good question

[cocoa_pleco]

Ive heard some people follow this philosophy. I know a few people who NEVER vacuum there tanks, because they believe nature can handle itself and we shouldnt intervene. some people I know who have never vacuumed have bred fish and never had fish die.
Can never vacumming, just replacing evaporation work?

[jeffs99dime]

yeah, but an aquarium is a man-made thing. it could work with a lot of luck i suppose. why would you want to chance it though?

[cocoa_pleco]

less work, but i would never try it, unless its proven.

[Glasstapper]

well, I'm sure it's possible, but definitely not suggested.

[nikipate]

yeah, but an aquarium is a man-made thing. it could work with a lot of luck i suppose. why would you want to chance it though?

I think Jeff is right on the money on this one. Man messes up lots of things that nature takes care of on her own. I have horses and we have to have their feet trimmed, their teeth filed and things like that whereas horses in the wild don't have need of it because they live like nature intended them to live. So I think that if man messes with it then man needs to take care of it properly.:thumb:

[cocoa_pleco]

probably. Nature doesnt have 10 inches of fish in a 10g area.

[jeffs99dime]

exactly. also nature doesn't have to test the water or use any chemicals to make sure the ecosystem is safe for life

[Nautilus29]

One BIG thing is that water in nature is always moving around, the same water isnt always sitting in the same place, and thats how it helps clean itself.

[Incredulous_Ed]

If yu kept one small fish in an incredibley dense planted tank that is holding 10,000 gallons of water, I wouldn't even think of changing the water

[jeffs99dime]

there are so many variables as to why life can sustain so well in nature. for one, nature has had a few years practice. just the sheer volume of the rivers, lakes, oceans, etc, would allow for "mistakes" if you will. it's amazing how complex it all is. and then we have industry trying to destroy it. i still think that will never happen. nature will find a way to rid itself of the burden, as it always does. it will still be going strong long after mankind is gone. i'm going to stop rambling now lol

[Severus]

I wish you could have a setup like that. It would be cool to not worry about water changes but i think in your friends case, they are just very lucky

[Chrona]

It's perfectly possible. Remember those Biospheres or whatever they were called? 100% sealed 6 inch or so glass sphere with water, plants, substrate and some tiny fauna in perfect harmony. They were guaranteed to last for several years if I recall correctly. The problem is getting the right number of the right species of plants and fish. Definitely a cool project, but one that would take a TON of time...hehe.