Natural Aquariums - Build a Dense Habitat

[@TheGMan366]

Well done, Tony! Nice to see the face behind this mad, beautiful science. Love this; love your work. Well done! The G man totally approves.

[@pattys_aquatics]

I’m a big believer in this way. Father Fish got me looking and creating a food web but after seeing the livestream with yourself you have opened my eyes tremendously. So thank you

[@JessMcCrossan]

I love that I get a nerd download of info whilst also getting to relax because your voice is so calming!

[@WilliamWelch-ow7kb]

Love the word “Rubble “!!! All of my tanks are full of rubble and debris and it’s so beautiful! I’ve never been scuba diving but when I sit and stare into my aquariums I zone out and feel like I’m actually swimming under the water in a river or creek with the fish. I can see your scuds racing around through the “rubble “ my shrimp babies also have cover! Thank you so much for sharing and making my experience so wonderful!!!!

[@SteveHebert]

I like this format of video. Also appreciate the lack of back ground music so its easier to stay focused on your video. Biggest takeaway from this video is creating the rubble microfauna highway across your tank. Would love it if you could expand on that more or show some examples. I signed up for the newsletter so anywhere you post it I will see it. Thanks.

[@nicholasbennett8612]

Just bought some scuds, and micro worms to get started in live feed! Once I get those settled in I’ll definitely be getting the wight worms, daphnia, and the green water setup to feed them

[@WiseFishKeeping]

Natural way is the best way

[@j.pablosalguero3135]

Love this! Been a huge supporter and refer people to you site in the aquascaping forums whenever I show my tanks. Honestly you’re doing a huge service to the aquarium community. Thank you!

[@TheSimmpleTruth]

I would like to add all types of beneficial microfauna to my 2 tanks: a 40 gallon planted tank with guppies and shrimp and a 40 gallon with a few plants 6 Pigmy Cories and 4 Yoyo loaches. What kind of order would you recommend to seed these tanks enough to make the organisms multiply and get established, not just serve as food just once.

[@Charlotte_808]

I love how you talk about these things!!!

[@gregorynull5630]

I've always wanted to have a natural aquarium, thanks to you, I have a dense habitat, & it is beautiful it has algae, plants, leaf litter, scuds from a local creek, a chunk of coral rock, a lot of drift wood from local Manzanita, Plane Neocaridina-shrimp from Pet-co, it has a lot of aging to do, it is not a Gaia in complete harmonious symphony, that will take some time, but I am loving it.

[@dianaheaphy8294]

Love your videos so much! I wish they were longer! Heading outside to get more dried leavs for my scud tanks!👍

[@Kpoweredsol]

always look forward to your videos. great seeing you get some exposure on father fish. love your products to, put my last bag of bugs in its own tank to try and create a big population. really enjoy your long videos like the scud one too.

[@spiritualsaggi6297]

What's that green and white stuff that the scuds and shrimp are eating?

[@Brollvelin]

With leaf litter, do you just source non toxic leaves from ponds or other water sources? Also isn't there a limit to how many leaves you can add to a system and how long you can leave them in?

[@elfpuncher]

I like the shots of the critters! How do you feel about a leaf culture in a 'chimney?' as in, like a 4"x4" box thats is 16"+ tall filled with a leaf litter that the bugs can thrive in rather than spread across the tank floor?

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

1) Subscribed to your newsletters. :) 2) How to create a layer of microfauna inaccessible to fish?! I think they fit into any crevice! Show us what it looks like in your fish aquarium! 3) Special thanks for a normal, calm video without any tiring sounds in the background.

[@pannobhasa]

I have a question: I am starting a new 10 gallon natural tank without fish, mainly for culturing small invertebrates/microfauna for other tanks with fish, BUT I'd also like to use that tank occasionally for breeding dwarf gouramis. SO: do scuds/amphipods eat a significant number of fish fry? (I'm considering getting an amphipod culture from Phillips Fishworks)

[@rangerjohn85]

Is it possible to get your products delivered to Europe? I live in Sweden myself or do you only deliver inside of the US? Thanks for a great channel!

