[Jacob]

The detail oriented, perfectionist approach may have limits, but what’s worse is my past approach which has been to think that way but not to really have all the information that is available- and end up with a worst of both worlds aquarium. Treating fish like they’re delicate in a way that makes them become more delicate.
People have tons of success with fish with simple methods, and so being obsessive and detailed about it may seem pointless and mistaken to them, but it’s even worse to be obsessive and detailed and not have all the information that is actually available.
Peat fish are a great place to solve this problem because it seems like there is no chance of success if you don’t REALLY pay attention. I have been a bad aquarist in the past and it’s no fun to take an interest in animals and turn it into killing them!
With the tank as it is, there are about 20-25 gallons of water, and a very large amount of driftwood piled to create hiding places, with water sprite covering the surface and anubias in between the roots. I am going to let the plants grow out and then try and prune or control them, and I wonder if in this tank, the large amount of plants will make the need for water changes small even with a reasonable sized group of chocolate gouramis. Their small need for food, and the plants lack of any other food than fish waste might work together. The tank has snails and tiny worms and small organisms in it, the large amount of them should be helpful too, since the invertebrates don’t make much pollution but probably enhance the plants success. Also I am really hoping these little animals are part of the chocolate gouramis food or at least for their young. Crowding the chocolates seems like a good stragegy because of their aggression, I wonder if 6 is too many or enough. The fish can completely hide if they want, it is a little like the rockwork in an African cichlid tank, piling roots on top of each other so that there are lots of caves and hiding places. There is still open space, between the water sprite which hasn’t yet grown its roots out and since the roots only come up about 3/4 towards the surface. Chocolates seem like attack on sight fish, maybe this setup will give them a chance to have their hierarchy with minimal stress.
The ph tester, that’s one item I can know I have to get, an electric one which is not hard to find. The germ test you linked to, that’s one more thing I know I can get. I think reef keeping people locally will probably be able to help me find some of the testing equipment. So you use demineralizing, something like an r/o filter but more complete? Getting all these high quality tools would be great, once I have them I can take the detail oriented approach the way it is meant to be practiced.