Aquarium Hobby

[Binary_Bark]

So you have a test kit at least?

Please just don’t get so stuck on not changing the water to tick some kind of box when the test tells you levels are too high, because things will die and die quickly.

I'm going to work on the 20% water change every now and then. Not removing the filter, it is very basic, basically a small thin porous sponge, but adding extra filtering some times..

I’m assuming the plan is extremely low live stock numbers and mostly planted to act as the filter?

Yes, low live stock only a few fish

 

[SauRoNZA]

Edit: in my system, I had to clean and maintain all aspects of my tank. I was not clever enough to develop something self sustaining.

Water cycling is part and parcel of maintenance.

If anything it’s the reason you get in there in the first place and then just do the rest while you are at it.

Unless you get really fancy with an auto water cycling setup but even I never nerded that hard as much as I wanted to.

 

[Jean Claude Vaaldamme]

Yeah like I said you can get away with low water changes, but not none at all.

The bigger the tank the easier.

50% water changes have no ill effects on fish or environment and only benefits, assuming you’ve either harvested rain water, let the tap water stand overnight or treated it.

Generally 25% straight from the tap isn’t even an issue but it depends what you are keeping.

Worst I would go is once in three months, but that’s with large external canister filters and such.

No filter at all? I would change at least 25% once a month regardless of what the test says and obviously immediately if the test says otherwise.

Salt and water replacement are your best friends in keeping aquariums alive especially when **** starts hitting the fan.

We change about 40% once a month or sometimes once every 2 months. Straight from the tap, never had a problem with fish or plants dying or getting sick.

 

[SauRoNZA]

I'm going to work on the 20% water change every now and then. Not removing the filter, it is very basic, basically a small thin porous sponge, but adding extra filtering some times..

Okay then it makes more sense and you’ll have surface agitation.

Your initial post seemed very much no filter of any kind and that was going to see you heading straight into a very bad time.

Regardless you have signed yourself up for hard mode.

My advice as soon as you can just switch to an external canister filter, if for no other reason that it takes up no tank volume and it’s as simple as closing the tap to clean it, no messing around inside the tank as so on.

I wasted many years with built-in filter systems or under gravel setups before I bit the bullet and then couldn’t understand why I had suffered needlessly.

 

[Binary_Bark]

100%
It's a great hobby for those with time.
Our major factor with quitting was having three kids. That and changing 180l of sea water a week takes major sweat.

New job, work from home most of the time.
Would really like a salt water tank, but the maintenance... It's past my patience time. There is so much more work in a salt water tank than an fresh water tank.

 

[SauRoNZA]

We change about 40% once a month or sometimes once every 2 months. Straight from the tap, never had a problem with fish or plants dying or getting sick.

Yeah problem is water isn’t the same everywhere.

But nothing standing in a large bucket or two overnight can’t fix.

 

[Binary_Bark]

Okay then it makes more sense and you’ll have surface agitation.

Your initial post seemed very much no filter of any kind and that was going to see you heading straight into a very bad time.

Regardless you have signed yourself up for hard mode.

My advice as soon as you can just switch to an external canister filter, if for no other reason that it takes up no tank volume and it’s as simple as closing the tap to clean it, no messing around inside the tank as so on.

I wasted many years with built-in filter systems or under gravel setups before I bit the bullet and then couldn’t understand why I had suffered needlessly.

Yeah, bit confusing, all the reading I've done so far with natural tanks is that at most 20% Water change. filter no, but have one every now and then. Pump is still needed to keep water flow going.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Yeah, bit confusing, all the reading I've done so far with natural tanks is that at most 20% Water change. filter no, but have one every now and then. Pump is still needed to keep water flow going.

Yeah it’s either water changes + pump for surface agitation or filter + less water changes.

But that 20% water change would be a lot more frequent than monthly I’m sure, if only running a pump and no filter.

You can’t ever get away from all water changes entirely.

 

[TedLasso]

I have a 40l tank for the kids . Started with 2 goldfish but 1 died despite me doing everything I could to save it. I never wanted it, as a child we had a big tank , and I could not stand the death of any fish and flushing it down the toilet (probably should not be doing that right???)

So it's been 1 fish, rather big now (also had a few close calls with death) .

I was cleaning and the tank, replacing all water , flushing gravel, because we ended up having red algae (think could be tied to the type of food). Anyway, every three weeks , needed to do a complete clean. It used to get bad.

4 months ago , at the pet store I ask why I am getting so much algae and the guy asked me if there is a light. There was and we had it turned on for 6-8 hours a day. He told me, no need for light as it was causing the algae , and fish didn't need the light, only humans. The tank is in a well lit area . .

