PART 39: DESTINED TO FAIL?

<< Previous | http://www.fishforums.com | Question (Concern) | 04-17-2012, 06:34 PM:

Erm… Ioha, I think you were way off base. He's simply trying to do a more natural aquarium, and sharing his ideas.

Again his ideas are nothing new and routinely brought up as a new way to do less work on the tank. Someone nailed it pretty good… a lot of work to avoid working.

E for effort there to the original poster but your methods have been tried numerous times, it always fails in the end.

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Explanation) | 04-17-2012, 08:34 PM:

Hi,

I really appreciate your critical feedback. Honestly, I am yet to hear about a method built and designed around Green Algae. I know of Planted Tanks and Dirt Tanks, though. Please do let me know if there is any other method you know of that is designed around Green Algae.

I promise, I shall publish it in this forum if this method fails! 

Here is my goal: This DPM Type Natural Fishbowl continues to stay in a good state and the fishes in it stay healthy over a span of at least two years.

That may not be too ambitious. But, it’s interesting. Thank you. You have a good day.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes

Additional Notes form the Author: Honestly, it is not really about who is saying it and who is trying to do it. It is really more about what is said and what is done, as far as the DPM Natural Method is concerned. It is more about the philosophy and the intention. I find it hard to believe that DPM Natural Method has been tried numerous times! I would really appreciate if someone could guide me to any documentation available in the public domain that suggests that this method has been indeed tried numerous times! A quick link to a webpage or something would be just great. This method has not failed yet, at my end. May be, it is too early to draw a conclusion. However, that makes me still more curious to know if this method has ever been really tried (and failed), earlier ;-). Next >>  << Previous

PART 38: IS THIS JUST GREAT IN THEORY?

<< Previous | http://www.fishforums.com | Question (Concern) | 04-17-2012, 04:05 PM:

I have experienced with platies (and some other livebearers as well, but I see it the worst with platies) that they seem to give off some sort of growth-inhibiting substance that will build up in the water if there are not enough water changes being done. We got lazy with our tanks for a while and we started noticing that our baby platies had not changed size in months. They seemed healthy enough and even sexually mature, but stuck at half (or less) the size of an average adult. 

That's probably why your platies tend not to grow very big. The idea of a self-sustainable aquarium is great in theory, but the fact is that the smaller a tank is, the harder it is to "maintain without maintenance", if you will. We hardly ever have to do water changes/gravel vacuuming in our 40 gallon (in relation to actual water quality) because its bigger size, live plants, and large number of bottom-feeding fish keep the tank cleaner than your average aquarium. We do have to prune down the plants quite often, though - especially the darn duckweed. ;-)

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Explanation) | 04-17-2012, 08:18 PM:

I am completely in agreement with all the points you have mentioned here. In fact, I have mentioned about the growth-inhibiting substance here (the very last paragraph). 

The important focus of this method is "how to make smaller aquariums self-sustainable (to a great extent), in practice". I really appreciate your valuable feedback. You have a good day.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes

Additional Notes form the Author: It is absolutely possible to compose an aquarium that is self-sustainable to a great extent, even if the size of the Fishbowl | Fish Tank in question is not really big! I have successfully converted a 15-Liter Fishbowl into a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl and been enjoying the benefits of the transformation. I never realized that maintaining an aquarium could be this easy before I moved to this natural method! I have given it a try and life is good. Next >>  << Previous

PART 37: THE READER’S DIGEST VERSION!

<< Previous | http://www.fishforums.com | Question (Concern) | 04-17-2012, 03:07 PM:

Is it possible to make an abridged version? It's REALLY long! Sounds like it might work. At least the part I read...

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Explanation) | 04-17-2012, 07:55 PM:

Thank you so much for your encouraging words. 

Here is the abridged version:

1. There are five basic elements to the DPM Natural Method - Sunlight, Stones, Glass, Green Algae and Water.

2. Exposure to sunlight triggers algae growth. The inhabitants eat nutrition-rich Green Algae. That is supplemented with other high quality natural fish-food.

3. Algae and fish-west help growth and sustenance of colonies of helpful bacteria. That helps in maintaining the water quality.

4. Photosynthesis by Green Algae keeps the oxygen-level reasonably high.

5. No mechanical | motorized | plastic parts are used in this method.

6. Very infrequent partial water changes are made.

NOTE: Green Algae are the heart and soul of this method. This method is, in a way, designed around Green Algae (That an aquarist usually likes to stay away from!).

Please do let me know if you have a question or if this abridged version is too compact for the purpose ;-). You have a good day.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes

http://www.fishforums.com | Question (Concern) | 04-17-2012, 03:07 PM:

Yeah, I'd love the reader's digest version without the infomercial type self-promotion...

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Explanation) | 04-17-2012, 03:10 PM:

I am really sorry about the painfully long mechanical description (of this method). That is the crude theorized form of this method. Could not escape that! I really appreciate your interest. Neither am I selling any product nor, am I trying to sell any service. So, there is no intention on my part to create infomercial type self-promotion. I am trying to spread awareness, lest this method should help someone or some fish ;-).

Here is the abridged version:

1. There are five basic elements to the DPM Natural Method - Sunlight, Stones, Glass, Green Algae and Water.

2. Exposure to sunlight triggers algae growth. The inhabitants eat nutrition-rich Green Algae. That is supplemented with other high quality natural fish-food.

