving of light conditions) hornwort (also fast growing floater) red root floaters, frogbit, and dwarf water lettuce 2; under stock your animals (I have a crawfish and a few fancy guppies, the crawfish is there to keep the guppy fry under control) and of course the standard pest snails (bladder, ramshorns, Malaysian Trumpets) 3; mopani wood and local stones (New Hampshire granite, a piece of marble from Vermont, and unglazed new ceramic plant pots) 4; my substrate is sand collected from a local freshwater beach (rinsed until water runs clear) 5; the only filtration needed on a heavily planted tank is physical (sponges in either a HOB or internal sponge, (put a sponge on the intake strainer too) and biological (media for the bacteria to colonize) but even that’s optional if it’s heavily planted enough, set up correctly, your plants are your biological filter and once the detritus breaks down to mulm, they can absorb those nutrients too Heater; if you live in a climate with seasons, yes, or keep the house at a consistent warm temperature.
So in regards to the salt water tanks, what are the extra steps you have to take? So to get them to be natural tanks do you need to order cultures or anything from specific regions of the world that live well with coral? I see how this would work for freshwater as most freshwater fish live in very similar easily replicable environments no matter where you are in the world, salt water seems tricky to do this naturally.
Question here I have an aquarium with one male betta and I recently started keeping fish and I did my research but I bought these grass type of aquarium plants and they r thriving and growing, but at the surface especially they produce some type of green slime with slimebubbles and the water is getting oily and there r all these green particles stuck to everything What can I do?
I have a very small tank I think is 24 litres. my platey died yesterday. Her name was Rosie (cos of her rosy cheeks). she lived just over 2 years but I think it’s because I didn’t change the water enough. I saw her yesterday struggling to breathe but I didn’t know what to do. Still got the two danios left. Max and Blacky. Max is called that cos he’s kinda big and is head honcho of the tank. Blacky is very light coloured such a pretty shimmery type of colour. But she has dark spots on her so got her name. I dug a wee hole for Rosie in my back yard. She meant something to me. Call me crazy but somehow these tiny little fish are so important.
I’ve had my tank for 4yrs now and made serious mistakes along the way, mainly aggressive fish that destroyed the plants. A large chunk of my plants are thriving again now that the angry fish are gone. In those 4 years I might have cleaned the filter 10 times and almost exclusively just had to add water because of evaporation.
What about turtle tanks? I have yellow bellied sliders and I can’t keep plants because of the turtles. What can I do for the algae in my tank, other than empty and scrubbing it every week? I have nerite snails, but they just aren’t doing it for the algae. Within 2 weeks the algae is on every surface. I wanted to get a pleco, but my turtles would eat it.
i had a lovely tank it would take a bath full of water .i built it my self .. i had plants growing. and fed them on rabbit droppings those little grass pellets they. make are great for keeping plants healthy. anyways. .. had this lovely tank. it was amazing … i had bottom feeders frogs shrimps all sorts … all happy ..and you are right i hardly cleaned out my tank i had PH free sand that i got from a store that you buy childrens stuff from mother care ….fast forward a few years … i had to go to Poland on excesses with the British army. for six weeks .. explained to my wife to feed to fish once a day .. and water the house plants every two weeks . .. well she got it mixed up .. come home after 7 weeks away to find i had two fish left a pleco and a Oscar ..The oscar had grow rapidly and all my lovely plants all gone and no fish … there is something nice about a tank full of plants .and happy fish ..
I have a fresh water fish tank, with two giant gouramis on my open to sky terrace. All is fine the fish are approximately 6+ years old and the length of my forearm. The tank has granite walls with a curved 10mm glass gacia. The only major problem I face is the constant growth of green algae on the glass which develops within 3-5 days of cleaning the glass. How do I deal with this algae growth, besides constant cleaning of the glass?
Boy oh boy I can feel my neurodivergent special interest powers charging up. I had so many questions: what if you live in a colder climate? Don’t you at least need a heater or some sort? And what about feeding the fish? He says “no effort required” but I thought surely you must at least have to feed them. And then the next suggested article that popped up was his “STOP FEEDING YOUR FISH” article! I’m so excited to go down this rabbit hole, I’ve been curious about self sustained aquariums for a minute now and have my notebook ready. Teach me your ways Father Fish!!
Well, I have a homemade self-cleaning aquarium for 30 liters and it’s great. I don’t have to use a bottom drainer that sucked up my substrate and fish and pulled out the plants. I was desperate, I even have a small aqvaspace with a sandfall, the aquarium has been working for 2 years and without CO2, when it is a natural aquarium without technology, here in the Czech republic only tiny plastic ones are sold with this principle, which turn yellow and are useless, but it was possible to look around and glue the glass one, which works wonderfully.
I have a betta tank with a bunch of pothos in it and literally only topped it off. Never changed the water in almost 2 years except maybe twice. My husband kept leaving the light on at night and it was full of algae. There was no other way around changing the water and breaking down the tank because it’s a 6 gallon and too small for any pleco. It was thriving. I had plants blooming under water until the algae was out of control. Recently upgraded her, female koi betta, tank to a 10 gallon and I’m planning on doing the same thing. I did add some tank mates, ember tetras. I downsized all my tanks and just have the 1 now from 5. Staying small now since I just had a baby. I am planning on putting sand over the gravel soon. This is awesome. I cleaned and saved my filter, and only cleaned half the substrate. I can’t wait to get more plants in there ❤ loved this article!