STEM PLANTS BUNDLE SALE - Over 75 plants - 15 Species for $59! Limited Time OFFER so HURRY! father-fish-aquarium.myshopify.com/ For Special Soil Supplements, Plants, FIsh & Merch in your country: fatherfish.fish/
I met someone today who told me he can't keep fish alive. He walked into my fish room and he couldn't believe all my of FF fish tanks! I told him about you and your natural tanks. He almost fell over when I told him that hardly ever have a fish die and never do water changes. I offered to help him setup a Father Fish tank. I hope he takes me up on it. Love you FF. You're the best!
I'm doing something unique with mine, it's an experimental tank testing various terrestrial plants to see if they'll adapt to being fully submerged. I've found that many common weeds will actually grow, if only with a few less leaves and a bit longer stems. The most successful ones are found in overgrown ditches or near gutter shutes where the rainwater collects. Most mosses will grow too, especially if you can keep an inch or so of its own dirt substrate. Common spider plants will also grow while being completely submerged, especially if it's done as a fresh sprout taken from a mature potted one. The few plants that fail in my tank get pulled out while their decayed material stays to feed the surviving ones. I've yet to find any that would actually poison or sully the water, and the 50+ guppy army in there seems to be thriving, same with the tetras, cherry barbs and cory cat (about 60 total count in a 29 gallon space, so far). The only issue right now is a bit of brown algae since I have no real algae eaters in the tank yet, I was overfeeding too much, the large population and now my refusal to do anymore water changes unless i see the fish stressing out or it gets too filthy in there....
can anyone tell me if this is viable; For internal parasites in fish; cut garlic, boiled egg, shrimp, red paprika, pepper, add some salt and a bit of ground clove, make a paste then dry ... I heard clove kills fish but in small amounts may be very effective against parasites (internal)... i tried this yesterday and fish seem to LOVE it... Even the picky ones, do not spit out and are veracious eaters ... Smells very nice also... Their belly is full for a week ...
just when i thought my aquarium is mature, all my guppy died 1 by 1 without warning. but tetra, cory, glowfish is doesnt seem affected at all. only guppy+1 assasin snail. weird for me, the assasin snail have perfect hole in its shell. few day before that i add coupledrop water from my ressurection jar is it correlated?
Thanks for this- a very inspiring reminder to us all of the simple pleasures of the hobby and how it doesn't need to be complicated, or expensive. Even after 40 years of fishkeeping, these videos give me a twinge of excitement, so well done again Father Fish!
4:05 Father Fish's tanks are so healthy that he drinks the water from them 😅 *Tank* you Father Fish for all that you do. You are a danger to all fish supply whole sellers and that is why they are comming after you. This must end ! Got my used tank from exactly the type of people that you spoke about in this video - discouraged. Big tank and a very big fluvial system for 100$ Brand new it would have costed me *at least* 1400$ + + + Added 50$ for a water heater, a bubbler and a sponge filter. That is ALL ! They will not ear from me ever again after.
I have kept multiple aquariums over 35 years.Reefs to freshwater cichlid to live-bearers.This is a very greedy industry filled with tons of me too and snakeoil products.Marine is the worst.Refreshing channel.Newbies learn here.Don t fall for all the paid minions of the aquarium industry.
I have a tank about 4 years now, it is a natural jungle aquarium. I love jungle style too☺️ i keep it simple, deep substrate, no CO2, no filter, no ferts. I'm just leaving the nature do her job. Plants and fish are fine, living happy. Feed the fish twice a week. Water change 10% once in 3 month. Like you said, it's not artistic but it is functional. I love it and i know my tank will work for many years. Thank you for all the lessons and important infos. Cheers.🤗
Hello everybody. I will like some help cause i am new in this hobby. I have already 2 set up aquarium that have been cycle and i have about 7 fish in each of them. My aquarium doesn't have substrance but i want to change yhat and fillw the walstad method. Will i be able to do that and when i should poot the fish inside if i poot substrance and flowers
Your tank is not pretty it is beautiful. looks like someone took a section out of a lake and put it so you could enjoy it. I like your fish selection too.
As a Discus owner and breeder, you have blown my mind. ( everything clean and sterile and p.h/gh/kh tds testing constantly doing water changes. ) It's no easy task. I also keep many other fish species and neos. I'm excited to try your method on a 10&20 gal.
I like (and subscribe to) the natural aquarium and have been for many years. I'm however, personally not too fond of the somewhat preaching style... it makes me fast forward through the video.
i stopped watching at 4:53 because i wanted too say that all of that you are saying is the truth, i deeply respect you for it and will now go on watching this video after i subbed, kudos, sir.
My husband got my son a betta and i knew nothing about fish. Well eventually it became my betta and i got him a 5gallon before i upgrade to 10. I wanted to give him a better quality of life and have been doing research. I knew nothing about the cycling part and im afraid. I conditioned the water using api stress coat and have been using quickstart its been about 3weeks but im not seeing any change. No nitrates and low nitrites. His fins look fine and he eats fine but im still worried😢
That sounds great, but unfortunately i already have a tank for years full of fish and some iceplants and i cannot afford to start a new acquarium. would it be possible to turn the existing acquarium into the natural one without changing all the soil and restarting it?
Amazing. I've been having a nightmare. I've been doing it all wrong! I've just binged watched all these. So I have a 300 litre tank. I have a lot of fancy black gravel. I love the black look. I've just ordered 3kg of natural black sand. Do I need to bin the gravel completely? Just get the 1"of mud, then sand on top? Natural plants, just ordered. I have a massive pump/filter that's not even arrived yet! Due on Saturday. Can I still you that as well? Massive learning curve here. Big thanks Scott. Scotland❤
@IRL.johnny HI, just found this channel, I'm trying to find if I can use organic potting soil and then put sand on top? Seeing you recently set up a 20 gallon, could you assist me? Thinking of switching out my tank's to this method. And, may I ask how's your set up doing? Thank you kindly for your time.