3. Algae and fish-west help growth and sustenance of colonies of helpful bacteria. That helps in maintaining the water quality.

4. Photosynthesis by Green Algae keeps the oxygen-level reasonably high.

5. No mechanical | motorized | plastic parts are used in this method.

6. Very infrequent partial water changes are made.

NOTE: Green Algae are the heart and soul of this method. This method is, in a way, designed around Green Algae (That an aquarist usually likes to stay away from!).

Please do let me know if you have a question or if this abridged version is too compact for the purpose. You have a good day.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes Next >>  << Previous

PART 36: DOES THIS REALLY LOOK UGLY?

<< Previous | http://www.fishforums.com | Question (Concern) | 04-17-2012, 10:21 AM:

This is starting to get interesting. You should add some pics because the image I have of this right now is a neglected fish bowl. We all have those buddies where you go to their house and see the goldfish bowl that they forgot about and is offensive to look at. Obviously there is more to what you are doing but it sounds like a fancy way of saying you dont maintain your tanks. (just my interpretation)

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Explanation) | 04-17-2012, 07:36 PM:

I really liked the way you put it across ;-). Well, I do not have pictures of it. But, there are vivid videos. I would love to hear back from you. You have a good day.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes

http://www.fishforums.com | Expert Opinion | 04-17-2012, 07:41 PM:

Honestly that is not what I expected. I like the look of the tank. Excellent rock work by the way. As I have said before this is very interesting to me. I am curious to see how this turns out. I always enjoy a good experiment, heck all of my tanks are experiments. 

Swap out that light with something a bit more designer! Heck a single bulb led would meet your minimalist style.

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Response) | 04-17-2012, 08:47 PM:

……., you made my day! I am glad to hear that you liked the look of the tank. I really appreciate your curiosity. I shall keep you posted on how this turns out. And, that's a good suggestion about the light bulb. Someday, I shall share with you the story behind my current light-fixture. Thank you so much.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes Next >>  << Previous

PART 35: IS THIS METHOD FLAWED?

<< Previous | http://www.fishforums.com | Question (Concern) | 04-17-2012, 10:20 AM:

There are a few obvious flaws, but this is an interesting idea that could use a little work. The biggest problem I see is that if you want to do something sustainable, you need a large amount of space. The reason lakes are sustainable is that there is enough space to provide enough food so that once one source is depleted, the fish can move on to another and allow the first to replenish. I don't think your platies are necessarily eating the algae but the little creatures that like to live in it. There are pros and cons to this idea, keep working on it. One more thing you should consider: your platies might still be depending largely on the feedings you give them every four days. Fish can go a long time between feedings. The stunting could be because of lack of nutrition and space, not "Dwarf Platies".

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Explanation) | 04-17-2012, 07:27 PM:

You have an interesting point. Yes. As I have stated here (the 5th Paragraph), the bigger the environment | habitat, the better. The amount of Green Algae that grow in my DPM Type Natural Fishbowl is way more than my Platies will ever be able to consume. They keep feeding on it. And, it keeps on growing. The supply, in this case, has always been much bigger than the demand, by design. Every day, out of habit, I watch my Aquarium (Fishbowl) over a span of around 3 hours at the least! I have placed it on my work desk at home. I enjoy it. I see Platies actually feeding on Green Algae. So, I believe that.

I may be wrong. They may actually be eating the little creatures that like to live in colonies of Green Algae. I have never tried taking a real close look using a magnifying glass or microscope. To my naked eyes, it looks like they are feeding on Green Algae. Well, I have a few videos. You take a look and opine. Of course, there are pros and cons to any method. 

I personally do not believe that there exists a species called Dwarf Platies. I believe, their size is a function of the size (and type) of their habitat | environment. The type influences and includes what they get to feed on. Their smaller size, at least, is largely attributed to their small environment and the mechanism that platies deploy to align their size and population with their environment. I have mentioned about this aspect here (the last paragraph). On the food front, I really believe, they are doing fine. They just keep eating, every day, day in and day out. I do not think they would keep picking on something unless that really feeds them. Just my guess!

Thanks for the interesting observations and feedback. I really appreciate. You have a wonderful day ahead.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes
Additional Note from the Author: The fishes in question produce a lot of green and black feces | poop every day! If they are not eating enough, how come they do poop so much every day? ;-) Next >>  << Previous

PART 34: IS THIS METHOD REALLY NATURAL?

<< Previous | http://www.fishforums.com | New Discussion Thread | 04-16-2012, 07:51 PM:

Title: The new All-Natural Lowest-Maintenance Method!

It was about deriving a method of Freshwater Fish-Keeping that would make my life and that of my fishes better. I wanted it to be:

1. Self-sustained to a great extent

2. As natural as possible

3. LOWEST-Maintenance

4. Absolutely Low-Tech

5. Energy Efficient

6. Silent and extremely simple 

7. Truly healthy and comfortable for my fishes

As far as my academic education is concerned, I am not literally a Fish-Expert. I believed that I would be able to derive and develop a new All-Natural method through cycles of 'experimentation and analysis'. I got started and eventually, theorized this natural fish-keeping method!

After I deployed this method and it really worked, I was happy. My fishes were happy! And, happy was my wife ;-). She found it so cool that I would not have to spend a lot of time any more maintaining my aquarium! Well... that was a bonus!

