Hi. Could use suggestions re buying aquascaping tank(s)

[Jim P]

Hi Hopefully will meet everyone in Jan.

Many thanks to Jen for a great aquascaping demo at Cichlid Club!! I’m planning to get at least one 40 gal (36” x18 deep x 17 high) Petco tank for planted aquascaping. Any suggestions on kind of *moderately priced) filtration needed, given I’m hoping for a quiet, balanced tank not needing frequent water changes, and thinking (esthetically) maybe of two stacked 40s on a metal stand.

Would also appreciate a (decent, reasonably priced) lighting suggestion for a medium growth tank without C02.

Thanks Jim P

PS. An article decades ago in a respected fish journal said if you put a layer of glass filter material under an undergravel filter, the huge surface area plus plants would create a balanced tank, needing minimal water changes. My friend’s tank set up like that went a year between water changes without losing a fish. I know this is contrary to current frequent water change practices. Any reactions?

[Becca]

My reaction is that he may not have lost fish, but that doesn't mean the fish were happy or healthy. Depending on how you do plants, you might be able to get away with going a month or two between water changes in a lightly stocked tank.

I don't find 40 breeders to be ideal for planted aquariums because of the depth. It means you really need multiple lights to get good coverage throughout the tank. They're also taller than some of the alternatives. Some better options are: 33 long, standard 30 gallon, 20 long, 15 gallon (what Jen was working with on Saturday). The 40breeder is tall and deep, so you'll need extra lights.

[krisw]

I agree 100% with Becca on the water change philosophy. Maintenance is a must on any aquarium, and planted aquariums are no exception. In low light scenarios, you may be able to avoid some algae, but that doesn't mean your water is clean or good for the fish. However, the crux of the glass surface area theory is to provide lots of areas for beneficial bacteria to grow. This is a good thing, and can be achieved lots of different ways with proper filter media, lots of plants, porous hardscape, pumice under the substrate, etc...

In my experience, 40 breeders are actually great to grow plants in. My downside is the opposite of Becca's -- they're only 16" so tall stem plants need to be trimmed more frequently. But, a lot depends what you're looking to do, what types of plants you want to grow, etc...

Also, if you're looking to save a few bucks, I'm actually looking to sell a 40G on metal stand and 50G on DIY wood stand with some lights. (Same footprint, but 50G is taller). If interested, PM me.

[JLW]

It used to be an old adage to never change the water. This works great -- the fish slowly acclimate to deteriorating conditions, and because everything is consistently getting awful, they continue to survive. Then, of course, every time you try to add new fish, they die, but that's beside the point.

Yea, you can get used to some pretty nasty situations -- just grab a time machine and visit teenage me's bedroom (actually... don't. Seriously. So many better uses for that time machine). Fish can, too. That doesn't mean that they're healthy. What does fish in is inconsistency. Doing big water changes on a tank with poor conditions, using water that's really different from the tank, or -- for that matter -- doing a water change on a tank where the plants have successfully used up significant amounts of nitrate and phosphate, but your tap has 250 mg/L nitrate ....

[Jim P]

Thanks folks, Not saying I'm not going to change water. And it's going to be pretty easy with the new Python etc tubing systems. Wisdom about water has apparently changed since aeons ago when I last had fish, or perhaps I've just forgotten. It's fun seeing all the new technology - like the cycling bacteria in a bottle!

[JLW]

Cycling bacteria in a bottle is, and always has been, snake oil. The vast majority of these bacterial cultures are Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria. These are bacteria well known for breaking down waste in the "Nitrogen Cycle" in soils, and are readily cultureable. They occur in our filters, and since they culture well, they're what has traditionally been detected in the filters. You do a swab of a filter, culture it, and you'll find these guys... but, as it turns out, that's because they're easy to culture, not because they're there in huge numbers. Using RNA tags, we've identified the bacteria responsible in aquariums; they're a mixed bag, of course, but Nitrospira appear to be more responsible than the former. Unfortunately, Nitrospira are relatively difficult to culture. Most "bacteria in a bottle" mixes contain Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter (if anything).

Even when present in the original mix, a bottle of bacteria is a bottle of living things. They're usually handled pretty poorly. Packed in boxes, on a truck, off to a warehouse, distributor, heated, cooled, yuck. The bottle contains no additional oxygen, no additional food. By the time you get it, you're likely getting murky water. Nitrospira are sensitive.

Want to cycle your tank fast? Go buy a plain sponge filter -- preferably a Hydro Sponge brand (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=23702). Bring it to me. I'll trade you it for one of my filthy ones. Take the sponge home -- treat it like a fish -- and squeeze the bejebus out of it into your tank. The tank will get dirty, cloudy, ick, what did you just do?

An hour later, it's clear and cycled.

[krisw]

Want to cycle your tank fast? Go buy a plain sponge filter -- preferably a Hydro Sponge brand (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=23702). Bring it to me. I'll trade you it for one of my filthy ones. Take the sponge home -- treat it like a fish -- and squeeze the bejebus out of it into your tank. The tank will get dirty, cloudy, ick, what did you just do?

An hour later, it's clear and cycled.

Josh, I think you just offered to be a fecal transplant donor.

[scientist0724]

Josh, I think you just offered to be a fecal transplant donor.

Bwahahahaha!!!

Arlene