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I thought he was going to rant about father fish. But my respect has grown for him

Father Fish says "stop doing water changes" but he also explains how to set up your tank so you don't have to in that same video. These channels aren't just saying "stop doing water changes" They usually go into more depth than that and explain why and how it works.

Heard about the Father Fish method last Spring and set up a new 30 gallon tank one day. Grabbed some dirt from my garden and capped it with extra silica sand I had and set up a cheap Walmart light. A week later I established a food web. Haven't touched it since besides feeding once a week or so. No water changes. No cleaning. Almost a year later now and it's the healthiest tank I own. All the plants are thriving, my cherry shrimp keep reproducing, and all the fish are happy and schooling together, and lots of microfauna life.

I'm doing no-water-change tanks, set up Walstad method with functional ecosystems. It's DEFINITELY NOT a method for most aquarium keepers and is highly dependent on the types of fish, substrate, plants, and an array of other factors. It takes knowledge of nature and how the various critters / plants (submerged/floating/emergent) / substrates interact to do it successfully and safely. I'm glad you're warning people not to just dive in to this method of fish-keeping without educating themselves. Seems this hobby always goes back to one thing - EDUCATION. Regardless of what method we're using, what fish we have, what plants we keep, and such - EDUCATION is key. 🙂

You couldn't have worded this video any better! I absolutely agree with every word you spoke! After working in the aquarium industry for a 16 years or more you are so spot on. Hopefully people who watch those videos see this video too.

Basically, if you want to have a low maintenance tank, you need to create a well balanced self sustaining ecosystem.

Live plants have nearly doubled the workload with my aquariums. Trimming, fertilizing, moving, water testing, etc. I love this kind of "maintenance", it is like going into my outside garden 365 days per year. Great video.

The best thing about you is you are spot on without offending someone. Those video are confusing for beginners.

I still do maintenance on my heavily planted tanks every other week, but mostly to deal with things like detritus, algea, and poop. I have a goldfish tank with lots of anubias and java fern and it always amazes me that even if I clean out the filter and it turns the water black, I'm never over 5ppm in nitrates. Plants are amazing!

You did this much more humbly than I did 🤣👏

about 10 years ago, I learned about the Waldstad method, and converted all my tanks to dirt capped with sand and very heavily planted . not only do all my tanks have tons of stem plants, swords, crypts and other root feeders , they all also have mosses , java ferns , and other epiphytes plus floating plants...mostly duckweed . they all also have pothos, or peace lilies sticking out of them. I use leaves from the trees on my land to feed all the micro fauna , scuds, whatever other tiny little squirmy creatures . I do not fertilize my tanks and I only the feed the fish a little bit of flake food once a day , my tanks seem to be very excellent little slices of nature. BUT, it rains in nature ! I have a well with really good water . once a week I drag 2 garden hoses into my house, 1 to drain the water outside to a little kitchen garden the other to fill the tanks back up with good fresh well water . CHANGE YOUR WATER ! your plants will grow better with fresh water and your fish do not have to live in their on toilet water ! great video John !

For anyone who doesn't wanna watch the full video, the TLDR is: THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS (like with almost everything). Setting up a self sustaining tank can take a bit more work but it pays off in the long run. I finally just got my tank and will be trying this. Fingers crossed it all goes well!

In my opinion this was how this video should be done and regardless of your reasons for doing this the people that matter the viewers now have a video that truly helps them with this subject great job John

A couple weeks ago i came across one of these videos with a title like you mentioned. It was from Father Fish channel. I was hooked and watched a bunch of his videos, and learned so much! Ive had aquariums for 2 years, but he opened up a new world to me! He gave me a deeper understanding of how to make an ecosystem in am aquarium, and it was very clear to me that to have lots of plants were essential. I wanted to try it, so when a kindergarden gave away a tank with an algea covered castle, danios, a few plants and sand in it, i decided to go for it. I added a layer of soil under the sand, added a root and lots of plants. So far the fish are looking very happy. I will use this one and the 60liter as grow out tanks for plants, so that i continually have plants that i can add to my 300liter american cichlids tank. The cichlids eat and mess with the plants so they dont last very long. I dont know which channels you are talking about specificly, but i can recommended Father Fish, and watching alot of his videos to get well rounded knowledge on this method before trying it out.

