Howdy, folks! I'm a newbie to this web site. I've read through most of this thread and would like to post a few comments:
1) I have had a 55-gallon tank for several years. I rarely do a water change or clean the gravel. I just change the filters monthly...or when I think of it. I top-off the water when it gets low. But we are on well-water, so there is no chlorine.
2) I have two plecos that were perhaps an inch long when I bought them. They are now over 8 inches. They live forever as long as they don't get ick.
3) Have two corys and two rosy tetras that have been around for about 3 years. In other words, this tank is UNDER-populated.
4) I just bought the "55-gallon plant kit" from "liveaquaria.com" and received them last week. I was busy so I just dumped the whole mess in there. I still don't have them all planted yet. Before this I had some barely suriving plants that I bought from Wal-Mart as bulbs in a sealed package.
5) I decided to finally get serious about this tank. I had my first aquarium when I was in 6th grade. I'm now on the downhill side of 50 years old.
6) I'm lazy. LOL!
My point is this...I think a lot of people get too serious about water-changes, testing the PH and all that stuff. In my experience it isn't all that difficult. Now a salt-water tank would be an entirely different story...and that is something I don't think I'll ever want to have! Salt-water fish are beautiful but I don't have time for the maintenance.
I joined this forum to check on picking up some native rocks for the tank. I own 13 acres in northeast Georgia and have a creek with some interesting rocks in it. As for the discussion about driftwood, that scares me. My wife had a piece of ocean driftwood that was decades old when we decided to put it in the tank. The plecos have actually been eating it and it is less than half its original size! Bizarre! But picking up a piece of wood and throwing it in the tank...no way!
Later!
Arkiejim (GA transplant from AR)
1) I have had a 55-gallon tank for several years. I rarely do a water change or clean the gravel. I just change the filters monthly...or when I think of it. I top-off the water when it gets low. But we are on well-water, so there is no chlorine.
2) I have two plecos that were perhaps an inch long when I bought them. They are now over 8 inches. They live forever as long as they don't get ick.
3) Have two corys and two rosy tetras that have been around for about 3 years. In other words, this tank is UNDER-populated.
4) I just bought the "55-gallon plant kit" from "liveaquaria.com" and received them last week. I was busy so I just dumped the whole mess in there. I still don't have them all planted yet. Before this I had some barely suriving plants that I bought from Wal-Mart as bulbs in a sealed package.
5) I decided to finally get serious about this tank. I had my first aquarium when I was in 6th grade. I'm now on the downhill side of 50 years old.
6) I'm lazy. LOL!
My point is this...I think a lot of people get too serious about water-changes, testing the PH and all that stuff. In my experience it isn't all that difficult. Now a salt-water tank would be an entirely different story...and that is something I don't think I'll ever want to have! Salt-water fish are beautiful but I don't have time for the maintenance.
I joined this forum to check on picking up some native rocks for the tank. I own 13 acres in northeast Georgia and have a creek with some interesting rocks in it. As for the discussion about driftwood, that scares me. My wife had a piece of ocean driftwood that was decades old when we decided to put it in the tank. The plecos have actually been eating it and it is less than half its original size! Bizarre! But picking up a piece of wood and throwing it in the tank...no way!
Later!
Arkiejim (GA transplant from AR)
