Budget gravel recommendations?

[Cal Amari]

Agreed, I get the temptation, and am interested in the anaerobic cycle reducing nitrates, but without ever changing water you're accumulating things mentioned above as well as salts, phosphates, hormones, other metabolic byproducts not reduced to ammonia, respiratory byproducts, dead skin/scale cells, even beneficial bacteria die off and get replaced, and their entire structure doesn't simply turn to ammonia.

 

[4D3]

Now I'm not questioning the ammonia/nitrogen cycle being complete. I will however point out that that isn't the only thing a water change does. By never changing any of the water, depending on your water source, you could have all sorts of things building up in the water. Things like heavy metals, minerals, and even chemicals. These things can also lead to old tank syndrome, where the current fish are ok, because they acclimated over time, but new fish may not be able to handle it. Or say you blow a seal on your tank and have to move everyone in a hurry, to new water, they will struggle with the transition.

Hi,

I'm curious, if I am not adding or removing water to the system, how exactly am I going to get a build up of anything..... You point makes no sense to me.... Things cannot materialise from nowhere.

Also I use Glasgow water, which is celebrated as some of the highest quality in the world. Sourced primarily from pristine lochs like Loch Katrine, it is naturally filtered and remarkably soft.

Lastly, I have used this same method for nearly 20 years in the UK, Australia and Portugal and never once had any "old tank syndrome" so I am unsure why you would post misinformation.

Old tank syndrome is caused by pH creep, because the KH isn't refreshed so the water cannot buffer.....while this is a massive issue in saltwater tanks, i have never experienced this in my tanks, also once a month I water test and my KH is perfect, every time I top up the tank I add aquarium salt.

OTS is found in badly kept aquariums...... Not mine.

 

[audioscience10]

Hi,

I'm curious, if I am not adding or removing water to the system, how exactly am I going to get a build up of anything..... You point makes no sense to me.... Things cannot materialise from nowhere.

Also I use Glasgow water, which is celebrated as some of the highest quality in the world. Sourced primarily from pristine lochs like Loch Katrine, it is naturally filtered and remarkably soft.

Lastly, I have used this same method for nearly 20 years in the UK, Australia and Portugal and never once had any "old tank syndrome" so I am unsure why you would post misinformation.

Old tank syndrome is caused by pH creep, because the KH isn't refreshed so the water cannot buffer.....while this is a massive issue in saltwater tanks, i have never experienced this in my tanks, also once a month I water test and my KH is perfect, every time I top up the tank I add aquarium salt.

OTS is found in badly kept aquariums...... Not mine.

You are adding water though, when you top up the tank. and other thing, like salt (as you mention.) The water itself is not void of any and everything not H2O, unless you are using strictly RO water and not adding any minerals to the tank. The minerals that are added during these top ups never leave the tank, if you never take any water out, as they don't evaporate with the water.