S h i t. It did the trick. No light - no Algae at all. All I have done in the 4 months now, is change half the water and clean the gravel (when removing the old water) every two weeks. Even the white sponge filter after 5 weeks doesn't look as bad as it used to within 2 weeks.

The fish has also recovered. So happy days.

 

[Binary_Bark]

Update:
Did a water test this morning for Nitrate and Ammonia, almost zero! That means the system is ready for fish. I’ve added two hardy species:

• Glowlight Tetra (Hemigrammus erythrozonus) – beautiful orange stripe, great for planted tanks.
• Black Phantom Tetra? (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus) – peaceful schooling fish with a distinctive black spot.

Important tip: schooling fish need company. The fish store owner recommended at least 5 of each species so they feel secure and display natural behavior.

 

[Binary_Bark]

 

[Binary_Bark]

In my sons smaller freshwater he kept a butterfly fish, such a hardy customer and you could hand feed him.

How long has the tank been cycling?

That’s awesome about the butterfly fish, hand feeding sounds like a great experience! Going to be a few months before I can add Tropical fish like that.

My tank has been cycling for just over a week now. Besides fish, I’ve added other organisms like snails and mud worms to help kickstart the ecosystem. From what I’ve researched (and seen so far), tetras are among the best species to introduce early. They’re hardy, low-maintenance, and only need plants and some hiding spaces to thrive.

 

[Binary_Bark]

 

[SauRoNZA]

I have a 40l tank for the kids . Started with 2 goldfish but 1 died despite me doing everything I could to save it. I never wanted it, as a child we had a big tank , and I could not stand the death of any fish and flushing it down the toilet (probably should not be doing that right???)

So it's been 1 fish, rather big now (also had a few close calls with death) .

I was cleaning and the tank, replacing all water , flushing gravel, because we ended up having red algae (think could be tied to the type of food). Anyway, every three weeks , needed to do a complete clean. It used to get bad.

4 months ago , at the pet store I ask why I am getting so much algae and the guy asked me if there is a light. There was and we had it turned on for 6-8 hours a day. He told me, no need for light as it was causing the algae , and fish didn't need the light, only humans. The tank is in a well lit area . .

S h i t. It did the trick. No light - no Algae at all. All I have done in the 4 months now, is change half the water and clean the gravel (when removing the old water) every two weeks. Even the white sponge filter after 5 weeks doesn't look as bad as it used to within 2 weeks.

The fish has also recovered. So happy days.

You don’t want to change all the water because then you reset the entire ecosystem every time as well, which could in itself be causing even more algae.

But yes either change the type of light of you want it on longer, or just put it on a timer.

Also fun fact gold fish can live 20-30 years.

 

[SauRoNZA]

That’s awesome about the butterfly fish, hand feeding sounds like a great experience! Going to be a few months before I can add Tropical fish like that.

My tank has been cycling for just over a week now. Besides fish, I’ve added other organisms like snails and mud worms to help kickstart the ecosystem. From what I’ve researched (and seen so far), tetras are among the best species to introduce early. They’re hardy, low-maintenance, and only need plants and some hiding spaces to thrive.

Catfish are my go to starter fish because they are usually quite hardy depending on type but also do the job of cleanup crew.

Bristlenose catfish being my favourite.

 

[Binary_Bark]

I love Tetras, they're always good eye candy in the tank. It's actually crazy when you look at their natural tea water environments - so dark. I like your balance of plant and fish. Plants are a huge part of the fun, though you end up throwing so much over time, they grow so well. Nice natural nitrite filters.

Absolutely! Tetras really are stunning, and I love how diverse they are, many shapes, colors, and sizes to choose from.

My long-term plan is to keep this as a self-sustaining natural tank, which is why I’ve packed it with plants, added other organisms like snails and worms, and kept filtration minimal. Plants aren’t just for looks, they’re the backbone of the system, acting as natural nitrite and nitrate filters while creating hiding spaces for the fish.

 

[Binary_Bark]

Catfish are my go to starter fish because they are usually quite hardy depending on type but also do the job of cleanup crew.

Bristlenose catfish being my favourite.

Great Idea for catfish, but at this stage I think it's still too early to introduce bottom feeders.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Great Idea for catfish, but at this stage I think it's still too early to introduce bottom feeders.

Yeah in your case where you haven’t stolen water and filters from an established tank it is a bit early and they are also expensive.

Well these days everything seems expensive.

Dammit now I’m looking at a micro tank setup for my desk again.

 

[Binary_Bark]

Dammit now I’m looking at a micro tank setup for my desk again.

Do it, Get a cube!

 

[Binary_Bark]

The butterfly my son had was in his freshwater tank - one of these:

View attachment 1872392

They do unfortunately eat smaller fish so you're limited with tank mates but they're hardy and very intelligent fish.

That is a really amazing and scary looking fish.