"Do You Follow The Father Fish Method?" ... What I Do & Believe Differently

At dansfish.com/c...
At Dans fish just use discount code "Alex" or "alex" to recieve 10% off on top of any existing deals & to support the channel.
Use the code "FISHTORY15" at AquaticArts.com for 15%
Then for amazon prime day if you are a prime member, or for that matter just want to buy something off amazon, you can support my channel by opening this link to start shopping...buy whatever you please, and it support the channel with .5% affiliate support, while you still get the same exact price and deals!
Link below
shorturl.at/tB348
To become a member of the channel: JOIN US AT THE LINK BELOW FOR JUST $1.99!
/ @fishtory
Artwork and Merch!
teespring.com/...
To financially show love to the channel. If I've earned it and helped you out, I appreciate any Patreon Donations or Venmo/PayPal gifts,
message me for details or use patreon link below.
PAYPAL- @ [e-mail]
VENMO - @Alex-Williamson-88
PATREON:
/ somainkdesigns
Thanks friends. Cheers.

[@Fishtory]

Shortened form with no glitches or waiting ( 30 minutes long): kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmimZ2ene7p-b8U

[@SFormby]

You can turn your porch into a catio so the kitty can still go outside and watch the birds. I prefer that method most

[@ashenwalls3558]

Ff stule is a place to start, and I appreciate how it introduced me to encouraging microfauna in my tank. I really appreciate all the knowledge you share with your channel! I've learned that there's a style for everyone, and it's important to understand what your goals are for your tank, and what you enjoy. Then you find the processes that support it.

[@Fishtory]

Glad to help, thanks for your support and input

[@cut419ram]

My 5 gallon with Fluval Bio Stratum does well with plants. In this 5 gallon I keep live plants, spider wood, with red cherry shrimp and 1 male betta in this tank. I have a very low flow foam/sponge filter with bio-balls in the tank. No CO2, so the plants don't grow that fast. Most my other tanks only have sand and gravel and the plants do ok but not that great. I do want to try fertilized soil with sand cap sometime like Father Fish does though. I started with only gravel tanks and eventually capped them with sand from Father Fish advice and it worked well to help with keeping nitrates lower. Agree on the taking dead fish out instead of burying in the tank.

[@Fishtory]

Oh definitely. And after a year, that deep sand is great for a lot of plants, and nitrate control.

[@Fish-Addict]

Fact- not everyone with great knowledge is a great teacher.

[@Slawsers]

I completely agree and relate to that, I have tons of knowledge on aquascpaes and planted aquariums even with results on all my tanks, yet I'm not very good at explaining how I do things and definitely not in a palatable short way lol

[@Fishtory]

True. I dont know if this is a reference to ff, me both or others... but its a good life motto lol 😆

[@Fishtory]

@slawser ..neither am i lol i suck at shorts

[@Slawsers]

@@FishtoryI think this is more directed to ff

[@Fish-Addict]

@@Slawsers correct, I'm reffering to ff. And I do realize that the issue might not be only the creators content but how the consumer processes, perceives and applies the info given. We hear what we understand, what is to difficult to comprehend falls on deaf ears. It is a very small percentage of consumers that really have interest in knowing more, most just want a easy way out. In my opinion, 90% of ff viewers only knows about him because of "stop doing water changes" and that is where their interest and research stopped aswell.

[@jsmartin1300]

Great video! I am setting up a 125 gallon comunity planted tank for my son. What do you feel would be the best but also cost effective substrate to use?

[@Nic-kx5dn]

Yes was really annoyed at Chap at aquarium shop.Oh well that's his way.Ive learnt for years now,and still learning.lol😢❤

[@rafaelgonzalez4175]

I can advise the probable best content to create for fishkeeping. The thing is it will only attract new people. After that everything is commonality. We all group up into common groups. What I like you may not. It would be unlikely we have the same group. However we can share a passion for a breed. a pet, a cause and be in the same group. To commune together is to find common ground. In our feild it is aquatic lifestyles. Most of the fishkeepers have a passion for the responsibility. Maybe that is the content needed for better community. The responsibility of fishkeeping. The accountability of fishkeeping. You can't go around telling people what to do or how to do it. But you can go around all day everyday, showing people how you do it. Odd as it may sound. Solid in concept.

[@greengaucho]

I've started a tank with 2 inch layers of aquasoil (wish i knew about your suggestion of using pummice at the bottom ages ago as ive got buckets of pummice and akadama for bonsai haha), 1 inch layer of fine aqua soil degraded and mixed with fine sand, and capped with 2 inch layer of fine sand. I've got about 40% of the aquarium covered in plants, but also have various non aquatic plants growing above the surface with a hydroponics kind of set up where the roots are submerged beneath the surface (e.g. monsterras, lucky bamboos, spider plants, zebrina inchplants, etc). On top of that i have several large sea shells placed in the aquarium, as well as driftwood and seiryu stone, plus almond leaves scattered throughout the surface. Ive had this set up for 6 months so far and ive changed the water probably once or twice. Originally started off with shrimp, but gradually added snails and different community fish like danios, white clouds, medakas, etc. Everything seems to be ticking along smoothly for now but what cons do you think this set up has, and anything I should look out for?

[@greengaucho]

Test the water often and pH is consistently about 7.2 and all other parameters are looking healthy too

[@kentanderson8004]

This got me thinking a lot. So I capped my p gravel after learning about the FF method. However my tank was only 2 months old. But I didn’t want to do an entire tear down because I had small shrimp. So I have a layer of p gravel and a 2” layer of sand. Heavily planted tank. Here’s what this got me to thinking. Maybe I buy some aqua soil and freeze it into say a 3” disk and then try and place it into my p gravel layer. Thoughts?

[@Fauntazee]

Newbie here... Understanding you want to now add soil, yet From my reading/listening, I thought plants can't very much thrive in gravel/sand substrate🤔

[@Fishtory]

That is awesome! Good thinking...ive done it, and seen it done as well :)

[@DeborahStephenson]

What substrate and nutrient /supplement mix would you suggest for a tank with extremely hard water? We live in the SW Missouri Ozarks on limestone/dolomite and we are doing a natural tank with native fish and plants from our area.

[@Fishtory]

Oh if they're native fish... dont worry. But for tropical fish in the jungle like tetras... lots of plants and or add distilled, rain or RO water to the tank. Its a bummer with hard water all you can do is add wood and leaves to break down into acids ...co2 gas does that too. But then the water is still "hard" just the ph lowers. So really other than RO filters there's no magic way to remove disolved solids... water softeners arent good for the fish...itll dilute their electrolytes and blood minerals content.

[@DeborahStephenson]

@@Fishtory Thanks for responding! It really is a bummer having extremely hard water--for many reasons more than just not being able to keep certain fish and plants! On the other hand, we have beautiful clear streams here in the Ozarks and an abundance of wildlife that is hard to find elsewhere. (We actually live about 3 miles from the place where the The Tumbling Creek cave snail (Antrobia culveri) is located. It is known only from that one locality. We have tons of amphipods and isopods in the springs and fens on our property so we keep hoping to find one of those snails here as well someday.) Currently we are keeping Fathead minnows in the tank but hope to collect a few native snails and small glass shrimp to help make a natural ecosystem. Many people look at minnows with disdain, but we find them interesting.

