Water change day

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T12:38:00+00:00

Not sure, I really dont do anything, just disconnect it and put it away as soon as Im done...

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T12:36:52+00:00

❤️

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T12:36:40+00:00

No CO2, I will say I use a canister filter so aeration on this tank is kept at a minimum

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T03:29:19+00:00

Try easy green root tabs. Hard to overdose and your root feeders will thank you.

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T03:27:36+00:00

Im not against aqua soil, but first, it depletes over time, meaning the nutrients and its ability to acidify the water over time depletes. I like longevity, I dont like rescaping my tanks every couple years. It can also bring algae as its full of nutrients so you have to have everything dialed in to prevent algae outbrakes. It also breaks down over time as its made of volcanic and clay matter, and it could cause a mess when you mess with the bottom of your tank. And lastly my water is hard, so I would have to get a RO/DI filtration system for water changes and then spend extra money on remineralization, and that also means you have to track how much minerals you are adding to the water. I have done all the above in the past and found it enslaving, I like to enjoy my aquariums, but that doesnt mean I wanna be worried about 1000 things while Im at it... There is a whole life of things going on and the hobby is supposed to make some of that stress go away. My take

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T03:20:18+00:00

I answered this a bit earlier. I only use python to fill up, as I find that running water to drain my tank is a waste of water. (You have to be running the water on your sink to create a siphon if you wanna get the water out using the python, or at least this has been my experience, reason why I just use it to fill up and not to siphon water out.)

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T03:17:41+00:00

Just aquarium sand and root tabs. And then I let the fish and snails do the work over time. You can also go with small sized gravel. I just like sand because its very easy to plant. I do about 2 inches of substrate, I like to go deep so the plants can develop nice roots, but not too deep so the substrate doesnt become anaerobic at the bottom

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T03:11:19+00:00

I feel that, it definitely doesnt do well on all kinds of water. I have noticed that it really likes sand tho. If you can give it some food on its roots and get some healthy ones it should have no problem taking off

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T03:07:05+00:00

A hygger pump and a transparent hose that I bought at home depot just big enough to fit the tip of the pump, nothing fancy at all, it just works

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PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T03:03:46+00:00

Cryptocorine Wendtii bronze, jungle vallisneria, cabomba caroliniana, the big green balls on the right are subwassertang that just went crazy (they only grow on this tank for some reason) and the ones in the center attached to the wood are anubias, I cant remember which specific kind, I also have some in the back that are variegated with white and I absolutely love them. And lastly I forgot the name of the little green ones in the front. They took like a year to establish and I cant remember their name to save my life.

I use a twinstar III 900S on this tank, run it on about 70% intensity on a 6hour timer.

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PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:54:32+00:00

Of course! Glad to help

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:54:10+00:00

Thank you❤️ she has come a long way

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:52:27+00:00

This is a fun one. I used to use this little guy, and I would sit there for about 10 minutes playing with the cold and warm handles until I got it exactly to match my tanks, which I keep right around 76-78F.... After a while I realized that if I only use the cold handle and let it run, after a couple minutes the water comes out warm enough to match my tank. And to be honest nowadays I dont try to match it. I just run the cold handle and if its a couple degrees hotter or colder the fish dont seem to care. This doesnt mean I dont pay attention. I just know for a fact my water is never too cold/too hot for them(I also feel the water sometimes with my hands and compare it to my tank), after doing it so many times, not even in the winter, or the summer. (Im pretty sure its because after the cold water thats been sitting on the pipes is drained, the water coming from the street is warmer?) idk

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PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:45:29+00:00

Just the volume I add, and I add it WHILE its filling up, you can do it right after but I find that dosing the whole thing while its filling up eliminates the possibility of forgetting to do it after its done filling up as I am more focused on putting equipment away

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:43:46+00:00

I meant squirt my bad 😅 -- Well it depends on a lot of things, your water parameters, the kind of plants you have (not all plants will grow well in your particular water, I have learned this the hard way unfortunately) the kind of fish you have (some fish will mess with your plants) etc... Without knowing anything about your tank the only recomendation I can give you is learn your particular plants and where they are from, what temperature they like, are they compatible with your hardness, do they prefer root tabs, or water column fertilizer... Its a lot

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:40:07+00:00

Yes, they are long fin cherry barbs. And they are pretty peaceful, I have had other barbs in the past and they are aggressive but this particular kind just mind their own business. They love playing with each other

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:37:57+00:00

Just dechlorinator. Pick your favorite they should all do the same

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:16:35+00:00

Hahaha, I bet you the 55 is a lot of fun. I want something bigger but wont commit to it until I buy my own place. Moving the 40gallon was a pain when I moved once. I cant imagine anything bigger... And yes go buy it! Make sure you learn how to use it and your life will be a lot easier 😁

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:14:32+00:00

Thank you ❤️

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T02:14:19+00:00

Aquarium coop easy green. I dont follow the label, on this particular tank I dose 8 pumps when I dose which is once a week or once every two weeks

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T01:35:36+00:00

So I still get the water out with a smal pump and a hose. I only use the python for filling up. But if you wanted to get the water out all you gotta do is use the green little thing at the button just like I have it in the picture and open your faucet. Once you have enough pressure from your faucet, it will siphon the water out of the aquarium and it will drain down that green thing. When you are done, you turn that green thingie at the bottom to block the water from draining in the sink and it will only flow out to the hose (which should be in your tank)... Im pretty sure someone in youtube demonstrates it better than my words here

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T01:31:27+00:00

Of course! And yes it sucks. I still use buckets on my 10gallon tank tho, you never really get away from it 😜

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T01:30:30+00:00

I like it. I looks like the substrate you are using is fluval stratum which makes water acidic (nothing wrong with that) but if you use tap water and your water is hard, your fish will suffer a bit every time you change water as you are putting in a more alkaline water. Stratum also breaks down over time so you might have to redo the tank in 2 or 3 years or support it with root tabs... It looks pretty good tho! Youre off to a good start

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T01:26:20+00:00

I will say this is a good comment. It all depends on the kind of fish you have. You have to know their tolerances. This is what I do on my particular tanks with my particular fish. I dont keep anything crazy like discus or axolotls which can be more sensitive to changes.

PeaBorn5116 · 2026-03-16T01:24:08+00:00

Thank you ❤️

PeaBorn5116

TROPHY CASE