I've finally been able to go with 0 water changes on my 10g betta tank. 1 betta, 1 mystery snail, TONS of plants. I only top off once a month. Check parameters every 2 weeks. The tank has been set up for 1.5 years and it took awhile to figure out the correct balance of plants, waste, and ferts. It's possible but you MUST understock fish and overstock plants!

I love how all the fish keepers I follow on KZfaq have the same advice to this

There are other ways to set up an aquarium instead of putting the substrate directly on the bottom, which is how we are taught to set one up. I wish more youtubers with subscribers would speak more about this. my aquariums run anoxic filtration and it does change how the eco system works. They are easy to set up, and once the system is working very little is needed to maintain it. Updating the knowledge in the hobby is key for everyone to be successful.

John, Very well said. It is so true people watch those videos and get confused on does this apply to me. I have a 20 long and my 55 gal that is stocked with plants. They certainly help a lot. I have to do water change about every 2 weeks. I test ammonia and nitrites and nitrates. I change when my nitrates are getting high off the plants didn't take care of it. Appreciate the video jobs

I use the Walstad method in all of my tanks, even the 5 gallon. The only water changes I do (and I definitely them in this case) is when a fish dies. My tanks are very heavily planted, so I often don't know a fish has died until I check the ammonia. It seems to me, at least, that a tank with no plants is the more difficult tank to maintain. The biggest difficulty I have is trying to keep the plants trimmed.

The great thing about live plants is that you can buy a small live plant or plants and watch it grow into that more expensive plant you saw.

The main thing I've noticed about the no water change systems is a) it is almost always experienced fish keepers and b) it isn't always truly no change. But nuances like that are lost on the average person. I have two tanks where my eventual goal is minimal water changes and no filter. But that is the long term goal. Both have filters and I did a water change on one yesterday because the nitrates were getting high.

Your talking about father fish whom has a tank that been set up for over 20 years. And has been doing aquariums before most of us was pooping in our diapers. The man knows his stuff. He has never said you don’t need to do water changes if the need arises. But if your ammonia or other stuff is not out of whack why would you do a water change if it’s not needed. He even said sometime when stuff gets out of balance you need to do a water change. And all these chemicals people are adding to the water. Does nature add chemicals to get rid of algae or to add bacteria? Nah. But nature does replenish water. So water changes or topping up is useful. But water changes had its cons as well.

YES! Plants, plants, and more plants. Goes for ponds too! Healthy growing plants clean water!

Even my heavy planted tank gets 80% water change every Saturday 😅 I actually look forward to the work.. no special equipment Just me some buckets and a siphoning hose 😅

Great video, John! And right on point! I hve a 29 gallon community tank, moderately stocked with a ton of plants and I absolutely love it. I've always loved a well-planted aquarium. I still do water changes every 2 weeks. But, this week I had surgery and didn't feel up to doing a water change tis week. But, I know that because of my plants and filters I have nothing to worry about. I keep checking my water parameters 2 or 3 times per week just to make sure. I even have a 5 gallon tank set up for cherry shrimp only, and it's well planted...very little maintenance needed. Can't imagine not using lots of live plants....they really make the aquarium for me! Thanks!

Also worth mentioning, don’t just throw a bunch of plants in a tank and assume you are good now. You need to still be checking your levels weekly(or more if you fish seem sick) and you may find that it’s impossible to get to plant to fish ratio that is perfect. Honestly if you keep a tank, just assuming you are committing to a weekly water change is your best bet. They don’t take very long to do for one tank and you are far safer putting in some clean treated water weekly then relying on your plants to do all the work.