@@dianeharbauer4506 I used organic potting soil plus some peat moss (I don't remember the ratios I mixed)... Father Fish gives instructions how to create his soil someplace... There's a Discord and a FB Father Fish group that would be perfect for questions about converting/creating tanks. My 20g tank is going well (8 months old?), though I moved my fish to a 55g tank. So my 20g is shrimp and snails right now :-D If I had it to do over again, I would have used pool filter sand, in my 20g I used a leveling sand, and it's pretty coarse... I think the plants and the fish both prefer the pool filter sand that I used in my 55g.
My fis die 3 time an I was soo upset an that how I end up over here because I’m trying to figure out a way to keep my fish alive not to fake plants that I have in my fish tank
Hi! Good day Father Fish. I'm from the Philippines. I'm about to go on vacation for 2 weeks, I'm worried about how my fish will eat while there's nobody left in our house.😅 I don't want to put an automatic feeder. What can I do Sir? By the way Sir there's no pond or creak near me. Can I put the dead leaf from our normal plants or trees outside in our house in my aquarium? Thank you and God bless you!
Use only leaves that have fallen from trees. You need live culture from wet leaves in a pond or ditch, any place there is standing water. Do not pick leaves from the tree for you tank. Your fish will be fine for 2 weeks with no food from you. There is food in your tank that you cannot see. They will not starve in two weeks. Don't worry about them.
I took a leap of faith and made my first father fish tank.. Thank You father fish. This decision changed my life. At first, I had added gravel and soil.…Then I added some sand on top.. Sand filters the water like amazing.. Thank You father fish.. For fullfilking my dream of a good planted tank setup
I'm a gardener, and I wanted a mini pond for plants. I did some research and realized I needed fish. I set up my pond with a bunch of plants, and rocks and as filter I made one with a pump and lava rock. Now I have three happy guppies living there, I was really freaked out with parameters, and expensive chemicals and equipment, but thankfully I found your videos and they have helped me a lot 😊
It was the exact opposite for me. I became fascinated with fish keeping first and new nothing about plants and as I researched fish keeping I realized I needed plants. Lots of plants.
Fishtank building sounds like gardening ! , and it all makes sense. Gardening successfully and growing food is a survival skill learned by our ancestors who lived close with the land and reaped the harvest by learning from the land . You are correct about people trying and failing keeping a healthy fish tank.I love your natural way , which makes sense , as fish and aquatic plants and other stream dwelling creatures are living beings. I have always hated plastic plants and colored coated gravel . You are successful because your message of keeping a natural tank is STRONG. You are the fish tank Guru who is tried and true . Thanks for telling the mass population of well-intending people wanting to have a fish tank... that it can be easy and lovely if it is started naturally with love and knowledge of our aquatic friends which we want to thrive.
Just started my first planted tank! Really My first tank ever after watching my mother taise fish Her whole life she used to do planted tanks When she was younger these days She has a 60 gallon with gravel and nothing else. And a few goldfish. I just finished mine. Put some African dwarf frogs in it. Who are croaking and singing all night! Really enjoying the habitat! I told her I will be making hers over very soon to be just as natural as mine thanks to father fish!!!❤ will be posting videos on my channel soon, hopefully.
Another great video. I've stopped changing my water as I used to. I also stopped taking out dead leaves and such. I've just been putting water in and everything is doing very well. Less algae all around, fish are also well. The only thing I do besides putting water in and a little food as I don't have enough of the small stuff naturally growing yet is take out the duckweed that grows on top. Duckweed is a wonderful filter and when too much grows, blocking too much light, I just remove a few hand fulls. Thanks, learning more with every video you show.
I hear you ,,,, my aquarium now truly looks after itself ,, yes i do about a 20 to 30% water change once every two weeks ,,, But that is just me still hanging onto water change habit ,, i love what your are teaching here ,,, its a tough fight teaching an old style of fish keeping in this world we live in now .. all the best from the UK
As a Discus owner and breeder. I'm starting with a 10&20 using FF method. I know it'll be a difficult task to grasp. My shrimp and guppies will be the first to explore the FF method with me.
Your awesome!!!! I really appreciate you for putting your knowledge out for us to learn from…. My tank has turtles and fish and I really struggled with keeping water clean. I was using sludge cleaner, aquarium cleaner, cleaning the tank etc etc.. I watched 3-4 of your videos. Changed my tank, added plants and BAMM!!!! Clean tank… you’re amazing and thank you… we just ordered your substrate and plan to use it as we are going to bigger tank…. We expect the same… awesome results….
I see parallels between you and myself when you say 90% of fish keepers fail when trying the unnatural style of fishkeeping. It sounds like trading stocks where 90%+ of short-term traders also fail and take years to figure out how to do it right. This is why I push for a longer-term more laid back style of trading (again parallels to your style of fishkeeping) - because it’s much easier to execute and is less stressful.
Im about to build a natural aquarium after watching your channel your passion and knowledge is infectious i bought all the equipment my only issue i have is i think the light i bought the tank is 14×19×19 and the light is a hyggar clip on 14 watt my question is is that adequate lighting for a low light natural aquarium
Thank you Father Fish for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. I have had a 16-gallon 4-year-old fish tank where I would lose fish regularly and was tired of water changes. After watching most of your videos, 2 months back I set up a 55-gallon tank using your deep substrate method, for the first time, the fish looked happy and healthy. Very few fish deaths since then and that too most probably because I overstocked a lot when I set up this tank and secondly all these fish came from big box stores. I filled the tank with live plants and now it is the attraction point in my house. I rarely feed the fish now, maybe once in 7 days. Your discord channel also has been of immense help, with you and members advising on problems and challenges that fish tank hobbyists like me face. Keep up the good work!
