Will hornwort's alleopathic chemicals affect growth in other plants?

[Byron]

Girl talks fish was able to successfully keep them at tropical temperatures.

That does not mean they were healthy or in good shape. I can keep a betta in a 2-cup bowl too, but is that betta really in great condition? What fish need we can only learn by researching the species. Each species has evolved to function in a very specific environment. That is what it needs because this is part of the genetic make-up of the species. Fish cannot tell us how they feel, and none of us can assume things are good unless we are providing what they need.

Look at the physical appearance of a hillstream loach. It should be obvious that it needs very strong currents, rocks to cling too, and good algae mats. And the water temperature is low.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Lots of cool water fish, including whiteclouds, can adapt to higher temps, at least for a while. This makes sense, since most temperate zone waters have a warmer period during the summer. But higher temperatures long-term can cause health problems and even shorten lifespan.

A school of whiteclouds and a few hillstream loaches would do fine in a room temperature tank with some stones and woodwork forming caves, and a medium to strong current. I'm not sure how much room hillstream loaches need. Seriously fish recommends at least a 29" tank for long-term care. The smaller and less aggressive borneo loaches (Gastromyzon sp.) might be a better choice for your 15g.

 

[UnityLover]

Lots of cool water fish, including whiteclouds, can adapt to higher temps, at least for a while. This makes sense, since most temperate zone waters have a warmer period during the summer. But higher temperatures long-term can cause health problems and even shorten lifespan.

A school of whiteclouds and a few hillstream loaches would do fine in a room temperature tank with some stones and woodwork forming caves, and a medium to strong current. I'm not sure how much room hillstream loaches need. Seriously fish recommends at least a 29" tank for long-term care. The smaller and less aggressive borneo loaches (Gastromyzon sp.) might be a better choice for your 15g.

Damn, I see. I don't got the 15 gallon, just an idea in the future that corresponds with flow. I'm staying with smaller tanks for practicality. 20 gallons max.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

If you want my recommendation, get yourself a 20 long. So many possibilities for a high-flow river tank!

 

[GaryE]

Fish are cold blooded (well aquarium fish - there are exceptions in larger fish) and that complicates things. I always made the mistake of seeing their lives as similar to ours temperature wise, and it doesn't work like that. Research has shown some species to be unable to digest their food properly at too high or too low temps. Their digestive enzymes are tuned to a narrow range.
It means if you have an adult of the species, it can live out of its range. It may have digestive issues, but it can live. A younger fish may have issues with its growth, including deformities.
We don't know how many species have this issue. With climate change, it stands to cause losses.
But most aquarists consume fish and don't breed them, so an issue affecting mainly growth rates is less obvious. Fish can survive in a wide range of bad habitats, temporarily.

I know this is going nerd on you, but I'm not over complicating fishkeeping here... it's already complicated thanks to nature. We get to choose how we set things up. For fish info like temps, I ignore youtube. There, if we are commercial, we are pushed to simplify and above all, move fast. Attention spans are our enemy when it comes to sharing info, so info gets cut and simplified. Even the best info sources on youtube have to deal with losing subscribers if they give too much info. The better you are, the worse you are for business...

Use fishbase for temps, as it bases the info on wild collecting and is a science based site that doesn't care about hits. You may notice we have tended to raise temperatures weirdly in the hobby, and we keep a lot of fish very warm for their real needs.

 

[10 Tanks]

Ah, but if you read my entire post, you only answered part of the point made. Henry's law seems a straw man in context.


What @WhistlingBadger noted there is important. A lot of aquarium fish are in terrible shape. When I started up the very powerful laminar flow pump in my 120 of rainbows, I had to ramp it up in 5 increments because the poor fish couldn't swim anymore. After a few weeks, they were active and strong moving in very natural currents for their species. They look healthier and are like different fish now.
When I kept Geophagus argyrostictus in usual Geo conditions, they were downright nasty to each other. I lost a few to violence. A friend who had them in with a high flow pump (because he had caught them in rapids conditions) had zero aggression. Lesson learned.