Please do let me know if you have a question on this method. You have a wonderful day ahead. Take care.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes

http://www.fishforums.com | Question (Concern) | 04-16-2012, 11:19 PM:

I have one HUGE issue with this method for your fish. 

You are NOT providing a natural environment for them (platies) if they do not have at least some current and a source of protein-rich food. You say that they get plenty of sustenance by picking at algae, but that is just not true. Platies are naturally omnivorous like most fish - yes, even "algae eaters" are omnivorous. Of course they are eating the algae, because that's all that is available. 

How long do they live? What do they look like when and if they die? Fish need a varied diet to truly live to their potential and I don't see that being provided with your methods.

http://www.fishforums.com | Answer (Explanation) | 04-17-2012, 09:44 AM:

Thank you so much for putting across those interesting points, ........ . That gives me an opportunity to elaborate further the details of the method is question.

1. The DPM Natural Method is not about Platies, alone. It is a highly customizable scalable generic method. It is more about creating a near-natural environment that resembles the environment of a freshwater lake | pond. That being the theme, by design, no attempt has been made to incorporate a mechanism to create any current | artificial flow.

2. Creating artificial current would require a motorized mechanism (Power Head). The philosophy of this method is about getting rid of external dependencies as far as possible. It is about sustainability. In this method, you do not worry about power outage, broken motorized equipment and many more! That makes life easy and keeps it simple.

3. You are absolutely correct. Even though Green Algae are full of very rich nutrition, Platies really require other kinds of food as well (They are omnivorous). For the sake of variety and balanced nutrition, I feed my Platies once in every four days. I use a high quality natural fish-food. My Platies love that food so much. And, a 3-day interval is sure to intensify that love ;-).

4. These platies were born on the 18th and 19th of August in 2011. They are doing fine and appear healthy. My platies are very active. One of my female Platies became pregnant (by my Red male Platy) and gave birth to a few fry inside the DPM Type Natural Fishbowl. Two of those fry have survived and are doing fine (on 20-Apr-2012). These platies are smaller than the regular Platies. Some people say that these are Dwarf Platies! I believe, their size is a function of the size (and type) of their habitat | environment.

5. Many of the baby-platies from that brood (18th and 19th of August in 2011) died during the first few weeks of their birth. Those were basically the weaker ones and the ones with birth-defects. The ones that did not die are still alive and are healthy. They have grown reasonably well. But, they are smaller than the regular Platies. The good news is none of the grown-up Platies have died and I am going to celebrate their birthday in August. I believe, these platies are going to live to their true potential.

I really appreciate that you wanted to put your concern and observations across. Thank you so much for your time and interest. You gave me an opportunity to clarify the above points for all of us. You have a wonderful day ahead.

Regards,

AquariumsFishes
Additional Notes from the Author: 
(1)There is one more reason why no current is generated | produced in this method. DPM Natural Method does not use any kind of artificial filter mechanism. In the absence of a filter, any degree of current would make the Mulm | Detritus | Fish Waste fly in the water and make the water really cloudy, negatively impacting the comfort of the inhabitants and destroying the elegant look of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium!
(2)The DPM Natural Method really helps when an aquarist goes on vacation and there is no one available back at home to feed the fishes and change the water. Since the fishes are accustomed (since their very childhood) to living on Green Algae and other bio-organisms that generally grow in such an ecosystem, they just do fine during that vacation without substantial damage to their health. Exposure to indirect sunlight | filtered sunlight is maintained throughout the vacation period, Green Algae keep growing and the fishes keep consuming that. The water quality remains stable. This is not a possibility in case of Automatic Feeders and Feeder Blocks | Weekend Feeders! Next >>  << Previous

PART 30: A LITTLE MORE ON MAINTENANCE!

<< Previous Q U E S T I O N: What to do when ALGAE GROWTH goes beyond the required level?

A N S W E R: Described below is how to address this problem.

In case of excessive algae growth, which is not good for the fishes, the water of your DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium turns green and you can hardly see the fishes. To address the problem, take the following three steps:

STEP 1. Clean walls on the inside of the Fishbowl | Fish Tank

STEP 2. Change 50% of water

STEP 3. Drastically reduce Fishbowl's | Fish Tank's exposure to light.

If the problem persists, repeat STEP 2 once in every 3 days until the problem is gone.

Q U E S T I O N: How about lighting?

A N S W E R: Here is the information about this aspect stated below:

You may use a low wattage (5 to 15 watts) electric light-bulb to see your fish or show your fish. If the Fishbowl | Fish Tank is exposed to many hours (more than 8 hours) of indirect sunlight, the electric light-bulb really becomes optional. It is ideal to offer 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light to your fishes to make the case resemble that of nature. When the electric light-bulb is switched on, it increases the temperature of the air surrounding it. The hot air goes up and cooler fresh air comes in to fill the vacuum. That's how the electric light-bulb triggers air-circulation. This process also helps, increasing the level of oxygen in the Fishbowl | Aquarium.

PLEASE do ask a question if you have one on DPM Natural Method | DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | DPM Type Natural Aquarium. Thank you for your time and interest. I wish you all the very best. Happy Fish Keeping! Here is something interesting next. NEXT >>  << Previous

PART 30: A LITTLE MORE ON MAINTENANCE! by Debi Prasad Mahapatra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

PART 29: WHY ALGAE?

