Fishkeeper88
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Hi fishy friends I am back after being really busy with school. Enjoy
Can you be a little bit more precise?Beautiful tank! What plant is that thick grassy looking one in the back left corner?
Cryptocoryne wendtiiWhat is the plant that is in front of the driftwood and bubbles? Is that a crypt of some sort?
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Thanks man.Okay. I've been considering that, and I didn't really know how it looks. Looks good!
Hello Fish...
A nicely maintained tank. I would recommend changing half the water or a bit more. Larger water changes mean less filter maintenance because the filtration equipment is simply turning over water that's essentially toxin and particle free.
If you have a well stocked tank, fish wise, then commercial ferts can be left out of the equation. It's likely just me, but I haven't found any ferts better than the version the fish produce. A good fish load, the approprate lighting and an aggressive water change routine and the plants have everything they need.
If you have a filtration system that turns over roughly 4 times the volume of the tank every hour, you'll have sufficient gas exchange. Too much surface movement will remove too much CO2. The plants need a steady dose of it for good growth. I'd lose the air stone.
Good idea not to vacuum the substrate. The fish and plant material that falls to the bottom of the tank will dissolve and those dissolved nutrients feed the plants.
Unless you're raising fry, feeding can be kept to a little bit, a couple of times a week. Fish can easily go for longer periods without food. Foraging for those small leftovers, keeps them active and healthy. The tank stays much cleaner too. Fish are lucky to eat once a week in their natural living areas. So, multiple, daily feedings just make them lazy. A combo of frozen, freeze dried and very little flaked works well. Check ingredients, though. A lot of additives, just means a longer shelf life for the product and those don't do your fish much good.
Follow your own path, of course. You're the "Head Water keeper".
B