[@aquaracer65]

Excellent video, especially the nitrate and water change part. I very much support the natural aquarium approach and have been using natural materials in my tanks for decades. But personally I don’t think the FF method is the way to go, certainly not for beginners. And FF’s claims that high nitrate levels do no harm and you shouldn’t change your water is simply wrong. To be clear, it has been scientifically proven that keeping fish in water with high nitrate levels over longer periods of time, is detrimental to their health. Nitrate levels above 50ppm cause higher Methemoglobin concentrations in their blood which causes problems with oxygen absorption. It’s wrong to ignore let alone deny this. Believe science.

[@MedievalMind]

Can you provide the specific studies that "prove" this?

[@aquaracer65]

@@MedievalMind There are numerous studies but I’ll give you a few links. Nitrate is the end product of a cycle and basically non-toxic, if not present in excessive high concentrations. But the problem is the exposure to higher nitrate levels (say 50 to 100ppm +) over longer periods of time. It’s a bit like smoking, it won’t kill you instantly and some people may live to be a 100 smoking every day but we all know it’s not healthy. Same for high nitrate levels. Most of the fish we keep in our hobby come from very soft, slightly acidic waters with very little dissolved substances. I know many fish that we can buy in shops are commercially bred and are used to water parameters more akin to average tap water, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give them ideal living conditions. I simply don’t agree with the FF style of telling viewers, very often beginners in the hobby, not to test their water and not to change their water and high nitrate levels are fine and more of that stuff. It’s too simplistic and lacking nuance. There are better ways to educate newcomers in this hobby. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6977012/ www.researchgate.net/publication/267377185_Nitrate_Toxicity_A_Potential_Problem_of_Recirculating_Systems

[@MedievalMind]

@@aquaracer65 Most of the fish may originate in those waters, but that is not where they have been bred for the last 50 years. With few exceptions, most fish in the hobby are bred in hard, alkaline water now. Origins have little to do with the care of most of the fish we keep now. Your assessment of FF's instructions are also simplistic. He does not simply say "do not change water" and "do not test". While video titles may contain those lines, he always goes on to explain in depth, and it is not that simplistic. He also performs water changes every few months for his own peace of mind. The system he teaches (and I use for everything from Saltwater to Discus) rarely reaches a level of nitrate over 100. I will review the links provided.

[@aquaracer65]

I couldn’t disagree more to be honest. Even commercially bred cardinals will do better when you acclimate them to softer water. Many of those fish will also show better colors if you provide them natural conditions. 50 years of commercial breeding can not compete with millions of years of evolution (but the father will probably not agree on that one). Origins has everything to do with care. I’ve watched several FF videos and haven’t seen one yet where he explains in depth as you say. I’ve heard too many claims to which I not agree. I am not saying everything is wrong what he does and I know the Walstad method can work to a certain extent but I’m just not a fan of his way of ‘teaching’. It’s almost like a cult by now. But if you are happy with his methods and your tanks are doing good, that is wonderful. But to me, a 100ppm of nitrate doesn’t sound very healthy! And I’ve been keeping fish for over 40 years…

[@MedievalMind]

@@aquaracer65 You are free to disagree, but the majority of commercially bred freshwater aquarium fish (with some specific exceptions) are bred in Florida in hard, alkaline water.

[@rufusjean-baptiste]

The cat was just following it's instinct

[@JTTRNaturalAquarium]

😂ff think his method is the only light to Nature while everything else is the darkness 😅

[@Fishtory]

Perhaps lol

[@ranjanty]

I have the same problem with my cat. I put a bell on her collar, it works a little.

[@Fishtory]

Shes got a bell and i trim her nails, shes a 3.5 lb monster lol

[@Fauntazee]

Pin worms🙀😱😫 Yuck! Those things are contagious & you can end up w/them in your intestinal track😰

[@Fishtory]

Indeed

[@Kaepora2]

Respect your elders BOY! I say I say you may have an Aquarium, but he's got you sunk deeper than the Mariana Trench BOY

[@ricotrucker1]

You right my firts tank i made it father fish way . And my plants not grow but is helty . My other tank i build it only soil almos 3 inch in my plants groing more then father fish method🎉 . And my tanks plants they look so green and helty and the growing fast

[@Fishtory]

I say do what works for you 😉

[@crystalc9036]

I understand what FF is saying about scooping out stuff in a pond or creek but I’m not putting that in my tank. The parasites/worms/plants indigenous to that pond probably make sense for that pond/ creek but not in my tank. Nature keeps itself in check. I have to keep my tank in check by being careful. Plus I put my hands in my tank. I don’t want to run the risk of infecting myself with something.

[@andrewderksen3342]

I did it As an experiment 🥼 and my fish were healthier then in my tanks that I did not do it Coinsurance 🤷 maybe :)

[@Fishtory]

I agree... i do it with selectively cultured microfauna but some locations have cyanobacteria, leeches, tape worms. ameobas and even worse. I have an old livestream called "can i get sick from my aquarium?" ...and it's shocking how many things *could* be in there haha

[@andrewderksen3342]

@@Fishtory I would imagine a healthy lake is going to be better than the swamp Lake? :)👍

[@sims8717]

Learned alot from Father Fish. I set up my first ever planted/dirted tank. Now my Plakat betta is thriving in a 5gallon with 5 different species of plants. Ive seen organisms grow in my tank and even found snails. Through his lessons ive learned to leave algea alone. Now that the tank has stabalised the algea is slowly dissapating. His method works. You just gotta be willing to keep an open mind.

[@Fishtory]

Time and patience

[@georgiana6598]

Goldfish pond indoors and then what?

[@guildmaster808]

One thing is sure in this hobby. Different methods work for different people. The way I feel about it is if it works for you then it works. I think that's why it's a good idea and FF has recommended this to observe the "resurrection jar" watch it develop so you have a better idea of what's in there. That said I found what looked to be a tapeworm crawling out of my substrate and the only thing I had used was store bought soil, store bought peat moss, and store bought sand! I picked it out with tweezers and miraculously it seems to have been the only one . There is always a risk of introducing something undesirable while building a natural tank even from store bought materials.

[@Apistoleon]

Actually his method has different phases. You can quickly set the aquarium up, and it totally works. The microfauna and microflora and water parameters settle more as years pass! That's a different story!

[@FusionDeveloper]

Some people want crystal clear water with no live plants, massive filtration, no gravel, no fake plants, no decorations. I prefer a variety of life forms in mine, with tinted water from all the stuff growing and living. Sure it looks kind of messy and sloppy, but everything keeps everything healthy for me.

[@84DavidM777]

Hello. I got into the hobby when I saw my brothers father fish tank. I was into bonsai and have a little understanding on plants. I did my soil rich in nutrients so I had to cycle for about a month. Had amonia of 32 (API test was blue not green, took 1/4 water and the rest destiled water and still had 8ppm). One thing you say you don't agree with FF is the 2" cap. With dirted tanks 2" seem to be good specially if you do them rich on nutrients. I am surprised with the beautiful growth on my plants. I have hard water and did noticed the need to add potassium. But like you said what do I know been doing this for 4 months. Thanks for diving deep into research. I appreciate and value your input. I have had luck with the FF so far just sharing my experience.

[@caverock.1]

I have my own version of both you and father fish. I don't do jack for water changes and my fish are happy and healthy. Thanks for you guidance.

[@Fishtory]

Nice!