<< Previous Q U E S T I O N: WHY ALGAE ARE SO IMPORTANT AND SPECIAL?

A N S W E R: The following aspects make Algae so special:

Algae saved our planet by transforming our atmosphere to oxygen, allowing life to exist. Algae saved us again by providing the Earth's first food. Early Earth supported neither living creatures nor food. About 3.7 billion years ago, no life existed because the Earth's surface was too hot and there was no oxygen. The Earth's atmosphere was composed of a blanket of deadly and heat trapping CO2 and methane gas. As per Fossil records, a tiny plant emerged in the primordial soup and did an extraordinary thing. The plant absorbed the sun's energy and used a chemical reaction, photosynthesis, to split a CO2 and a water molecule.

The tiny plant converted the carbon atom into a high-energy green plant bond, a hydrocarbon, by taking two hydrogen atoms from H2O and released the oxygen molecule to the atmosphere. Algae had begun its work to change the atmosphere.

Algae are good indicators of the atrophic status of a water body, that is, the degree of pollution and nutrients in that water. A lake dominated by green algae has relatively "clean" oligotrophic water. Green Algae do not produce substances that are toxic to animals. Green algae are a very normal and naturally positive component of the aquatic arena that benefits overall water quality and aquatic life.

Algae systematically collected solar energy, sequestered carbon atoms and released oxygen. Moving at the incredibly slow rate of one tiny molecule at a time, algae transformed the harsh carbon dioxide atmosphere that could not sustain life to an oxygen atmosphere that supported life. Algae took another 3 billion years to create sufficient oxygen to support other forms of life because land plants evolved from algae only about 500 million years ago.

Algae's atmospheric transformation enabled the development of other water plants, fish, insects, land plants, amphibians, reptiles and eventually land animals. Even though microalgae are the tiniest plants on our planet, each day algae create 70% of the atmospheric oxygen, more than all the forest and fields combined!

Many of the earliest plants and water creatures depended on algae as a food source. Algae serve as nutritious food for everything from the tiniest phytoplankton to the largest mammal on earth, the great blue whale, because the plant offers an excellent set of proteins, minerals and vitamins. Every day, while algae captures CO2 and releases pure oxygen, the green biomass supplies food for 100 times more organisms than any other food source on Earth.

Algae use plentiful and often surplus inputs, including sunshine, CO2, Fish Waste and water. Algae photosynthesis strips CO2 and nutrients from the surrounding water and produces plant biomass made up of various forms of lipids (oils), protein and carbohydrates. The process releases considerable pure oxygen to the atmosphere.

Now, it must be clear how the water in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium is adequately oxygenated even without the use of Air Stones and Air Pumps. Let’s talk a little more on Maintenance and Lighting in case of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium next. NEXT >>  << Previous

PART 29: WHY ALGAE? by Debi Prasad Mahapatra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

PART 28: MAINTENANCE!

<< Previous Q U E S T I O N: How about maintenance of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium?

A N S W E R: Important aspects of DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium maintenance are noted below.

ALGAE ON THE WALLS: 

Maintaining a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium is pretty simple. You may consider scrubbing (wiping) the Green Algae that grows on the inside of the walls, once in 10 days. You may use a piece of cloth, appropriate for use inside an aquarium, to clean (wipe) the algae off the walls. It should not take you more than 15 minutes in case of a Fish Tank and 5 minutes in case of a Fishbowl. Do NOT touch the substrate and the algae on the substrate. While cleaning the walls inside, you are not required to clean anything else. Do not worry about the look of the water just after the algae-cleaning is done. The dust settles down really fast (usually, within a day). However, you may choose to clean 40% of the surface gravel, without disturbing the remaining 60% of the surface-substrate, to enhance the appearance of your DPM Type Fishbowl | Aquarium.

You may clean the algae off the walls more or less frequently based on how quickly the algae comes back on the inside of your walls. You may control the exposure to sunlight to control algae growth. You may reduce the length of light-exposure to reduce or slowdown algae growth. The platies, discussed in one of the previous section in the context of the DPM Type Fishbowl, love to eat algae. Other type of food is given to them only once in every 4 days, for the sake of variety and nutrition. So, certain amount of algae is always maintained on the surface of the substrate and the glass vase. The fishes feast on Green Algae as and when they want.

CHANGING WATER:

You may use an appropriate and clean pipe | hose | siphon (Common Names: Clear Flexible PVC Hose, Clear PVC Pipe, Transparent PVC Soft Tube, Clear Flexible PVC Tubing, Transparent Flexible PVC Tubing) to change water. While you use the pipe, you may keep the receiving end closer to the substrate. So that, the fish-waste locked within and under the substrate gets sucked into the pipe and goes out of the Fishbowl | Fish Tank. Do not worry about the rest of the fish-waste. That is going to be useful for the algae and the colonies of helpful bacteria. While changing water, take care not to suck in Fishes, Fish Babies and Fish Eggs. Collect the water in a clean bucket. In case something that should not have gone out of the Fishbowl | Aquarium is found in the bucket, you have an option to put that back into the place it came from!

