Water change question...

[pstuder33]

I already know my tank is slightly overstocked, I test the water often and never allow nitrates to get above 20ppm. It's only a 20 gallon tank, I'm moving again soon then I will set up my 55 gallon. The 20 gallon has a fluval c3(I believe it's rated for 55 if I'm not mistaken). Anyway I do about a 40-50% water change every 5 days or so, remove most decor every other one so I can can give the substrate a good vac. I keep the tank at a ph of 7 using seachem neutral reg. my tap is very soft water and has a ph of 8.4 out of the pipes and can drop to 6 in a matter of days, that's why I started using the neutral reg. I use buckets bc I live in an apt, my question is should I just dose one of the buckets with the full amount or half the amount considering I'm only replacing half the water? I also always dose prime in the tank even though the neutral reg does essentially the same thing. I haven't had any issues losing fish, more so just wondering if anyone does something similar.

Stock:
12 neons
1 male pearl gourami
1 female opline gourami
1 clown pleco
1 Molly
2 swordtails
2 Amino shrimp
1 african dwarf frog


Again I know the tank is overstocked, all fish are healthy, I keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrites and they are always 0. I do water changes to keep nitrates under 15-20ppm mainly for the clown pleco. Any info using neutral reg by seachem is what I'm asking about. I don't wanna cause ph shock to any of my fish! Thanks in advance.

Ps, the gouramis aren't really aggressive towards anyone else, even during feeding. I think I got really lucky

 

[dalto]

Neutral Regulator is a phosphate buffer and should be fine as long as you are consistently using it and not letting the ph swing.

 

[pstuder33]

I can't overdose it? I usually put some in every bucket during a water change and dose the tank with prime just be safe as far as chlorine goes, not sure how fast the neutral reg works for that.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

As a buffer, it resists changes in pH, so as long as you are adding buckets that have buffer in them to a tank that has buffer in it you should be fine. No you can't really overdose it because it only tries to maintain a pH of 7, and won't change if you add more. I used neutral regulator at first, but I ditched it for a pouch of crushed coral in my filter. My water goes the other way, comes out the tap at 6 and raises to 7 after aerating it.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[pstuder33]

Alright, thank you for reassuring me. This is my first tank and really like this hobby. That 1 Molly is all that's left from the original stock ?. At first I was told just just let the water sit for a week and then add fish, had no idea about cycling. This forum has more then helped me and hasn't steered me wrong! Thanks and sorry asking questions most of you look at as common sense. Thanks again, I figured ask first instead losing fish again. Thanks again

 

[pstuder33]

After becoming a member here, I feel much more confident about keeping my fishy friends happy. Haven't lost one since. And being overstocked, I still don't think I will. I've become very responsible about keeping the tank up to par! If there's any other good tricks of the trade, I'd like to learn them!

 

[Shadowraven]

Just keep in mind that overstocking a tank can cause other problems, even if you are diligent with maintenance. There is more going on in these situations then just excess nutrients, wastes and their attendant problems. Overcrowding often causes restricted growth and development in fish. This encourages opportunistic organisms to take advantage of the situation. It's OK for a while, just so long as it's not long term.

 

[pstuder33]

It shouldn't be more than 6 months before I move and can have my 55 gallon set up! I can't wait!