I love this (again)! I know you are in Florida (tropical). How do you know that a resurrection jar from the north (Michigan) will work for an aquarium containing fish from the tropics (equator)?
Went to Lowes looking for potting soil, they only had potting mix. I did see something called "Back to the roots, it says its a natural and organic soil mix. All purpose plant food. Root boosting mycorrhizae and PH balancing dolomtic limestome. Can you tell me if I can use this soil. Thanks very much.
So I was having very bad issue with my cycle water turns green very fast water tested nitrate nitrites high … switched to this method literally last week so far so good thanks father fish
Hello FF greetings from Mexico, I just setup a small 35x35x45 cms tank, and after a week the water is turning amber how can i fix it? Another thing is the plants seem to tur yellow and some leaves are full of holes ...😢 please help!
Everyone who sees my tanks thst I have designed on the same way you do aquariums by adding at least 4 inches of sand and adding as much plant as possible yes its true you can't see the fish very much but I believe that's all part of the beauty it holds by just sitting there and all of a sudden a fish pop it's head out of know where and I have others that say your fish can't swim with all the plant you have my answer to them is simple no they love it and have never been happier thsnkyou father fish for helping me and showing the correct way to fish keeping
I am also like that with tank layout. I don't mind seeing my predatory fish come out once in a while because I know they are in there somewhere until feeding time. Then everyone comes out.
Hey FF I got a 125g tank and just bought the supplements and plants from your site and all the moss soil and compost I need to get it going. I got few convicts, angels, tigers and guppies but it’s the big plecko, turtle and Chinese algae eater I’m worried about. Any tips you can give going into this ? Your help is always and very much appreciated
Science and technology failing again; not surprising. Coincidentally that's where I picked up my first tank, off the street curb after the neighbors moved. It was a rimless Fluval and I still miss it.
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but here goes. I see you use and talk about sponge filters in your aquariums always, are regular type HOB filters not necessary or can or should they be used in addition to the sponge filters? Many thanks, I enjoy your video's and the knowledge you have and share.
Hi Father fish I was looking at setting up my 65 gallon tank and was wondering how much and what kind of potting soil and sand to use.I live in Canada and was just wondering if you could help me out and have any recommendations for products available in Canada any info would be appreciated thanks
I was hesitant to make a planted aquarium after seeing those techie equipment, test kits and fancy soil. But after going through your channel, I'm confident that I can make one too.
I find that planted tanks are 100 times easier to take care of than non planted tanks. I used test kits for the first few months, but after I found it stable, I basically put the kits down unless something goes horribly wrong (like all the newest additions die a few days after introduction) In my setup, the most advanced piece of equipment is my light and substrate (I used only eco complete, but when I move my tank, I'll put a sand cap on it to make it a FF tank). Only thing I can say for real advice on tank decor/hardscape+plants is to think like a fisherman. For example, see where the pros catch bass, crappie, and other fish and put similar places (on a MUCH smaller scale) in the tank.
After watching your videos I learned so much. I wish I saw your video first. I could have saved some money But im glad that I watched before my tank went to the curb. Thank you
@Father Fish, can you make a video on the size of the aquarium? Usually we speak in terms of gallons but it will be good if you throw some light on the ideal dimension of an aquarium. I remember you mentioned in one of your video that the height of the aquarium should not be more than 18 inch :)
I was going to go high tech with my second planted tank. During my research I came across your channel and 100% ditched high tech idea and followed you. Redid my first tank using your method. I appreciate your videos tremendously.
Also, you can make these style tanks pretty, it just takes more work on your end, which kind of defeats the purpose of a natural habitat. Love the content, FF!
Hi Father Fish, I’ve got a 6-8 week old 30 gallon tank setup with your methods. My plants are kinda just staying the same size. How long will it be until they start flourishing? The only thing I did differently was I ended up with extra sand at about 3 inches on top of the soil. My water chemistry tests good as well.
Than you Father Fish for clarifying this, experience is this what make all difference, and Im writing this as beginner, long way ahead to be where I wanna be😏. Recently I made mistakes, two of my fish had swim bladder, but I made researches and now they looks healthy and happy, eliminates those factors who can cause this problems. And we have something in common, I also love jungle in my tank😃
After your advice I have changed the entire setup with soil and sand on top. The result is tremendous. The results are comparable to the CO2 tank. Thanks a ton for the incredible lesson. The plants are thriving too good
@@eduardokarmayeshe5579 there are two things to water getting dirty. One you are not using sponge filter. Trust me it's the best filter. Second, use a credit/debit card to clean off the glasses to have a clear view every 10 days
I like to make sure the soil is capped nicely so not too many tannins and soil make it into the water column. But a waterchange will clear it over time!@@eduardokarmayeshe5579
FF a friend of mine came across some cow "patties" and he wanted to know if he could use them for a new planted tank he is planning. I said I would ask here. Cheers
Fresh are too full of ammonia. Old dried are good for 1/4 of the dirt layer. 1/2 humus (eat) and 1/4 good soil. !/8 supplement from FF. Max soil depth 1" in tank under 55. 2" sand to cap.
Love your content Father Fish. Since discovering your youtube channel, I just capped my old gravel tank with a deep sandbed and loaded it with plants and a leaf litter from my local pond. I plan on using the Father Fish method on my two new larger tanks I just purchased. I will take some pictures and post them to the discord.
I’ve watched and listened to you after having fish die on me and guess what I did your substrate and change the type of water I was using and no more dead fish. Thank you FatherFish. 😊
Thanks Father Fish. You were my cheat sheet for our first tank. I just got soil from my backyard, sand from homedepot, rock and driftwood from my local lake... my fish are happy!
Father Fish! 2 аксолотля 4 и 1,5 года, которые умерли вскоре после того, как я сделала г рязный аквариум.обращения таких крупных животных..охоже,что ваша система для маленьких рыбок.ь воду.я не меняла и мои умерли.
