Change Polluted Water. Do Not Change Healthy Water.

[@FatherFish]

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/

[@kosys5338]

I feel the need to chime in here. When I first got into this hobby I wanted to learn as much as I could and like many others used KZbin to do that and what I discovered was shocking. The majority went on about the dangers of Nitrates, the importance of weekly water changes of 30 -50%, the importance of vacuuming your substrate, the importance of fertilizers for your plants and so on. Then I stumbled across father fish and he was saying the exact opposite of what almost everyone else is saying. So instead of dismissing what father fish was saying I did a deep dive into what he was saying and started to find that what he is saying is kinda making sense to me so I really started to dive deep, so much so that I adopted father fishes way of doing things. What I found out was that Father Fish was absolutely right, all the problems I was having started to fade away and my tank and the life in it started to thrive. When people see my tank their first reaction is wow what an awesome looking tank. I stopped doing water changes, I stopped worrying about Nitrates (you don't want to get me going about the whole Nitrate fiasco) and I stopped cleaning my tank. The tank is pristine, Nitrates are not harming my fish, the water is not going bad because I stopped changing water and you would think I spend a lot of time cleaning the tank because it's so clean looking when I don't clean it at all. I struggled with the advice of many others, it wasn't until I adopted Father Fish's way of thinking that my tank started to thrive. Now I get to enjoy the beauty of my tank instead of fighting the tank. Giving Father fish the benefit of the doubt was the best thing I ever did in this hobby, not only that father fish backs what he says up with expert researchers who have also been right and know what they are talking about. If your new to this hobby do yourself a huge favor and be open minded, it would serve you well to listen to what this man has to say. Best part is it won't cost you a dime you just have to spend the time to listen and learn. Father Fish has taught me to enjoy my hobby and to let go of some of the fears I had. I owe my success and a huge Thank You to Father Fish. If you come across someone who says father fish doesn't know what he is talking about then that's the person you should not take any advice from because they don't know what they are talking about. Cheers!

[@FatherFish]

You go Kosys. Thank you for the beautiful statement.

[@kosys5338]

@@FatherFish No, Thank You sir, I'm just saying it like it is.

[@Gracie-ln4ic]

I don't even know where I would be without FF. ❤

[@kosys5338]

@@Gracie-ln4ic I hear ya, you and me both. He is a wealth of information and a great asset to the hobby, no doubt.

[@robertbaker3174]

True but I have hard water and after getting away from frequent changes I found out my snails were dieing. No calcium left in the tank. I keep rainbows and religiously changed my water for years without incident. Then the city water changed and all he'll broke lose. Got a carbon filter system and the problems went away. If I go too long fish start having problems.

[@matthewoneill6181]

The dude has a 20+ year old tank, a tank whose inhabitants never have to be fed by him and the water inside gets 10% water change once a year....i think he knows how to make a healthy tank. Bravo sir!

[@keithduwe2647]

I 100% agree with you Matthew the guy is special

[@davidosborne6328]

I love the old timers. In a world full of basically fake everything, they are genuine, honest and truthful. It's refreshing.

[@krazorspoon]

It's because they still have REAL experience in this fake world.

[@GreyStreet14]

Watched literally thousands of channels for thousands of hours about the hobby, and Father Fish has gave me literally EVERYTHING that I need to be successful in 3 VIDEOS! Just wow!

[@FatherFish]

Impressive!

[@Lazar.8]

Hi Father Fish! I wanted to tell you a story. I am 26. 9 years ago when I met my girlfriend I already was in love with aquariums. So I shared it with her and placed an aquarium in her room at her parents house 😂 big layer of sand, bunch of plants and a good amount of fish too. But since then we were always at my house. So she was not home most of the time. My own aquariums at my house always had issues. Crazy algae all over the place, plants didn’t grow, cyanobacteria etc. Tried everything and bought everything the sellers offered me. Did waterchanges. But it never really worked out as it should have. But the tank of my girlfriend at her parents home, that tank was crazy. The plants were growing very well, the water was clear, no algae to see, the fish were happy and even spawned. But no one ever touched that tank. Only feed sometimes. We never knew how?? But now you’ve learned me why. Back at that time I wondered if it was because of not touching it. But apparently all those brainwashed people who told me to use this and that chemical, or to do waterchanges more often or use gravel instead of sand cause sand will get rotten over time, they didn’t know anything. Thanks you father fish. You are like a grandpa to me I never had. And also the dad I never had to share this hobby with ❤

[@wilkojansenvanrensburg4825]

Well said brother!

[@DashDrones]

Nature is rejected by these other KZbinrs because they're sponsored by food, medicine and aquarium supply companies. It's hilarious 😂

[@juli8vdberg562]

I spent so much money being a silly dumb girl in the beginning listening to those and followimg them, went back to stores and they sold me more useless trash and giving me wrong advise on purpose, years later. I have thrown away all those useless trash and go inside the stores, buy my essentials of hardscape and soil and sand and plants and bye bye! My few tanks do great and I never lost any fish or shrimps by letting them do what they do

[@DashDrones]

​@@juli8vdberg562Amazing!! it's brilliant that you realised, took me a while too! It's so nice to know that our fish and shrimp are happy and letting nature do it's thing..

[@juli8vdberg562]

@@DashDrones exactly so… I now teach my students and friends as patients - people with trauma - to set up aquascapes and Iwagumi and in doing so which is way more therapeutic than anyone could ever imagine - that the entire basic of it means to go low key; low tech low cost low light low animals - a good nutrition powerhouse of a substrate and easiest plants, rocks and wood - small water changes and an all-in liquid fertiliser and low light plants and no trouble throwing in fish and shrimp or snails; all these sissy sassy boy videos on how to set up an Iwagumi or whatever is a bunch of commercial nonsense .. serves them well but not us!

