From Koi Ponds to Shrimp Bowls | Plant Fest 2026 Reflections

About this episode

The episode reflects on the unexpected insights gained from attending Plant Fest 2026, focusing on ecosystem management in aquatic hobbies.

In this episode, we reflect on our experience visiting Plant Fest 2026 hosted by Fitz’s Fish Ponds — an event that turned out to be very different from what we expected. What we thought would be a traditional aquarium-style expo became something much more focused on ecosystems, pond keeping, aquatic plants, greenhouse growing, and the broader connection between all areas of the aquatic hobby. We discuss: - large-scale koi pond filtration systems - greenhouse aquatic plant cultivation - simple shrimp bowl ecosystems - biological filtration at different scales - the overlap between pond keeping and aquarium keeping - why simplicity and long-term stability matter more than constantly chasing new equipment One of the biggest takeaways from the event was realizing that the same principles apply whether you’re managing: - a planted shrimp bowl - a freshwater aquarium - or a large koi pond Balance, biology, plants, and patience connect all of it. We also talk about our current 29-gallon ecosystem balance project, reducing maintenance over time, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for a tank is simply leave it alone and let it mature. If you enjoy ecosystem-style fishkeeping…

People in this episode

Host: FishKeepingLifeCo

Topics covered

• koi ponds
• shrimp bowls
• aquatic plants
• ecosystem balance
• pond keeping
• aquarium stability

Keywords

• koi pond filtration
• greenhouse cultivation
• biological filtration
• planted tanks
• aquatic ecosystems
• shrimp keeping
• long-term stability

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fitz’s Fish Ponds

Places: TheTankGuide.com

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