NO maintenance, All Nature! Ecosystem tank build for Apistogramma! 

My Apistogramma black water ecosystem turned out even better than expected! Natural ecosystems: YES or NO?

I used to love those highly scaped tanks. I passed that stage. I enjoy these type of natural looking tanks better. Less maintenance , more enjoyment. But more importantly, this is how nature looks outside. Thanks for sharing this work. A bit YES from me.

it's absolutely beautiful, please keep us updated, even if you are doing a totally different video, just keep the updates coming. 😊

Yes! Gorgeous!

This is the perfect tank, in fact I have 3 tanks using this principle, one is a community tank, one is a shrimp tank, and an Endler aquarium, & like you, I waited quite a while before putting fish in, I wanted visible algae growing first. The first animated life I put in was snails, & I had detritus worms, & seed shrimp, & other bugs in the Aquarium I think from adding plants, so I had a live food source before I put fish in, However I clean the front glass, so I can spy on the activity. I find that water changes are necessary so to avoid mineral build up, so I pull a little top water out, & add fresh when evaporation occurs, & the fish & shrimp swim in the new water as I pour it in they love it.

For me it's a big yes, I really like dwarf cichlids, it could be interesting to set up in the future a strict biotope of those fishes

Beautyful tank, absolutely inspiring.

Great looking scape, really natural

Beautiful mate, I'm setting up something very similar for my orange flash at the moment, love it.

Definitely Yes

Looks amazing! Very cool atmosphere!

Definitely a small piece of mother nature 👍👍YES

I love it, I've always wanted to try apistos.

Love it, I use this principle with all my aquariums.

Hey Mat, How are you? I sure love your videos. I wish you had more time to do more! I now have 5 Propagation Tanks and I'm experimenting with both Dry Start and Lazy Dry Start Protocals. Plants are FUN! I didn't know how much of a hobby that the propagation of plants now has! I'm getting more and more involved! I was wondering if you have used hydroponics to accomplish the multiplication of the tissue cultures. Or have you dabbled into tissue cultures creation? Please let me know. Thanks so much!! Vern

Very nice!

It's a cool tank

I like this

Yes Please

Would the nympahe leaves affect the growth of the anubias since the light would be partially, potentially fully even, blocked?

can you let me know what kind of sand you are using, your tanks look amazing. thank you.

What kind of filter company and what kind of light do you use here?

I cannot see how this environment, which looks pretty, can actually sustain itself toward any real longevity. The plant life is minimal and you don't actually have an active substrate, albeit, the fish quantity is quite small but i'm afraid it wouldn't be an active eco system and very unlikely it will sustain fish's very long. I would empty it , then make my own substrata and cap it off with sand and put everything back in again. The active substrate will break down waste and provide a lasting foundation for all plants to survive. However, the cycling in my 40 gal natural biotope took nearly 7 wks and i almost gave up on it but glad i didnt. My substrate consists of top soil- organic compost - bloodbone- seaweed pellet - and i mash kale from time to time and fix it to the substrate. Its thriving with endlers , guppys, coffee bean tetras, bloodfin tetras, congo tetras, denison barbs, dwarf rainbows and celestial pearls. The substrate keeps everything in good shape. 1 water change a month, never had a disease and i never do water checks, my plants let me know how the life is doing in my tank. I even have endler fry whizzing about peacefully.

What’s the dimensions of this tank may I know?

You don't use any good bacteria?

taking into account that Apistos live in "small shallow streams or lagoon-like waters", then no, you are not recreating their real habitat by any milimeter. You can only recreate habitats for species living in stagnant water bodies like killies or bettas. Do not fool yourself. Nice tank btw.