[@DashDrones]

​@@juli8vdberg562well done and well said! They think their way serves them well but it clearly doesn't. Animal happiness and wellbeing is key along with our peace and happiness too. It's common sense but most are blinded by commercialism..

[@juli8vdberg562]

@@DashDrones this is why I no longer follow many of these, like certain Brits and Americans; but luckily the EU regulations writes that if they breach codes of conduct online like promoting or being sponsored by any store or brand or whatever and no longer mentioned on their content as we watch that they are breaching law since July last year and must be reported, so in France or Netherlands or Germany they have been toning it down since and are less crazy selling profiles and also breeding fish or anything without any licenses and selling online without paying taxes, is punishable

[@CICYB]

I was very pro-plastic and pro-glow tank for a long time, and it costed me a lot of failure and innocent fish lives. I grew frustrated as I didnt know why my fish kept dying, and I came across Father Fish. I'm glad I did. I have been tuning into FF videos over the past month, and his advice has fixed my fish tank. My water was unhealthy, polluted, and was a death trap for fish - unbenounced to me. Since tearing down my tank, replacing the gravel with sand, and fake pink plastic plants with real breathing plants, I have fixed all the errors I was making, and finally have a healthy suitable home for my fish. My PH is finally stable. My KH is finally buffering out water acidity, my nitrate levels are finally in check, and most importantly, my new fish are fucking thriving in this natural, beautiful tank. Thank you for the help, FF.

[@adamcenteno6155]

I hope and pray Father Fish is mentoring someone in order to keep this channel to continue with his teachings. This man is legendary.

[@janetholley1004]

Father Fish, I can't wait to get my own place again so I can set up some fish ponds outside. There is nothing like sitting outside and watching fish swim, it is so peaceful to my soul. Thank you for being a great teacher and giving so many people joy these days! Love you!

[@RoboGoby]

I feel sick that I have been deceived for so many years. How many more precious years could I have gotten out of my fish family had I adhered to these teachings. The lesson is MUCH MUCH appreciated Sensei.

[@kenrooke9047]

The very least I could do is thank you for all you do. It’s been 2 1/2 years now since I set up my 75 gallon using your method and it is truly balanced and teeming with life. While the computer has given us access to vast amounts of information unfortunately it has made it easier to be disrespectful to anyone whose opinion differs. Your response to the negativity and bullying was handled in the way you always take. Head on,factual,and respectful. So lucky to count you as a true mentor.

[@FatherFish]

Thank you Ken. You honor me.

[@micknufc5011]

@@FatherFish so what about cleaning it how alot of people hoover the bottom do you do any thing like that thanks

[@juliamartin1962]

i can tell you with the upmost security..no no messing with the substrate if you have a dirted deep substrate planted tank @@micknufc5011

[@andrewfenna7392]

I had a few tanks but gave up the hobby over twenty years ago. About six months ago, I was going to create a new tank so read a book which made everything so complex, I decided it was too much work. A few weeks ago, I found this channel and cannot wait to set up an eco system aquarium. Thank you Father Fish for passing on your knowledge and igniting my interest in this wonderful hobby 😀

[@seachangeau]

Well good luck!

[@kosys5338]

You will find that once you get it going that it will be a lot less work than you think. Yes it was little bit of work in the beginning but now I do very little. I add top up once a day and change a small piece of filter pad. Oh and I feed every other day, that's it. I just enjoy the tank and keep an eye on things. Good luck and welcome back to the hobby!

[@HappyOne2017]

You can do it! It's not as hard as other aquarists make it out to be...

[@Hashishtani]

Good luck! It will not be easy, there is no magic, it will anyway go through all the cycles aquarium must go through. You will have to solve problems and learn a lot, that's is what this hobby is for... if you think you can do it without learning, it's wrong. As every individual Eco-system, each aquarium is different, only common rules are the same. One plant can thrive other can die, algae booms will happen for sure. It is not just put some soil, sand over top, plants and tree leafs and all will go fine. You must understand the processes that are happening in your aquarium, and learning and trying to understand this is best part of the hobby. It is learning nature... And most importantly patience... in natural aquarium all things go slowly.

[@AquaticDomain]

We live in a society based around making money. Setting up a natural tank doesn’t cost much money. Leaves, rocks, wood and dirt are free if you get them from a stream or pond. That’s what I did. My tanks have come alive! I used to do weekly water changes and fight with my tank almost every day. Now I just sit back to watch the life explode in my tanks. I love the hobby more than I ever have thanks to Father Fish. Please keep delivering your wonderful videos on Discord and KZbin and we will keep on listening and learning. Thank you FF.

[@FatherFish]

Thank you Dave.

[@mlersk8830]

Wow. My eyes have been opened. This approach makes TOTAL sense and all of a sudden the aisle after aisle in the big box pet stores seem like just another scam. Which they are. Creating problems then selling the so called solutions to the problems the original chemicals caused. Thank you for sharing this wisdom and approach with the world. Be well everyone ☺️🍃

[@theladyamalthea]

I work as a cashier at one of those big box pet stores, and I’ve started recommending Father Fish’s channel to the customers buying fish. 😬 Might not be good for business, but it’ll make the customers happier!

[@spda81]

Preach brother! I have a 125 gal with just a powerhead for circulation. I've had it for 5 years and I barely ever do water changes.

[@KGTropicals]

I'm stumped here, I've never spoken anything but high praise about you and in my video I stated you're absolutely correct. Maybe you're not talking about me here, I don't know.

[@jjr2568]

I think he referred to the Kaveman clown that called Father Fish lazy and allowed mockery and disrespect in his comments. You said it right imo. Maybe it's best to just distance your name from the whole issue?

[@FatherFish]

I referred to you as reasonable and thoughtful. What triggered you to be so distraught? The beginning of your vid sounded like you were going to blast me. You did not. You said that was intended as humor. Sorry, I do not know you well enough to understand your sense of humor.

