What makes an easygoing aquarium?

I've been wondering whether there's any specific set of attributes that would make an aquarium easygoing?

We all are familiar with the excitement of setting up a new aquarium, but that isn't really what fishkeeping ends up being (for most of us, since there are definitely serial aquarium stockers). Mostly, fishkeeping is the years and years of enjoying an aquarium in the various forms it takes as it matures and settles into its long term shape. So, my question here, is, what makes an aquarium one that is nice to keep over the long term - and are there patterns in long-term aquarium keepers that is simply easier than others? Or, phrased differently, are there choices we can make, early on, to ensure we have long term success with our fish?

I would suggest that the most important thing in an "easygoing" aquarium is one that you deeply enjoy. If you love pruning and arranging stem plants, the work involved will feel quite different than to someone who loves growing plate sized discuss (and the twice-daily huge water changes that it takes), will feel quite different to someone who just wants to sit and watch with as little getting their hands wet as possible.

But beyond that, extremely individual factor, there are surely some 'rules' that simplify aquarium keeping?

1. As much water as you can manage, up to about 500 liters - small systems are just inherently more unstable and more at risk of sudden catastrophic collapse, while with very big systems of over 500 liters the maintenance starts taking proportionally much longer.

2. The best filtration you can buy. A quiet, reliable and sufficiently capable filter makes a very big difference to an aquarium. Having two gives you a backup. Sponge filters are incredibly underrated, as are sumps (yes even for small aquariums). Both of these are really easy to maintain (ok, some super compact sump designs can be a PITA, but generally sumps are very accessible). Cannisters give you a lot of filter without the space demands of a sump (I'm generally a fan, I LOVE the big-ass eheims), but if you want them to do mechanical filtration and you need to clean the sponges weekly, you've made a job for yourself.

3. Fish that suit your water. Tap water water changes is (in my opinion) easier than managing a planter box, nitrate removing chemicals, and special water preparation barrels. Long term, water changes are unavoidable, and if you don't have to carefully pre-treat that water, you have a much greater odds of sustained happiness with your aquarium.

4. Fewer (larger?) fish not kept in breeding pairs/groups/etc. Here I think some people may disagree. I find dealing with dead fish to be a serious detractor in my aquarium keeping - and small fish die more often than big fish (they also are kept in larger quantities, so just in absolute numbers multiply the number of potentially dead fish). I also find dealing responsibly with fry nearly impossible* - they are a huge amount of work. One oscar, in about 300 liters, is an easygoing joy (as would be a single convict in a 100 liters - add your favourite featherfin synodontis or bristenose, respectively, if you, like me, love catfish). One big water change a week and your wet puppy will be delighted with you for a good decade or more, in exactly the way that small community aquarium, where your rasporas are nipping your guppies, who are tragically inbred from the first three you bought two years ago, and the danios keep leaping to their death leaving you fish crispies about monthly is not. And yet we recommend the one to beginners and warn them sternly away from the other...

5. If at all possible, chuck in some plants. If you cannot keep them in the water, plant them in the filter. A small pot with garden soil capped with gravel is an incredible way to keep plants with digging fish, like oscars. Plants help stabilise water parameters, they give you a buffer if you miss water changes, using up excess nutrients, they help avoid algae issues, and they look nice - they can be really low effort.

6. Minimise dependence on technology or specialised kit. Ask yourself: "in how much trouble will my system be if X piece breaks". If your system is immediately inhospitable to fish with the loss of one piece of kit, can we still call it easygoing?







*I can raise, and have in the past raised, fry. However, the extra work, and selling them off, makes me miserable. I know, with absolute certainty, that almost all of those fish will live short, painful lives in crappy conditions. And I made them, or at least, facilitated their existence, so I'm responsible for that suffering. Yay. Major bummer.
That said, my current aquarium, that works very well for me, constantly has breeding fish - some days I swear I feed swordtails fish food so they can make baby swordtails to feed all the other fish. But, I have a stable "colony" of about six to eight adults and a flock of smaller ones, and that works just fine... and so too the rainbows will hopefully settle down into either a consistent pair (rehoming the rest) or a colony.

 

For me it is minimal maintenance, heavily planted aquarium with a school of 1 or 2 nano fish. Here is where the ease of crypts, anubais, java fern etc come into play. Plant and forget about them. They spread, the tank layouts gradually take shape, and the tank looks very pleasing to me. Since I love breeding and have a dedicated rack system for this, I am never short of nano fish (particularly celestial pearl danios) for my scape. Maybe add an effect fish like a pair of apistos or some other fish just to give the eye something else to focus on.

My setups really only get a WC once a month once a balance has been achieved.

 

Agree with you 100% @Nina_W

Great write up and I think you have covered most of the points
I'm a firm believer that filtration is a first
Secondly a peaceful and harmonious combination of fish

 

Nice write up...what works for me.. Understocked with a nice big sump, some snails, auto water top up and slow growing / low tech plants with lights on a timer don't over feed and skip a day of feeding every week... just sit back and enjoy.