[@AlinefromToulouse]

I’m shoked! The FF substrate under the sand cap is supposed to provide all the nutrients the plants need very quickly, not in a matter of months, and the light is on 24/7 the first days (not months like someone said, and only so that the roots develop quickly to reach the substrate, not the dirt layer on the bottom). I’m joking of course, but I feel a bit lost now...

[@Fishtory]

Ive watched his method evolve a lot the last 5 or 6 years... mostly in the last 3. But i dont know the point of 24/7 light for the first week or when that was added. It must be in the last year or so.

[@AlinefromToulouse]

@@Fishtory he himself leaves the light on all the time but it is not mendatory, personaly I wouldn't, simply because it would be too expensive, and it's not very ecological anyways. I'm not sure he uses DEL lights. Lately he changed the system of the resurection jar, no more mud and a shorter exposure to the sun because it fouls the water. Hence the necessity to follow closely for the context and to realy listen.

[@droeksonfishkeeping]

I have 3 of my tanks running on the Father Fish method (or as close as I can get to that in South Africa where I can't order his supplements). Dirt layer is comprised of 2 parts peat, one part compost, one part potting soil, a sprinkling of bone meal and a pinch of Epsom salts. Capped with sand with a 1mm grain size (not as fine as play sand but not quite gravel either). No particular reason, just what I had handy and a little nervous because of all the horror stories you hear about fine sand compacting. My filtration is more than Father Fish generally runs, there are power filters in addition to the air driven sponge filters. What I can say is that these tanks (after an initial break in/ugly phase) are far more stable and less maintenance than the traditional gravel/sand-and-root tabs tanks I have had in the past. One is heading towards 3 years and is an absolute jungle so I know it lasts at least that long.

[@Fishtory]

Totally. I think if you include either filtration from a HOB or canister/ powerhead for o2 or flow...OR do water changes, its a really good system. I mostly just disagree on nitrates with him and co2 gas being helpful for delicate plants

[@droeksonfishkeeping]

@@Fishtory I do a 50% water change on all my tanks every 6 weeks, have stretched it to 8 weeks before. Even then my nitrates are rarely over 5ppm so that is not the reason I do it. More for peace of mind to get anything else that I do not test for, like hormones, excess liquid ferts (just a all in one, once a week type in my case for the epiphytes) or whatever else can build up out of there. I used to be very big on water changes before I tried his method, so old habits die hard. But very glad it is no longer a weekly thing.

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

​@@Fishtoryin what you disagree on nitrates with him ?

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

1 mm is not fine sand. Kevin Novak speaks about 1-3 mm for substrate. So 1mm is good not to have compacting.

[@RF_NY1]

I will say this about the Father Fish method, and putting aside some of the options and ideas he has presented such as adding mud from a water body or introducing microfauna, etc, etc..........his basic concept, even if you were to just throw in some potting soil capped with some sand and adding some live plants is a method that will more than likely lead the new guy to some success. Father fish as I think you mentioned Alex is going to say some provocative things, but at the end of the day, if you analyze what he's doing, it's always going to go back to the same thing, steer the newcomers away from the marketing blitz and guide them into a basic natural setup that will keep fish alive minus all the $$$ and chemicals. That's a WIN for the hobby Whoever wants to go gun-ho and risk introducing some super predator or parasite that will wipe out your school of cardinal tetras because you scooped up some random mud from some pond, is I guess free to do so, but I would suggest that FF should include a disclaimer that introducing foreign elements could result in issues, as I'm with you on the opinion that it may not be such a good idea to just scoop up whatever and/or the ability of a home aquarium to take care of itself or counter whatever was introduced. Things happen very fast in a small water body and the elements that would "Take care" of a particular element may or may not exist or exist in sufficient quantity to take care of or balance things out. FF is going to get some backlash IMO because he has a no holds barred approach to techniques that could get some people in trouble, but overall, he has more experience in number of years than most of us have been alive, his methods work and while in recent times everyone on youtube was making videos about their new $500 filter, their 50th tank, etc FF provided some real meat and potatoes knowledge that has helped many out. Excellent video as usual Alex.

[@Fishtory]

Thanks and i agree..although i hear him mentioning hiring 6 people to sell and ship his soil and plants, which are grown wholesale and not via him....and his membership fees, and i did have some concerns on the direction the brand was taking...and also i asked him about it face to face on our first chat stream. Im meeting a lot of people paying him 25 to 50 a month, plus 150 or 200 to get tanks going, and seeing the business side that he used to rail agains and rant about. I dunno, my memberships will always be 1.99 im trying to put my money where my mouth is and hopefully stay true to how i started. The temptation of offers you get after the 50k subs mark is very insidious however. In the end, i feel as long as there is true transparency, then its up to each person.

[@Fauntazee]

As a newbie, I follow FF also. I was shocked to hear you can just go down to the lake/creek & fill your tank. But I learn from him, as well as I did here in Alex vid. Thx Alex.

[@vblackwell3347]

​@@FishtoryHi, Alex. I like you both, but am leaning somewhat toward your suggestions (ie I'm apprehensive now of the resurrection jar). You're braver than I! You do use a diplomatic approach, but state your opinion (when given the chance). I, on the other hand, would talk softly and rather than carrying a big stick - would run! LoL. I was somewhat surprised when I noticed that capitalism seems to be rearing its "ugly head" in some of his actions now. Oh dear. lmao 😂

[@vblackwell3347]

PS Thx for noting that the plants are bought wholesale. That's good to know as I thought they were home grown. They still seem to be a good price, but I do prefer to be able to order what I want specifically so I haven't ordered any yet. I do order from Cory, but it seems even his prices shot up as he became more successful. Must be something in the water these days! 😊

[@bethsands7665]

Exactly, F.F., at first never defined what kind of dirt as he said to "get it anywhere " , I started out with a bag of dirt with some manure... which started out good, but then blew big bubbles out to the surface which was bad. I decided to re-do the tank and when dumping out the soil, it was foul . I noticed that now, he is more careful to say potting mix which is inert. My daughter is struggling keeping a healthy fish tank and has many losses under her belt which I hope she can learn from. She always wants to start a tank quickly which could be detrimental . I love your natural approach to a healthy eco-system . I know you are an expert on Neocaradina shrimp whom I adore and have been keeping for a year now. I have had many grown-up red shrimp die from the dreaded " white-ring-of-death". I use shrimp essentials in the water and have chunks of sunken cuttlefish , but what else can I do to prevent this death?? You are so detailed in your information which is awesome. Thank you for your expertise.

[@Fishtory]

Thanks for saying so. Sometimes the ring of death can come from too much calcium as well, if they dont have enough collagen from eating fatty little microorganisms or protein foods from fatty plants with pectin... they lose the flexing aspect of their shell, and get trapped at that "shoulder" ring of death. So make sure you are feeding some leaves and or a good diet.. but if you can check the TDS .... also if the ph is over 7.5 or so the water has no acidity to soften the old exoskeletons. So yeah check if kh and gh are between 4 and 12 at highest... tds likely 150-300 ppm is ideal and ph 6.6 to 7.4 ideally...even though they often survive way beyond those limits

[@tamerkesenkas1645]

I think the community and pr crew of father fish is more strict than father fish himself. I asked a few questions on their discord server and they are responding like a religious cult would respond. But listening to interviews of father fish you can see that he himself is not claiming to be the one true way of aquariums.

[@genesis1_20]

I think your statement is highly subjective, not everyone has experienced that. Most of the comments are very positive towards the community. What exactly was the reason for their negative responses?