DPM Natural Method is all about comfort and convenience. Just a 30% water change once in every TWO WEEKS is sufficient, in case of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl (Recommended Capacity - 15 Liters). Just a 30% water change once in every TWO MONTHS, in case of a DPM Type Natural Aquarium (Recommended Capacity - 60 Liters or more), is sufficient. Add water, periodically, to your DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium to compensate for the amount of water lost due to evaporation. Take care to add water in such a way that the flow | current of the incoming water does not disturb the fish-waste sitting locked underneath the substrate. If you could do that, you do not have to wait for the “dust to settle down”!

CLEANING THE FISHBOWL | AQUARIUM:

It is really easy to clean a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium. The procedure to clean a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium is known as "STIR-CLEANING". There is no need to take the fishes out of the Fishbowl I Aquarium. There is no need to take the substrate or anything else out of the DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium for cleaning. Just clean the algae on the walls, as described under "ALGAE ON THE WALLS", stated above. Then, gently stir the water well for a minute using your hand.

The flow so generated, by stirring the water, releases the fish-waste locked within and under the layers of substrate. Then, with a  clean pipe | hose | siphon, drain 60% of the water. Theoretically, close to 50% of the total Fish-waste volume goes out of the Fishbowl, with the outgoing water. The remaining 50% volume of waste remains to play its role in supporting the growth of helpful bacteria-colonies and helping growth of algae. The helpful bacteria-colony plays a wonderful role in maintaining the water-parameters. And, that is why exactly, one would never find the water in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium smelling foul. Is not that so good a deal?

Once in 15 days, you may gently wipe the outside of the Fishbowl | Aquarium with a piece of wet cloth to remove the dust and dirt, if any, accumulated on the outer surface of the Fishbowl | Aquarium. Do NOT use the very piece of cloth that you use to clean the INSIDE of the Aquarium | Fishbowl wall (s). Instead, use ANOTHER piece of cloth to clean the OUTSIDE of the Aquarium | Fishbowl wall (s). "STIR-CLEANING" performed once in TWO MONTHS is enough to maintain a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl (Recommended Capacity - 15 Liters) in a good state and " STIR-CLEANING" performed once in EIGHT MONTHS is enough to maintain a DPM Type Natural Aquarium (Recommended Capacity - 60 Liters or more) in a good state. Does that sound good enough?

As you understand here, algae play a very important role in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium. What is so special about Algae and why algae have been chosen to play a role in the DPM Natural Method? Let's discuss about what is so special about algae next. NEXT >>  << Previous

PART 28: MAINTENANCE! by Debi Prasad Mahapatra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

PART 27: THE DESIGN!

<< Previous SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS (DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium) DESIGN | ARRANGEMENT | ARCHITECTURE:

I. Fish waste falls into and remains locked in the bottom-most layer of the substrate in the Fishbowl | Aquarium.

II. There are hundreds of narrow tunnels and thousands of tiny caves for the fishes to hide inside. And, that is a very important factor.

III. Fish eggs fall into and remain secured in the layers of substrate.

IV. Fish Babies | Fry can hide and protect themselves. The layer of smaller Glass Marbles is specifically useful for this purpose.

V. The section of substrate, which is never touched and disturbed, serves the purpose of providing a surface for the beneficial bacteria to build colonies.

VI. The glass vase works as the deepest area of the Fishbowl | Aquarium. Any fish that wants to enjoy the pressure of depth visits the glass vase. More importantly, the glass vase works as the dining area of the Fishbowl | Aquarium. Appropriate food is directly dropped into the glass vase and fishes visit the glass vase to enjoy their food. It offers two advantages. No food portion falls into the substrate and get locked in there. That helps maintaining the quality of the water. No food goes waste and the fishes get an opportunity to enjoy every portion of the food given to them. Any good quality Sinking Pellet Fish Food is ideal for this purpose. Food may be directly dropped or a Blunt-nosed thumb splinter forceps may be used to place the food precisely in the glass vase.

Steps, pertaining to setting up a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium, are continued here:
Step 9. Add water to the arrangement without disturbing anything. Fill the Fishbowl | Fish Tank just enough to leave the top 10% of the container for air to occupy.

Step 10. Do whatever is required to get done with the light-bulb and its connection.

Step 11. Expose the Fishbowl | Aquarium to indirect sunlight for as long as a span possible every day. Expose the Fishbowl | Aquarium, if possible, to 'direct' sunlight for 15 minutes every day. It ideally should, still, not alter the temperature of the water to a large extent. After the direct exposure to sunlight, if you touch the outer surface of the Fishbowl | Aquarium, it should feel colder than the atmosphere around you. Continue with this routine for the next 7 days.

Step 12. Get two small female healthy platies and introduce them to the Fishbowl | Fish Tank. Feed them once in a day. Continue with the sunlight-exposure routine over the next 15 days.

Step 13. If everything goes fine and the platies do well, introduce two more small healthy platies - one male and one female. You may consider, if you want to play it really safe, keeping the two new platies in isolation to ensure that they are not sick before introducing them to your Fishbowl | Fish Tank in question. Continue with the sunlight-exposure routine over the next 15 days.

