when do you consider your tank and bio "mature"???

[Magnum Man]

so I have 4 tanks, that have been going for between 3-4 years now, with my newest set up for between 3-4 months... I feel that all my older set up tanks, the tanks are mature, however, I do not think as a bio they are all mature, the bulk of the fish I buy are juvenal, and I have noticed changes in their interactions, over time, as the fish mature... and actually I don't think any of my bio's, qualify as a mature bio, as new juvenal fish have been added, in most bio's, that aren't mature yet... not sure how long all fish take to mature, for example, I'd feel my African Tetra tank, that hasn't had any new fish added for a couple years, would be my most mature bio, except that the Brichardi don't all seem mature, even though, those have been here for close to 3 years... how long, until you feel you have a mature tank, and bio???

 

[MaloK]

Well most of the time it relates to the nitrogen cycle, algae growth balance and established micro-fauna.

You could push to. Fish are settled, exhibiting natural behaviors, and have established their little social hierarchies.

So, if not done in 6 months to 1 year... It'll never happen.

 

[Magnum Man]

these are 2 of my favorite tanks... the one on the left, won TOM about a year ago... the one on the right has been entered, and while it is my favorite, it has never been as appreciated by others, as it's been entered a few times, with always next to no votes... both of these tanks are mature, but young fish have been added numerous times, so I don't consider either bio. as mature...

 

[Magnum Man]

as far as the bio changing,( being immature ), you can, for example, put a nice sized shoal, of juvenal fish in a tank, and unless they are group spawners, the whole tank's dynamic can change as those fish reach maturity, and can actually require a relocation, of some fish... I feel like, when both the tank, and the bio, are both mature, you should just have to do normal maintenance, and enjoy the little world you created, not come home and find "fish world war 3", that requires an immediate response

 

[MaloK]

Well from this point of view...

There's 2 possibility, fish multiply and insure posterity or everyone gets old and slowly die off...

Not sure about FishWW3, But to be sure, don't let them access the football.

You could also consider a tank mature when a fish dies and you never find anything left, loll.

 

[Magnum Man]

some fish can spawn, without the need to display global dominance, and some don't show that strong parental instinct, until they find that special fish, and could be in that shoal for a couple years, before someone gets a twinkle in their eye.... of course just because one can pair without FWW3, does't mean the next pair will be as generous???

My African tank still displays social changes, even with no one new added for a couple years...

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am not really sure what you mean by mature. When it comes to fish I would assume that means they have reached adult size and specifically the ability to reproduce even if they never do so in the tank. As for the rest of the tank I am not sure mature would be the right term. No tank will ever be self sufficient. the cycles of life and death are ongoing and do not stop.

And when it come o plants, they grow. If we do not prune them sooner or later they will fil a tank completely and then they stop thriving.

The same applies to the mircorganisms. As the contents of the tank change, either by growth or things being added or removed, the balances in the tank also have to change.

At best a mature tank would likely be one where the amount of care we need to provide becomes less frequent. The nitrifiers are adequate, the plants are in balance with the nutrients etc. and the fish are also doing well. The better everything wporks together the more " mature" we might say it is, but how long does that last. One keeper keeps fish which lives shorter lives and anpther keeper has fish that can lived for decades. Which tank is more "mature?"

I would think a better question might be how long does it take for a tank to become stable. By that I would mean that all the contents are thriving and we are not facing a continuing serious of issues we have to fix.

 

[GaryE]

Hmm. Mature tanks? It depends. Normally, for me, that's a dangerous period in the set up, as it's when a tank has hit the edge of old tank problems.
I don't believe a balanced tank is possible, but there are temporary periods where tanks work better than others. When the plants are thriving, the concept of the tank has been realized and the algae is minimal, maybe that's mature? Or maybe when I don't look at a tank and figure it needs major changes or work?
I try to set up tanks for the fish species, which is where I see a concept. The perfect tank is one where multiple generations of a fish are thriving. I don't aquascape beyond the initial set up, and tend to let things run a wee bit wild. But no tank works without thought out filtration and regular partial water changes.
I get a lot of failures along the way - tanks I have to adjust heavily, often because of algae caused by window exposure. I don't have any tanks that have become too aged, as I moved 3.5 years ago and had to start it all up again. I lost almost all of my plants in the move - I would estimate 50-60 pounds of Anubias, Crypts, Valls and Bolbitis froze due to the freaky extreme cold that hit on my 10 hour drive moving day. I thought they were safe, but only one of three big fish boxes was.
I can plant all my tanks now, using plants grown here. I've recently bought a bunch of new plant species, but most have taken and are at the point they can be used throughout the room. I was hoping for that as a mature fishroom.

I'm a fish first aquarist though. The tank is a tool. I think that's why I don't participate in tank of the month type things. If I try to make my tank look like a real riverbank, well, often it does...