[@Fishtory]

Bingo. I wanted people to understand that. Ive known Lou a while and its his newer editors that have made him very popular on the algorithm...but they also make things sound bombastic or too good to be true with clicky titles and snippets

[@tamerkesenkas1645]

@@Fishtory His videos had a big role in fueling my interest to the hobby and I really appreciate that. But his videos cater to the algorithm like you said and these videos leave many loose ends information wise, these could lead to many misunderstandings about the hobby and narrow peoples perspectives. Even truth can be misleading if you are not careful. BTW I'm making my own videos about the philosophy of aquariums but it's in Turkish. I would really want to show them to you

[@tamerkesenkas1645]

@@genesis1_20 I asked about how a body of water under the substrate would effect the system and anaerobic activities (caused by hollow bricks under substrate to raise it) They are definitely very helpful and positive but they are not open to discussion. If the answer to your question is not in the holy text they act like it's an inappropriate question to ask. They of course don't want to give wrong information and that is very thoughtful. As individuals they all mean well but as a community they block out discussion and free thinking. This can be observed everywhere and is normal human behavior so I'm not trying to demonize them. But this is also how communities evolve into cults

[@mfstarboy8690]

Those snippets were meant funny, and might well be used to attract new people to their Channel / algorithms. It worked but caused distress to some. 🎉 I agree on so many comments here, cant even reply to all of them.

[@morningstarquaid3464]

You made up my mind Im not doing a resurrection jar

[@frhaber]

I grew plants just fine for many decades using just plain old aquarium gravel. Certainly nothing exotic, swords, jungle val with 3-4 foot leaves, crypts, aponogeton (which flowered), hornwort, cabomba...using a florescent shop light, in ultra hard water. Long before water parameter testing, beneficial bacteria knowledge and the use of fertilizers. Knowing me, I likely overfed and overstocked, so lots of fish poop in the gravel. Left the hobby for five or so years, and when I came back in, fell 'prey' to the aquascaping videos. Now, my tanks range from plain gravel, sand, dirted with a sand cap, to aquasoil only, and using root tabs and all in one fertilizer. Fluval 3.0/Hygger/JC&p lights. Plants are growing well in all tanks. Bottom line, KISS to George Farmer choices all work, with obviously some plants working better in some systems.

[@Fishtory]

Right on! George is a good dude

[@Felix-l3b]

Ok listened to the whole thing - question: so it's sand on the bottom, lava rock, then what goes on top of the lava rock??? if i listened you said you put sand on bottom for cushion, then lava rock (i own lava rock am new aquarist), then im confused bc i dont know if sand goes on top of the lava rock, or aqua soil, and then sand.

[@Fishtory]

So I just sprinkle a little sand, so the bottom doesn't have any pressure points of large decorative stones pressing down touching the bottom glass. But beyond that, it's gravel or lava rock... then aquasoil and any additives like root tabs or fertilizers you may add, as well as any other organic materials ( some folks like leaf litter or wood for black water tanks etc)... then the layer of sand on top of the soil/aquasoil/organic layer ... and if you want to keep it exposed instead of using sand, you can make sure to get nitrogen free aka "non-active" or "not hot" aquasoil like brightwell or fluval aquasoils.

[@Whisslers_Aqua_Room]

That was a Fair assessment, What seems to draw hobbyists in is the low cost 💲 of setting up a FF tank. Not only does he give you information and sources to set it up. He helps with cultivating live foods to use in a food web. Much like videos you have discussed in the past. Perhaps someday I’ll get to experience setups like yours where I can grow robust plants using CO2. If so, Hopefully with little trouble. For the long term I firmly believe in FF style tanks. Not many folks can boast about their 22 year old natural aquarium that has fish thriving and healthy.

[@Fishtory]

Very true. I have a tank similar thats about 16 years old...but ive moved and so i count that as a reboot, and i added more sand...in the same spirit, he moved from florida 2 years ago and moved his tanks as well. But thats super nit picky lol

[@joeyjorczak406]

Hello Alex, could possibly make a video (or maybe you already have one) where you outline how to set up your version of the deep substrate system for your jungle tanks that you mentioned where there is a base layer of lava rock and then aquasoil/sand?

[@Fishtory]

Sure please feel free. Im going to show it hopefully, when i build my next 40 breeder setup in a few weeks too. But id love it if you want to share the info or use any clips that you find useful. Cheers

[@melissaskinner4501]

She needs a bell,so the birds hear her coming

[@Fishtory]

Oh shes got 2 bells lol she is a monster...she learned to hold them in her mouth until she pounces...shes so damn smart...i finally tightened it so she cant do that. But birds still come a few days a week...it used to be 2 a day

[@AndyP126]

There's more than one way to maintain a tank. Clearly your goals and those of Father Fish are different. And that's fine. I want to grow a tank full of plants and have it as low tech as possible. And I'm willing to let it take a while. The Father Fish method is something that appeals to me because it appears to work, and it doesn't need CO2. So, I'm going to give it a shot in a 29 gallon tank and see how it goes.

[@Fishtory]

Go for it! I wanted a similar goal i just do things slightly differently

[@CoralMan24]

yes he has a method most successful and old school and the new wave of fish keepers follow and do its tried and tested since the dawn of aquariums with a few new additions

[@Fishtory]

Yeah its fine i enjoy it, and keep 2 tanks that way...ive built probably 10 total since ive been friends with Lou for 6 years now, but recently im kind of fusing a little of everything together that i personally enjoy

[@boebender]

You do a superior job researching and analyzing. Your easy and positive personality is also a welcome and refreshing aspect of your content. I’m confused (but not surprised) at some of the comments. You’ve basically done all the difficult work clearing up (in the most respectful way) the main difference between how you run tanks versus FF. We are all in the same boat fighting on the same side. There’s no cause for complaining and competitive attitudes. Be grateful for this kind of content. I’m 52. When I started there was zero information like yours and FF. In 1984, when I started, it was trial and ERROR. Thanks Alex!

[@Apistoleon]

Actually Father Fish and Walstad method have different phases. You can quickly set the aquarium up, and it totally works. The microfauna and microflora and water parameters settle quickly and be more permanent as years pass!

[@Fishtory]

Definitely. Any system will start to stabilize if you let nature find it's equilibrium.

[@Apistoleon]

Most chemical based, sterile aquarium systems, do not allow nature do its work and they are not nature based. I am saying this, as a long years environmentalist.

[@giftofthewild6665]

I like father fish but I dont think no water changes at all are a good idea. I do infrequent water changes in my 15 year old tank, but not none at all. The water changes arent to lower nitrates, I dont have nitrates in that tank, theyre to replenish trace elements and minerals that get depleted by the plants, fish and bacterial processes. Equally I like Tom Barr and when I was heavily into aquascaping I used to read his report and mess with all the more high tech stuff (also a member of the planted tank forum for a long time) but high tech is so much harder to maintain and if you miss water changes, dosing, or the CO2 system fails you get algae and issues almost immediately. Im now back to low tech and I love it. Set and walk away and then watch it grow and evolve over time.