[@claywise43]

I just placed my first order from you on Sunday. I’m excited to get it in

[@oimeunomeevitorr]

Nice video bro Inspired to do this layer

[@ashenwalls3558]

Love this!

[@flipman11435]

Well said... keep up the good work!!

[@resultsvelocity]

I just collected a jar (leaves and the micro organisms) from a natural lake. It looks like I have some Hydra in one jar. Should I feed it to my danios and tetras? Will they eat them? Are they bad to introduce to the tank environment overall and should I just let them die in the jar?

[@WilliamWelch-ow7kb]

Will my scuds eat my daphnia? Can I grow them together

[@CanielDonrad]

My aquarium has been pretty active. But recently I'm not seeing any daphnia or copepods. I have a few corydora. Think they've eaten their numbers down pretty low? I also tend to feed whole leaves. But recently I've been thinking of shredding those first. Anyone tried using shredded leaves?

[@heldersanches]

Hello, thanks for all the info. Could you please advise/recommend someone in the EU selling microfauna packs to start these colonies? I checked your website and, as expected, you only ship to continental US. Thanks!

[@tonyadams4726]

Hi so I got a few cultures, Aquatic isopods, etc. from you I would say a month ago. How do I know if they are living in the tank because I feel like I haven't seen them since I put them in. Now full disclosure it’s a 125 gallon with a tony of plans I would say anywhere from thirty to fifty plants (I can email pictures if I need to for help). I went natural way or as it seems to be called lately the father fish way. I also not only have your two of your cultures in it (bag of bugs if it matters). There is a ton of almonds leaves, driftwood, and scud balls that I added besides what you sent me. When I first put them in there was anything but Amano Shrimp, Otos, and different kinds of snails. I have now added Corydoras Eques as the first fish and I don't want to add more until I know I have a good enough setup for the Marco and microorganisms to survive.

[@mrpunchyface774]

Hey just a though, maybe Otto’s and Cory’s aren’t the best choice for this kind of set up. I personally avoided those fish because Cory’s are vacuums that dig through the dead leaves and substrate that the bugs are supposed to hide in. Otto’s are always on leaves eating algae and biofilm that those little bugs need as well. If I were you I’d swap out Cory’s and Otto’s for cardinal tetras or some other tiny fish like dwarf rainbows or something that swims around instead of just vacuuming up all your bugs.

[@tonyadams4726]

@@mrpunchyface774 that makes sense . I don't want to take them out because its a display tank just for them. Do you think I can add maybe a ton more leaf litter and scud balls

[@tonyadams4726]

@@mrpunchyface774 I also don't clean the back and sides glass so there is a ton of algae and I am always replenish the biofilm and algae with things as Bacter AE so there is a ton of it. Plus I am constantly add leaves I don't add a ton just to make sure my PH doesn't drop to fast, however I can just add more leaves more often if you think that will help

[@mrpunchyface774]

@@tonyadams4726 my personal opinion is that Cory’s are bottomless pits that never stop eating. I honestly don’t think you’ll ever see those bugs with Cory’s in there but that’s just my experience with them. I have guppies and rainbows and I still see bugs zipping around once in a while. When they dip under the leaves the fish usually leave them alone.

[@tonyadams4726]

@@mrpunchyface774 okay thank you I have been trying to get some kind of answer for almost two most. Like I said it is going to be my main display tank and I am putting Rainbows in there to so it is nice to know at least they won't devour them. I wondering how big the population got before I put everyone in there because I just put them in and I had the microfauna culture in there already.

[@Whitewing89]

Do you have rams horn snales? They are totaly out competing my shrimp population. I'm going to have to nuke the damned tank if i want to breed shrimp.

[@derekgh3fan]

Pass, i like when my house doesn’t smell like a swamp! But to each their own☺️

[@aig9672]

What would your alternative suggestion be?

[@jonisolis9645]

🌿🪴🌱🐜