If you had a planted tank without fish (for instance, if you wanted plants to establish and root well before adding the fish), would you still do water changes? If not, would you decrease ferts since they aren't being removed via pwc?
Planted tank without fish?
- Thread starter kimmisc
- Start date
Plecosterone
We don't need no stinking badges!
I personally do water changes for my fish AND my plants. I do not add phosphate when fertilizing because if I do algae occurs. I have enough in my water supply to give the plants enough. You would actually have to add more nitrate because the fish are not producing it. I do not do water changes to reduce nitrate because my plants use so much that I ADD nitrate as most heavily planted tank owners do. Any other nutrients would have to be monitored, as every tank (plants, amount of plants, substrate, lighting and other variables) is different.
there are traces in the water that a water change will replace. i would make sure it has a power head too. doesnt have to be large water changes 10% would be fine.
What type of plants are you planting? If its carpet type you could just fill the tank enough to have the water an inch or 2 over the tops and just add water each week to keep the level above the plants. This will add the traces needed, help the plants root and dilute the ferts if used to safe levels.
If you are talking taller plants then I agree with Mg that a power head and 10% water changes would be sufficient since there are no fish. You'll just have to experiment with the dosing amount to see what the plants are using with the minimal pwcs. You don't want to have high levels of ferts if the plants aren't using them.
If you are talking taller plants then I agree with Mg that a power head and 10% water changes would be sufficient since there are no fish. You'll just have to experiment with the dosing amount to see what the plants are using with the minimal pwcs. You don't want to have high levels of ferts if the plants aren't using them.
interesting...
I have just a plant tank,no fish,with flourite substrate,over 2 watts gallon,DIY CO2, small filter for water movement,dose Flourish and use root tabs.basically just a small growout tank.
What else should I be adding besides the Flourish ? I'm sure there's no nitrate or much of anything else in the tank.
I have just a plant tank,no fish,with flourite substrate,over 2 watts gallon,DIY CO2, small filter for water movement,dose Flourish and use root tabs.basically just a small growout tank.
What else should I be adding besides the Flourish ? I'm sure there's no nitrate or much of anything else in the tank.
I'm not sure what kinds of plants yet. I'm just pondering over the idea of keeping the fish out a while after I replant my 29g since I had trouble keeping things planted before... especially stem plants.
go for it. or maybe a shrimp tank.... see no fish but shrimp they are very active cool to watch. shrimp you would have to worry about them knocking the plants up.
Oh the fish would only be coming out temporarily, because meanwhile they'd be in my 30g which would be overstocked and I'd have to be doing pwc's probably like 50% 3 times a week while they're in it. I have already sworn I'll never buy anymore livebearers, but a fry here and there still manages to survive without being eaten. 
The population isn't small enough to be confined to a single tank yet. :\ Infact, the bulk of my fish population is female guppies.
The population isn't small enough to be confined to a single tank yet. :\ Infact, the bulk of my fish population is female guppies.