[@Fishtory]

Agreed 👍

[@ifritto]

I love and appreciate your content and your overall vibe as a person, so I don't mean this as being judgmental or accusatory or abrasive in any way. I have heard you discuss invasive species and express appreciation for nature countless times, And on the other hand, I have recently come around to the idea that outdoor cats are one of the worst invasive species on the planet depending how you look at them. Largely due to how they are indiscriminate hunters and can do serious harm to local animal populations including things that are at risk or endangered already. I have no doubt that you're well aware of this, And I personally am a cat lover as well so I know for a fact we have some common ground here. But I keep mine indoors strictly and I'm curious what you think of the topic overall? Like you are clearly okay with keeping outdoor cats, based on the intro, but do you think its a valid concern?

[@Fishtory]

So every cat I've had as a young cat or adopted cat, they stay indoors 24/7. Silky *RIP* WAS a feral cat that the city had spayed and let back go, rather than kill her. When we moved into this house 3 years ago, she lived on the property already, and was totally feral. No petting no her at all... it tool 2 years of feeding her ,( in hopes she would eat less of the birds). Once I tamed her with food and heated blankets on icy cold nights, she let me pet her slowly, and even hold her by a year of that daily. At this point I trimmed her claws, and she was staying almost entirely in the yard or our house. Other than a wood pecker she killer starlings, chicadees, and robins along with rats, mice and feral pet rabbits we have around. Seeing as in the city. She was already wild, and there weren't too many song birds or anything endangered / ,threatened that we ever saw- I just let her keep living life. Which wasn't long. She disappeared January 20th the day after my bday and we never saw her again....buuut, the neighbor up the block said a black cat was killed by traffic around the same period of time. And it makes sad logical sense that, it was her most likely. But yes any cats In the future will be indoor for several big reasons... including the ones you mentioned.

[@bethpaux4667]

Hello! I love ur videos. To keep ur cat in the yard???? Use that orange netting you see on the side of the road they use for a barrier. It's about 4ft wide X 50, or 100 ft. Cats have to jump onto, then off. If they think the barrier won't support them or is flimsy, they won't, can't jump over it!!!!! My friend contained rescue cats on one half of the back yard that way. It works great. Looks .....well....you can get in green! Lowe's

[@hgck]

Love your "compassion is it's own sort of religion" comment ❤ Great discussion too. I'm only just hitting the one year mark in the hobby and dabbled with the Father Fish methods. I put a couple of my guppies into a wild caught tadpole grow-out tank for my young son. A month or two after all the frogs were released and the guppies were returned to their tank, I started losing fish one after another. Parasites are no joke. I only managed to save 4 platies from that entire tank. Lesson learned, but my poor fish paid for it.

[@Fishtory]

Yeah its why i don't mix pond water without heavy quarantine too

[@disisshahid]

​@@Fishtory Makes sense

[@Shadstar256]

Totally agree with the danger of unbalanced ecosystems! Also, took me months and multiple rounds of meds to treat swordtails from Petco, so parasites are no joke.

[@jeffschwartz3520]

At the end of your videos you have asked to leave a comment on video ideas. I would love to see a video on aquarium plant Wars, what plants will actually kill other plants in your aquarium with their biological processes. Like you mentioned Val and duckweed. Happy holidays

[@Fishtory]

Yeah im trying to find more examples... the research is so limited sadly. But that's a video i want to make for sure

[@norsefilly]

I'm putting together a 125 gallon with a 40 gallon sump. I'm doing a mix of dirt and aqua soils and kind of a mix of what father fish does and lasagna like what you were talking about. I'm planning on doing quite a lot of plants and I've got some rocks marinating in my 5 year old aquarium. I have 9000lm 6500k flood lights picked out. I want to move my 7 rainbows and a few tetras over pretty fast. I am going to cap with sand to prevent ammonia leaching. With that volume of water do you think they can be moved quickly? I don't have a lot of room in my house to keep my 55 gallon next to the 125.

[@Fishtory]

Yeah as soon as the ammonia tests 0... you can move em! Sounds like a nice setup

[@norsefilly]

@@Fishtory Is there somewhere to post pictures when it's done? It's been a long time coming.

[@kashifs786]

thats not true for any plant like sage or crypts to cover/carpet it only needs a settelling time of a couple of months once those roots start geeting the enrich stuff they go boom I have done this including montecarlo ... in a deep sand substrate. with dirt/soil at the very bottom

[@Fishtory]

I've had dwarf hair grass, glossostigma and others carpet in high light, shallow tanks also

[@radenawinsbury1562]

So I WAS going to set up a enviro small tank using the father 2:00 fish guy method. Now I am totally confused. Should I do a substrate or just pull a few stones out out of my fountain

[@-8_8-]

Late to the show, but the whole idea of burying dead fish is a little insane. It's what would happen in nature? Nature is savage. We are trying to be a little more... Idk, humane than nature?

[@Nic-kx5dn]

Have listened to father fish.but I still feel we need good filters lights .Some leaves have tannins.ok for some fish that like that water,but community tank better of with cycle,I have gravel ,plants in own glasses easier to clean and plants been happier,learnt this my self,landscaping x plant better care.lighting important, at night I turn off lights,when we go to bed etc.Have 3 filters change one by rotating as keeps better biomme.I don't have deep substrates.have live plants and like good charcoal to clean toxic in gravel and under sand in glasses.Keep better health.take a food multi vit.also blend up black berries and hope your health improves greatly.My mum had it and it's painful,comes from toxins in the body and a run down system.Cut down sugars and proceesed foods.You have lots of Great bio tanks been watching your sites quite awhile.Did help me.thanks❤.

[@Fishtory]

Thanks. I agree that your methods are one of several excellent ways to keep happy fish. It really depends on the species at the end of the day

[@himfish1]

shots fired at Father Fish, hes gonna pull up on you in Seattle and throw hands 😂😂😂😂😂😂jk, good video, you had the agree to disagree approach.

[@Fishtory]

Lol..we may be doing weekly pop ups on one anothers channels...i just wanted to draw a line for the record. I still learn a lot and keep an open mind until i see evidence to prove otherwise

[@himfish1]

Yea you guys make a good stream Duo, we learn a lot as viewers... I follow Loos methods, but his water is a little foggy, the only difference is I have carbon filters I swap out once a month on my hang on back filters, just to keep that cristal clear planted tank, is there any negatives to doing that?@@Fishtory

[@RF_NY1]

Alex is going to turn father fish into father golden gloves! 😂😂😂

[@shanevision]

I started my first ever tank 1yr ago. I must have watched a 1000 videos getting ready. I did a 10gal Father Fish dirted and sand capped tank. I loaded it with a ton of plants from Dustin's and Africa Frog Bit. The tank is stocked with 1 Betta, 10 Cardinal Tetras, 4 Clooley Loaches. I lost 2 of 6 Cooleys in the first two days they went in. A year latter and my tank is thriving and no other fish have died. No algae issues. Just a lot of tiny snails. I top off with fresh water once a week and a 25% water change once a month. IDK, whatever I'm doing is definitely working. I'm stepping up to a 55gal next.

[@Fishtory]

Right on! So glad to hear it

[@badabing3391]

im in the exact same situation but i waited like 6 months for my 20 gal to cycle before adding anything, lost 1 fish, but since then its been going aight

[@reneesnugent3358]

Hi, I was considering doing a Father Fish tank, but after listening to this video, I will rethink the tank because I don't know enough. I'd like to get advice from you, I am currently keeping angelfish, with well water, I've got a fear with plants but the more I listen and because I believe my fish need plants I'm trying to figure out how to build a tank that they can live with out stress and be happy. I'd love to get your advice on what and how to set up a 29 gallon aquarium? I just bought plants from you and need to figure it out before your plants arrive. I'd like to set up a tank that I don't have to do frequent water changes, do you have any recommendations for me?