Great topic. I'm surprised you didn't cover the rest though. Such as: "How do I know when I need to do that occasional water change in my heavily planted, low maintenance tank?" The answer is of course through periodic testing. Even the most densely planted tanks will benefit from periodic water changes.

There is nothing misleading about FatherFish (and others) tutorials; he/they goe in-depth about the steps to follow and the philosophy behind their way of taking care of aquariums. So, no, he and others are not misleading us; they are, on the contrary, leading us to a better path.

I started fish keeping about 4 years ago and you've guided me all the way through it. I definitely would have messed up without yours and some others videos. Love from across the pond ❤

This is TOO True. I always make comments on No water changes & No Filter needed videos. I Rarely see tanks in Real life that is so well balanced that is manages itself. Most fish tanks are dirty and has Algae, but the owner still think they can do less work 🤷‍♂️

Hello John, I like Your video very much, and I agree with You 100%. I have two identical tanks in size with identical substrate (only color are different), partial identical plants (real plants, no plastic) and same kind of filtration. In one, I did gravel vacuum, in the other one none since the aquarium is established (5 years ago). With the aquarium where I did not touch the gravel, all was ok (in the years, the water was crystal clear without any suspension). On the other hand, in the tank where I do vacuum the gravel, I had problems with cloudy water and suspensions particle. The difference: fish and shrimp density. And yes, I did water change every week.

I totally agree. I have live plants but this only makes my water changes less frequent. Your aquascape looks great! Looking forward to seeing you add fish.

Finally someone talks about this, i always tell people that are new to the hobby to get live plant no matter what size their tank is, could you do a heater video too? Ii have seen so many saying we don't need them but they don't seem to understand that when you live in colder climates like in Norway, Canada or Alaska the are very usefull in the months of winter..

Love your channel you and Lisa do. Straight to the point with things.. this water change in the uk is mega. So many people here say you should never test your tanks, change water etc…. It’s almost like a book and you have to do everything by it.. I have watched your videos over the years and I always say like you … if it suits you then it works. I have loads of fx6’s rather than a sump. I also run 6 of them on my new 1400 litre tank. At present isn’t massively stocked but will be . People are like well that’s over the top blah blah but it works for me

I run an entire fishroom with multiple species in a similar way to what father fish does very few water changes some tanks get none at all, just top offs I have a different dirt mix under my sand and it changes depending on species but ive kept fish 35 years and the best thing I ever did was switch over to the natural method the fish and shrimps are doing so much better, its easier to maintain the tanks are all stable the fish are breeding and growing the plants are growing well I only run sponge filters and air stones but people need to do the research and learn and take it slow to start with.

There's drama in the fish community???? what the...🙂

Wow a KZfaqr, who explains athe whole story and not just click bait...great episode!

Hi KG Tropicals! I am a big fan and subscriber of your channel, as well as of the other not mentioned in the video and regarding the topic today. I just want to say how appreciative I am of the integrity and awesomeness of how you have approached it. You're correct that people dont actually watch the videos and listen to the methods being used. I've seen many videos reference that the systems aren't for large or specific fish, but few get that far. So, I appreciate y'all and your channel was my first KZfaq addiction. I hope you ship to Canada at some point, I would love to purchase from KG Tropicals! Much love ❤

What I like about Father Fish is that I’m only setting up a 5 gallon Betta tank again after loosing my 20 gallon due to the hurricane in 2022 with doing a water change after having it 3 years the city just dumped in clorimine by the tons and my prime didn’t do anything. I was so mad I threw out everything vowing never to have another tank. I’ve done fish tanks off and on since 1980’s. I had just starting watching on no filter tanks and soil tanks before my loss. I’ve watched your channel for 2 years. I’m not ever going to do anything over 20 gallons if that ever. I’m 73. But I can’t lift back he buckets anymore for a load of water. Father fish showed I was over feeding my fish and that betta cannot digest any flake food with fillers. Only shrimp or bloodworms. I need confidence once more to get back into small tanks. I will continue to watch your channel now due to becoming interested once again. Thank you and your wife. 🥰🫶💕

Great video! Love you both! You were the first videos I watched when I got into the hobby a few years ago and your advice never failed me. Always balanced and fair.