Я без проблем держу аксолотлей в глубоком субстрате. Было что-то еще не так. YA bez problem derzhu aksolotley v glubokom substrate. Bylo chto-to yeshche ne tak.
I think a very high percentage of fish keepers want the tanks to be artistic and for show. The best tank to me would have tons of plants and look artistic too. I think you're talking about tanks with mostly hardscape.
I just started my 30-gallon tank. I have 1 inch of dirt,2 inch beach sand, 1 piece of drift wood, and I'm two weeks in with fish. 3 zebra danio. I don't feed them the first 7 days.I have 9 plants,however, 3 of them are dying.. I picked 3 plants that were growing out of the bayou..there green, big leaves,and grow a purple flower.. they've been in the tank 3 weeks i, but their turning brown.. Should I clip them or take them out???? (The other plants I bought from the store are still greeb)
One more question the water has a brown tint to it..the water is not cloudy.its clear but it has a brownish color..could it be the driftwood?(when I bought it,it was already in a tank of water and they said it was already washed) or could it be some type of bacteria?
Im just starting in this Aquarium Wonder World... I was given a 65 gallon aquarium and im going to try my best to put all your advice and experience to work... Wish me Luck!!! 🤞🏽 You are a man with Passion, Love, and Knowledge!!! Thx for all the great videos... Keep them coming...
Hi! Good day Father Fish. I'm from the Philippines. I'm about to go on vacation for 2 weeks, I'm worried about how my fish will eat while there's nobody left in our house.😅 I don't want to put an automatic feeder. What can I do Sir? By the way Sir there's no pond or creak near me. Can I put the dead leaf from our normal plants or trees outside in our house in my aquarium? Thank you and God bless you!
Use only leaves that have fallen from trees. You need live culture from wet leaves in a pond or ditch, any place there is standing water. Do not pick leaves from the tree for you tank. Your fish will be fine for 2 weeks with no food from you. There is food in your tank that you cannot see. They will not starve in two weeks. Don't worry about them.
I'm a gen Z-er. I have had a love for this hobby since I was a child keeping guppies (not with a lot of luck). Unfortunately my generation of hobbyists has been fed the lie that we will never succeed in keeping fish and plants unless we spend copious amounts of money on an array of products and gadgets to act as "life support" for tank Inhabitants. I came very close to giving up because at 19 I cannot afford all of the quality substrates, fertilizers, fancy Canister filters and their fancy bio-media, big lights for plant growth, CO2 systems, etc. This channel is a total blessing to me and has returned my dedicated for this wonderful hobby😊
What does it mean if your snail is eating your dwarf lily? I feed her every day, I give her cuttle bone. The plant is healthy until she knaws on it.. She is a mystery snail.
Iam 12 years and I have a experience of 4 years of fish keeping I got 1 more years of experience from a snakehead fish I got him from a paddy fiend and he was only 3cm and 1 year later he turned 9cm . One day I couldn't find him in the tank ten I saw he was dead outside the tank . I think he jumped off the tank that night and died . Now I have 5 years of fish keeping and I also have a ecosystem tank
STEM PLANTS BUNDLE SALE - Over 75 plants - 15 Species for $59! Limited Time OFFER so HURRY!
father-fish-aquarium.myshopify.com/
For Special Soil Supplements, Plants, FIsh & Merch in your country:
fatherfish.fish/
I met someone today who told me he can't keep fish alive. He walked into my fish room and he couldn't believe all my of FF fish tanks! I told him about you and your natural tanks. He almost fell over when I told him that hardly ever have a fish die and never do water changes. I offered to help him setup a Father Fish tank. I hope he takes me up on it. Love you FF. You're the best!
I'd totally take you up on it. Lol great friend.
I'm doing something unique with mine, it's an experimental tank testing various terrestrial plants to see if they'll adapt to being fully submerged. I've found that many common weeds will actually grow, if only with a few less leaves and a bit longer stems. The most successful ones are found in overgrown ditches or near gutter shutes where the rainwater collects. Most mosses will grow too, especially if you can keep an inch or so of its own dirt substrate. Common spider plants will also grow while being completely submerged, especially if it's done as a fresh sprout taken from a mature potted one. The few plants that fail in my tank get pulled out while their decayed material stays to feed the surviving ones. I've yet to find any that would actually poison or sully the water, and the 50+ guppy army in there seems to be thriving, same with the tetras, cherry barbs and cory cat (about 60 total count in a 29 gallon space, so far). The only issue right now is a bit of brown algae since I have no real algae eaters in the tank yet, I was overfeeding too much, the large population and now my refusal to do anymore water changes unless i see the fish stressing out or it gets too filthy in there....
excellent
Thank you Father fish you make fish keeping fun again ❤
can anyone tell me if this is viable; For internal parasites in fish; cut garlic, boiled egg, shrimp, red paprika, pepper, add some salt and a bit of ground clove, make a paste then dry ... I heard clove kills fish but in small amounts may be very effective against parasites (internal)... i tried this yesterday and fish seem to LOVE it... Even the picky ones, do not spit out and are veracious eaters ... Smells very nice also... Their belly is full for a week ...
Interesting recipe. Join us on the Father Fish Shoal and share your fish gostronomy brilliance. discord.gg/K28dchbMQH
Hi Father Fish! I couldn’t find any Iron Oxide and Diatomaceous Earth for my substrate. Can I still have success with planted tank?
Yes you can!
just when i thought my aquarium is mature, all my guppy died 1 by 1 without warning. but tetra, cory, glowfish is doesnt seem affected at all. only guppy+1 assasin snail. weird for me, the assasin snail have perfect hole in its shell. few day before that i add coupledrop water from my ressurection jar is it correlated?
hard to say. Join us in the Shoal: discord.gg/father-fish-shoal
Thanks for this- a very inspiring reminder to us all of the simple pleasures of the hobby and how it doesn't need to be complicated, or expensive. Even after 40 years of fishkeeping, these videos give me a twinge of excitement, so well done again Father Fish!