[@Fishtory]

Check out either one of my videos from last month on "lasagna tanks" or lasagna method. That would be perfect!

[@Fishtory]

That... or just get some fluval stratum 2 or 3 inches of it, and root tabs ( it's about like a gravel set up, but fish poo filters to the bottom and slowly turns to soil for the plants). The plants then protect the fish from any spike in ammonia ...if the filter were to crash or something odd like that...beyond that, plants comfort the fish and provide extra oxygen all day!

[@OK-pi6fq]

Nice video. I look at so many fish tank people, and though I’m also a fan of ff. I’m also your fan. I think you do a good low effort tank, and it’s a quick set up.

[@Fishtory]

I appreciate that!

[@brettsmith7182]

I have an undergravel filter. Do I place the mud, then sand and gravel ON TOP OF the half-inch plenum or do I place the plenum on top of the mud and then the sand on top of the plenum?

[@bletz5732]

Cyano could have prevented your experiment crash.

[@Fishtory]

Cyano was the first thing to grow all over the fungi, while it brought back oxygen it smothered the plants from light . So long term, yes now things equalized again, but the fish all passed away and most plants either regrew from the roots or died

[@charlesmorris6476]

Alex, this is the only way I know how to get a hold of you. I hope you find this message. I was listening to Father Fish this morning and he said something that made totally no sense to me at all saying that there is no aquarium cycle, It’s a myth. 🤯 That’s as bad as believing in a flat earth with a dome over it, how bat shit crazy is that. He said, and I quote “If you are trying to cycle your tank you’re wasting your fishes time” and your time for that matter. This is a quote from his video. Further, he says there’s no such thing as cycling a tank.🤪 I hope no one is taking this cuckoo bird seriously. Seriously, has he ever heard of the life cycle? Then he proceeds to tell us that the nitrate cycle or nitrogen cycle is a myth, which is the equivalent of saying ammonia doesn’t cycle down to nitrite and then to nitrates and then to nitrogen gas, it’s nothing more than a myth, what is this guy smoking? Archaea cycle nutrients breaking down ammonia into nitrite, nitrates, and so forth on down the line. Nitrification is a two-step process, where ammonia is considered to first be oxidized to nitrite by oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and/or archaea(AOA), and subsequently to nitrate by nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) At any rate, whether you’re discussing Archaea, or Nitrosomonas, Nitrosospira, or Nitrosococcus you’re still talking about the cycle that breaks down the nutrients into less toxic or benign. Father Fish says he does not understand or accept the natural biological scientific fact of cycling, so why would you listen to him if he doesn’t understand the basic biology of how an aquarium works successfully. It seems from his own experience if he does it this way he knows it works for him but as far as what’s actually going on he seems to have that pretty scrambled up. I do know he’s wrong about cycling and what biological forces are involved and how they play a part to get the results we all want. All the science says he’s wrong about how he’s looking at this even though he has some success, he doesn’t seem to see the whole picture on what’s involved, saying that nitrifying bacteria have no real bearing on cycling that they’re just a myth and that only Archaea are important at least that’s how he’s coming across clearly, and that’s just denying reality.

[@Fishtory]

Lol that insanity. I would understand the claim that "you dont need to cycle your tank"...* if you add fresh water daily... but hes losing it if he said that. Also... he said climate change is made up and co2 being 9x higher than ever in the last 6 million years is good ... also ridiculous. I cant condone any of that kind of talk

[@radenawinsbury1562]

Red cinder? I got piles of that. Could I put plants in that?

[@Calebsfish23]

Good video so far! I agree with your points. We all run tanks different at the end of the day. I prefer top soil as it’s organic and it dont mess with the water quality when moving plants like mud can. I like father fish myself but i like to experiment. It seems we have a lot of the same point of views in these topics pretty interesting to hear!

[@angiebear8727]

So true. I have 5 tanks and they are all set up in slightly if not totally different ways. All work great. It’s part of the fun imo 😊

[@Fishtory]

Thanks for sharing. I think you should keep fish and plants however works best for you!

[@Fauntazee]

​@@Fishtory easy for you to say☺ I have a 60gal gravel, plastic plants, w/ HOB filter. I want to start a 30gal soil/sand(?) substrate planted tank. But sooo many recipes that I'm having a hard time deciding which is best (for a beginner) to start with ... W/0 learning by wiping out fish/plant stock😰 🤗

[@Calebsfish23]

@@Fauntazee get a easy aqua soil like eco complete add sand and run that for few years till you understand soil better. Eco complete pretty cheap but also very good. Father fish method its kinda like science if your not knowledgeable in soil you may have a tough time!

[@obduliomoronta4820]

Praying for your health. Auto immune diseases are no joke. Been watching your videos for the past 2 months. Great content.

[@RobertFarrell-r3x]

Hey Alex. Father of fish I watched one and a lot of things he said I disagree like you said you don't have to feed yourfish one mouth that's only I just needed to say that to let you know I like your videos

[@Hayashizaki]

Was not expecting the Bill O'Reilly reference, but much appreciated meme in the video substrate. 32:48

[@Mikinct]

Great video, thanks for posting it. I've heard you mention in this video that plants convert startches to sugars. I also remember someone say that many plants you buy are soaked in a "Sugary Substances" in the gels for tissue cultures or in rock wool of plants to keep them well nourished. Well, I've never once heard of folks trying to use that same "sugary substances" added to base layer of substrates or even right below thin sand cap to help feed plant while it transitions. I just assumed they added typical plant fertilizers like ammonia, nitrates in their gels or rock wool. Maybe I'll try sprinkling some white sugar, honey or Molasses into deeper substrate under sand or cosmetic surface materials. What's your thoughts on that & if you ever tried it before.

[@giftofthewild6665]

You'll get a bacterial bloom doing that, personally I wouldn't do it. Sugars in large amount aren't common in nature so you'll get an unnatural proliferation of things you don't really want.

[@Fishtory]

Bingo

[@radenawinsbury1562]

What if you never put fish in the tank? Will the tank stink?

[@morningstarquaid3464]

Will black worms multiply in my tank ?

[@Fishtory]

If fish don't eat them all, yes!

[@morningstarquaid3464]

@@Fishtory Thank you 🥰

[@Slawsers]

Your hair looks really nice bro, thanks for the rundown on how you do things vs FF, really good listen. Oh also one question what do you think of most aquascapers using large amounts of aquasoil depth to creat aesthertic slopes and hills, does it have a benifit besides appearance?

[@Fishtory]

So most now days use foam or stone to fill sloped and voids... others use all aquasoil usually when theyre sponsored by that aquasoil ive noticed about 8 out of 10 times lol.

[@Slawsers]

@@Fishtory yeah that sounds about right, I bought 5 bags of fluval stratum and a 45lb bag of sand for my 55 gallon, and it turned out to be more then I needed so I took some out and made a 5 gallon nano tank with extra rock supplies and plant/moss trimmimgs. With all that I put like 3-5 inches in the front and 6-8 inches to the back corners plus 15 roottabs scattered around, did a sand drift wood section with a rock barrier. This is the first time I did a true high tech larger sized tank. Usally did Nanos so it's not as hard making diy equipment or paying alot less for lights. Oh plus cannister co2 instead of diy and heavy ferts, I'm on week 5 all the diatoms and melt from tissue cultures went away and now it's rooted and flourishing ☻

[@vitormanuel8590]

Alex, what do you think about using basalt as substrate? To me It works very well. It's good to grow roots and It's rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. t's also used in agriculture here in Brazil.