Everybody’s getting on this and I’m glad some people are starting to speak up because it’s just not applicable to most of us like me who owns African cichlids.. great video

I love this. I am new to the fish obsession. I am learning as I go. Detailed information like this is very helpful. I have a 55 gallon that I am still landscaping with live plants. I had fake stuff and driftwood in there before and the driftwood got some weird fluffy fungus-looking stuff on it. Shortly after, most of my fish died. I’ve removed the driftwood and I’ve replaced the substrate to accommodate live plants. It’s hard to find details on care and proper cleaning. Information like this is great. Of course, I am no where near not having to clean my tank. I have 2 plants. Haha. Im just glad to know there are still people who want it to be clear and recognizes that some people aren’t there yet when it comes to maintaining ecosystems rather than just fish tanks.

Can't wait for the live tonight. I made a comment on here earlier and was attacked when I was simply agreeing. We are trying to build a bridge in the community of salt water and fresh water and NOW freshwater has split into sides. I'm not thick skinned enough for some of this. I just want to be a good fishkeeper and be part of the community, it would be awesome to share without the attacks and snark responses. I learn so much from you and Lisa and feel as we are friends. I truly learn from all of your videos and appreciate your hard work and thick skin.

You’re absolutely right. I also watched those other videos as a matter of fact today, then I just saw this video too. I’m definitely switching to more natural, adding plants because my nitrates were very high. Having a hard time getting to 5. I’m sitting at 40 and I was changing the water every 3 days. I will be testing tomorrow to see if the plants are taking care. Everything else is 0 ppm. My one tank was at 80, reason for the changes and added plants. I love my fish and I’m no longer digging the plastic anymore. Plants are acclimating, went through a bit of a melt but I’m seeing new growth, so I’m excited. Wish me and my fish luck. ❤

Love this video! Live plants look so much better than plastic. The only other things to consider is lighting and an all in one fertilizer. I use hornwort and sword plants, they are so easy to grow, especially since hornwort floats. I also have pretty plants in my more delicate setups. I have a petal tail marble Betta with dragon scale pattern in the mid section. I have 4 plants and he loves them all. He sleeps in the Brazilian pennywort. I rarely need to add fertz. The fluval flex comes with a great plant light built it.

Real talk. Each method is like a different tool. They can be used in different applications. One love

I am in the phase where I am doing a ton of research before starting my first tank. Considering the mixed messaging, I really think what it comes down to is that there are multiple styles of aquarium keeping. And each style has different "best practices" where mixing and matching husbandry between them throws things off. So the hard part is figuring out which advice suits the type of aquarium you have/want to keep. I'm still deciding myself which path I will take.

I was just starting to talk about exactly these problems on 'one of the big cooperative, aquarium social media pages' and guess what? People got offended and completely missed the point. So, what happened, you may ask? My comments were removed and I was reminded of group rules (which i followed)!!! Love your content, and you seem to be on par with my frustrations.

Been following you and fatherfish throughout my fishkeeping journey. Both of you have shown me wonderful tips and tricks. I use my api water test kit weekly, i have a few plants in the tank, and some above the tank (monstera and pothos) The best advise ive been given "always test your water" and "do your research before you start your aquarium"

This is one of the best videos I've seen this week, I've tried to explain this to some people and they just don't get it, I've even had people on the other end doing to many water changes on a planted tank and they wonder why they can't grow plants, they are probably a percentage that have watched videos saying water changes are essential every week and then wonder why their plants slowly die, Great video Thanks for sharing.

