That's not how it works...

[NannaLou]

When I was first married my husband had a fish tank. Every 6 months all the fish would be caught and put in the washing up bowl, everything emptied from the tank and scrubbed clean before being refilled (I’m not even sure that he used any sort of water conditioner and the fish tipped back in). Those fish lived for YEARS. And every rule on here was either not known about or ignored…

I wonder if we’re adapting our fish husbandry to accommodate poorer quality fish through mass/in breeding..?

 

[itiwhetu]

When I was first married my husband had a fish tank. Every 6 months all the fish would be caught and put in the washing up bowl, everything emptied from the tank and scrubbed clean before being refilled (I’m not even sure that he used any sort of water conditioner and the fish tipped back in. Those fish lived for YEARS. And every rule on here was either not known about or ignored…

I wonder if we’re adapting our fish husbandry to accommodate poorer quality fish through mass/in breeding..?

That is part of it, but also the aquarium supply companies and Fish shops make huge amounts of money by selling people test kits, ammonia, fancy syphons, filter media. In fact, the shops would make more selling that stuff than fish.
What is interesting is the new generation of fish keepers don't what to know how we did it without all this stuff. Our methods are treated as outdated and old-fashioned.

 

[SomethingsFishy24]

When I was first married my husband had a fish tank. Every 6 months all the fish would be caught and put in the washing up bowl, everything emptied from the tank and scrubbed clean before being refilled (I’m not even sure that he used any sort of water conditioner and the fish tipped back in. Those fish lived for YEARS. And every rule on here was either not known about or ignored…

I wonder if we’re adapting our fish husbandry to accommodate poorer quality fish through mass/in breeding..?

My fair goldfish was bomb proof (you know the ones you win for besting a carney game). He was the ugliest little thing (Feeder goldfish?) but he survived YEARS with my mom looking after him while I was away at college.My mom only ever topped off the tank. I did maintanence when I got back home, like every 3-4 months. He was moved to the pond after living 5 years in a 55 gallon tank. That little weirdo lived 9 years!

 

[Rocky998]

No one will change the way I set up my tanks, not after all these years.
A nice natural neutral gravel base, lots of fast-growing plants. When the plants start growing add a few fish at a time.
After seeing what @Rocky998 went through with cycling, I'm surprised he has decided to keep fish and not canaries.

Well why not keep the fish I worked so hard to keep? Didnt make sense to just walk away

 

[NannaLou]

Well why not keep the fish I worked so hard to keep? Didnt make sense to just walk away

I think that @itiwhetu was getting at is not walking away from the fish you have now, but the fact you stuck it out to get as far as getting fish…it was quite a process - wasn’t it..?

 

[Rocky998]

That is part of it, but also the aquarium supply companies and Fish shops make huge amounts of money by selling people test kits, ammonia, fancy syphons, filter media. In fact, the shops would make more selling that stuff than fish.
What is interesting is the new generation of fish keepers don't what to know how we did it without all this stuff. Our methods are treated as outdated and old-fashioned.

Yah its true... I do think fish have gotten weaker over the years with things which is why now we have adapted along with keeping fiah as well. As mire research came out we realized that the enviorments we were housing them SOMETIMES were not right. And sometimes people do get lucky and can keep fish alive. I knew about a goldfish that had to be about 4-5in living more than 7yrs in a 2g bowl... Not right but it lived that long... You can make something survive but its a bit harder to make something thrive... Which most of us cannot do to the fullest extent no matter how hard we try.

 

[Rocky998]

I think that @itiwhetu was getting at is not walking away from the fish you have now

I'm surprised he has decided to keep fish and not canaries.

 

[AbbeysDad]

It doesn't matter if it is fast growing or slow growing, floating, or fully submerged. All plants must grow to consume nutrients. And there are a lot of people out there that cannot get plants to grow.

I'd rather not flog a dead horse, but as long as there is light and nutrients, plants will grow. Now many systems come with lights that are fine for viewing fish, but not always intense enough to support some plants, especially rooted plants down below where light levels may suffer. This is why I mentioned floating plants as they typically grow well under nearly any lights because of their proximity to the lights. And a modest amount of aquatic plant fertilizer doesn't hurt - after all, you feed fish, why not plants?

Plants are most often an after thought for many/most hobbyists setting up a new (or their first) tank. And when a new tank is set up, there is a buffer dilution level in that new water from when the first fish is added before ammonia levels become a problem. Plants along with bottled bacteria can further reduce/eliminate any harm to livestock.
So add bacteria, some floating plants, and only a fish or two at first and things should be fine.

My friend Byron has reported numerous times that he has started numerous aquariums with just plants and a very few fish at a time. It truly works, but there's a key factor - you just can't add several fish at once (especially in a small tank) as the ammonia generated can be too much at once. This is where many newbies fail.
Patience rules the day.

 

[itiwhetu]

Well why not keep the fish I worked so hard to keep? Didnt make sense to just walk away

What I was trying to get at, is that you spent weeks testing and cycling ( I would have given up and gone to another hobby). At the end of the day you only added 4 fish to a huge tank. With a few fast-growing plants they could have been added about 10 days after your tank was filled with water.

 

[Rocky998]

Well its nice to know you wouldve given up but I didn't... Ive wanted to learn fish keeping for years before this but didnt really have the funds or time... While to you, this seems stupid and unnecessary, I feel like this was the best approach for me as a beginner and not have to deal with other things...

What I was trying to get at, is that you spent weeks testing and cycling ( I would have given up and gone to another hobby). At the end of the day you only added 4 fish to a huge tank. With a few fast-growing plants they could have been added about 10 days after your tank was filled with water.

 

[Naughts]

I knew about a goldfish that had to be about 4-5in living more than 7yrs

That little weirdo lived 9 years!

Goldfish have a lifespan averaging about 10-15 years, with some varieties living up to 30 years when provided with proper care. Unfortunately, many goldfish do not reach their lifespan potential due to inadequate housing conditions. Housing needs to meet both their behavioural and physiological needs.
source: RSPCA.org

 

[Rocky998]

Goldfish have a lifespan averaging about 10-15 years, with some varieties living up to 30 years when provided with proper care. Unfortunately, many goldfish do not reach their lifespan potential due to inadequate housing conditions. Housing needs to meet both their behavioural and physiological needs.
source: RSPCA.org

When I saw the goldfish they said it was 7 years old... That was about 3 years ago so Idk if its still alive or not