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Post by jakester42 on Jul 18, 2014 0:32:24 GMT -5
I have read all of the articles on american aquarium products and understood some of it but I still have many a lot of specific questions and I need help to make it so I don't have to do water changes (except when I come home from college) because when I go off to college my dad won't be able to do them as regular as I do which is weekly or if possible I could make it so I never have to do one at all. I am trying to make my tank a high-tech Walstad tank using mineralized top soil to lower organics (The plants will have everything in the soil they need besides occasional dosing of K). I have a 46 gallon aquarium with mineralized top soil capped by Peace River gravel, lots of plants, a pressurized CO2 system and a Finnex ray 2 on top of it. I am going to get one of your fluidized bed filters (Model #600 Filter) which I will maintain my bio load which is three small angels, at least for now, 6 Cory's, 8 Celebes Rainbows, 8 Cardinal Tetras, a German Ram, and a High-Fin Veil Tail Swordtail. So that handles the nitrates. will I have to add Nitrogen because of the efficiency of this filter? I am thinking of getting the Vecton-2 to use with the FSB to help with redox and what not. I need to know how often I need to maintenance the system and how do I do that.
Now onto maintaining water parameters (chemistry and redox). My tap water has a PH of 7.8, my GH is between 100-200 (8 drops) and my KH is between 50-100 (5 drops) but as I said I will not be able to do water changes for long periods of time so I need help using what they sell to do this. So first of all what do I need to add to my water right after or during a water change to my aquarium, besides de-chlorinator obviously. Seachem Alkaline buffer and acid buffer, correct? So how much of each of those considering my tap water? Now for maintaining the water parameters between the long periods between water changes I know I need a constant source in the aquarium for minerals and KH buffer and acid buffer and maintaining good redox. Minerals, GH, and Redox will be maintained with wonder shells and Seachem Replenish but I do not know how much of a “super-size” shell I need considering soft water fish and the added CO2 and when I need to put them in or take them out and I do not know how often to add Replenish or if I should put it on a drip but I don’t know how to make that slow enough to last long periods. I know that this will also help with redox on top of the above mentioned UVC Sterilizer. Is that all that is needed? I will have my dad test redox with methylene blue. How often should he do that? I have driftwood in my aquarium but most of the tannins have been boiled out so I plan on adding frog moss or peat moss in the filter for an acid buffer but I do not know how much Seachem Alkaline Buffer I need to add with that because I do not know how much peat or frog moss to add either. So where will that sweet spot be for both buffers considering the added CO2, and soft water fish? Should I just have my dad add the Seachem buffers regularly? How often? Now I need most of these same questions answered for a 20 gallon tank that has endler’s livebearers and tons of fry in it. However I am sticking with two hang on back filters with intakes covered by nylon and media baskets full of polyester filling and biomax. The tank does not have as high as lights or CO2, so I would like mainly questions regarding maintaining water parameters re-answered for this tank. If I need to do water changes still, how often would that be for both tanks because I am sure I can get my dad to do a few if I really need them? What could I be fine without? if I did water changes less often and how much time would be between water changes. I know approaching this with a minimalist approach is a not going to work out that well but I am a just a college kid who got extremely attached to this awesome hobby. Also, to maintain all of this what should I have my dad test for and when? I know this is a lot to ask but I want to learn and master this hobby and I could really use everyones help doing it. Thank you.
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Post by Carl on Jul 18, 2014 10:04:21 GMT -5
Jakester; Welcome to Everything Aquatic! Could you please ask one specific question at a time. This is one long paragraph that has many loaded questions (many which are answered in my articles, but we can expand on these here if needed). This will allow myself and others make a readable thread that others (including search engines) follow so that your questions might help others that read this thread. I will start with this part of your one very long question that is a more close fit to the subject you posted: You likely will not need much of either buffer if using tap water (these are needed more for RO or DI water), but this will depend upon your water parameters as your aquarium ages. There is most definitely NO one size fits all answer when it comes to aquarium water chemistry From the "Aquarium Chemistry Article" "Always know your water source Buffering Capacity; Alkalinity (KH) prior to addition to your aquarium.
