After searching for a shovel in the shed I came across one of my old tanks. I didn't remember what size it was, so I did a little math and came to the fact that it is 1.5g. I got some sand and dirt that I had left over from another tank and put it in there. But then it hit me. This isn't a 10g...
So I know that 1.5gs are supposed to have one 50% and 100% change of water every week. But mine has sand, dirt and plants... So would I just do 3 50%s? I am going to have an airstone in there for water movement, but no filter. And I'm planning on getting that sick looking betta I saw at Petsmart a few days ago
Since yours will have plants, you will probably get away with doing 3x 50%changes. In the case of plants, in my experience, smaller and more frequent water changes kept the water nicer than doing one big water change a week along with the smaller ones.
I'd say 3x 50% changes a week is a nice start for your planned tank. With that being said, if things start looking bad, then you can always do another 40-50% change during the week.
Since yours will have plants, you will probably get away with doing 3x 50%changes. In the case of plants, in my experience, smaller and more frequent water changes kept the water nicer than doing one big water change a week along with the smaller ones.
I'd say 3x 50% changes a week is a nice start for your planned tank. With that being said, if things start looking bad, then you can always do another 40-50% change during the week.
Great! Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kfryman
After a bit, you could back off on some of the water changes... Probably just do one a week after a couple months.
Make sure to test for ammonia, when I dirted my tank it was like 4 ppm! That would kill like everything
Sweet! That's what I like to hear. I'm stocking it full of stem plants like rotala rotundifolia, bacopa monnieri, pennywort and maybe some wisteria. I was hoping that I could get down to 1 PWC Thanks!
In my dirt based 1-3gal unfiltered tanks heavy planted (75-80% plants) with stem plants and with some floating plants-
Once mature (about 3 months)-I make 1 50% per month more or less depending on what I am doing with the tank.
With that said-you can make more water only changes too-it won't hurt but they are not needed once the dirt based system is mature and plants actively growing.
Once the soil is alive and plants in active growth they function as the bio-filter-as close to a natural ecosystem that can be created in a closed system, however, its still a closed system. Except with dirt and plants- they will use/recycle everything to maintain water quality and the water changes are to help re-new the water, mineral etc....for the plants.
With a filter-the filter will remove the debris from the water column, but all the debris is still in the tank being circulated over and over (you can't see it but its still in the tank) until the biofiltration/cycle takes care of it. But without the dirt/soil that is alive or enough active growing stem and floating plants you can have a buildup of nitrate and DOC's that need to be manually removed on a weekly basis to maintain water quality-Since long term high levels can compromise the immune response and stunt growth.
In my dirt based 1-3gal unfiltered tanks heavy planted (75-80% plants) with stem plants and with some floating plants-
Once mature (about 3 months)-I make 1 50% per month more or less depending on what I am doing with the tank.
With that said-you can make more water only changes too-it won't hurt but they are not needed once the dirt based system is mature and plants actively growing.
Once the soil is alive and plants in active growth they function as the bio-filter-as close to a natural ecosystem that can be created in a closed system, however, its still a closed system. Except with dirt and plants- they will use/recycle everything to maintain water quality and the water changes are to help re-new the water, mineral etc....for the plants.
With a filter-the filter will remove the debris from the water column, but all the debris is still in the tank being circulated over and over (you can't see it but its still in the tank) until the biofiltration/cycle takes care of it. But without the dirt/soil that is alive or enough active growing stem and floating plants you can have a buildup of nitrate and DOC's that need to be manually removed on a weekly basis to maintain water quality-Since long term high levels can compromise the immune response and stunt growth.
I'm sorta speechless on that... About 3 months of extra monitoring and more PWCs and then 50% a MONTH! Yeah, heavily planting it! Thanks OFL! I'm really excited about this tank now!
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Thanks!
