40-50% every week. Every tank is filtering at minimum 10 turnovers/hour. My goal is to always keep nitrates below 40; or 20 in the stingray tank
Common Houseplants in aqarium, the list!
- Thread starter Joseppe
- Start date
Yeah my nitrates floats around 20 for the past week , so I’m not sure if I should keep on going and letting it go or swap water out. Trying to see who keeps their WC minimally if the plants are keeping nitrates low.
It's not all about nitrate.
My little planted hex tank has been a fantastic experiment for me over the past 12 months since I set it up.
I've had salvinia, frogbit and algae in there, but also a few small terrestrial plants too, and they've all thrived.
Once they became established my nitrate reading was always a consistent 0ppm. Great, I don't need to do anymore water changes now I've mastered the dreaded nitrate issue. Wrong!!
There are numerous trace elements in water and these elements are needed by the whole "ecosystem" within your aquarium. It's good practice to still do partial water changes to replenish these elements.
To me nitrates are an indicator chemical species, and it is one of the few we can easilly test for., and why is so significant.
And although I try to hold nitrates at below 5 ppm with heavy plantings, I do not forgo water changes.
Where I collect cichlids in nature I never detect any nitrates, so thats where I want my tanks to have.
And although I try to hold nitrates at below 5 ppm with heavy plantings, I do not forgo water changes.
Where I collect cichlids in nature I never detect any nitrates, so thats where I want my tanks to have.
Oh totally. There’s other trace elements needed by the fish, but I guess I was more wondering what would be a sweet spot to try and recreate an ecosystem that requires much less water changes, both to replenish trace elements ( or this is done through feedings) and reduce toxic build up of chemicals that plants can’t take up.
I ran one tank waterchangeless for 1.5 years (thought i did add new water by topping it off, i never drained any out though) So it's not 100% recycling all the water and the only thing i tested for was nitrate. Which also consistantly was undetectable after a few months of that tank establishing. Truly waterchangeless would be impossible is my best guess. I'm also sure problems would start appearing after 2 years or more. 1.5 Years was not long enough for a proper test imo. Fish stayed healthy and thrived during the time though. Never seen any issue whatsoever, no known deaths either. Thought i lost a few fish in there but when i took it down i surprisingly found every single fish i ever added in there.
The only extra water my little hex tank receives is from top up through evaporation. It's not a lot but enough to replenish some of the lost elements/nutrients. And the tank is thriving, crystal clear water showing constant 0ppm nitrate.
If it had a tight fitting lid on, which I can't possibly do because of the plants, then I wouldn't have to top it up at all. In that scenario I'm not sure what would happen long term. Would the balance still be ok or would part of the ecosystem break down and cause me problems? I honestly don't know the answer.
I just absolutely love this tank and can't wait to set up more smaller tanks when my 360 goes.
If it had a tight fitting lid on, which I can't possibly do because of the plants, then I wouldn't have to top it up at all. In that scenario I'm not sure what would happen long term. Would the balance still be ok or would part of the ecosystem break down and cause me problems? I honestly don't know the answer.
I just absolutely love this tank and can't wait to set up more smaller tanks when my 360 goes.
Amazing. Yeah that’s what I’m trying to get to. I have one tank that’s running for 3 months with no water changes. It’s 75 gallon planted but I’ve been only keeping 10 mollys and an 18 inche pleco for the first 1.5 months and now, been running with 2 jack Demseys and the pleco for 1 month. No water changes as nitrates hover aroun 10/20 ppm. There have been some brown algae build up.
I will do water changes, but it was more experimenting on how to extend the cycle to like once a month or or two. At only 25 percent.
