User:Jaspergeli/Natural aquarium
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A natural aquarium is an aquarium which doesn't use an electricity, electrical equipment, artificial additives, etc. as much as possible, only uses natural elements to balance the ecosystem and where the plants, fishes, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic amphibians to balance each other's existence and needs. Electric equipment looks unnatural and artificial which is unpleasant to the eyes.
The goal is to set up an ecosystem where plants and fish balance each other's needs. The soil underlayer ensures that plants grow well enough to outcompete algae and recycle fish waste and toxins (e.g., ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc.). Without soil, plants don't grow well enough to do "their job". It's almost or can become truly self-sustaining when all are compatible. As the lifespan of your aquarium gets longer, then creating it gets harder.
As usual, you will be needing a tank or container, substrate, decorations, plants, fishes, aquatic invertebrates, aquatic amphibians, etc. You may not need water additives such as the water conditioner and beneficial bacteria. This method describes a way of setting up an aquarium that has an ecosystem where plants, fishes, and other aquatic creatures balance each other's existence and needs. As most aquariums are, a freshwater aquarium is the one we’re making this time.
We need to at least test the water so that we can know the water parameters if it's suitable for the organisms to live. You may need oxygen sensor, salinity meter, pH tester, water hardness or softness tester, and a tester or test kit. Though you can familiarize yourself by looking at the fishes' and other creatures' appearance, growth and behavior and plants' appearance and growth, water smell, water color, and the presence of algae.
This method mimics nutrient-cycling in nature. It uses plants to keep the animals healthy by recycling their wastes. In turn, animals and soil provide the nutrients that plants need. Aquatic plants play an important role in the aquarium, they reduce algae growth, absorb toxic wastes, and oxygenate the aquarium. Plants either reduce or remove the need for frequent water changes and substrate cleaning while keeping the animals healthy.
However, many common aquarium practices (frequent cleaning, gravel-only or sand-only substrates, vigorous aeration, etc) do not allow plants to grow well. Thus, many hobbyists have trouble growing plants. They do not understand the role of decomposition in providing nutrients and carbon dioxide (CO2) to plants, so they keep their aquariums too clean for plants. They do not understand the value of having soil in a tank, so they try to grow plants in pure gravel or sand. In essence, they do not understand the interaction in an ecosystem.