[@DADDY_DIGI_HOBBIES]

I discovered your method by accident. I have been keeping fish my whole life. my tanks would last 1 year then everything would die. One day I was hiking in the jungle (I live in Hawaii). I noticed that the river soil looked like ada soil. The pools here are full of prawns and fish all year around. My brother decided to go get some soil and take it home. We set up a tank and then abandoned it. I maintained my tanks like crazy but the algae never stopped. But then it hit me his tank was amazing. He never changed the water never only topped it off. From that point on I've never had a tank crash. My tank only has a small pump feeding a waterfall.

[@FatherFish]

I will never visit Hawaii because I will never leave if I do.

[@corneilheerschap2284]

This was the answer to my problems I haven't done a water change in two months and my 50 gallon has never been better. Thanks for the knowledge!

[@chankang3733]

It's great to see someone finally teaching what I've been saying for 30 yrs! Thank you!

[@ken-mb5cp]

Best video I’ve seen in years. You nailed this. Everyone trying to improve nature. Can’t be done. Live in peace. I love you all.

[@redarmysoja]

I'm 60 years old and have been keeping fish pretty much my entire life. Found the Walstead method about 10 years ago and between that and Father Fish I have fallen in love with fish keeping all over again after tiring of doing constant water changes as I thought I had to do.

[@FatherFish]

Thanks for sharing Tejas. This is an old man's hobby, done best with a mint julep in one hand and a fish net in the other.

[@redarmysoja]

@@FatherFish Exactly, the secret to life is learning to relax. There is nothing more relaxing that sitting watching my tanks so why let them stress me out to begin with? Fish keeping doesn't have to be stressful and in fact should not be stressful.

[@quki3]

@@redarmysoja”The secret to life and a learning how to relax” so true!!

[@63yearoldskater]

Just stumbled onto The Good Father's channel... and my head is spinning! After nearly 20 years of struggling to keep tanks clean, nitrate-free, crystal clear, and free of algae using as many of the techniques and equipment from the modern Aquarium Industrial Complex that I could afford, I gave up. I couldn't keep a tank healthy for more than six or eight months. And I "knew what I was doing." Thanks Father Fish! I cannot wait to try again!

[@FatherFish]

Your heart will be filled with joy.

[@bigmonke3348]

Could you please come back with an update?

[@63yearoldskater]

@@bigmonke3348 will do!

[@angelikazak1392]

I did my first ever tank with the FF method and it's been a month since I set it and watched it.Didn't do any cleaning, or did I water change

[@rmn8818]

Hell yeah! All my aquariums are successful because of your videos. I love you father fish❤

[@karltria-tirona4784]

This is what i think about when setting up an aquarium. Make it as natural as possible. Thank you sir.

[@BuckWezr]

After 50 years of being obsessed with this hobby, I'm loving being a new fan of your channel, sir! That's always so much to still learn, and I enjoy smiling at listening to fellow old-timers bring back things we were mostly all doing back in the 1970's, and the wisdom of the day was about stability and balance.

[@maddib1723]

More elderly need to share their knowledge of the old ways online for us youngings to get our hands on, if anything happens to tech we are lost

[@janicelewan7557]

You Go!!!!!!!! Preach that truth!!!!! Love the message. You never stop learning, at 72 yrs old and never had an aquarium I was given the responsibility of keeping my 5-year-old granddaughter's 25-cent feeder fish alive she won at a school fair. Well, 4 years later and 3 tank size upgrades our beloved Cupcake is going in a Father Fish dirted tank. Cupcake is 9 inches long now and here's hoping her many more years to come.

[@FatherFish]

Goldfish can live to be 100. lol. Look forward to the pics of cupcake's new digs.

[@EireFirst2024]

​@@FatherFish goldfish can live to 100??.. I'm starting to think you're half goldfish pappa 😍😂

[@cbrahmar]

I have been unsuccessful two times, losing all my fish while trying to maintain a sterile environment for the fish. I felt bad with cloudy water, so the next thing I did was change the water. I only replaced 30% of it, but within the next two days, all the fish were dead. I've just subscribed and will try to follow this; it makes much more sense.

[@jbmjbm323]

You should have done a 100% water change. Whatever was in that water was still in there when you only did a 30% water change. What you should have done was clean out the whole ttank and start fresh to make sure the tank does not get cloudy again. And if you don't have any established water from another tank to use, I'd suggest getting those quick start bottles and use it once to cycle the tank and start it up again.

[@juliamartin1962]

no you are dead wrong @@jbmjbm323

[@tituspullo3946]

I like real people. Doesn't matter what the subject is. My father was a civil engineer. Knowledge and fearlessness over marketing and bull ****. It's refreshing.

[@Steve_andrea]

I have a 23gal tank, fully planted and botanical tank it’s a self sustaining ecosystem. I haven’t done a water change in months but the tank is so clean and healthy and my fish are thriving. Just goes to show what happens when you let Mother Nature take her course.

[@victorvalderrama1167]

What do you do when you need to add water? Also, do you have a filter? I just started watching FF and I really like this way of going about a fish tank. I am about to get a 55 gallon tank and will be mimicking FF's way of having a self sustaining tank. I don't know if to get a filter.

[@lambchoppyboy]

Sponge filter is all you need according to FF.

[@laurabilger8910]

I AM BLOWN AWAY! And very excited to use this method! It makes complete sense. As someone who has spent a lot of time outdoors, I have seen crystal clear pools, vernal pools, tiny puddles of water in a tree trunks, THRIVING with life! I even came across a vernal pool with little brown freshwater clams in it! It was in spring & it was in a tire track (power line maintenance) in the mud on a mountain! While exploring an abandoned, dilapidated house I found a trash can filled with water.( and some trash, lot's of leaf litter) it had a beautiful green moss that grew under & outside of the water. (I actually took some home & added it to my paludarium tank, where it is thriving) That trash barrel was teeming with life! Little crustaceans, etc. I plan on following Father Fish's advice. No more partial water changes? Healthy thriving fish & plants? I'm in!

