Getting back into the native game...
#1 Guest_NativeLover_*
Posted 13 April 2013 - 07:26 PM
I get confused on the salt issue. Do you all only salt when you suspect an infection or parasite? In other words, you only use it as a medication? Or do you all ALWAYS keep salt in the tank as a prevention measure and in helping keep the fish healthy? Is it a good idea to always keep salt in the tank? I believe I did in the past and the fish seemed to be ok. Though from what I understand madtoms/catfish can't tolerate salt that well. Also, I remember it killing my plants, but again, my fish seemed to be very hardy because of it.
I'm also planning on doing a 5% daily water change, 20% every week, and 50% every month. Does that sound like a good cleaning regimen?
I'm not completely new. I did used to raise them in the past but I've been out for so long I needed some tips from you all again. I hope my tank is a success.
#2 Guest_jakemyster44_*
Posted 13 April 2013 - 07:55 PM
-Jake
#3 Guest_EricaWieser_*
Posted 13 April 2013 - 09:28 PM
5% daily sounds extremely unrealistic. 20% weekly is what most people do. If you've got a planted tank where ammonia is always 0 ppm and nitrate never accumulates above 20 ppm, 50% monthly would work. An unplanted heavily fed tank would have issues with 50% monthly. Nitrate might rise above 30 ppm.I'm also planning on doing a 5% daily water change, 20% every week, and 50% every month. Does that sound like a good cleaning regimen?
Personally I measure my water and let that determine if it's time for a water change. Ideally, ammonia should be 0 ppm and nitrate should be above 0 ppm but below, eh, 30 ppm (depends on which fish you're keeping). If I were to find during the weekly water test that ammonia was 1 ppm or nitrate was 40 ppm, I'd do a water change. Other than that I do a water change every two months or so, because I have multiple plant species in the tank and the phenolic compounds released by certain species inhibit the growth of others if allowed to accumulate. Also the fish waste builds upon the bottom.
I personally don't add salt to my freshwater tanks, and my fish haven't been sick in years. Clean water (ammonia and nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate under 30 ppm) really goes a long way to keeping them healthy. I see no reason to pay for salt.
I posted a while back on a topic about reasons why plants are good. Here's a link if you want to read it: http://forum.nanfa.o...in-55-gal-tank/
Edited by EricaWieser, 13 April 2013 - 09:35 PM.
#4 Guest_jblaylock_*
Posted 13 April 2013 - 09:43 PM
Also,
http://www.nanfa.org...tion/2013.shtml
#5 Guest_NativeLover_*
Posted 13 April 2013 - 10:02 PM
And jblaylock if I get everything set up by the summer, I would definitely be interested in going out hunting. I used to raise South Red-bellied Dace and thought they were so beautiful. Would love to find some more.
#6
Posted 13 April 2013 - 10:18 PM
#7 Guest_EricaWieser_*
Posted 13 April 2013 - 10:57 PM
Here is a video of my 55 gallon aquarium, which has guppies and heterandria formosa. The substrate is kitty litter (pure clay, no clumping chemicals or fragrances added)
#8 Guest_NativeLover_*
Posted 14 April 2013 - 01:26 PM
#9 Guest_Yeahson421_*
Posted 14 April 2013 - 03:34 PM
#10 Guest_NativeLover_*
Posted 14 April 2013 - 04:09 PM
#11 Guest_Yeahson421_*
Posted 14 April 2013 - 04:21 PM
#12
Posted 14 April 2013 - 04:38 PM
And no, you will never really deplete the soil, you are adding fish waste and decomposing leftover food to it all the time.
#13 Guest_NativeLover_*
Posted 14 April 2013 - 05:01 PM
#14
Posted 14 April 2013 - 05:14 PM
#15 Guest_EricaWieser_*
Posted 14 April 2013 - 08:59 PM
You can feed the tank every day with fish flakes as if there were fish in it.What if I set my tank up with plants and didn't get fish for a while? Would the plants be ok without the fish for a while?
Yeahson421, can you post a picture of your capped soil substrate tank so NativeLover can see what it looks like?
#16 Guest_NativeLover_*
Posted 15 April 2013 - 09:06 PM
#17 Guest_EricaWieser_*
Posted 16 April 2013 - 06:26 PM
I like 100 lumens per gallon or so for about eight hours a day. More than that and algae grows very quickly.Thanks for everyone's help. This is mostly going to be a shiner/dace tank with maybe a couple madtoms thrown in. What kind of lighting should I use that's strong enough? Any particular recommendations? Thanks again!
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