Why are Kaveman Aquatics and you attacking the lazy? LOL! Both of you are right! As I mentioned under Kaveman's video, everybody has their own unique tank and one size does not fit all. A rock and gravel well stocked African Cichlid tank can have a deep substrate but will never have a successful abundance of plants to help with nitrate reduction. Very different from a "dirted-sand capped" deep substrate tank with neons, snails and shrimp. It's a fluid situation with lot's of moving parts. Gotta think and act based on the circumstances of each tank. Good message. Now, let's talk about my getting a hold of some of those plants ;)

People don't realize that it takes a lot of time effort money and patience to set up and no water change tank to begin with. Not to mention it's different for each species of fish for the ecosystem that they need in order to thrive. I have well over $2500 invested even using cheap equipment and recycled equipment before I was able to achieve a no water change system for my African cichlid tank. And that's just in the equipment and set up to sustain that ecosystem continually. Not including the cost of the tank, lighting, and DIY aquarium stand that I built to house everything. Not to mention hundreds of hours before everything was worked out, set up, and running leak free and with all the kinks worked out in a way that could support the amount of fish I have in that tank, support the microfauna, submerged and emerged plants, and other things,that make up the ecosystem, custom plumbing, etc. And all this for a tank that is only 125 gallons. Now mind you the system that I built could probably support a small pond but still. But after much hard work and dedication it was achieved. The only water change that happens to that tank is evaporation top off. My Africans are not only thriving but breeding yet have not had a water change in two years outside of top off once it was finished and not only are they breeding but even the fry are thriving and I have multiple generations in that tank minus the ones that I've either sold or culled . It evaporates about 5 gallons per week. And that's all the water that is added; equating to only 2.125 full water changes per year. Even so I still have to clean out my sump pre-filter. And twice a year I pulled the media from the sump and vacuum any detritus accumulation from the bottom. Twice a year I also disassembled the uv unit and clean the bulb. Then there's the basic tank maintenance. You still have to keep it clean and vacuum any build up in your sand, and clean accumulated algae if you have any. I still have to maintain and clean the pre-filter built into the tank to make it Fry safe when I have brooders. So either way there is still maintenance on the tank. It's just low and I mean very low maintenance but there's no such thing as a NO maintenance aquarium. And anyone that thinks there is is deceiving themselves.

I agree with John not all people have the aquarium set up like the ones you see on youtube I have 3 tanks and I do weekly water changes on 2/::: my 10 and 20 gallon they are smaller and one has no plants the other tank have a few plants but not many .. till spring ,, my 3rd tank 55 gallon is heavy planted with crypts and and anubias and swords plants and i clean that ever 2 weeks ,,,my fishbbstays healthier and happier after water changes plus i am happy and it is my therapy time when i work on my tanks

If people only follow thumbnails instructions, they are the reason why there is a warning that says : REMOVE PLASTIC WRAP FROM PIZZA BEFORE BAKING 😂

Great information, will give people a better understanding of why they need to do water changes, and certain types of aquariums set ups

If you follow that channel you have been told what you need to do to set up a natural tank. Very clearly. Dirt, sand cap, plants. Period. So, it should be clear to all.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, John! Your response to “the drama” is refreshingly reasonable, honest, and factual. BTW… super happy to see you’re now selling Tropica Plants 🌱😊

Absolutely! IMO if he/they would just mention all that at the start of their videos (ie: a disclaimer) then the info they are providing would be far better understood and utilized in the correct and safe way! I personally have 6 planted tanks with mostly nano fish, however I still do small water changes every week or two to help keep my KH and PH balanced (as I tend to have crashes) and to replenish minerals etc. My fish seem to appreciate the fresh water and become more active after the changes. So… though I can appreciate and understand the ecosystem methods, I’ll continue doing “something in between” simply because it works for me! 😊 Well said John! 👍🏻

Completely agree, I love my planted tank and yes there are ways to do “eco” tanks but I’m sure I even asked Alex from living history from his video about it, and he did say also your water source comes in to play for it to work. But for most I would say even small water changes are good idea, but also you need to know what your source water is like, I.E some can have high nitrates in out the tap .

I'm glad to hear this. I hope the planted aquarium movement gains traction. I don't do things as purely as the "Walstad Method," but I do heavily plant my aquariums and it really helps and also makes them pop! I prefer using Ecocomplete substrate, a good light, and a HOB filter. I usually add a small bubbler on a timer too. I tried using real soil once and it was too messy. I'll try again some day in the future.