[@FatherFish]

You have to see it to believe it. NICE!

[@laurabilger8910]

@@FatherFish going to the local river today today to gather some MUD, sand & leaves to transform a 6 gallon betta tank. I am moving soon & will set up ALL my tanks with your recommendations. Very excited about this. THANK YOU!!

[@FatherFish]

@@laurabilger8910 Sounds wonderful. Post some pics on the Father fish Shoal discord.gg/vQJvcQge

[@cynthiatalaogon1424]

Father Fish is the reason why my tanks are a success. I have been in this channel since it started. I am so proud to see how much this channel has grown. From 100 member to 54K!!! Amazing!!!

[@poppad48]

This man has changed my life and my aquarium for the better, and forever. He speaks common sense and truth. The aquarist industry is vested in you buying and re-buying chemicals and additives while selling the false premise on what's a healthy aquarium. Yes, this info is for fresh water tanks. But this method works wonders. All I have to do is top off my tank every 10-12 days. I use 5 gallon buckets of tap with a capful of Prime to take out the chlorine/chlorine. My plants are healthier. My fish, more energetic, and the tank just looks better. Thank you Father Fish

[@brettpid6416]

pure vitamin C works well for me as a chlorine remover

[@melpomene1492]

I recognize the need to add aquatic life (plants more so than fish) to my hobbying. This is one of the first channels that was recommended for me. Probably because KZbin is well aware that there is no way in heck that I am changing SEVERAL GALLONS of water every-so-often. And then treat it with chemicals rendering the wastewater just like, 🤢 🤮 No thank you. I really appreciate what you have to say, and I am going to keep watching. 🤘

[@caleb8677]

I've seen a lot of people bagging out your videos because they take one piece of information out of context. No waterchanges only works when you have a balanced ecosystem so they would be right in complaining that you have to do them if they don't have enough plants and feed their fish heavily and often but they don't take all of the information that you share on-board with a holistic approach. In summation, after watching your videos and listening to the information, it just makes sense what you are saying. I fully support your vision and mission to inform people and improve the hobby and fishkeeping experience, and I thank you for that. Keep doing what you're doing and remember, the truth is often surrounded by much controversy.

[@FatherFish]

Thank you Caleb.

[@jojocep]

I love this way of fish keeping. Haven't done a water change in months since first watching Father Fish, just top off the tank every once in a while. My fish have never looked happier. And they seem to live longer too

[@victorvalderrama1167]

When you top off, do you put any chemicals to treat the water? or do you top off with a certain type of water?

[@chrishammer4749]

I found your channel through watching Alexander Williamson's channel The Secret History Living In Your Aquarium and I'm so glad I did. Had a heart transplant and was told I couldn't keep fish because I could catch something like tuberculosis from doing water changes. I'm getting back in the game now! I'd heard a little about this but never tried it. After watching jar ecosystems, LRB, Alex's channel and now your's I'm convinced I can do this. Thank you! I'm so much happier with fish in my house! I appreciate the work you do!

[@FatherFish]

2 great men. Happy to be in their company.

[@larryhenry719]

I've been operating my tanks the same way as you do and everything is better than it's ever been.

[@FatherFish]

Excellent!

[@christiansweden]

Thank you! After much studying, observing and thinking this is pretty much what I figured. Yet you are the first one I've heard say it and confirming it to be true even for aquariums. Amazing. Enough with the gas-lighting and germophobia.

[@ltilkens3198]

Wow! I had aquariums in my teens. Then in my 20's I got a 55 gallon. Always did plastic plants, water changes etc. I swore I would never never get an aquarium again. Now I am about to retire and am contemplating getting back into it. After watching numerous videos of aquarium care, I had decided I didn't want the hassle to keep a tank, even if I have time. After watching this video, I am once again thinking I will give it a try this way. It all makes so much sense.

[@FatherFish]

go for it

[@DeeGee-mv6eq]

If you don't want the hassle of keeping an aquarium, maybe you should try sedoku or crossword puzzles instead.

[@dns9643]

@@DeeGee-mv6eq You literally didn’t read his comment.

[@richardgouda-rn1lq]

@@DeeGee-mv6eq go kick rocks 🪨

[@ghouly_smiles]

saving people from being lost in this hobby is exactly what you are doing!!!

[@matthewkucey6358]

I've been following father fish for over a year, everything he sais is true, recreating nature in a glass box is the answer never had an issue with my tank since adopting his methods

[@lyndongall2122]

I've been keeping fish tropical and marine and I've never seen anybody do a video that talks and explains it in easy to understand and so much sense I love this guy well done Father Fish thank you

[@FatherFish]

Thanks Lyndon

[@Alex_Correa]

Thank you Sr., for spending the time to teach this new generation the simple ways of the aquarium world! This new generation has been scammed with so much plastic aquarium things sold!!!! To represent nature is the key!! REPRESENT NATURE is what we need to do. We sure can't REPRODUCE, but to try to represent is to get the NATURAL EQUILIBRIUM for the natural system to work. Biodiversity in the system will complete a cycle much needed for the body of water. The best aquariums in this world are the ones left alone after that balance is reached! MORE BIOLOGY AND LESS TECHNOLOGY!!! Nitrates and phosphates are "food"! Listen to this old man. Much respect for this channel. Thanks for sharing, Sr.!!!! 🙏

[@alexdevoid9923]

i got into the hobby 11 years ago when i was 14 and being young i absorbed so much knowledge from youtube that the typical aquatic creator would preach. the info i was receiving as to keeping an aquarium never seemed to work for me. everything i did yielded different results than what i was watching on youtube. i took a 5 year break from the hobby due to being stationed overseas and recently got back into it 2 years ago. i went back to my old ways of fish keeping and i wasn’t having success like i wanted, so i abandoned the “Fish keeping Purist mindset” and started keeping fish differently and i have been very successful since. I have basically let my tanks just exist(i do have to babysit my Tanganyikan tank more than the others since its newer) and i haven’t had any issues. I’m really glad i found your content as it’s definitely showed me that i’m not wrong, i was just getting bad info and that my more natural approach is actually better for the animals. People often forget that aquariums are their own complete ecosystems and don’t always need our intervention to survive. Love the content it’s not all about how much money is being spent on a build, setup or a super rare fish, It’s about the hobby and I’m learning more every video. Thanks!