Step 14. By now, you should ideally see some Green Algae in your Fishbowl | Aquarium. If that is the case, that is good and you are on the right track. Many kinds of fishes, as well as platies, like to enjoy Green Algae as their food. It has been more than 5 weeks and you have 4 platies doing fine in your Fishbowl | Fish Tank. Now, if it is a Fishbowl, with a gross capacity of 15 Litres or more, you may or may not consider adding another small young and healthy female platy. 5 are good and 4 are better, if you want to make a choice.

If it is a Fish Tank, you may consider adding a few more platies or other compatible fishes. There should be 3 females for each male platy. Ideally, you may decide on the final count based on the volume of water in your Aquarium. Each fish is going to require around 4 litres of water. So, if it is a 40-litre fish tank, you may have 10 fishes in total. Slightly modify your sunlight-exposure routine to limit direct exposure to sunlight to just 3 minutes. Keep feeding your fish once every day during the process of establishing a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium!

Now, you are all set with your DPM Type Natural Fishbowl I Aquarium. Let's talk abou the maintenance aspects of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium next. NEXT >>  << Previous

PART 27: THE DESIGN! by Debi Prasad Mahapatra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

PART 26: SETTING UP A DPM TYPE NATURAL FISHBOWL | AQUARIUM!

<< Previous HOW TO SET A DPM TYPE NATURAL FISHBOWL | AQUARIUM UP?

Q U E S T I O N: What do you need?

A N S W E R: To set up a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium, you need the following:

1. A Fishbowl or Fish Tank

2. Enough regular-sized (½ inch or 1.25 cm) Glass Marbles to cover the floor area of the Fishbowl or Fish Tank. The marbles-substrate must at least be 1.5 Inches deep.

3. Enough natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 1 Inch) of your choice to cover the floor area of the Fishbowl or Fish Tank. The gravel-substrate must be at least 1.5 Inches deep. Natural white aquarium-gravel has been used in the DPM Type Natural Fishbowl mentioned in one of the previous sections.

4. Enough smaller Glass Marbles to cover 15% of the floor area of the Fishbowl or Fish Tank. The marbles-substrate must, at least, be 1.5 Inches deep.

5. A smooth-edged clear glass cylinder vase. Minimum Size Specification: 3 Inches Diameter and 4 Inches Height, in case of a Fishbowl and 4 Inches Diameter and 5 Inches Height, in case of a Fish tank.

6. A suitable cover that allows enough ventilation. The cover must also have a provision to attach | accommodate an electric light-bulb.

7. An energy-efficient light bulb or a low-watt (8 to 15 Watt) incandescent light bulb.

8. A power cord with a plug to get power to the light bulb from the wall socket.

9. Appropriate volume of water. The water must not contain any trace of chlorine, chloramine, any chemical, detergent, soap and oil.

10. Enough large natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 2 Inches) of your choice to cover 25% of the floor area of the Fishbowl or Fish Tank. The large gravel-substrate must at least be 2 Inches deep. Natural large gravel of different shapes and colors has been used in the DPM Type Natural Fishbowl mentioned in one of the previous sections.

Q U E S T I O N: What is the procedure to set it up?

A N S W E R: Following are the steps of the procedure.

Step 1. Select an appropriate location for the Fishbowl | Aquarium. It should be placed on something stable and sturdy. The location must get direct and indirect sunlight for some span of time every day. It should be possible to control the amount of direct | indirect sunlight that the Fishbowl | Aquarium gets exposed to. Keeping the Fish Tank close to a window with a curtain suffices. Exposure to Filtered sunlight (sunlight passing through one or more layer of glass on a window or door) is better than extended exposure to direct sunlight. Ensure that, the temperature of the water in your Aquarium | Fishbowl does not increase substantially because of the exposure to the sunlight. If the temperature increases, control the degree and type of exposure. Ideally, the Fishbowl | Aquarium should be placed at least 12 inches away from the glass on the window or door in question.

Step 2.Thoroughly clean the Fishbowl | Aquarium, Gravel, Marbles and the Glass Vase. Make sure that there are no residue of chlorine, chloramine, any chemical, detergent, soap and oil on the above mentioned stuff. Let those items dry out.

Step 3. Position the Fishbowl | Aquarium at its designated location. Place the glass vase, a little away from the center of the Fishbowl's | Aquarium's floor, in an upright position in the Fishbowl | Aquarium.

Step 4. Place (evenly spread) the regular-sized (½ inch or 1.25 cm) Glass Marbles on the floor of the Fishbowl | Fish Tank. Do not place any marble inside the glass vase.

Step 5. Place (evenly spread) natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 1 Inch) on top of the layer of regular-sized (½ inch or 1.25 cm) Glass Marbles. Do not place any gravel inside the glass vase.

Step 6. On top of the natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 1 Inch) layer, place a few pieces of the large natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 2 Inches) touching each other to create a firm boundary enclosing 15% of the floor (surface) area. The boundary should be ideally 2-inches high. Do not place any gravel inside the glass vase.

Step 7. Fill the inside of that large-gravel boundary with the smaller Glass Marbles. Do not let the smaller Glass Marbles spill over.

Step 8. Place (create) a layer of large natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 2 Inches) exactly on top of the layer of smaller Glass Marbles. Do not place any marble inside the glass vase. Do not place any large natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 2 Inches) on top of the natural smooth-edged aquarium gravel (Size: 1 Inch).

