FATHER FISH Saltwater Aquarium Setup ?

[j.falk]

I came across Father Fish's Youtube videos a couple weeks ago when I was doing some research into planted aquariums. His methodology makes sense to me with regards to freshwater tanks. The basis of his setups are focussed on using live plants as the main source of filtration since the plants use up the nutrients in the aquarium. Yes, that makes perfect sense...but would it be a viable option with a saltwater aquarium? I keep mulling it over and I don't see how adding a layer of mud to the bottom of a saltwater aquarium would be beneficial?

Thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/@FatherFish/search?query=saltwater

 

[littlefishy]

His thoughts seem to work to the extent his tanks work, but they've never looked nice enough for me to follow his method. Always interested in the avant garde people's experiments though. Would probably work in a brackish or mangrove/seagrass tank.

 

[Rmckoy]

In another post . One of the things we can no longer find was miracle
Mud .
and to the same theory of using plants to consume nutrients in a reef aquarium most of us employ cheato in a refugium .
essentially a slower flow section in the sump with a grow light over it .
as the cheato grows is consumes nutrients .
to balance the amount it consumes harvesting is required .

 

[j.falk]

In another post . One of the things we can no longer find was miracle
Mud .
and to the same theory of using plants to consume nutrients in a reef aquarium most of us employ cheato in a refugium .
essentially a slower flow section in the sump with a grow light over it .
as the cheato grows is consumes nutrients .
to balance the amount it consumes harvesting is required .

Miracle Mud is still available here in the U.S. Awhile back I had contemplated setting up a layered reef aquarium using Miracle Mud underneath the sand bed purely as an experiment to see how things would work out. I know we can add chaeto refugiums, mangroves, caulerpa, etc...but none of that would actually get down to the mud layer at the bottom of a layered tank to utilize it. My question is...would there be any benefit to having the mud layer like he's showing in his saltwater setup videos?

 

[j.falk]

His thoughts seem to work to the extent his tanks work, but they've never looked nice enough for me to follow his method. Always interested in the avant garde people's experiments though. Would probably work in a brackish or mangrove/seagrass tank.

Agreed, but he doesn't believe in cleaning his tanks or ever changing the water on any of his fresh or saltwater aquariums. I agree with him to some extent. The algae growing in the aquarium is a natural filtration media. Is it aesthetically pleasing? No. Is it a natural way of keeping an aquarium balanced? Yes. Algae is everywhere in the ocean. It's a natural part of how nature keeps nutrients in check. I've often thought about letting a tank go and only cleaning the front glass. Why? Because all that algae would be beneficial to the overall health of the aquarium and it's inhabitants...of course, that's provided it's not an algae that would cause harm to anything.

 

[j.falk]

No one else thinks about trying to do a more natural type aquarium set up?

 

[jrill]

I think the guy is nuts. I watch his videos for a laugh. His tanks looks terrible.

 

[j.falk]

That wasn't quite the discussion I was hoping for. History has several examples of people who were thought to be crazy only to find out later that they actually pioneered things for a future generation.

There are many ways to set up a long term sustainable saltwater aquarium and if you go to the ocean, it looks terrible out there too. Keeping an aquarium spotless is counterintuitive to the overall health of a naturally set up system.

All the gadgets and apps and chemicals people use these days to keep their tanks looking pristine are not a natural system and I don't fully believe that using all of that stuff is necessarily good for the overall health of the aquarium inhabitants.

 

[PNW_squidz]

I think the guy is nuts. I watch his videos for a laugh. His tanks looks terrible.

His subscribers doubled very fast and his videos suddenly went from hundreds of views to several thousand. Interesting...

He seems to be an old crank that likes to fight with larger YouTube channels.

 

[j.falk]

His subscribers doubled very fast and his videos suddenly went from hundreds of views to several thousand. Interesting...

He seems to be an old crank that likes to fight with larger YouTube channels.

Have you seen his cult-like followers on Discord? There is only one way to set up an aquarium, the Father Fish way. No other ways may be discussed in their group.

 

[HomebroodExotics]

Yes it would work. I wouldn't put the mud under the sand though, that would be a huge mess. I'd keep it contained in some sort of refugium. Corals or algae is the substitute to plants. There's many people here that do this. Not sure what else that father fish does that you would like to implement? A deep sand bed? Thats definitely not new. Macro algae, not new either. Not sure why some people think this is radical and looney.

 

[j.falk]

Yes it would work. I wouldn't put the mud under the sand though, that would be a huge mess. I'd keep it contained in some sort of refugium. Corals or algae is the substitute to plants. There's many people here that do this. Not sure what else that father fish does that you would like to implement? A deep sand bed? Thats definitely not new. Macro algae, not new either. Not sure why some people think this is radical and looney.

I'm trying to understand why he puts the mud under the deep sand bed even in a saltwater setup? I don't think it would serve any purpose. Macro algae doesn't have a root system that would utilize it. Corals and algae would be using the nutrients from the water column. Any ideas on what his reasoning would be for using it with a saltwater tank? I remember the days when Miracle Mud was popular...but didn't they use it in a refugium or a sump chamber?

 

[PNW_squidz]

Have you seen his cult-like followers on Discord? There is only one way to set up an aquarium, the Father Fish way. No other ways may be discussed in their group.

No but that doesn't surprise me. He seems to have a "my way or no way" attitude.

 

[jrill]

His subscribers doubled very fast and his videos suddenly went from hundreds of views to several thousand. Interesting...

He seems to be an old crank that likes to fight with larger YouTube channels.

People love a good fight

 

[HomebroodExotics]

I'm trying to understand why he puts the mud under the deep sand bed even in a saltwater setup? I don't think it would serve any purpose. Macro algae doesn't have a root system that would utilize it. Corals and algae would be using the nutrients from the water column. Any ideas on what his reasoning would be for using it with a saltwater tank? I remember the days when Miracle Mud was popular...but didn't they use it in a refugium or a sump chamber?

That’s just the way he likes to do it. It would work the same in either location imo. One way is just more messy if you have creatures that dig. It’s supposed to help with denitrifying bacteria and it will provide nutrition as it breaks down over time. It’s just food for microbes. All about building the aquarium biome from the bottom of the food chain on up.