[@fixitfelix718]

As a person with a plastic tank and plastic plants this makes total sense...I will take this to heart...i have 1 fish...and it is a nightmare at this point...I'm Glas I found your channel...I provide quality information on Appliance repair...and this is quality information on keeping fish..I love the channel thank you for your service

[@albertobacelaraquashowaqua1108]

I get slapped by other retailers and product manufacturers just for advocating a natural methodology for setting up and maintaining aquariums. There are no arguments against facts. big hug my friend

[@FatherFish]

Yes Alberto. We must teach the retailers the money is not in product. It is in fish and plants.

[@albertobacelaraquashowaqua1108]

exactly...❤️

[@delta_gaming1932]

keeping fish should be a relaxing stress relieving hobby. Many have made it quite the opposite. Have a Betta 10gal heavily planted. No filter, and I've never had a healthier Betta fish before. I've always stressed on my paramaters. It's relieving when you realize nature knows what the hell to do.

[@RafaelHA2010]

I started this hobby, and by simple common sense, I applied Father Fish's advice. Now that I look at it, I find no flaws in his logic, and it makes a lot of sense. I just started watching this channel and realized that there are these two perspectives on how aquariums should be, and there is definitely a balance between the two, but that balance involves more natural processes than technological ones. Excellent channel. Between Father Fish and SerpaDesign, you have all the knowledge needed for the art and care of aquariums and vivariums. Greetings and good vibes from CDMX

[@adzharrold5952]

I set up my first aquarium 1 year ago and followed this guys advice. Haven't changed any water , never checked PH , never added any chemicals , just added lost water from evaporation and cleaned filters and fed the fish twice a week - PERFECT , thanks Father Fish

[@FatherFish]

Thanks for sharing

[@yodaiam1000]

I started keeping fish in the late 70s when I was a kid. It is funny all the advice I got from the fish stores. Some people said you have to do partial water changes (back then it was more like of 10% of the water each week or daily partial water changes for Discus). An old Scottish shop owner told me never change any of the water. He said. "the older the water; the better". In any case, it is funny to see how things go full circle.

[@HappyOne2017]

I love your way of fish keeping because I love nature ❤. I have five tanks. My oldest son came home for a visit and was shining the flashlight on his phone at the bottom of my biggest tank. "Mom you have worms in there!!!", he said. I said, "Do I look at your garden and tell you you have worms?".... 😊😂😂

[@FatherFish]

EXCELLENT my dear!!

[@Armguy1]

ITS allive 😅 bei proud in your Aquarium they are good live food for your fish

[@janetholley1004]

LOL! The first time I found them in my fish pond outside, I thought " yuck !" Then I remembered "Oh yea nature's way of feeding them." ps. I was standing in the pond at the time, cleaning the filter set in a bucket.

[@gregoryhumik4533]

TONS OF RESPECT FATHER FISH! YOU ARE THE GUY KZbin HAS BEEN WAITING FOR. COMMON SENSE FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@FatherFish]

Salutations Gregory!

[@theladyamalthea]

I’ve been thinking about getting a fish tank again after 20 years of not having them, but I remembered how much work it was to do water changes, and how hard it was to keep the water clean, and all the tests for all the different levels of whatever, and I really wanted plants, but I remembered needing a CO2 injection system… So I decided to come on KZbin and see what developments there have been in the hobby. Well thank you, Algorithm, for suggesting Father Fish right away!! I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to have anything because of the start-up and maintenance costs (I work a minimum wage job) but I see now it will probably be possible for me. And instead of being a ton of time and effort, it sounds like it will be easy! I never would’ve thought my dream of a planted tank would be so simple. Thank you, Father Fish!

[@hollyleafwell2118]

My grandfather passed on two years ago and I still miss him terribly; he was the only grandfather I know since my other grandfather passed way before my parents even met. Just hearing you sign off with "love you all, bye" hit me surprisingly hard. Thank you, FF.

[@1guyreckingkrew]

I’ve learned so much from you in the pass 2 days. I gave up keeping fish years ago because of all the money it cost and labor. Water changes, ph chemicals and all kinds of other crap. I’ve always wanted to go natural and everything you’ve said has been 100 accurate and makes complete sense. I definitely use to over feed and over chemical.

[@1996vivian]

My mother is 94 now but when she was younger she kept tropical fish. And with my four older brothers, she didn't have a lot of money to spare. So she used what she had at her disposal, exactly how FF is describing. And when I started to keep fish, I, of course, went the opposite way and my tanks failed every time! And I was exhausted, spent a lot of money and time when if I had just listened to her, I'd probably still have my tanks. So glad I found your channel FF! Can't wait to show my mother!😁

[@FatherFish]

Would love to meet your mother.

[@davidmiller8030]

Fish keeping is trial and error, this is the longest time I had fish (about 2 years), I change 1gallon (I have a 10 gallon tank) every 3 months. I have scuds (small animals found in the substrate).

[@joaorodrigues6526]

I don't understand all the hype from other channels all of a sudden, your information has always been clear about how exactly to create a natural setup without water changes. Thank you for all you wealth of knowledge and wisdom as to how to connect with your aquarium and all the life it contains!