4:05 Father Fish's tanks are so healthy that he drinks the water from them 😅
*Tank* you Father Fish for all that you do. You are a danger to all fish supply whole sellers and that is why they are comming after you.
This must end !
Got my used tank from exactly the type of people that you spoke about in this video - discouraged.
Big tank and a very big fluvial system for 100$
Brand new it would have costed me *at least* 1400$ + + +
Added 50$ for a water heater, a bubbler and a sponge filter. That is ALL !
They will not ear from me ever again after.
I have kept multiple aquariums over 35 years.Reefs to freshwater cichlid to live-bearers.This is a very greedy industry filled with tons of me too and snakeoil products.Marine is the worst.Refreshing channel.Newbies learn here.Don t fall for all the paid minions of the aquarium industry.
I have a tank about 4 years now, it is a natural jungle aquarium. I love jungle style too☺️ i keep it simple, deep substrate, no CO2, no filter, no ferts. I'm just leaving the nature do her job. Plants and fish are fine, living happy. Feed the fish twice a week. Water change 10% once in 3 month. Like you said, it's not artistic but it is functional. I love it and i know my tank will work for many years. Thank you for all the lessons and important infos. Cheers.🤗
Hello everybody. I will like some help cause i am new in this hobby. I have already 2 set up aquarium that have been cycle and i have about 7 fish in each of them. My aquarium doesn't have substrance but i want to change yhat and fillw the walstad method. Will i be able to do that and when i should poot the fish inside if i poot substrance and flowers
Love your videos Father Fish!!! I'm thinking on try your methodology in my aquariums and show this to my subscribers here in Brazil!!! =)
sorry 2nd comment, its true tho jungle tanks do much better i had success when taking this advice
Your tank is not pretty it is beautiful. looks like someone took a section out of a lake and put it so you could enjoy it. I like your fish selection too.
Are you drinking a resurrection jar? Lol
lol iced tea
As a Discus owner and breeder, you have blown my mind. ( everything clean and sterile and p.h/gh/kh tds testing constantly doing water changes. ) It's no easy task. I also keep many other fish species and neos. I'm excited to try your method on a 10&20 gal.
I'm turning my new fish room into natural tanks! Let's hope I don't mess this up!
I'll be following along!
Awesome, new subscriber here!
Love your stuff!
Thank you all!
We have lots of help on the Father fish Shoal, Join us and share your journey with short vids. discord.gg/56NZFTfdQV
I like (and subscribe to) the natural aquarium and have been for many years. I'm however, personally not too fond of the somewhat preaching style... it makes me fast forward through the video.
i stopped watching at 4:53 because i wanted too say that all of that you are saying is the truth, i deeply respect you for it and will now go on watching this video after i subbed, kudos, sir.
Thank you
My husband got my son a betta and i knew nothing about fish. Well eventually it became my betta and i got him a 5gallon before i upgrade to 10. I wanted to give him a better quality of life and have been doing research. I knew nothing about the cycling part and im afraid. I conditioned the water using api stress coat and have been using quickstart its been about 3weeks but im not seeing any change. No nitrates and low nitrites. His fins look fine and he eats fine but im still worried😢
That sounds great, but unfortunately i already have a tank for years full of fish and some iceplants and i cannot afford to start a new acquarium. would it be possible to turn the existing acquarium into the natural one without changing all the soil and restarting it?
Baba yine mükemmel akvaryum bilgileri veriyorsun .Tanrıda Sana Sağlıklı uzun ömürler diliyorum.
Teşekkür ederim
Amazing. I've been having a nightmare. I've been doing it all wrong! I've just binged watched all these. So I have a 300 litre tank. I have a lot of fancy black gravel. I love the black look. I've just ordered 3kg of natural black sand. Do I need to bin the gravel completely? Just get the 1"of mud, then sand on top? Natural plants, just ordered. I have a massive pump/filter that's not even arrived yet! Due on Saturday. Can I still you that as well? Massive learning curve here. Big thanks Scott. Scotland❤
I just put together a 20 gallon tank last night, I don't have fish yet, but I'm already obsessed with my tank, thank you!
@IRL.johnny HI, just found this channel, I'm trying to find if I can use organic potting soil and then put sand on top? Seeing you recently set up a 20 gallon, could you assist me? Thinking of switching out my tank's to this method. And, may I ask how's your set up doing? Thank you kindly for your time.
@@dianeharbauer4506 I used organic potting soil plus some peat moss (I don't remember the ratios I mixed)... Father Fish gives instructions how to create his soil someplace... There's a Discord and a FB Father Fish group that would be perfect for questions about converting/creating tanks. My 20g tank is going well (8 months old?), though I moved my fish to a 55g tank. So my 20g is shrimp and snails right now :-D If I had it to do over again, I would have used pool filter sand, in my 20g I used a leveling sand, and it's pretty coarse... I think the plants and the fish both prefer the pool filter sand that I used in my 55g.
My fis die 3 time an I was soo upset an that how I end up over here because I’m trying to figure out a way to keep my fish alive not to fake plants that I have in my fish tank
Father fish do you belong to any fraternity?
two APO and the Weaver Club - drama and philosophy
Hi! Good day Father Fish. I'm from the Philippines. I'm about to go on vacation for 2 weeks, I'm worried about how my fish will eat while there's nobody left in our house.😅
I don't want to put an automatic feeder. What can I do Sir? By the way Sir there's no pond or creak near me. Can I put the dead leaf from our normal plants or trees outside in our house in my aquarium? Thank you and God bless you!
Use only leaves that have fallen from trees. You need live culture from wet leaves in a pond or ditch, any place there is standing water. Do not pick leaves from the tree for you tank. Your fish will be fine for 2 weeks with no food from you. There is food in your tank that you cannot see. They will not starve in two weeks. Don't worry about them.
