How to control algae in the natural aquarium

[@chrissihoe998]

In all my tanks, I have gradually deepened the substrate by adding more fine gravel, added more plants, and have replaced all the sponges in my cannister filters with bio-media for less clogging. I hope that these tanks will go 20+ plus years like yours and perhaps outlast me!

[@aquaticsbynature]

Good luck with your tank. I see no reason why these tanks can't last as long as one wishes. They seem to simply get better and better as the years go by, and that still seems to be true of mine after all these years. :)

[@jonisolis9645]

@@aquaticsbynature What do you think about this video? The Life Cycle of A Planted Tank & Knowing When it Will PEAK & WHEN TO RESET Your Nature Aquarium. - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5WaqaNvlK1kjLs

[@peterwickham9984]

I do the same, and I add leaves from hard wood trees, dry mango leaves are in there now, the shrimp and snails love it. I live in Taiwan, so wild mango trees are common. Natural aquariums are fun and so easy, fish breed regularly, rice fish, white cloud mountain minnows and Gordon lamp eyes. I find good flow and an external canister filter, as big as possible works great, I clean it about every month, but I let the system tell me when I need to do that.

[@SherrickDuncan]

​@@aquaticsbynaturewhat do you think about Father Fish?

[@aquaticsbynature]

@ I haven’t watched that particular video, but I’ve never found the need to reset a natural style aquarium. Sure they evolve and what will grow successfully will change I’ve time, but I’ve always found these tanks basically last forever. I did a video last Xmas called an aquarium is for life not just for Christmas in which I tried to explain this idea.

[@jonisolis9645]

Glad to see this aquarium back and even better! Lovely! 💚💚💚💚

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you, it's really come back nicely now, the big onion plant in particular is going crazy right now. :)

[@GeorgianaOnline]

29?!! Holy cats! That’s amazing. 🐠

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you :) How time flies!

[@hellogoodbye5887]

wow 😮 man ! that fish tank is pure gold. i have four very low maintenance fish tanks. i almost do nothing but trimmig,feeding and add water . nature kows what to do by itself 😊 hello goodbye

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for your comments :) Nature is indeed much more powerful than we often give it credit for. Something I'll never get bored with observing :)

[@514jej]

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your wisdom. A BIG takeaway for me from your videos is to be patient and not oversteer the tank. Thanks for that lesson. Looking forward to continuing to enjoy your tanks and learn as I do that.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you so much. You summed up my philosophy perfectly :)

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

I had been wondering about this aquarium (and you) and was very glad to catch up! The stronger pump and clean clearly had a positive impact. I'm stunned to hear you have Amanos that are 20 years old! I have too many of these creatures to count but had no idea they lived that long.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks. I kept meaning to make this video, but life gets in the way of the best laid plans sometimes. Hopefully I'll be able to more in the autumn. Amanos are incredible creatures, and seemingly immortal in the right conditions. I actually know of some that are pushing 30 years old, which is quite astonishing frankly.

[@socalsteve5460]

I would love to see a video with you setting up a new tank with all your accumulated knowledge

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks. Hopefully I'll finally have the time to set up my four new tanks in the autumn and winter. So fingers crossed I'll be able to document things, good or bad along the way. :)

[@socalsteve5460]

@@aquaticsbynature I'm keen to see how you do the substrate, filtration, and lighting especially

[@aquaticsbynature]

If you're interested there are old videos on my channel covering some of this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipa4eHxqdreBaK8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmXInIx6lNZoopI kzbin.info/www/bejne/joe3m3WGebiIj9E Substrate is a big subject, so I haven't addressed how I set up new tanks yet. Lots of ideas to work through lol

[@SuperSonfish]

Im so happy to see that you have posted a video again! I have been waiting for the update since the algae infestation video had been published! I knew that old tank is in good hands and you will post it when it got better and I wasn’t wrong! As always your videos are always so informative! Keep making these videos!

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you so much once again :) Old tanks are pretty forgiving really, so I'm happy to say that things are really thriving once again. Hopefully I'll have more time in the autumn to set up the new tanks and continue reporting of this one. I have a few new things I want to try, so it could be fun and interesting to document them. Thanks again. :)

[@SuperSonfish]

@@aquaticsbynature Thats great! Can’t wait to see it!

[@jamesherrin3655]

Hello from Florida!! I took your advice I only too of with RO/DI water and since 98 % of my algae is gone. Tanks are running so well now. My wife and I did a betta sorority tank. Keep up your awesome channel. Wish I knew how to send pics over this.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you for your kind comments once again :) I'm very happy to hear things have worked out well for you.