[@FatherFish]

Correct Joao

[@trenapatzer3631]

Someone left there 2.5 plastic bow tank in an apartment with nice substrate, an air pump much too large, filter and said they no longer needed this tank because the goldfish died. I had a cry for that goldfish because it’s owner was too ignorant to take the time to do ANY kind of research. Another pet peeve is Pet Smart selling tanks and fish together before the tank is cycled. Happened to me because I also was ignorant. I’ve been in the hobby for 2 years and I’m still learning. I’ve also decided I hate the plastic and now am adding plants. Your tanks are beautiful. I will watch more. Thank you 😊

[@FatherFish]

Welcome Trena

[@krazorspoon]

As a disabled person who can only maintain this hobby by having low maintenance aquariums, I am so grateful to have invested so much of my own time into researching complex micro-organisms and the multi-facetted ecosystems that make up a healthy, primarily self-sufficient aquarium. It's always nice to hear you speak so passionately on this subject, as it bolsters my belief in myself to enjoy this hobby and succeed. Thank you for sharing your experience and insight and adding to the resources available for those who benefit from such knowledge.

[@jarrod0987]

I had the same issue years ago. I spent a lot of time reading and trying things out. Spent a fortune on test equipment and half my life on water quality and nutrients etc. The freshwater side of the community was so toxic every forum I went to had nothing but problems. So I left and got my own podcast. Never looked back. Was the best thing I ever did. You must have control of your own channel to prevent censorship by the idealists. That was years ago now. I don't keep fish anymore. In the end, I came to the same conclusion you seem to have. Nutrients are not the enemy. They are part of the ecosystem and keeping plants will take care of it :D

[@FatherFish]

Thassit!

[@teetowwelds8251]

I was tired of doing water changes,I was doing RO water changes by the bucket. Now I can see how water changes hurt your aquarium. The RO water gets conditioned by plants , sand , leaves and fish waste build up the mineral content of the water , the deep sand substrate takes care of the bad thing in the water. This old aquarium water gives new aquariums instant life . I set up new tanks and by the next day they look like they been set up for a month already. This water is gold.

[@sameathisfindsherpurpose6188]

Your the only reason I haven’t thrown in the towel. When it comes to my new hobby. Keeping up with the water changes and the all the different and expensive things, I’m told I need to buy. I watched your video stating to cap off the gravel and add plants. Just did that last week. I love the idea of a natural tank. The old way takes the fun out of the whole experience. Which at one time brought so much happiness and excitement. Slowly but surely I’m changing my tank over… I’m still testing the water to keeping an eye on everything as it slowly transitions.

[@FatherFish]

Bravo Saneathis

[@ella-and-her-cup-of-coffee]

I recently upgraded my tank. Did everything like I initially learned it and afterwards started to research, if i did it right (ya know - the adhd way). I saw so many videos and got so scared, because apparently everything i did was wrong. Until I saw Ff again and he reminded me, that i am doing everything right. Dirt, Sand, Water, Light, Fish, Plants and that's all you need. Feeding once a week, no water changes, heavily planted, low tech, ecosystem. Reminded me why I got into the hobby in the first time. Father Fish, you're making this so easy and calm. I could listen to your advice all the time and appreciate your videos so much! Thank you.

[@maddib1723]

I feel like a mad scientist since i started experimenting your methods im a stay at home mum with more time on her hands than ever 😂 thankyou for being on KZbin

[@fushnick06]

Love this guy! Ever since i started watching his videos I stop doing water changes, added more live plants and its been 8 months since I did a water change in my 75gal and 35gal tanks...I just top the tanks off evry now and then...

[@judokid5147]

May I ask if you had to start over from the base of the tank, adding in potting soil and decomposing leaves? I want to understand if it's an already established tank without dirt, but with aqua soil etc. (no gravel) what is the way to go?

[@SlimPicken5]

I love hearing you preach not changing your water all the time and not siphoning the gravel once a month stuff. I have always maintained my planted tanks for years on end without doing massive water changes weekly or monthly and never siphoning the substrate. I only add new water when the tank evaporates too much. And my tanks have thrived. The Plants grow and spread my fish get fat are healthy snd start making babies. My friends always ask me how much time I must spend taking care of my tanks. Lol. The only time I spend is cutting back over grown plants or planting growth in a difficult section. I still use a filter but I also don’t change the media once a month. Depending on how much silt has been stirred up my filters can last 6 months or more before I start changing them out.

[@FatherFish]

You are responding to the needs of the tank, not forcing a rigid dogma on it.

[@niemand1231000]

I have learned that the palaudarium Style, low stocked and a ton of terrestrial plants that like to grow wet roots is the most stable enviroment that you can create. But its very important to always top up with reverse osmosis water!! Like nature does with the rain. I had 3 years with no water change and my fish are spwaning in the 5th generation now!

[@lewisnelken1966]

Excellent video. Couldn't have said it better. Many people these days would not bother to say what you said in defense of healthy ecosystems at the end of the video, or in defense of anything. But I'm glad you said that.

[@joelkoonce8559]

Thank You Father Fish. My eyes have been opened, I see the light. A good diet and sand base , lots of plants, and some good lake water, oh , and no more water changes. 🙂

[@lukehartley7759]

These other KZbinrs get popular by jumping on whatever topic has gotten views recently on KZbin just ignore them father fish and keep on creating these great videos . Cheers

[@aydin77g]

Father fish you are a force of nature. Thank you for your great content! I totally agree, long live mulmy goodness! ❤

[@renlysotherlover294]

I’ve been in this for awhile and I’ve had failures and total Wipeouts and then I learned about your videos I tried your techniques and I’ve been thriving ever since

[@FatherFish]

Delighted to hear it Renlys

[@Dare_Devilss]

I wasted so much money & energy on buying those unnecessary chemicals in the name of fertilisers and water changes last few years! Now i understood no money and hardwork needed to maintain a beautiful natural tank! Thank you Father Fish! 🙏

[@debrascheer4577]

I'm so happy that I found Father fish. My tank has never been healthier, my fish has never been happier and it kept me in the hobby and now I'm not constantly changing water and spending hours on hours taking care of my tank. Now I spend my time watching my tank thanks again and keep up the great work!

