Strictly Plants

[benzjamin13]

Just curious about water changes. I set up a Fluval Edge with just strictly plants. Maybe I'll get a few shrimps later on.

Would I really need to do water changes with no live stock or even tiny stock such as shrimp? If I do decide to get shrimp, I think I may only get 6 or less.

 

[rockhoe14er]

shrimp have almost 0 bioload. If you don't have live stock and are not doing the EI dosing for you plants then i think you can go quite a while without water changes.

 

[WeedCali]

A tank with just plants would appreciate and probably benefit from a water change maybe once a month. what i do for my plant tank (emersed) is change out the water and replace it with water from my fishtank. the cycled water has a lot of beneficial nutrients for the plants too

 

[echoofformless]

I change the water in my tanks more for the benefit of my plants than for my fish.

Thus I recommend frequent water changes for all planted tanks. The plants always show increased vitality and growth in tanks where water changes are more frequent whereas the fish do just fine regardless of how long I take between changes in heavily planted tanks.

 

[tetranewbie]

It's also going to depend greatly on your algea growth without water changes...

 

[coach_z]

IMO, a lot depends on co2/ferts/water condition to begin with/lights/etc.

If no animals are in the tank, and you are adding ferts i think you would want to do a water change once every 2 weeks. If no ferts once every 2 months.