You ducked the behavioural issues, and the effect water movement combined with changes has on aggression.

I mean, my puppy gets oxygen and clean air along with a good diet, but I also let her go for runs, and walk her a lot on a leash. Like a dog, an active fish needs activity, and an unfiltered tank doesn't offer that. I have a tank of lampeyes I was in on catching 2 weeks ago, in Gabon. The stream was hard for me to walk in, and I am reasonably fit. It was rushing water, and the fish were found racing in the flow's edges. In another stream, I held my net in the highest flow and let the beautiful lampeyes rush into it. Would you keep those fish in non moving tanks? If you do, good luck with it.

For their shortened lifespan, they'd hover and droop, listelessly nipping. Here, they are little bolts of electricity in constant movement against the current, looping aound and setting up again. That's what I saw in the rivers I found them in.

Hello again. Without getting too technical. The more water you change and the more often you do, the healthier the fish.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[UnityLover]

Hello again. Without getting too technical. The more water you change and the more often you do, the healthier the fish.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

Wont the fish be stressed with 80% of the water vanishing or being taken out of the tank twice a week?

 

[Byron]

Wont the fish be stressed with 80% of the water vanishing or being taken out of the tank twice a week?

Water changes should be reasonable. In the habitat, they are continual 24/7. The flow of the stream, the thermal movements in lakes, all bring fresh water to the fish for every respiration. We cannot duplicate this in an aquarium unless it is flow-through, but I suspect none of us on TFF have this. So we do water changes, and generally speaking the more water changed the healthier the fish is likely to be. But we don't need to go overboard. I have always performed once a week water changes, and the volume varies from 50% to 80%. Provided the parameters of the tank water and fresh water--this refers to GH, pH and temperature primarily--are basically the same, you cannot do harm with water changes. But it doesn't need to be extreme unless there is an issue. A properly stocked tank (and note I said properly stocked, meaning all fish need the same environment and are compatible in more than just behaviour, as well as sheer numbers) will always be more stable with more rather than less water changes. The tank's biological system will establish, and regular substantial water changes will work to maintain the stability.

Some fish may not appreciate your hand bashing about their home, I don't blame them. But one can do this without much stress. I had small fish that would cluster around my arm when I was in the tank, arranging plants or whatever. Everything is relative. My article on water changes at the head of this section of TFF may provide some information.

Regular Partial Water Changes

Byron Hosking November, 2010 (rev April 2021) Nothing is more important when it comes to aquarium maintenance than regular partial water changes. The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. One frequently reads of products that will reduce the need for...

www.fishforums.net

 

[10 Tanks]

Wont the fish be stressed with 80% of the water vanishing or being taken out of the tank twice a week?

Unity. No, not if you increase the amount of water you change gradually. I'm part of a team that manages several large tanks both personal and commercial. You especially don't want to leave anything to chance when you're maintaining a tank for someone else. If you're willing to change the tank water often enough, you don't need much filtration, aeration, no testing equipment or medical treatments. You'll have no algae problems, because you have a balanced water chemistry. The large, frequent water change is the quickest and easiest way to becoming a successful water keeper.

10 Tanks (now 11)

 

[GaryE]

I've seen constant water change systems in operation, where tap water is treated on intake and run into tanks with overflows that carry the old water to the drain. Those tanks probably turned over at least 5 times every day. They cost a fortune and are beyond the means of most of us, but the fish are really astonishing. They had their wild colours and were growing extremely well. Constant or heavy water changes aren't a stress, although the hoses and siphons etc may well be.

The thread has swung away from the OP's question, and I think his/her planned tanks are well thought out projects in progress. I don't think anyone on the thread is against heavy duty water changing. It's a complex issue some really over-simplify, but it's an essential part of a good set up.

I always feel sorry for fishkeepers who have polluted water from the tap. That gets complicated for them.