[@FatherFish]

A refined fish keeper is a meditative monk, learning the secrets of creation!

[@barugongameroff2914]

I thought I've learned it all but Father Fish keeps me inspired! A pleasure to listen to him!

[@justinperkins4847]

I’m sooo grateful for coming across this gentleman’s KZbin channel. He’s definitely brought me into the light! They way he’s explaining how to set up an mini ecosystem in a fish tank makes soo much sense! Thank you Father Fish!

[@Molson2889]

I have completely switched to the father fish way of fishkeeping. I mean at least im trying lol. I have never been happier and my tank has never looked better. It has re invigorated my love for this hobby and i cant thank the man enough. I have learned so much and everyday i feel like i learn a little bit more. Thank you again

[@judithbraun4854]

Veterinarian here. I’m new to this hobby, but I’m absolutely fascinated by this channel. It makes so much sense. As a veterinarian I see on a daily basis what it means to health of our pets when the environment is out of balance.

[@mikeg3291]

Your method brought me back into fish keeping. Now I have a super healthy natural tank with happy fish, snails, shrimp and plants. Thank you.

[@AnthonysOutdoors]

This is absolutely refreshing to hear. I've been keeping fish for 32 years in tanks and ponds. Koi, goldfish, tropicals and natives. Any time I've gone against the grain on water changes I get berated. The hobby and industry makes money by selling people chemical and filtration fixes. By telling people to change so much water that their tanks/ponds are in a constant state of turmoil. I refer to these types of tanks as "sterile systems." They never allow a true self sustaining eco system to establish.

[@HappyNanoLand]

I am sooo glad someone is saying this. If you have set your tank up correctly, it becomes it's own ecosystem. In 5 years I've never changed my water. People are doing these 70% water changes all at one time, then they wonder why their tank has crashed.

[@averdecheeseburgerc]

This channel has been refreshing and vindicating; I used to do frequent water changes and always struggled maintaining a tank. Through happy accidents that are entirely too long to type out, I have several different substrate layers, the ones at the bottom being pitch black. I have as many live plants as possible, nothing plastic in the tank, and I fortunately live in an area where the water isn't soft. My fish have been alive and well for 8 years, and I never do water changes. They're nearing the end of their lifespan, so I've cultivated their eggs (they breed regularly) and have 10 healthy fry growing rapidly. I don't use charcoal filters, only mechanical and biological, and really more for surface agitation than anything. My plants are huge, my fish are healthy, and snails galore - its wonderful watching it taking care of itself. The only chemical I use is seachem prime to dechlorinate - I add a bit to a gallon jug, and then fill it up, let it sit for a few minutes and then top off my tank. I was worried about not changing the water 2-3 years ago, and then surprised how month after month, I saw no signs of distress or a failing tank. It was a little anxiety inducing in the beginning to watch my tank flourish in an environment that, according to almost everything I've read, shouldn't be possible. I do water testing and I have zero nitrites, zero amonia, and just a bunch of nitrates (100-150ppm). The only thing I ever adjust is if I start to develop hair algae, but that's been corrected by changing the the blue/red spectrum of light on my aquarium light and reducing my feeding a little - after a week or two it goes away. This comment has gone on too long and I'm sure my thoughts seem disjointed (this was going to be a one or two sentence comment), but I just wanted to thank you for your videos - its given me confidence and reassurance with how my tank is maintained.

[@FatherFish]

Excellent. You have learned through practice.

[@Nomadistar]

I just wanted to leave my 2 cents here as well. My 20gal with plants was doing rather well & I did my 20% or so water change like I have had drilled into me to do to keep my water from going south so-to-speak. I lost a few of my fish and my plants are now withering as well as having algae run amok. Which is fine, I have shrimp. I decided to really start watching and listening to your videos & I have come to the conclusion that you have covered in this video & have decided to let nature do it's thing! As for your way of keeping fish? I am on board & am thankful to have found your channel. I was skeptical at first (which was about 3 weeks ago?) ... anyway, off to get some dead leaves from my oak in the backyard. Be blessed and ty!

[@FatherFish]

Appreciate you Nomad

[@arrowblue3909]

Thanks man I have been telling this to alot of people but they see me as a young kid who dosent know anything. I love fishes I have been in this hobby for 8 years. I started when I was 10.my father taught me everything before he died

[@semperparatus6326]

“My word!”, I love this man! When I first got into the hobby, I went artificial which lasted all of a couple days. As Father Fish said, common sense. I rushed into it but quickly realized my mistakes & did what I should have done from day 1, researched. A year later, all my original fish survived & I now have 4 aquariums running (1 gallon low tech with hitchhiker snails, 29 Betta community, 55 community & 75 goldfish/dojo loach), all of which are natural & healthy with very little maintenance. Well more with the goldfish because they eat EVERYTHING I put in there including everything they’re supposedly not fond of but point being, we need more people spreading this message. “This is the way”. Keep it up OG, triple OG!

[@FatherFish]

Thank you Peratus.

[@bettazoid]

I have to say, my entire way of fish keeping has been turned upside down this year and I love it. And my fish are loving it too, in a big way. I never realized how much I enjoyed keeping plants until I put them in my fish tanks, and now I'm down at the river on the regular looking for drift wood and leaf litter, every chance I get. So please, keep the wisdom coming! My fish are probably more grateful for it than I am, even.

[@FatherFish]

Lovely, kind sir. It's all about the fish, after all!

