Enrich Your Substrate

Discover the Essential Supplement Ingredients for a Thriving Deep Substrate Father Fish Foodweb Aquarium! In this enlightening YouTube video we dive deep into the world of aquarium building and explore the crucial supplemental ingredients required to foster a flourishing environment for the entire food web.

How to Setup a Natural Aquarium

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***How to Set Up a Dirted Substrate***
DEEP SUBSTRATE INSTRUCTIONS
YOUTUBE/FATHER FISH
1. Mix 2 quarts peat moss, 1 quart potting soil, ½ quart compost, and 1/2 cup additive per 20 gallon tank.
2. Add water to create a thick mud pie consistency, similar to wet concrete Let sit for 2 hrs minimum or overnight.
3. Carefully place 1” of the mixture into tank. Spray to rinse mud splashes. Do not add more than 1” of the mud mixture.
4. Add 2" of dry or rinsed sand to cover soil.
5. Carefully add water. Use a cover on the sand
(plate, bowl, plastic bag…) to prevent disturbing substrate.
6. Add hardscape, decorations, filter, and light.
7. Plant heavily with fast growing stem plants (anachris, watersprite, Val, cabomba). Bury roots 1" into the sand.
8. Lighting should be left on 24/7 for at least a week.
9. Add a few small fish on day 2.
10. Do not feed for 3 days. Then very tiny amounts. More fish can be added weekly.
Sit back and enjoy your masterpiece. You have successfully created a Father Fish Deep Substrate Living Aquarium. Congratulations!

0:00 Intro
0:10 Substrate Supplement
1:24 Biochar
1:55 Worm Castings
2:13 Diatomaceous Earth
3:41 Dolomitic Limestone
4:28 Baking Soda
5:14 Epsom Salt
6:05 Ferrous Sulfate
6:54 Blood Meal
7:07 Bone Meal
7:26 Mycorrhizae
8:00 Natural Fertilizer
8:36 Not a strict formula
9:23 First order gets THIS bag

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[Elizabethwaiting]

Been doing the 1 inch of gravel thing for 20years. I took care of my out of town uncle in his final 3 months on earth. My tanks became horribly neglected. Most crashed and killed all my fish while I was absent. One survived and seemed to even thrive while I ignored it. It was my 1 heavily planted sand bottom tank. I’ve been doing research and found your channel, spent the past week binge watching your vids.
The pain of losing my uncle and my tanks was hard. I’ve cleared my schedule next week and plan to get them up and running again using your nature method. Thank you! ❤️
Who knows what life is going to challenge me with next, it will be comforting to know I won’t have to stress over my tanks while I face it. It gives new meaning to the phrase, ‘Just give it to God!’

[genewebb]

Wife got a 5 gallon tank, put just gravel (black w/ specks of color). She then wanted a 10 g to add more fish. Had a fish die off. I said, NO. I have to figure this out. Stumbled on a different video of yours about adding mud then cap it with sand. So I got my own 10 gallon (little comp with the wife). Saw plenty of growth with the plants and fish did well. Got another 29 gallon, after watching more videos from other YouTubers and you (I like your way the most). Decided to go with a small amount of natural gravel, mud from 2 different sources. Mixed in some leaves, put some beach sand to cap it (had to sift some the the debris out) it is an untouched beach so nothing bad. Took your advice over others. Now, I have seen this video, I want to make this and do another tank now. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, you are one of the main inspirations to my new hobby. It was so much fun to get the materials with my girl and putting it together. It’s going to be a sad day when I have to move due to being in the military. My plants are growing right before my eyes!! Fish are loving it!!

[MiserableLittleDoomGoblin]

I cannot express enough respect and appreciation for you sharing your knowledge and wisdom from your decades of experience. The idea of creating a natural tank with a soil-based substrate and sustainable food web has completely changed my perception on the care of fish. Thanks to you I am helping to teach my children responsible stewardship of the life in our aquariums.

[Ewaabb]

I don't know any other person who can make a boring subject into a Science fiction one 😅 Super informative and enjoyed watching and learning. Thank you FF ❤

[toniemojekonto]

I was planning to assemble it on my own and then you started packing it into the bag and, what a relief, I don't have to buy everything separate

thanks for what you're doing!!!
The perfect mud composition that I was able to create based on few videos from your channel :

50% peat moss
25% compost, pond muck, black kow,
25% soil
10% FF suplement
1 cup of each Buffers
Lime (dolomitic limestone), bonemeal, sodium bicarbonate, diatomaceous earth, Biochar, worm castings,
Baking Soda 2 table spoon, Epsom Salts 2 table spoons, Magnesium Sulphate 2 table spoons, ferrous sulfate 1/2cup,

1/2 cup, blood meal 1 cup, bone meal 3/4 cup, mycorrhiza 1/2 cup, natural fertilizer 1/2 cup (reach in phosphor)

1" soil, 2inch of gravel/sand

[mattbatcher]

I am impressed by the mix.  
On another note, I just set up a 10 gallon tank with Miracle Grow potting soil capped with play sand. The play sand specifically said that it was not for hardscapes aquariums or traction which I found strange.
So I put it in and filled it up with seasoned aquarium water and made a mess out of that but I got a little hang on the back filter and it cleared up in a couple days.
Anyway my point is that I have had no problem with the soil, I was a little worried about the soil and ammonia but I put in a lemon yellow Labidochromis caeruleus mother with a mouthful of babies and they are doing just fine.
Oh, and I went to the stream and got some leaves and water and ran my brine shrimp net around and put that in there too.

[Fred-maurice]

i used your recipe from the 3 years old video on this channel. my 3 beta are still alive today, my tank is a jungle, and i changed water once. its perfect. thx you.

[michaelgrey]

This man is amazing. He opened my eyes to how I am doing fish keeping all wrong.

[onlytanks]

Next weekend i will set up my first dirt tank, i've been collecting information and knowledge mainly from FF and i think im ready. Thank you FF 😀

[КсенияЛубянцева-эы]

I boght this substrate supliments through my friends from US. I can't wait until the treasured package arrives. Thanks Father Fish! In stores, everything is sold in so huge bags 😮. ❤❤❤❤

[seannunes]

This is great stuff. I enjoyed this video. This pack will definitely ensure long-term supplementation for the soil. Thank you FF.

[jamesjamesnet]

Video so true thanks Father Fish keep it coming.

[LogacysAquaticLove]

Wish this guy was on YouTube sooner, it’s gonna be a great loss when this gentleman isn’t on here anymore! ❤

[DashDrones]

Thanks for sharing the holy grail! Will add this to my next tank. Already excited! Happy Sunday from your friends in Ireland

[mrnasty]

Working on setting up a 90 gallon in my office using your method! Just waiting for a few items and warmer weather. Planning on stocking it with fire red cherry shrimp, otocinclus, and snails.

[jpepper]

Wow this is advanced!
If humans ever need to rebuild an natural area like a lake this may be helpful as well.

[Abadoo]

Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge!🙂

[marymendez]

Thank you so much for the educational subject, I love you too father fish.

[aisuryab]

Thank you for sharing it 🙏 This is amazing.

[Acrathor]

I really cant believe this video is here, I just ask about the sustrate and garden dirt.... Really thanks Father Fish, you are really the best 😊😊❤