Ensure that none of the layers mentioned above are shaky. The layers should be carefully created to achieve this goal. And, it is, very much an achievable goal. Let's talk about the SIGNIFICANCE of This Design | Arrangement | Architecture and the rest of the Set-up Steps next. NEXT >>  << Previous

PART 26: SETTING UP A DPM TYPE NATURAL FISHBOWL | AQUARIUM! by Debi Prasad Mahapatra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

PART 25: IS THERE A BETTER DEAL THAN THIS?

<< Previous DPM Natural Method is absolutely a scalable and versatile method. It works as effectively in a 100 Gallon Fish Tank as it does in an One-Gallon Fishbowl | Mini Aquarium | Nano Aquarium | Nano Tank | Mini Fish Tank | Micro Aquarium | Desktop Aquarium! Following are a few of the obvious ADVANTAGES of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium:

1. You do not have to take care of plants as there are no plants, by design, 

2. As there are no plants, no fertilizers are required.

3. No CO2 injection is required.

4. No filter is required in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium.

5. No heater is required.

6. No air-stone and power-head are required, by design.

7. Low-power lighting is required, supplemented by sunlight.

8. Complete water change and full aquarium cleaning is NEVER required!

9. Just a 30% water change once in every two weeks in case of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl (Recommended Capacity - 15 Litres) is required. In most of the cases, however, just a 30% water change once in every FOUR WEEKS, in case of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl (Recommended Capacity - 15 Litres), is more than enough.

10. Just a 30% water change once in every TWO MONTHS in case of a DPM Type Natural Aquarium (Recommended Capacity - 60 Litres or more) is required. In most of the cases, however, just a 30% water change once in every FOUR MONTHS, in case of a DPM Type Natural Aquarium (Recommended Capacity - 60 Litres or more), is more than enough.

11. In case of algae-eating small inhabitants, feeding can be skipped for up to THREE WEEKS in a row! This has been established through an experimentation involving 12 tiny Platies mentioned in the previous section. When I write this sentence, they are alive, healthy and happy, as always. A DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium takes care of itself and its inhabitants when you go on a vacation! (This is TRUE only in case of algae-eating small inhabitants). For the sake of variety and balanced nutrition, I feed my little Platies once in every FOUR days. They keep eating Green Algae whenever they like and enjoy the high quality natural fish-food that I give them once in every four days. It is never a good idea to skip feeding your fish altogether over an extended span of time. The experiment mentioned above was done specifically in the context of a typical vacation (No one at home to feed the fishes). NOTE: When you have Fish Babies | Fish Fry in your DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium, do change 30% of water at least once in a week to support appropriate growth of Fish Babies | Fish Fry. Do feed them at least once with any suitable Fry-Food | Fish Baby Food! That will supplement the diet (Green Algae and other Natural Organisms) they get by default in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium. This will result in a more balanced nutrition available to the Fish Babies | Fish Fry.

12. DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium can be "STIR-CLEANED" without even touching the substrate and disturbing anything that is part of the setup.

13. Stir-cleaning, coupled with a 60% water change, once in TWO MONTHS is enough to maintain a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl in a good state (Recommended Capacity - 15 Litres).

14. Stir-cleaning, coupled with a 60% water change, once in EIGHT MONTHS is enough to maintain a DPM Type Natural Aquarium in a good state (Recommended Capacity - 60 Litres or more).

15. Green algae, in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium, releases oxygen as part of their metabolism (photosynthesis) and that oxygenates the water, helping the inhabitants of the Fishbowl | aquarium.

16. No need to buy | maintain | repair | replace the following ever: Filter, Air Stone, Power Head, Air Pump and Heater. A DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium does just fine at the room temperature. It is energy-efficient and absolutely silent. A DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium is about extremely low cost of ownership.

17. A DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium is perfect for someone who does not have enough time and resources for a high-tech aquarium. This is just ideal for one who likes the elegance of natural simplicity.

18. No need to vacuum the substrate. It is optional, though.

19. No need for frequent water changes.

20. The Fishbowl | Fish Tank never smells foul.

21. Fishes (especially, Livebearers) breed so easily in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium.

22. A DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium supports Fish Babies | Fry really well. It provides it all: Shelter, Security, Food and Growth! You do not have to take the Fish Babies | Fry out of your DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium. Babies | Fry find appropriate places to hide themselves. No need to offer any special Fry food to the Fish Babies. They get their food, by default, inside a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium, without you doing anything on that front! The Fry grow really well in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium. These facts have been establishes through a series of real-life experiments.

In this Fishbowl, mentioned in the previous section, currently (on March 01, 2012) there are a couple of a week old healthy and happy Platy Babies (born in the 2nd week of February 2012) exploring their environment. They are the THIRD GENARION (Second Generation, in the true sense)! This DPM Type Natural Fishbowl, mentioned earlier, was started with babies born to the First Generation of platies brought from a Pet Shop. These Platy Babies (The Third Generation) are a couple of offspring of the Second Generation.

23. DPM Natural Method is perfect even for a beginner, because it is simple.

24. No plastic (equipment | part) becomes a part of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl (DTNF) | Aquarium, by design! A plastic cover | hood | lid that does not touch the water is fine, though.