[@miniandy82]

Another great video. Thanks for sharing. Dolomite gravel, which do you use? There is a wide range of hits and I suspect that many suppliers use it as a generic term for a range of products? Looking forward to the next one and the next tanks. Well done on having a brilliant KZbin channel.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for your kind comments :) The dolomite I use was simply bought from eBay here in the U.K. I'm not sure of the specific geological terms for dolomite, but it's basically almost pure white and around 2-3mm in diameter. The fineness of the material seems to be important, as very fine dolomite seems to cause issues under certain circumstances.......too reactive possibly. So I always go for the 2-3mm grade. Tried and tested as they say.

[@malamignatsaa]

What a nice tank, I LOVE AMBULIAS! I have some in my low tech tank and it's a very attractive, fast-growing and hardy plant. Excellent aquarium plant for beginners and one of the few plants that I would recommend for those who struggle with growing aquarium plants that looks nice and grows fast in hard water.

[@AlinefromToulouse]

I like Ambulias, but they don't like my tank. Best plants: cryptocoryne slow-growing, and hygrophila fast-growing. If they manage in my tank, it means they are hardy 😀

[@malamignatsaa]

@@AlinefromToulouse Did you try limnophila indica? There's several species of ambulias/ limnophilas, the species that I have is limnophila indica, atleast that's what I think it is

[@AlinefromToulouse]

@@malamignatsaa I think it was the easiest type of Limnophila, I also tried Cabomba, with the same result. I suppose it's a question of not enough light, as well as pH as it's quite hight in my tank.

[@malamignatsaa]

@@AlinefromToulouse My lighting is on low to medium side, no high light since my setup is low tech. Speaking of water hardness, the tap water here in my place seems pretty hard since my tank is always full of limescale, has a high TDS measurement and the source of tap water here is from a body of freshwater full of limestone from ancient coral reefs

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks, I think you summed up good old Ambulia perfectly :)

[@williammcdowell6257]

Excellent as always, the tank looks great. From what I have read on eutrophication decomposing plant material most importantly leaches phosphate - the major algae stimulant. Though I note you have been testing for Nitrate and Phosphate. Not sure about the TDS, some plants of course can break the carbonates for CO2, biogenic decalcification - especially Amazon Swords. Dying leaves on the cryptocoryne plants may have been an issue with low flow in the filter. Cool summer overall but a very warm spell in August may have made things problematic, most tropical plants start to deteriorate in temperatures much above 28 for any period of time. Also warmer water has less dissolved CO2 and O2, as you of course know. My main tank was above 30 degrees centigrade for several days in early August - ambient temperature plus the lights. Reducing excessive plant mass should make the same amount of dissolved CO2 available to fewer plants leading to greater plant health. Also I suspect fish released CO2 is not as important as an enhanced filter - the bacteria in the filter will have greater O2 input with more flow and thus greater numbers of bacteria meant increased CO2 output All at the margins of course, but then that is your point, gently does it!

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks as usual William for your input. It's been a funny year this year weather wise. I think my tank only went over 80 degrees for a few days, so I doubt its had much impact. I'm just happy everything is back to normal. I guess we can debate what produces the most Co2 in this style of tank until we're blue in the face. But if there's one thing I've learned over the years it's simply that given time and enough stability things generally balance out. I'm I firm believer that natures time scales are very different to ours. LOL Thanks again :)

[@Sinserg]

Hi James I am glad to see that your tank is doing well again dealing with situations like these is definitely part of the fun 😊

[@aquaticsbynature]

Yes, absolutely, these mini challenges are all part of owning an aquarium, and surprisingly satisfying to solve. :)

[@ashikrafi290]

Happy to see you after longtime 😊😊

[@aquaticsbynature]

Happy to be back :) Hopefully not so long next time !

[@paradoxicalocus3761]

Looking forward to the next video of the coral tank, if that’s still going!

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks, still going, but needs a bit of work after a summer lull.

[@AlinefromToulouse]

I think your channel is the source most adapted to my situation! This video in a way, confirms what I felt could be a good solution against algae, green hair in particular. I told myself it was better to add nutrients in the water through quality food and more bio-load than fertilizers because it's also food for all living beings. On another hand, it seems that too much algae can become dangerous, even for snails, maybe it's better to provide them food from outside and withdraw as much hair algae as possible from the tank. I will definitely clean the filter, and maybe add another one temporarily, just the time to get rid of the small detritus that are everywhere in the water column. I have a doubt about more flow in the water (not on the surface), because guppies are supposed to not appreciate.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you for your comments. I've never found algae to be dangerous in freshwater tanks, other than excessive amounts can actually trap fish is frightened suddenly. And in any case if things are that bad, you can simply remove the worst by hand. But definitely reducing the organic load on a tank with filtration and regular cleaning combined with a fast growing plant mass tends to take care of things. I've seen many videos of wild populations of guppies in fast flowing water, so they certainly don't mind flow. That said fancy guppies are quite different, and probably like Bettas best kept in air driven tanks. Good luck :)

[@AlinefromToulouse]

​@@aquaticsbynature Thank you for answering my questions, I’ve gained some insights from your responses. 🙏💡 Regarding the algae, now I think that the snail may die first-either by becoming entangled or due to other factors. The hair algae then feed on the decaying snail, and develop further in that area. This might explain why I’ve never detected ammonia in the water column, despite the all detritus and deceased snails. As for the guppies, I only have male Endlers, so I believe the water flow should not pose much of a risk.