Really appreciated Sir.❤ Thank you very much, and may God bless you!
Bye for now😊 hehe
I took a leap of faith and made my first father fish tank..
Thank You father fish.
This decision changed my life.
At first, I had added gravel and soil.…Then I added some sand on top..
Sand filters the water like amazing..
Thank You father fish..
For fullfilking my dream of a good planted tank setup
I'm a gardener, and I wanted a mini pond for plants. I did some research and realized I needed fish. I set up my pond with a bunch of plants, and rocks and as filter I made one with a pump and lava rock. Now I have three happy guppies living there, I was really freaked out with parameters, and expensive chemicals and equipment, but thankfully I found your videos and they have helped me a lot 😊
It was the exact opposite for me. I became fascinated with fish keeping first and new nothing about plants and as I researched fish keeping I realized I needed plants. Lots of plants.
@@guildmaster808 plants and fish, a perfect match 😃
@@heartmagnet7754 rice fish are the absolute cutest and so friendly!
Fishtank building sounds like gardening ! , and it all makes sense. Gardening successfully and growing food is a survival skill learned by our ancestors who lived close with the land and reaped the harvest by learning from the land . You are correct about people trying and failing keeping a healthy fish tank.I love your natural way , which makes sense , as fish and aquatic plants and other stream dwelling creatures are living beings. I have always hated plastic plants and colored coated gravel . You are successful because your message of keeping a natural tank is STRONG. You are the fish tank Guru who is tried and true . Thanks for telling the mass population of well-intending people wanting to have a fish tank... that it can be easy and lovely if it is started naturally with love and knowledge of our aquatic friends which we want to thrive.
There is only one thing I disagree with - the jungles in the aquarium ARE beautiful.
My warmest greetings to you.
Just started my first planted tank! Really My first tank ever after watching my mother taise fish Her whole life she used to do planted tanks When she was younger these days She has a 60 gallon with gravel and nothing else. And a few goldfish. I just finished mine. Put some African dwarf frogs in it. Who are croaking and singing all night! Really enjoying the habitat! I told her I will be making hers over very soon to be just as natural as mine thanks to father fish!!!❤ will be posting videos on my channel soon, hopefully.
Another great video. I've stopped changing my water as I used to. I also stopped taking out dead leaves and such. I've just been putting water in and everything is doing very well. Less algae all around, fish are also well. The only thing I do besides putting water in and a little food as I don't have enough of the small stuff naturally growing yet is take out the duckweed that grows on top. Duckweed is a wonderful filter and when too much grows, blocking too much light, I just remove a few hand fulls. Thanks, learning more with every video you show.
I hear you ,,,, my aquarium now truly looks after itself ,, yes i do about a 20 to 30% water change once every two weeks ,,, But that is just me still hanging onto water change habit ,,
i love what your are teaching here ,,,
its a tough fight teaching an old style of fish keeping in this world we live in now ..
all the best from the UK
As a Discus owner and breeder. I'm starting with a 10&20 using FF method. I know it'll be a difficult task to grasp. My shrimp and guppies will be the first to explore the FF method with me.
Your awesome!!!! I really appreciate you for putting your knowledge out for us to learn from…. My tank has turtles and fish and I really struggled with keeping water clean. I was using sludge cleaner, aquarium cleaner, cleaning the tank etc etc..
I watched 3-4 of your videos. Changed my tank, added plants and BAMM!!!! Clean tank… you’re amazing and thank you… we just ordered your substrate and plan to use it as we are going to bigger tank…. We expect the same… awesome results….
Jak zawsze otwiera oczy . Dziękuję !!
I see parallels between you and myself when you say 90% of fish keepers fail when trying the unnatural style of fishkeeping. It sounds like trading stocks where 90%+ of short-term traders also fail and take years to figure out how to do it right.
This is why I push for a longer-term more laid back style of trading (again parallels to your style of fishkeeping) - because it’s much easier to execute and is less stressful.
Relax and enjoy the ride.
Im about to build a natural aquarium after watching your channel your passion and knowledge is infectious i bought all the equipment my only issue i have is i think the light i bought the tank is 14×19×19 and the light is a hyggar clip on 14 watt my question is is that adequate lighting for a low light natural aquarium
No. You need at least a 40 watt.
My cute bunny 🐇 loves to watch you and your fish 🐠
My fish behave like actual fish. I love sitting and watching them forge for food and hide comfortably in the plants. I’m so excited about the future.
Thank you Father Fish for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. I have had a 16-gallon 4-year-old fish tank where I would lose fish regularly and was tired of water changes. After watching most of your videos, 2 months back I set up a 55-gallon tank using your deep substrate method, for the first time, the fish looked happy and healthy. Very few fish deaths since then and that too most probably because I overstocked a lot when I set up this tank and secondly all these fish came from big box stores. I filled the tank with live plants and now it is the attraction point in my house. I rarely feed the fish now, maybe once in 7 days. Your discord channel also has been of immense help, with you and members advising on problems and challenges that fish tank hobbyists like me face. Keep up the good work!
I love this (again)! I know you are in Florida (tropical). How do you know that a resurrection jar from the north (Michigan) will work for an aquarium containing fish from the tropics (equator)?
Micofauna is global.
Went to Lowes looking for potting soil, they only had potting mix. I did see something called "Back to the roots, it says its a natural and organic soil mix. All purpose plant food.
Root boosting mycorrhizae and PH balancing dolomtic limestome.
Can you tell me if I can use this soil.
Thanks very much.
Should be fine. Be sure to follow the formula: discord.gg/father-fish-shoal
So I was having very bad issue with my cycle water turns green very fast water tested nitrate nitrites high … switched to this method literally last week so far so good thanks father fish
Hello FF greetings from Mexico, I just setup a small 35x35x45 cms tank, and after a week the water is turning amber how can i fix it? Another thing is the plants seem to tur yellow and some leaves are full of holes ...😢 please help!
