I have a metal stand and want to put some tanks on the bottom...but siphoning water on those is slow and boring...so I was thinking I should just toss in a ton of lucky bamboo 
If I keep nitrates at 0, how often do I need to do water changes?
- Thread starter Freezekougra
- Start date
So with the lucky bamboo do u just put it straight in the water or do u have a tube on it or are just the roots in the water? I'm very interested in this idea. Any Pics of ur set up?
That is a very hard question to answer and there are many factors involved. Many say that fish hormones and mineral depletion are also reasons for water changes.
There is no way to test for this plus i'm sure depends on tank size and what's in there. Can you set up a drip system?
There is no way to test for this plus i'm sure depends on tank size and what's in there. Can you set up a drip system?
Theory: If you want enough plants to reduce your WC's
1) your going to be limited on what species of fish you keep, and you will need a fairly small population of them.
2) propler lighting/substrate to allow the plants to grow and thus use up nitrogen at a rate fast enough to counter act your fishies NH3/4 production is going to cost some $$$
3) You have to trim the plants and still vac out all the junk they will eventually shed into your tank.
Reality: It will be much easier and cheaper to invest in some hoseing and a pump or a Python and just do regular WC's.
1) your going to be limited on what species of fish you keep, and you will need a fairly small population of them.
2) propler lighting/substrate to allow the plants to grow and thus use up nitrogen at a rate fast enough to counter act your fishies NH3/4 production is going to cost some $$$
3) You have to trim the plants and still vac out all the junk they will eventually shed into your tank.
Reality: It will be much easier and cheaper to invest in some hoseing and a pump or a Python and just do regular WC's.
LD50;4236191; said:
I'm not worried about NH3 production, I'm worried about long term N03 production. Even if I can prolong w/cs to 2 or 3 weeks without harming the fish...that saves A LOT of time. im not trying to make a self sustaining ecosystem, just trying to keep parameters at healthy levels for a few weeks. paying for lucky bamboo is not a problem...i have a ton at home and they're pretty cheap. and pythons are slow as heck if you're vaccing from the ground up to the sink
I would suggest water wisteria. I have half my tank packed with water wisteria, and I've been neglecting my tank for some time now, and I still have 0 nitrates. I dont have any special lights, co2, or anything at the moment, and its keeping everything at optimal conditions with no work.
I havn't had much exsperince with lucky bamboo but the ideal plant would grow fast to use up nutrients fast. Hornwort is a good one it does best if you let it float on top which blocks light, can be a bad thing. I've grown water wisteria, stuff grew like weeds!
If you could set up a sump and had plants in it, basically a refugium this would aloow for dense planting while still seeing your fish in the main display.
If you could set up a sump and had plants in it, basically a refugium this would aloow for dense planting while still seeing your fish in the main display.
Howdy,
nitrates are just one of many pollutants. If you really want to go thru with reduced water changes, then you should invest into a conductivity meter. It will tell you more than an NO3- test kit.
HarleyK
nitrates are just one of many pollutants. If you really want to go thru with reduced water changes, then you should invest into a conductivity meter. It will tell you more than an NO3- test kit.
HarleyK
just get a python and use that for your water changes. it hooks up to your tap and creates a venturi vaccum to easily suck out the water and gravel vaccum at the same time.
then you can do water changes on that tank and all your tanks much much easier and quicker.
getting almost zero nitrates is tough, it requires heavy healthy planting and very light stock usually with small fish.
I have seen setups like this with barely readable nitrate levels but its pretty rare.
most people will want fish in their tanks rather than mostly plants.
and as mentioned nitrates are only part of the picture.
get a python and keep up with the water changes with ease.
then you can do water changes on that tank and all your tanks much much easier and quicker.
getting almost zero nitrates is tough, it requires heavy healthy planting and very light stock usually with small fish.
I have seen setups like this with barely readable nitrate levels but its pretty rare.
most people will want fish in their tanks rather than mostly plants.
and as mentioned nitrates are only part of the picture.
get a python and keep up with the water changes with ease.
I've personally never had much luck using a python to suck water out of a tank -- maybe poor equipment or technique....If it was me, I would just invest in a cheap pump.
You could even think about using the bottom tank as a sump for the top tank, but still keep fish in the bottom -- sort of a "display sump". Then you could do 1 large water change for both tanks -- siphon out of the top, siphon into the bottom.
You could even think about using the bottom tank as a sump for the top tank, but still keep fish in the bottom -- sort of a "display sump". Then you could do 1 large water change for both tanks -- siphon out of the top, siphon into the bottom.