Great video and loved that you didn't disrespect or mock Father Fish like the other clown did. Always respect and appreciate the elderly and more if he's full of wisdom and experience. Cheers 👍🏻

your 30 second car in the garage explanation is better than most videos about the nitrogen cycle. Nice job

Totally unrelated, but you're lookin' leaner lately. Good for you! Thanks for the great content.

Bravo on this video! A well thought through tank design and fish choices can dramatically reduce how much maintenance you have to do on it.

Love it. I have a 30 gallon with a bunch of plants, one betta one nerite snail and some kuhli loaches (not sure how many, they’ve apparently breed) that I maybe do water changes on once every 3-4 months. Then I have my axolotl tanks that get weekly to biweekly water changes. And then there are all my other various aquariums that are also planted and lightly stocked, but not quite to the extent of the Beta tank, and are kind of in the middle as far as water changes.

I'm a lazy fishkeeper. I do monthly or so water changes on an axolotle tank, semi yearly on a Platy tank with a slowely increasing population, and bi-monthly or so on a goldfish tank. They all have 3 things besides fish... plants, shrimp, and snails. I don't have it down to a science yet, but these 3 things are essential for me.

This had to be said. You really need to know what you are doing to create a self-sustained ecosystem. This could be especially bad for beginners who believe things like catfish will remove other fishes waste from the bottom of the aquarium... to be fair, it was 1990, and there was no internet to tell me it doesn't work that way.

This did not go how I thought it would 😂 I'm a huge fan of Father Fish, and my tanks are heavily planted, so I was waiting for you to be all critical and stuff. I actually liked this video a lot because you definitely drove the point home.

I hope to believe if people love their animals they will change the water. Common sense will hopefully prevail

YESSSSSSS........ ❤❤ aquarium without water change is a MYTH.. even though there can b a case where a stable ecology can b established with the help of Riparium plants . But, that set up too will need water change for plants & fish nutrients. The only way one can avoid water change in my opinion is if u automate water change in aquarium which I did for my planted display tank

I feel like I can trust everything you say - because it has proved true over a great amount of time. Thanks.

Thanks John and Lisa. Words of wisdom.👍 I'm thinking of doing a matten filter with Elodea behind it for my South American Cichlids tank. Hopefully it will help with nitrates

Such a great video. I don't even watch those videos as i know i don't have the type of tanks or developing eco systems in my tanks. I'm adding more houseplants now that they are being stocked at stores because I know as of now that is what i can handle and care for along with enjoy the look. I've gotten into driftwood and rocks. I'm not educated or confident enough for adding aquarium plants. And i enjoy doing my water changes.

Kaveman Aquatics is on your side!!

100% you nailed it thank you so much for setting that straight so people might get it, because the other way will make them quite the hobbie when the tank crashes,without alot of plants you have to do water changes period.

Thanks for the clarity.

You are correct in clarifying and providing the required information. Keep up the good work! Greetings from Greece!

Spot on John! Love your honesty !! Love from Denmark

All good points, though I have no idea which videos you are referring to. All the ones I have seen with those kinds of titles made it very clear that they were building heavily planted ecosystems and took the time to explain the whole process. I am always happy to see more plants being pushed in the hobby for water quality rather than just Aquascaping. Heck, I've got a huge Peace Lilly growing in the filter of my Mbuna Tank (so it can be done even for tanks where the fish destroy plants).

It would be great, if you were into it, if you'd make a video where you ad a bog filter aka refugium full of plants to your cichlid tank system, so people can see how they could do that at home and what a benefit it could be to them. Plants really make such a huge difference in the amount of water changes needed. There's still work involved, but it's a great reduction.

You're right. A lady recently gave my wife and I a 55 gallon complete setup because she was tired of having to feed fish. Now it's on its way to being a planted tank

I've always been into introducing plants into any aquarium I have.