[@tomi.d]

WOW! same message, with some incredible editing...finally has an impact. So well done. Happy to see you thriving, FF. Keep spreading the word.

[@FatherFish]

Thanks Thomasin. Yep! Samee message. Prettier package

[@hendrixbackyard]

subscribed.. i want to learn more. thank you father fish

[@chita8908]

I stopped changing the water from my tanks for several months now because i was too busy with my university and to my surprise the plants and animals have flourished and look so much more vibrant.

[@foodgallery6890]

Father, I flipped my tank upside down just to follow your advice on how to naturalize the fish tank, and the result was astonishing!! My fish tank looks much healthier. Thank you Papa!

[@FatherFish]

That is awesome!

[@firewoman7722]

This is awesome! I do monthly, not weekly water changes, don't own a test kit, & have seed shrimp that feed my bumblebee gobies! The only hassle is that my municipal water is pretty lousy & I have to pay $1.25/5 gal. at a drinking water filling station. My tap water is so hard, it rivals the crusty mineral buildup of a saltwater tank! I'll top off with it, but try to keep it at a minimum. This is so cool that someone is as hands off as I am!

[@FatherFish]

You may not need to do reg water changes if you have adequate plants and a deep substrate of sand.

[@firewoman7722]

@@FatherFish I couldn't afford sand, so I opted for "plant gravel" but I think I'm going to carefully start adding some sand on top after a thorough rinsing. My plants have been struggling I think due the hardness & I wish that I would've watched some of your DYI soil/substrate videos beforehand! I may just be stuck with floaters & epiphyte-types like Java ferns/moss, Anubias, & buces (not yet tried). Rooted stems & grasses just seem to disintegrate on me. I've got a challenging size: 40 gal TALL with a 20 × 22" footprint, a strong current & 5-6" plant gravel substrate. I'd like to avoid CO2 & artificial fertilizer. Advice welcomed! 🙏🏼

[@FatherFish]

@@firewoman7722 Collect wild sands from a creek bed ot the sea. Cap with 2". It is amazing how that alone promotes plant growth. Join uws on the Father fish Shoal for more conversation in depth. discord.gg/BjgATHB2

[@dawnt6791]

I'm so glad I found Walstad's book and learned about the natural method of fishkeeping, which is in line with what you talk about here, Father Fish. If not for that, I wouldn't have fish anymore, due to chronic health issues that make constant water changes out of reach for me at times. It's only through learning about natural, balanced ecosystem tanks that I'm able to have fish at all, and it's even healthy for my fish! Win-win. Thanks for working so hard to educate folks, and don't let the naysayers get you down. They don't deserve the emotional energy it would take to deal with their negativity and know-it-all-ness, especially when it's not even based in SCIENCE and nature. BTW, because of one of your more recent videos, I got my hands on dried oak leaves. I was already using almond leaves, but now I've added oak leaves to my tanks, too. One of these days, when I get the chance and can drag hubby out with me, I'll go down to the river and get some water, mud, and leaf litter and see what sort of little organisms are in our local water. I'm willing to set up a small tank just for that, so I can harvest the microorganisms for my other tanks. I'm excited to try that!

[@FatherFish]

Perfect Dawn.

[@YelenaKelman]

Thank you so much for the interesting and wise advice. As I understand from my experience, you can keep the tank without water changes if it is understocked and heavily planted. Not everyone knew to start new aquarium with layer of dirt. My planted fish tank has natural gravel in it. It was established with weekly partial water changes. But at some point, I didn't have much time to care for my fish tank when my mom got sick and passed lately. I could only feed the fish, clean HOB filter when it got clogged and topped the water to replace evaporated. During a few years of "fish tank neglect" most of my fish got old and died, except two tiger barbs, and the plants almost took over everything. Of course, I didn't get any new fish for about last four years. And these two barbs just thrived in the "old" unchanged, but crystal clear water and still alive and well. But now, as I added new fish again, I will do some water changes from time to time, because the tank is not understocked anymore. And more fish load may require water changes.

[@FatherFish]

stocking is a function of building the food web. As it grows more stock is able to thrive. Cap your gravel with 1" sand to provide a natural substrate that will never need cleaning.

[@mikenco]

I used to keep fish 30 years ago with this same philosophy as Father Fish, the tank needs to be 'balanced'. I bought a new tank today as I finally felt like getting back into it.. I rarely cleaned the tanks back then and despite the myriad of new 'gadgets' you can buy these days, I think I will be creating a natural tank, although this will be my Tropical tank, my previous ones were all semi-coldwater.

[@Vidyagokul]

Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Father Fish 🙏

[@steverobson842]

Thank you Father Fish for what you do for the fish community. I'm lucky that I found your channel and thank you for helping us fish keepers on how to setup and how to take care of a natural tank. 👊

[@FatherFish]

I appreciate that Steve.

[@testing3166]

I believe this 100% I noticed that anytime I lost a fish it was after a water change. I could see them stress after in my planted tanks. So one tank a neglected for a few months, no water changes and no problems. Now on my second tank I'm slowly doing the same thing and the fish are doing great. I don't even have the dirt or dead leaves just heavily planted so I don't know why it's working but it is!

[@bethsands7665]

Nature is the right way and you are a naturalist preaching the word to all in how to keep an aquatic living being alive. I hate commercialism and plastic decorations( seasonal and all year around) !!! I can't stand plastic plants who , unlike real plants , will never bloom ,clean our air , and grow . I think some people are falling for a commercialized industry and not using their brain to decipher if this ( buying dead gravel and plastic plants and painted ceramic stuff which may be toxic ) is what ....if they were a fish ..... would like. NO ! You are an important messenger for life.

[@rodolforomero143]

You have a very strong message father fish, and you do an amazing job at spreading it. Every time I see one of your videos I feel newly inspired again.