Add another inch of sand. Soil leaching.
Everyone who sees my tanks thst I have designed on the same way you do aquariums by adding at least 4 inches of sand and adding as much plant as possible yes its true you can't see the fish very much but I believe that's all part of the beauty it holds by just sitting there and all of a sudden a fish pop it's head out of know where and I have others that say your fish can't swim with all the plant you have my answer to them is simple no they love it and have never been happier thsnkyou father fish for helping me and showing the correct way to fish keeping
I am also like that with tank layout. I don't mind seeing my predatory fish come out once in a while because I know they are in there somewhere until feeding time. Then everyone comes out.
Hey FF I got a 125g tank and just bought the supplements and plants from your site and all the moss soil and compost I need to get it going. I got few convicts, angels, tigers and guppies but it’s the big plecko, turtle and Chinese algae eater I’m worried about. Any tips you can give going into this ? Your help is always and very much appreciated
Cap the s and with small river roc k to prevent rooting around.
Science and technology failing again; not surprising.
Coincidentally that's where I picked up my first tank, off the street curb after the neighbors moved. It was a rimless Fluval and I still miss it.
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but here goes. I see you use and talk about sponge filters in your aquariums always, are regular type HOB filters not necessary or can or should they be used in addition to the sponge filters?
Many thanks, I enjoy your video's and the knowledge you have and share.
Either is fine I prefer sponge
this works. my 30 gallon tank is 6 months old and is self feeding now! thankyou dr fish, this changed everything!
I love watching your videos, you remind me of my manca( m.grandfather) thank you so much for your knowledge. Do you have a book
We are working on a book now. Should be ready by Christmas.
You're the best Father Fish. Let nature do what nature does..
Thank you so much for these videos, you’re a real treasure 😂 cheers to the fanatics 🥂
Hi Father fish I was looking at setting up my 65 gallon tank and was wondering how much and what kind of potting soil and sand to use.I live in Canada and was just wondering if you could help me out and have any recommendations for products available in Canada any info would be appreciated thanks
We have a supplier in CA. You can fisn him and the formula in th e Shoal: discord.gg/father-fish-shoal
I was hesitant to make a planted aquarium after seeing those techie equipment, test kits and fancy soil. But after going through your channel, I'm confident that I can make one too.
I find that planted tanks are 100 times easier to take care of than non planted tanks.
I used test kits for the first few months, but after I found it stable, I basically put the kits down unless something goes horribly wrong (like all the newest additions die a few days after introduction)
In my setup, the most advanced piece of equipment is my light and substrate (I used only eco complete, but when I move my tank, I'll put a sand cap on it to make it a FF tank).
Only thing I can say for real advice on tank decor/hardscape+plants is to think like a fisherman. For example, see where the pros catch bass, crappie, and other fish and put similar places (on a MUCH smaller scale) in the tank.
90% by actual count lol 😅you’re a funny guy Father Fish
After watching your videos
I learned so much. I wish I saw your video first. I could have saved some money
But im glad that I watched before my tank went to the curb. Thank you
@Father Fish, can you make a video on the size of the aquarium?
Usually we speak in terms of gallons but it will be good if you throw some light on the ideal dimension of an aquarium.
I remember you mentioned in one of your video that the height of the aquarium should not be more than 18 inch :)
I will discuss size, yes.
I was going to go high tech with my second planted tank. During my research I came across your channel and 100% ditched high tech idea and followed you. Redid my first tank using your method.
I appreciate your videos tremendously.
Also, you can make these style tanks pretty, it just takes more work on your end, which kind of defeats the purpose of a natural habitat. Love the content, FF!
Since i started seeing father fish i stopped changing water i just filled in evaporation and my fish could been happier and healthier
Hi Father Fish, I’ve got a 6-8 week old 30 gallon tank setup with your methods. My plants are kinda just staying the same size. How long will it be until they start flourishing? The only thing I did differently was I ended up with extra sand at about 3 inches on top of the soil. My water chemistry tests good as well.
,ight take about 3 months for the root system to fully develop
@@FatherFish ok great 👍🏼 thank you kind sir.
❤❤❤
Love your style and glad your message is getting out there more. See you Sunday for the live stream 👍🏼
Than you Father Fish for clarifying this, experience is this what make all difference, and Im writing this as beginner, long way ahead to be where I wanna be😏. Recently I made mistakes, two of my fish had swim bladder, but I made researches and now they looks healthy and happy, eliminates those factors who can cause this problems. And we have something in common, I also love jungle in my tank😃
After your advice I have changed the entire setup with soil and sand on top. The result is tremendous. The results are comparable to the CO2 tank. Thanks a ton for the incredible lesson. The plants are thriving too good
Muchísimas gracias usted es el mejor youtubers porque solo dice la verdad 🤗🤗🤗
I followed your instructions, after s week the water on my tank is turning amber should I made a partial water change? Thanks 🙏
@@eduardokarmayeshe5579 there are two things to water getting dirty. One you are not using sponge filter. Trust me it's the best filter. Second, use a credit/debit card to clean off the glasses to have a clear view every 10 days
I like to make sure the soil is capped nicely so not too many tannins and soil make it into the water column. But a waterchange will clear it over time!@@eduardokarmayeshe5579
@@eduardokarmayeshe5579Yes yes yes yes yes.
FF a friend of mine came across some cow "patties" and he wanted to know if he could use them for a new planted tank he is planning. I said I would ask here. Cheers
Fresh are too full of ammonia. Old dried are good for 1/4 of the dirt layer. 1/2 humus (eat) and 1/4 good soil. !/8 supplement from FF. Max soil depth 1" in tank under 55. 2" sand to cap.