I dig KG Tropicals, and Father Fish. Both are insightful and informative. I allowed my aquariums to "mature" with dense plant life. Semi aquatic plants in my Cichlid aquarium, proper substrate, LEDs on 9am to 7pm, mechanical filtration, and feed sparingly. Haven't done water changes in 8 or 9 months. I siphon detritus a little bit, 20% max.

Im glad this is finally being addressed i mentioned this weeks ago wen it started

If I did no water changes my goldfish would be dead in a couple months. Caveman's similar video inspired me to do a large water change yesterday and today my fish are spawning again. Great video.

Love this video. I’ve been playing with no changes. I’ve added tons of plants. I’ve been able to keep my nitrates to around 20-40 ppm. I do still do changes from time to time as I test and see it too high. So yes. Gotta test. Gotta change some water as time goes on. Until those nitrates stay normally low. So it can be done. But he’s right. Gotta have plants.

This is the only fish channel I follow. Thank you 💕 First time fish keeper. I’m learning a lot.

Totally agree with you on this. Have seen many video on KZfaq with the same title and 5 mins in the video, i see a fully planted tank which I do not have lolz... Well, I do keep some simple plant in the tank to take care of the nitrate but i still do weekly water change cos i doubt the few plants i put in will get the job done on its own

It should also be noted that the vast majority of the “no water change “ aquariums shown and promoted on KZfaq are brown and cloudy and not all the great to look at if you love watching the intricacies of the behavioral stuff going on inside the tank. I love watching my tank and enjoy water clarity. I have a heavily planted big tank and long-earned balance of fish in my tank. It’s a bust tank, I test regularly and rarely have to do a change but when I need one, I do it. I don’t have a murky tank. I understand those who like the Muddy River look but I’m not one.

Father Fish out here giving everyone content opportunities. Haha.

The drive thru analogy was hilarious 😂😂😂

You are SO right. Shifted to my "new" method, and are now at my second year without water changes, no CO2 and no fertilizers. I have a shitload of plants, growning nicely, but not overly fast, and have a max. of 1cm fish per liter of water. Almost NO algies (a little on the glass due to sun hitting the tank a hour a day), just enough for the fishes to eat of, and crystal clear water. ONLY but/downside, is, that I don't need to put my hands in an manage as much anymore :-)

I do think a lot of the people who would look at just the title and ignore everything else are also the same people who are already ignoring appropriate fish care in general anyway. I'm under no illusions about the reality of people and how they could interpret the info, or not do their research. But I'd also like to think that most will take it a step further and understand that there's work involved too. These methods, and the naturalistic fish keepers have been around and available this whole time, maybe longer than the rest of us in some cases, and I have faith in the fish keeping community for the most part to go further than the video title and scope out the science before abruptly stopping their maintenance.

So this is the video someone on another app was saying you were being a jerk about. Too bad they didn’t LISTEN to what you said. Your videos are always full of great, and extremely helpful information.

Father fish setup advice only works for little fish, not for overstocked big cichild tank

People don't remember the value of living beings. If you don't want to care for them anymore for whatever reason whether good or bad, then at least rehome to someone who would care for them and have the time.

You are 100% spot on in this video. People who take the hobby seriously are the minority for sure. Thinking about it, most of the fish that are swimming around in tanks have a horrible life. Pretty sad... 😔

First time aquarium keeper here, in the first week I bought a cleaning tools kit and hand-pump siphon. Made my first water change easy. 2 months in and all is well. Now I'm binge watching these and realizing I still made some mistakes. Think I'm gonna stick to regular water changes and my live plants for now.

My cichlid tanks always have tons of floating plants. Water hysteria is my fav. We are talking 1 to 2in thick. I use the Water current to direct it and keep it were I want. As far as I'm concern they can chew on all they want..lol. The corner of most accumulation has dedicated lighting for strong growth. I use the shadows to add to the aquascaping look. And yes, Water changes are a great replenishing and cleansing source that's eventually necessary at all levels.