[@Fishtory]

If you have quality basalt access, go for it! Its just not common up here in the USA

[@donpettit7107]

I am using basalt scoria (frothy lava) as a substrate over granular clay…will likely top the basalt with coarse sand. Don’t know how all of this will work…but hopeful. EcoComplete is essentially basalt lava that has been rounded in a river or mechanically…with a packet of starter culture. I don’t know about using crushed basalt that has no vesicles…but seems it would work like any largely inert gravel, like quartz.

[@Fishtory]

@donpettit7107 yeah it depends if it has any schist or silica / Feldspar. Most aquasoil pellets are low ph stone/clay with a ph 6.0- 6.5 due to those minerals/rock, and i think its key to the super fertile volcanic soil regions, whereas the porous explosive type igneous that make "lava rock"...can product akaline clay all the way up in the 9.0 range!

[@donpettit7107]

@@Fishtory The basalt scoria lying atop the weathered basalt clay layer has resulted in a consistent pH of about 6.8. The GH/KH was so low as to not register anything on the API test kit. I added a big bag of fossil calcium carbonate marketed as aragonite (I’m not up on limestone terms)…but you can see the whorled shells in it. Hoping this provides some calcium to build plants cell walls a bit…as this water is a close to RO as one can get from tap.

[@cosmic4037]

My spider got a guinea-pig this morning, too.

[@Fishtory]

Lol better be a small guinea pig or a Goliath spider!

[@cosmic4037]

@@Fishtory Goliath spider and shes already big with huge appetite. My cat got lucky when she was sleeping. THEY JUMP

[@Fishtory]

@@cosmic4037 hahaha awesome!

[@Audiojunkabus]

good, that would be the responsible thing to do+ indoor cat vs outdoor cat life expectancy is not even close

[@moonbear897]

Here in Canberra (Australia) we now have suburbs where cats are not allowed outside, because of the devastation they cause to native wildlife. when I set up my first tank I followed the father fish method and it has worked so far. But it is not scaped its just a jungle!

[@Fishtory]

Congrats on the tank! I also enjoy his tanks, just not for all my setups. As for the cat, If we had any endangered or even threatened song birds around id be more concerned...shes mostly catching starlings and robins, of which both were introduced from europe coincidentally lol. She did kill a sapsucking wood pecker female this summer and i was really upset, just due to the rarity of those near me.

[@wkunique]

after this film, I have completely understood what the difference is between your channel and FF. FF shows its method on its own example and its many years of experience. You "go" after others to build your reputation.. Little brats may like it, but thinking people don't.. FF shows us one of the methods, the cheapest of the methods, that's why he calls his a natural aquarium (sand, and ordinary mud). It works, and other methods that are less natural work as well. You like a method based on an artificial product that does not occur in nature (as soil in rivers, lakes). So you are far from a "natural aquarium", your method also works but it is expensive. By promoting it like this you make your channel not a source of knowledge (although you have it), it is primarily an advertisement. You push company products. So for me you are no longer an authority. Because who knows where, your films are more guided by earnings than reliable knowledge. Now you see what I want to say.

[@Fishtory]

No I'm lost because I prefer aquasoils... the brand isn't important ...the ingredients are. But I keep gravel tanks, aquasoil, dirt... fertilized and unfertilized, high tech and filterless. 2 that are 5 year old father fish tanks with his literal mix he sells... and in total 28 tanks and 6 ponds/tubs. But I'm guessing you only saw a video or two. I'm all for keeping whatever type of tank works for your creatures and lifestyle.

[@christinamorris2823]

OR you could have left the water level lower rather than filling that jar up to the narrow part of the neck...so then you WOULD have had sufficient surface area for things to circulate naturally.

[@Fishtory]

Well i have done that, i was curious if plants would produce sufficient oxygen alone... and ...no, no they dont lol

[@johnnybest6386]

❤ you are the reason why i started a second tank aqua soil subtrate emersed plant growth does well in aqua soil rather than any inert subtrate

[@Fishtory]

Glad to hear it! Do what works for you! Cheers

[@Fauntazee]

Thanks for that input. Did put sand on top f the aqua substrate?

[@TwinCitiesOxygen]

Is there a condensed version

[@Fishtory]

Yes! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmimZ2ene7p-b8U

[@crystalc9036]

Thanks Alex for another excellent video. I love how you are always dropping knowledge. I like to understand what is going on in the tank for experiments. I have to figure out why I’m not getting notifications for your live streams.

[@Fishtory]

My pleasure! And yes youtube seems out to hide my channel lately lol uhg

[@teddnaing6851]

Father fish is like your grumpy grandpa. You might not agree with him. You might think he's kindda extreme. But there's a lot to learn from him when it comes to deep substrate. But I agree with Alex on lagsagna substrates to be the best when dealing with medium to high light...

[@Fishtory]

Hehe agreed

[@russellthomas1216]

I built a cattery off the kitchen, but my kitty still rescues earthworms. She was very good at catching sparrows but only 1 was injured beyond releasing.

[@pteromalid]

Put a bell on her collar.

[@kellycarroll6829]

Merry Christmas to you and your wife and family Alex! 🌟

[@Fishtory]

Same to you! Thank you kindly!

[@anthonyhendricks7377]

Great video. I'm just getting back into my aquariums. My last setup had florescent lighting.im investing in leds now thanks for the info.

[@Fishtory]

Good luck!

[@birder4life999]

My biggest disagreement with father fish is that his answers all come from the balance of nature fallacy.

[@Fishtory]

Understandable.... most process balance but many don't...hence eutrophication

[@Mikinct]

One needs to modernize & use a plenum. Or better try some PCP baskets, typo, theyre called BCB baskets

[@vblackwell3347]

Good grief, how could anyone think Alex threw ANY shade at Cory or any of the vendors he named? 😊

[@Fishtory]

Yeah i really didn't mean to. If i want to mention that, ill say it plainly if i do have an evidence based commentary...i make it clear.

[@vblackwell3347]

@Fishtory Um, I don't know how you could make it any clearer, except by not saying Anything about it. lmao

[@wildbill4138]

That was really interesting...i love hearing people different views... I believe thats how you learn.. Nice one Alex...🙏

[@Fishtory]

Glad to hear it. Thats what i was hoping would happen in the process.

[@savagejoerude]

Thanks Alex! Just found you today. Great content. As an aquarist for 35 years. At one time I had a dozen tanks going. I moved to a different state and let go of the hobby. Came back to my home town (New Orleans) after Katrina and had a 29g that was gifted to me for the last 15 years. Now retired I grabbed a deal on a 55g and it looks like I'm hooked again! I totally agree with your methods for the most part. I watched a ton of FF video's and even ordered some plants to test the waters dealing with him. Horrible experience for me. Waited almost a month for 12 scraggly plants. So that's over. He does have some method to his madness though. I do as much research as I can while using the knowledge I've gained over the years. I just go with what works. I'm now up to 4 tanks and growing. This will leave me plenty of room to experiment. Looking forward to watching more of your video's. Good luck with your autoimmune issues. I've been battling cancer but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Take care and Thanks again!