[@frankvermeulen4621]

It's been a while. 😅 Good to see it all worked out in the end. I have a rather fresh setup in a 60cm tank and it has a rather persistent surface film. I keep siphoning it off, but I guess it just needs more time and fast growing plants. My lotus is way too big for a Rio125. 😁 The leaves develop holes, though. Could be a potassium (K) deficiency, right? Good to have you back. 👍

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks as always Frank :) Sorry its been so long.... Generally speaking apart from increasing the surface agitation adding lots of fast growing plants generally take care of surface films in my experience. So yes go for it :) Lotus leaves tend to be rather short lived naturally, so I wouldn't worry about so called deficiencies. Providing the plant continues to grow strongly I really wouldn't worry. And as you've said its too big, it does indeed sound very happy. Mine hasn't been fertilised in any way for many many years. :)

[@stevensanders7262]

Great video and great aquarium.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you, much appreciated :)

[@vincentkieboom3975]

Great channel!! What is the water hardness of your tap water and how did you make your aquarium water gradually softer?

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for your kind comments :) My tap water has a Gh of around 20 and KH of 10. But because for the last few years I've been predominately topping off with rain water the plants had reduced this to approximately half.

[@vincentkieboom3975]

​​@@aquaticsbynatureThank you very much for your answer. 20 Gh is extremely high. My tapwater is 15 Gh, which I already thought was very high. Interesting. You inspired me to do things differently in the future with this stunning aquarium. Wishing you all the best. Greetings from Switzerland.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Very happy you found it interesting :)

[@d3ath105]

Questions you can help me with How long does your aquarium receive light? Do you do minimal water changes? Do you clean the substrate out on the visible portion of the tank?

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for the questions :) This tank gets 12 hours of light. I haven't changed and meaningful amount of water in this tank since 2010. :) A couple of litres when cleaning sponges is about it. None of the substrate has ever been cleaned or siphoned in any way since 1995. :)

[@scorte]

Very nice and intresting video as always ❤. I think it would be awesome if you could do some live streams for q&a.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you for your kind words. I did consider live streams last winter, and at some point I'd definitely like to give it a shot. Not really sure what it entails at this point, especially not being a tech person.

[@arthurcutaiar9994]

No live streams. I like the style you currently have, the soothing voice, the gentle image of the tank and all its denizens. Plus it just seems that once you go to live streams it encourages the narcissistic tendencies of people that just only want to hear their own voices so to speak. To revel in their name or questions put to the fire front. I like your videos for the knowledge and pleasant atmosphere.

[@aquaticsbynature]

@@arthurcutaiar9994 Interesting, thanks. Human nature can be a strange thing sometimes. Maybe a case of if it ain't broke don't fix it. :)

[@Kekekekekeekekekhgfv]

great channel. great videos.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoy my little channel. :)

[@MorningDriftwood]

Has the elderly glass bloodfin finally gone? I don't see it in the newer clips but it was there in the "before" clips.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Sadly the elderly bent bloodfin finally passed away recently, together with one of its counterparts. I think all of my bloodfins are about 7-8 years old so all in all pretty good. So sadly no more photobombing by the bent bloodfin :(

[@lostmangos]

what species of crinum is that, its stunning

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you, it's a 29 year old Crinum natans :)

[@DashDrones]

Thank you 👍

[@NeoVeritas7]

I always keep an eye out for my beautiful pseudomugil boy ❤

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks :) I'm a bit surprised he's still going to be honest. The elderly glass bloodfin with the bent back passed away recently, but I guess at around 7 years that was pretty good too.

[@Batmancontingencyplans]

What are White dots that are stuck on the back of the tank?

[@aquaticsbynature]

They're just Nerite snail egg capsules on the tank backing :)

[@Batmancontingencyplans]

​@@aquaticsbynature isn't it a bit counter intuitive considering we get nerite snail's to reduce maintenance load but cleaning eggs from front glass is another chore? Nerite snail's Vs Red Ramshorn Snail's Vs dwarf pleco, can you do a video telling pro's and cons of each of them. Coz I want minimal maintenance tank but I always get stuck at this question....

[@Batmancontingencyplans]

​@@aquaticsbynatureI currently have black and red Ramshorn snails as black ones are perfect to blend in background and red ones are easy on eyes. They do eat dead or dying leaves on regular basis, making pruning a bit easier for me. Someone has suggested me to get Dwarf pleco to get rid of green algae that sticks to glass. My tank is in transitioning currently and has abundance of nutrients.