When creating a natural environment, is there any electric equipment that you’ll use with?
lights and heater and pump
Thank you for a brilliant video once again, god bless you farther Fish.
Hello how do i convert my existing tank to a father fish tank?
Join us in the Shoal. discord.gg/father-fish-shoal
Love your content Father Fish. Since discovering your youtube channel, I just capped my old gravel tank with a deep sandbed and loaded it with plants and a leaf litter from my local pond. I plan on using the Father Fish method on my two new larger tanks I just purchased. I will take some pictures and post them to the discord.
Is there anyway i can do a setup with fish already in the tank, or would i have to start from scratch?
Yes. Add enough sand to have a 2" cap and gradually build up a food web.
I’ve watched and listened to you after having fish die on me and guess what I did your substrate and change the type of water I was using and no more dead fish. Thank you FatherFish. 😊
Thanks Father Fish. You were my cheat sheet for our first tank. I just got soil from my backyard, sand from homedepot, rock and driftwood from my local lake... my fish are happy!
Спасибо за видео! Да, начать заниматься аквариумистикой нелегко, но благодаря людям, которые делятся своим опытом, все получается гораздо лучше 🌹
Another brilliant and encouraging video, thank you FF.
Father Fish! 2 аксолотля 4 и 1,5 года, которые умерли вскоре после того, как я сделала г рязный аквариум.обращения таких крупных животных..охоже,что ваша система для маленьких рыбок.ь воду.я не меняла и мои умерли.
Я без проблем держу аксолотлей в глубоком субстрате. Было что-то еще не так.
YA bez problem derzhu aksolotley v glubokom substrate. Bylo chto-to yeshche ne tak.
Thank you! I was always told that you can never have a nice tank without CO2 or do lush plants without CO2. The deep substrate method is king
What a bloody great video and some food for thought, Thanks FF
I think a very high percentage of fish keepers want the tanks to be artistic and for show. The best tank to me would have tons of plants and look artistic too. I think you're talking about tanks with mostly hardscape.
I just started my 30-gallon tank.
I have 1 inch of dirt,2 inch beach sand, 1 piece of drift wood, and I'm two weeks in with fish.
3 zebra danio. I don't feed them the first 7 days.I have 9 plants,however, 3 of them are dying.. I picked 3 plants that were growing out of the bayou..there green, big leaves,and grow a purple flower.. they've been in the tank 3 weeks i, but their turning brown.. Should I clip them or take them out???? (The other plants I bought from the store are still greeb)
The root system is developing.. Leave the plants. The old leaves will brown and new leaves will be created.
One more question the water has a brown tint to it..the water is not cloudy.its clear but it has a brownish color..could it be the driftwood?(when I bought it,it was already in a tank of water and they said it was already washed) or could it be some type of bacteria?
Im just starting in this Aquarium Wonder World... I was given a 65 gallon aquarium and im going to try my best to put all your advice and experience to work... Wish me Luck!!! 🤞🏽 You are a man with Passion, Love, and Knowledge!!! Thx for all the great videos... Keep them coming...
If I may be so bold .....you looked better with the beard
I love jungle tanks too!
Hi! Good day Father Fish. I'm from the Philippines. I'm about to go on vacation for 2 weeks, I'm worried about how my fish will eat while there's nobody left in our house.😅
I don't want to put an automatic feeder. What can I do Sir? By the way Sir there's no pond or creak near me. Can I put the dead leaf from our normal plants or trees outside in our house in my aquarium? Thank you and God bless you!
Use only leaves that have fallen from trees. You need live culture from wet leaves in a pond or ditch, any place there is standing water. Do not pick leaves from the tree for you tank. Your fish will be fine for 2 weeks with no food from you. There is food in your tank that you cannot see. They will not starve in two weeks. Don't worry about them.
Really appreciated Sir.❤ Thank you very much, and may God bless you!
Bye for now😊 hehe
I love the jungle and how you keep fish. I've been doing it for 15 years myself now. I get all my items and fish from outdoors. Love the channel
What about the one inch of fish per gallon rule?
a 10" oscar in a 10 gallon tank? What about it?
'""
This guy is what today’s generation needs to listen to.
I'm a gen Z-er. I have had a love for this hobby since I was a child keeping guppies (not with a lot of luck). Unfortunately my generation of hobbyists has been fed the lie that we will never succeed in keeping fish and plants unless we spend copious amounts of money on an array of products and gadgets to act as "life support" for tank Inhabitants. I came very close to giving up because at 19 I cannot afford all of the quality substrates, fertilizers, fancy Canister filters and their fancy bio-media, big lights for plant growth, CO2 systems, etc. This channel is a total blessing to me and has returned my dedicated for this wonderful hobby😊
Definitely, the fish is the most important thing ❤
Im proud that im in 10% because of you father 😊
Great video as always ❤. Thanks for your continued guidance.
Father Fish is my favorite fella on RUclips
Thank for sharing your experience.
What’s in that stein lol. Got the Father pumped. Love it😀
lemonade and green tea. lol
@@FatherFish great elixir 👍
Can the lamps substitute sunlight?
not in intensity or spectrum
What does it mean if your snail is eating your dwarf lily? I feed her every day, I give her cuttle bone. The plant is healthy until she knaws on it.. She is a mystery snail.
The snail is eating dead material.
@@FatherFish is she trimming it for me?
Iam 12 years and I have a experience of 4 years of fish keeping I got 1 more years of experience from a snakehead fish I got him from a paddy fiend and he was only 3cm and 1 year later he turned 9cm . One day I couldn't find him in the tank ten I saw he was dead outside the tank . I think he jumped off the tank that night and died . Now I have 5 years of fish keeping and I also have a ecosystem tank
And when you as old as me you will have more experience than me, a little. lol
@@FatherFish thank you sir
Thank you @fatherfish !!!
Father fish we thank you for all the education you give us, yes a fish tank full of nature. Much love!