[@Fishtory]

Sorry to hear about the cancer! I wish you the very best! Also, welcome to the community here. We are tight-knit, experience+ science + curiousity is the order of the day. There's no one right way...but a few wrong ways haha. So what works for you. Dont hesitate to asm questions if you have any. The hobby and science has changed tremendously in the last 25 years or so, and some things nature will always do best

[@vblackwell3347]

@Fishtory You're among The Best in responding to viewers questions/comments. Some are conscientious about it in the beginning, but you've remained true to the appreciated effort. Actually, you're among The Best overall. 👌

[@Nic-kx5dn]

Went to fish shop to get some tropical fish for big tank...The chap wasn't happy when I said I use spring water.Said no,.So we went to another fish shop all good fish happy I'm happy.Moral to this is everyone does something different.Get good helpfuladvice ,Nature is better.Ive tried chemicals tap water all fish died.So it's nutrient and cycle top ups filter rotation and movement across water..Less is best.❤❤❤

[@giftofthewild6665]

Huh? What's wrong with spring water??

[@FusionDeveloper]

Great video. I didn't know you knew this much. I didn't want the video to end.

[@Fishtory]

Glad you enjoyed it!. There are 1900 other videos If you really want to go wild on my channel lol. Welcome!

[@MrNatural-fq1tq]

How would you like to live in a room with decaying wastes? Well that is how fish feel in a tank with no water changes.

[@Fishtory]

Is that how they feel in the amazon rainforest? Some fish need it... some don't. Many people in desert countries can't have lawns, can only shower a few minutes a week and can only use 10 or 20 gallons of water a week ... I hear about these cases from Africa, s.e. Asia and even Europe where it's just very expensive for water... like 1euro a gallon during drought.

[@UthmanFridericks]

I wonder what fish eat or how thy live in the wild

[@kashifs786]

it all deend on from where one is coming from naturalist vs artist

[@morgantough]

I love your videos , I've been bing watching and learning about tanks fish and so on. And the father fish thing you and I are on the same page. But combination of advice and learning and adjusting to what my needs are is really helpful. Thank you so much for posting your videos.

[@Fishtory]

Glad you like the content. Cheers, friend

[@johndough5854]

When learning, having a plethora of sources to fall back on is a beautiful thing. If I need to fix something on my truck that I've never done before, I watch 12 different people do it on yt. I never put all my faith into one source of information. This channel and FF are both excellent sources of info to have in your arsenal imo.

[@idealchanful]

I am interesting in the experiment of jars from local spot. For the fun of observing it. But I am way too anxious as a person to add it in my tank. Each time I see a new little creature in my tank, I panic at first. I watch for hydra, planaria, with my magnifier all the time. But I like how ff is not nervous 😅 his style dont attract me much, it play too much on emotion, and I don't find my answers most of the time. But I like to get multiple sources and then verifying infos.

[@Fishtory]

I dont blame you. Keep the crazy wild creatures out of the tank lol.

[@robinbeasley4591]

ARGH! Missed another one. Not getting notifications is killing me.

[@Fishtory]

Wwellll...sorry. but thanks for joining us!

[@Nic-kx5dn]

You've got alot of good advice..The chap said don't listen to advice...Not good advice I would say.any way look ,observe and watch all sorts of videos and do your own research..❤❤❤

[@Fishtory]

Yes do your own research then decide what advice is needed or actually helpful haha

[@josephgadway8950]

I have no substrate. Just 2 goldfish tanks. When I had substrate, it had worms in it, after it was many years old. For about 20 yrs. no substrate. My fantail goldfish live to be over 10. I have had mistakes. One got stuck behind an intake tube and died. I use media in filters to hold the bio load. I seems to work for me. All my goldfish are treated for parasites as soon as I buy them.

[@Fishtory]

Hey whatever works! Especially goldfish. They're so very prone to parasites, and digging in the substrate or eating waste materials...i understand having no substrate for sure. Just gotta keep up on water changes and or filtration :)

[@Admiral_tintin]

In the Aquatic hobbies there will always be ways that everyone likes to do it and not do it. It is about taking the knowledge given and incorporating it in your way, trial and error are ways to learn. As a person in the hobby I do not belive in use of Chem or bare bottom tanks ( unless has a sump). I have had great failure and many success over the years. It is a learning experience for many of us.

[@Fishtory]

Amen

[@bubblerings]

Paused in opening minutes.. Of course you will feel awful... (unless you quit some things) Sodas, sugars, too much dairy, processed foods with all the junk in them.. hydrolized this, dextrose maltodextrin that.. When I moved to Hawaii, my life and heath were in collapse. I had no idea that my headaches, sensitivities, sinus infections, chills, weakness, morning hangover without alcohol... Meant that most normal foods were killing me. Did not figure it out on the mainland. 23 yrs ago. Stressful lifestyle made me eat my trigger foods, that brought short term comfort. Even two years ago, could not close my hands, due to inflammation, arthritis pain. For me, it was my long time friend and main protein source, Cheese. Two days without it, and my hands worked again. I still eat it... in small amounts. And, there is more that helped like a miracle for me, if you ask.. Cheers Mr. Alex!! 🌈❤🍻🍀

[@Fishtory]

Yeah i only eat 1500 calories a day now at max. But soda is my ultimate vice... im trying to stick to one a day 😪. Being on prednisone makes me balloon with water weight too, i both love and hate modern medicine. But i agree... when i was in Europe i felt 75% better after a week of no processed foods at all.

[@bubblerings]

@@Fishtory unless you are on anti-depressants, Mucuna can help one reduce caffeine. I only got off of soda by switching first... to Rockstar energy drink. (only can drink the original flavor). A sip or two at a time, the pint can lasts a whole day. (back in fridge after swig) And no caffeine for me after 4pm at latest. Or I wake up in the middle of the night. (was on 3 or 4 Cokes a day for decades, feeling much better, less illness now) Good luck, Alex! Thx for your videos! 🐠🍻

[@bubblerings]

All the high fructose corn syrups are the worst for auto-immune stuff.

[@sanctuarydelete6-6-6]

i keep a no substrate no filter 40g breeder with only floating plants and relatively low stocking level,(1 giant betta4 paradise males 2 corys 2 otos and a handful of endlers).it was a little touch and go until the plants took off,once they did though no measurable nitrate = no need to change water, add about a gallon and a half of poland spring a week for evap.. theres a million ways to do it and none are wrong but this is my favorite p.s. i overfeed on the regular as well! and i have no idea why,but, i dont have aggression issues,

[@Fishtory]

Sounds lovely!

[@psychedelichippocampus6226]

Lol Alex I use the cleaning piles out of the goat barn. It has everything you could need.

[@Fishtory]

Oh i bet

[@sergepasquasy853]

My God another video! I have so much work to do but I will going to turn up the volume on my TV! 😄 I will watch it again this night.I have to water all my Plants today so that around a few 1000 Plants. I love your video's!

[@Fishtory]

Enjoy! And thank you

[@donpettit7107]

There is a vast difference between knowing how to do something or what to do…and knowing why it works. This channel builds learning and understanding in a way that I have yet to see anywhere else. Having an understanding of why things work is crucial when things don’t go to plan. Bravo and keep up the great dissemination of knowledge.

[@Fishtory]

Thank you. I feel the same exact way about how we should share knowledge. I honestly wish more channels were like that, because id like to watch them myself hah