For instance if your tap or well water has a KH of 200 and your desire is to maintain a KH of 200; NO ADDITIONAL KH buffer is needed at the time of water addition/change. However with this same aquarium situation, if the KH drops between water changes, maintenance amounts of Buffers will need to be added (the amount is something you will need to determine via "trial & error" based on aquarium size and depletion rate)."Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumKH.htmlReplenish is best used for immediate addition to RO or DI water prior to introduction to the aquarium. As a drip, it needs to be set up to add a dose as suggested on the bottle over a weeks time My preference for mineral Cation maintenance is a AAP Wonder Shell. For your size tank, set up as a heavily planted aquarium, I would suggest starting with a 1/2 Medium Wonder Shell (likely once every two weeks) Carl |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 18, 2014 17:56:06 GMT -5
There is a lot of questions that are asked in here, so it would be easier to break the thread up even more into more specific questions. Asking question specific to the articles that you read would be great and opening a new thread for each would be easiest. Weekly water changes…No water changes at all The sweet spot for water changes is 4-6 weeks. Even having the best filtration, this should be the time before you want to vacuum the debris out of the aquarium. Doing weekly water changes is actually to much and if you have the proper filtration set up, you shouldn’t have to. Never doing a water change is not too realistic. will I have to add Nitrogen because of the efficiency of this filter It’s not really the filters that take the Nitrogen out of the tank, it’s because the plants use it. I have a bit different set-up than you. I dose liquid Co2 daily (SeaChem Excel) and use aquarium fertilizers (SeaCheam Flourish) like every 4 days. This replenishes the Nitrogen in the right amount. So first of all what do I need to add to my water right after or during a water change to my aquarium, besides de-chlorinator obviously….Seachem Alkaline buffer and acid buffer, correct? With your water parameters, you might be able to get away with not having to use too much buffers. Using the driftwood, along with the Frog Moss, this is lower the pH a little bit. Anywhere between 6.8-7-5 is good. Focusing on KH to prevent the pH from swing is more important. Take a look at the article that Carl provided and that will tell you what you need to do. wonder shells and Seachem Replenish…put them in or take them out… I do not know how much of a “super-size” shell I need considering soft water fish and the added CO2 You don’t use Replenish unless you are using an RO machine, which your not. I would suggest a half or whole super Wonder Shell. These dissolve slowly and will have to be replaced maybe once or twice a month. I will have my dad test redox with methylene blue You really don’t need to worry about this. If you follow the direction Carl has in his article (and what we’re saying here), with a UV sterilizer, you will know the Redox is good. have driftwood in my aquarium but most of the tannins have been boiled out Depending on what type of driftwood you have, it should leak tannins out slowly, so it shouldn’t have lost all the tannins out during the boiling process. This is more for cleaning the wood of parasites. I think this about covers it. Take a look at the resource provided and if you have any additional specific questions, let us know in a new thread. Welcome btw. What are you studying in college? |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 18, 2014 18:00:24 GMT -5
 An official welcome  |
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 19, 2014 1:06:56 GMT -5
For instance if your tap or well water has a KH of 200 and your desire is to maintain a KH of 200; NO ADDITIONAL KH buffer is needed at the time of water addition/change. However with this same aquarium situation, if the KH drops between water changes, maintenance amounts of Buffers will need to be added (the amount is something you will need to determine via "trial & error" based on aquarium size and depletion rate)."
What will cause KH buffer to fall? Ik the acid buffer will be continuous but what about the alkalinity buffer? Too much tannins from frog moss and driftwood? Is there anything to counteract the acid buffers to keep the KH buffer steady? Wonder Shells maybe? With a held fast KH buffer on each end, and an added 1/2 wonder shell to keep the GH above 100 ppm every two weeks or when needed, and with Nitrates handled by the FSB and plants, and the UV Sterilizer helping with redox and sterilization, and the plants having everything they need in the soil besides some occasional dosing of K (http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/library/52554-how-mineralized-soil-substrate-aaron-talbot.html) with high lights and pressurized CO2 maintained at 30ppm (). Can I make this aquarium so the only maintenance I have to do is feed the fish, dose K, add 1/2 a wonder shell, and pull out anything dead or dying (and add alkalinity buffer or whatever is needed to maintain an alkalinity buffer). Heck, I could even put an automatic feeder on it. (While still veggie clipping an occasional cucumber or celery stick to the wall and harvesting some white worms to feed when they are primed for a balanced diet.)