[@aquaticsbynature]

In all honesty I personally think Nerites are one of the most useful snails you can add. Mine lay very few egg capsules on the glass, preferring other hard surfaces like my tank backing. It's also worth considering that I haven't cleaned the back of my tank for 29 years, so much of what you can see has been built up over a lot of time. I'm a big fan of adding as many different snail species as possible to tanks. Each species feeds on different algae, decaying vegetation etc, so the more species you have the more complete your little ecosystem becomes. Personally I don't use plecos, preferring a mix of snails and shrimps to cover all bases. Good luck with yours :)

[@aquaticsbynature]

Yes agreed, at some point it would be good to do a video on the clean up crew I use, and why they're so incredibly useful :)

[@rahulratre7741]

What sort of light do you use normal Home white LED or full spectrum light or tube light

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for your question. The lights on this tank are the standard day and nature LED strips which come with Juwel Rio 180 aquaria when you buy them. I believe they're about 17watts each. I run them 12 hour a day.

[@lostmangos]

Sorry to ask so many questions but if a tank is so heavily planted, how do you clean the substrate? can you vac or clean the substrate at all without damaging the plants?

[@aquaticsbynature]

I have a deliberate policy of never siphoning the substrate, subsequently its remained undisturbed since 1995 when the tank was set up. No need to siphon etc, just clean the filter if it slows too much. Easy, keeps things super stable and ticking along indefinitely :)

[@elune43749]

is this crinum calimistratum or another species?

[@aquaticsbynature]

Mine is a 29 year old Crinum natans :)

[@David-il6hn]

May I ask how long you keep the lights on.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for the question. My lights are on for a straight 12 hours a day. 10-10.

[@emilsfishroom]

I have a natural grow out system (3000l) with huge amounts of plants. And if i do get alge in a tank i can be sure there will be a snail boom in it. And when they snails are done with the algea they slowly die of again.

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for your comments. It never ceases to amaze me how nature and have the little boom and bust events you describe. To me it just help to prove the importance of patience. 3000l is quite some size to manage! Good luck. :)

[@Gabriel.terluk]

What is that plant that pops up in the middle left, it looks like a fern, also what crypts are the ones in the bottom?

[@frankvermeulen4621]

Crinum natans. Can't remember the Crypts, but it's probably a variant of "wendtii".

[@aquaticsbynature]

Crinum natans Frank correctly says below, and the Cryptocorynes are just a very old clone of wendtii.

[@Kekekekekeekekekhgfv]

I have noticed my plants in high flow areas are significantly crinkled.

[@srikanthchinthakindi613]

Watching this video with my 8 year old son and hoping to handover my 1 year old no tech tank to him in the future ..

[@aquaticsbynature]

I hope you both found it interesting :) I think it's important to show the next generation of aquarists different philosophies. Especially in this technological age.

[@David-il6hn]

In my shrimp tank I can see some white worms. Is this a problem?

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for your question. :) It really depends on what the worms are and which shrimps you're keeping. If they're flatworms, they can be a threat to Neocaridina shrimps, but I find Amanos are fine. This is the issue I have in this tank. I've accidentally introduced flatworms from my ponds and now my Neocaridina babies are no longer surviving.

[@Kekekekekeekekekhgfv]

do you have pond snails? All my planted aquariums have heaps of pond snails that help eat up all the algae.

[@aquaticsbynature]

I have American ramshorn snails which I guess you could call pond snails. But I'm a bit more careful of using British native snails as some can eat certain soft leaved plants.

[@Kekekekekeekekekhgfv]

@@aquaticsbynature oh didn’t know that about the native British snails. I just got infested with bladder snails and there’s no reason to get rid of them. They do an amazing job of eating the algae

[@aquaticsbynature]

@@Kekekekekeekekekhgfv Yes bladder snails are excellent for aquaria. I always try and establish them in all my tanks. Unfortunately I find they disappear in tanks with flat worms, but fortunately American ram horns still do ok.

[@Dave_Andre]

How old are your fishes?

[@aquaticsbynature]

They range from about a year with things like the gowlights to 7-8 for the bloodfins, and 20 years plus for the Amano shrimps :)

[@neilvee451]

Yippee 👌😄

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thank you. :)

[@SanjayKumar-wx3on]

How did silicon in ur aquarium last for 29 years

[@aquaticsbynature]

Thanks for your question. I've always found that well made tanks with good quality silicon will last at least 40-50 years maybe more. To have a tank last this long they need to be made of the right silicon and the glass must be absolutely clean when constructed. Silicone will not stick properly to dirty glass.

[@SanjayKumar-wx3on]

Ok ..