Hi all first time posting and just looking for advice
I've had a 29g tank (120L) for a while now its always been a bear bottom tank but recently I've put 3mm black granite stones as my substrate I rinsed and added it to the tank over a week and tested my water a few days later I had 0 ammonia nitrites and nitrates were off the chart!! Being a new test kit I took a water sample into my lfs to be tested and confirmed my results and was given lysogoss to help the bacteria grow in my substrate, since then my ammonia is still 0 nitrites are 0.1 and nitrates are still off the chart but coming down I have alot of java moss, a java fern with 4 leaves and a plantlet growing off 1 I also have a handfull of guppy grass in my tank of 30 or so guppies / endlers and about 5 fry and about 10 red cherry shrimp and some drift wood everyone is happy swimming around and eating fine my temp is 25.8 celcius
My question is water changes to lower the nitrates am I better to do gravel vacs or just change water without vacs leaving the substrate alone to build up bacteria against waste any information would be great ��
I've had a 29g tank (120L) for a while now its always been a bear bottom tank but recently I've put 3mm black granite stones as my substrate I rinsed and added it to the tank over a week and tested my water a few days later I had 0 ammonia nitrites and nitrates were off the chart!! Being a new test kit I took a water sample into my lfs to be tested and confirmed my results and was given lysogoss to help the bacteria grow in my substrate, since then my ammonia is still 0 nitrites are 0.1 and nitrates are still off the chart but coming down I have alot of java moss, a java fern with 4 leaves and a plantlet growing off 1 I also have a handfull of guppy grass in my tank of 30 or so guppies / endlers and about 5 fry and about 10 red cherry shrimp and some drift wood everyone is happy swimming around and eating fine my temp is 25.8 celcius
My question is water changes to lower the nitrates am I better to do gravel vacs or just change water without vacs leaving the substrate alone to build up bacteria against waste any information would be great ��