3 month old tank, Maintence, water changes etc?

[Fltekdiver]

OK thank you. So every few weeks, or once a month just clean the mechanical filters in a bucket when water changing, got it!

 

[Fltekdiver]

Can to much Seachem Prime be harmfull?

I added very little during the water change this weekend, but I'm reading the directions on the bottle, and it says, 1 cap treats 100G

That would mean Id be putting drops into the water , considering each bucket is around
4 gallons - to 4.5G when I goto put it into the tank

 

[librarygirl]

Can to much Seachem Prime be harmfull?

I added very little during the water change this weekend, but I'm reading the directions on the bottle, and it says, 1 cap treats 100G

That would mean Id be putting drops into the water , considering each bucket is around
4 gallons - to 4.5G when I goto put it into the tank

Hm, think you read that wrong? My bottle says one cap treats 50 gals. You can add some extra, doesn't have to be exact. I use a full cap when I change water on my 40 gal. I believe the dose per gallon is two drops if you're using buckets. So you can add about 8-10 drops per bucket or you can add a whole capful to the tank and then just refill from the buckets. If you're tank is near a sink you might want to try one of these; saves a lot of time and no need to lug buckets around.

 

[Fltekdiver]

Hm, think you read that wrong? My bottle says one cap treats 50 gals. You can add some extra, doesn't have to be exact. I use a full cap when I change water on my 40 gal. I believe the dose per gallon is two drops if you're using buckets. So you can add about 8-10 drops per bucket or you can add a whole capful to the tank and then just refill from the buckets. If you're tank is near a sink you might want to try one of these; saves a lot of time and no need to lug buckets around.

OMG, I love it! So explain that to me, you vacuum the gravel, then fill the tank directley to the sink from the hose?

I hate lugging buckets through the rooms

How do you treat the water with the prime filling directley from a sink?

 

[calfishguy]

OMG, I love it! So explain that to me, you vacuum the gravel, then fill the tank directley to the sink from the hose?

I hate lugging buckets through the rooms

How do you treat the water with the prime filling directley from a sink?

You treat the entire tank with prime before you start filling it up.

 

[Fltekdiver]

Ok follow up since 45% water change Saturday

Removed all the Zeolite and Carbon from canister filter, and put in Sachrem Matrix bio

No chemical in filter no more

Todays water test is :

High PH Range 7.8

Ammonia = 0 PPM

Nitrite = 0 PPM

Nitrates No3 = 5.0PPM - 1.0 PPM, hard to tell with the colors so close

I think were their!

 

[the-chad]

I know this is an old discussion but one thing I feel has been missed.

You shouldnt have to "wash your decorations" anywhere near as often as you stated in your original post. Or, in my case, ever. It seems completely pointless to me unless you have a bad algae problem, and even then, there are ways to control the algae to the point where its no longer an issue.

Also, you should consider using live plants. They have many benefits and many low light plants are incredibly easy to grow and flourish.

 

[Fltekdiver]

Thanks, since the posting, The algae problem has gone away. I think it was the initial start up of a new tank

I don't wash my fixtures either anymore. Once a week I do my water changes, and vacuum 1/2 the gravel one week, and the other side the following week

Tanks been up about 6 + months now, lost about a 1/2 dozen fish, but every things within the parameters so I don't stress out anymore every time I loose a fish now

 

[Fltekdiver]

BTW, 2 months later, just by doing water changes each week, my PH is 7.2 now, it came way down

 

[katiekelsey]

My local fish store told me to do a 10% water change once a week.
1st week do only a 10% water change, 2nd week vacuum right side of tank when doing your 10% water change, 3rd week do only 10% water change,f4th week vacuum left side of gravel when doing 10% water change. Keep repeating this schedule and only replace filter media when it is extremely dirty because that is your good bacteria. This system has worked for me. And I test the water once a week with the API Master Test Kit.

 

[Fltekdiver]

That's good to know, thank you for the advice

I been changing out 20% to 25% each week, I think I'm changing to much out each week, and not letting it cycle correctly and maybe that's why I'm loosing fish every once in a while.

It always seems to be after water changes , the next few days