25. In a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl, fishes do not have to wait for their feeding time. Food is always available in the form of Green Algae in a DTNF. The whole affair is very natural. Fishes eat whenever they feel like eating. It's the fishes that select the time, frequency and quantity when it comes to food and feast. No human intervention is done in this context. In case of a DTNF, the water quality does not deteriorate because of availability of uneaten food in the Fishbowl | Aquarium. For, the food is live and fresh always. And, it's the very food available in the Fishbowl | Aquarium that helps in maintaining good water-quality. This is not usually the case in case of many other types of foods.

26. Because there are no plants in a DTNF, you dot have to care about pulling out dead leaves, ever. Since you do not have any plants, you do not have to worry about your fishes destroying your plants.

27. A DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium helps in applying DPM’s Natural Adaptation Technique (DNA Tech). That, in turn, helps the fishes, in question, evolve for a Sustainable-Natural-Living in a man-made environment - A Fishbowl | Aquarium! And, that’s not all. It is absolutely easy and quick to move over to another method of Fish Keeping, in case you decide to do so.

That's really quite a lot of good aspects of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium. Let's talk about how to set a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium up next. NEXT >>  << Previous

PART 25: IS THERE A BETTER DEAL THAN THIS? by Debi Prasad Mahapatra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

PART 24: THE DPM NATURAL METHOD!

<< Previous This is about the first ever DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium created using the DPM Natural Method. This method has been derived and documented after a massive array of experimentations, extensive research and critical analysis. The Fishbowl so created, using this method, might not be the most spectacular freshwater aquarium. However, this is very close to nature. If you dive into a lake or pond, you will see something similar to the environment of this Fishbowl (videos), under the water.

This fishbowl was set up on 2 ‎October ‎2011. DPM Type Natural Fishbowl, by design, is based on the philosophy of Natural Fish Keeping. Natural Fish Keeping is about keeping fish in a nature-like environment. Sustainable Fish Keeping is an advanced method derived from Natural Fish Keeping techniques. Low Maintenance Aquariums | Fish Keeping are a direct outcome of scientific Sustainable Fish Keeping Techniques. A DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium tries to replicate the natural environment of a freshwater lake or pond. That is the very theme the design of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium is based on.

The level of maintenance required for a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium is absolutely low. It is modeled on the basis of the principles of sustainability. In short, a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium has the following attributes. It mimics the nature as closely as possible. It is self-sustained to a great extent. That is, it has the least number of external dependencies (Filter, Air Stone, Power Head, Air Pump and Heater etc.). In the natural environment of a freshwater lake or pond, there is no artificial water-filter to filter the water, air-stone to oxygenate the water, power head to create a flow, air-pump to inject or propel air and heater to control temperature.

So, in case of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium, you do not have to spend money, effort and time on buying, maintaining, repairing and replacing those, ever. It requires the least amount of human intervention. However, it ultimately keeps the inhabitants healthy and happy! So that, you get a lot of free time to relax and enjoy your aquarium and fishes. And, your fishes get a chance to enjoy their environment to the maximum extent without being stressed due to human and external interventions.

As per DPM Natural Method, the size of the fish relative to the size of its environment is a very important factor. The bigger the size of the environment (DPM Type Fishbowl | Fish Tank) relative to the absolute size (and not, average size) of the fishes resident in it, the better it is. In other words, the smaller the absolute size of the fishes relative to its environment, the better it is. This aspect is the key to your sustainable success in Natural Fish Keeping. This DPM Type Natural Fishbowl, mentioned above, has 12 tiny platies (born on 18 ‎August ‎2011 and 19 August ‎2011) that are ideal for a Fishbowl of this size (Gross Capacity: 15 Liters).

Besides small platies, Zebra Danios, small Mollies, Guppies, White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Salt and Pepper Cory Catfishes and small Rosy Red Fathead Minnows are other good choices for a DPM Type Fishbowl | Fish Tank. The smaller the fish, the better it is in the context of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl. A 15 Liter DPM Type Natural Fishbowl is ideal to accommodate up to 6 fishes not larger than an inch, length wise. Many of these 12 healthy and happy tiny platies, in the Fishbowl mentioned above, are smaller than half an inch, length wise. The overall size (and thus, the weight) of the fish does matter more than just the length of the fish.

DPM Natural Method advocates keeping the whole affair as natural as possible. There is no use of medication, hormones and artificial food supplements in a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium. There is no selective breeding and isolated spawning. The fishes are never touched and taken out of their DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium. This practice aims at protecting the slime coat on your fish. All fish have this protective layer on them and it acts as the first line defense against parasitic infections, bacteria and other diseases that a fish may contract. Constant netting of the fish or contact with the fish’s body deteriorates the fishes slime coat and makes it very susceptible to bacteria or infections. You (can) never change the whole biological and physical layout | arrangement of a freshwater lake or pond, overnight. The biological and physical layout | arrangement of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium, too, is never changed. The substrate and the arrangement is never disturbed and touched even during a cleaning operation. That amounts to less work and less rework. That is the beauty of a DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium. However, you may choose to clean 40% of the surface gravel, without disturbing the remaining 60% of the substrate, to enhance the appearance of your DPM Type Fishbowl | Aquarium. The remarkable advantages of DPM Natural Method and DPM Type Natural Fishbowl | Aquarium are described next. NEXT >>  << Previous

PART 24: THE DPM NATURAL METHOD! by Debi Prasad Mahapatra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.