Daven
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hey guys. I started my first planted tank not long ago with the hopes of making a more stable and desirable home for my future fish. I am going for a low tech, low light tank with as many plants eventually as i can fit in there and still have growth. I know they will use nitrates and other nitrogen sources, and some therfore reach a level where very little or even no water changing is apparently needed. I dont know if this is possible given my goals, but i wanted to ask about it and see what you guys know about it. Lets asume that the plant needs are close to the waste produced by the fish in there. If nitrates dont build up enough to need a water change that week, are there other substances in the water that would build up and cause issues if not changed? I am wondering if, down the road when established, i should change the water in this tank based on nitrate levels or do my weekly 25-30% water changes like my previous non planted tanks. The smaller maintenance load would be nice to lessen the "chore" of multiple tanks, but im looking towards whats best for fish as that is my main concern here.
Incase you were wondering, the tank is a 20 gallon long with a finnex stingray LED light on 12 hours a day (6 on, 1.5 off, 6 on currently. Seemed like a good starting point based on my research on lighting). Tank has java fern, a larger and smaller leaf variety of anubius, hornwort. The plants have only been in my tank for a week now so hard to say yet on how they are doing. Tank has 6 rummynose tetra and 1 male guppy, and i plan to have a group of 8-10 panda corries and more rummynose in the end. Pool filter sand and trumpet snails as well
Incase you were wondering, the tank is a 20 gallon long with a finnex stingray LED light on 12 hours a day (6 on, 1.5 off, 6 on currently. Seemed like a good starting point based on my research on lighting). Tank has java fern, a larger and smaller leaf variety of anubius, hornwort. The plants have only been in my tank for a week now so hard to say yet on how they are doing. Tank has 6 rummynose tetra and 1 male guppy, and i plan to have a group of 8-10 panda corries and more rummynose in the end. Pool filter sand and trumpet snails as well