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 19, 2014 1:13:17 GMT -5
Oh and trimmings of course.
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 19, 2014 1:20:58 GMT -5
I am also sorry about all the questions being in one place. I just feel as if I could be on the verge of creating a minimalist aquarium, that at the same time is very complex, and I am getting excited lol.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 19, 2014 13:07:58 GMT -5
It takes a lot of primary work to make an aquarium almost hands off. More work has to be done while the plants are maturing too. Nitrates not used by the plant will be in excess and could cause other issues like algae. The hope is that the filter will remove Nitrates, but if not, this is when water changes will be needed. Is the sand filter going to be the only filtration? I would make sure there is a prefilter on the pump that is operating this filter. This two will need to be cleaned about every two weeks. Just raising it and replacing it when it has to much build up on it. Volcanic rock around the pump is also an option. If you don't there will be a build up in your sand filter and it will not function like it should and not doing much of any filtration. The only thing that can make KH fall is Acid producing buffers or if your bio-load gets to high. I'm thinking you do not need to use much buffers though based on your water readings and if you have great filtration. Once the plants grow bigger, there will also consume more Nitrates, which will leave less work for the filters. Here's a chemistry basics article that can go into more detail about this. It should help to understand more. I'm thinking your water would be ok though, unless there is poor filtration and a high amount of natural acid producers. www.fishbeginner.info/home/aquarium-gh-kh-ph-chemistry-what-to-know/I know that you are trying really hard to make this aquarium as hands off as possible, it is still comes down to that it take time for an aquarium to mature to really know what the parameters will be. Things will shift as the plants grow and the fish-load goes up. You will have to really dial in a lot to get the aquarium to be hands off, even then there will still be work that needs to be down. Like replacing water that evaporates off is one example. You can get a auto top off to resolve this issue, but like I'm saying it takes a while to get every aspect dialed in. Your dad might become more of an expert doing the hands on work. Start with great filtration and see what your parameters are. If you every want to provide some pictures to know what we are working with, that would be great. Let us know if you have any questions about that article I provided. |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 19, 2014 14:31:25 GMT -5
You wrote in an email to AAP. I wanted to make sure my response I wrote in an email is on this thread as well. the only thing I am having trouble with is understanding KH which the forums are helping with! Yes, KH is a little more complicated to understand. It's just trying to get a balance between the acid buffers and the alkaline buffers, with focusing on keeping the alkaline buffers (KH) at a certain level. Keeping a higher KH prevents pH swings and the more acid producing things that can be in the tank (bio-load, driftwood, peat-moss). With your readings now, you shouldn't have too much of a problem, unless you start to have a high bio-load due to poor filtration. If you are going long periods of time between water changes, you need good filtration to keep the Nitrogen Cycle in the tank going to have the bio-load (acid producing) as low as possible. The sand filter with a pre-filter (filter max or volcanic rock) would do the trick. If you are trying to go longer between water chances, the volcanic rock and hold more bio-load and would have to be cleaned less often. The filter max pre-filter would need to be cleaned every could weeks. The more volcanic rock, the longer time you can go. Make sure to take a look at the article I provided in the last post. |
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 19, 2014 23:12:07 GMT -5
I was going to get the SunSun HJ-1542 so the sponge catches smaller stuff for the most part and then the bigger stuff i will have my dad take out manually. I dont want to put volcanic rock in because it could take away from the aquascape but if you think the filter max would be better with the RIO 1100 then the SunSun let me know but I like the sun sun because I can suction it to the wall behind some plants and the sponge is included. Alright so low Nitrates and my KH should be fine because my plants and the filter. And 1/2 of what size wonder shell by the way? Also how long after a water change should I add it? Once GH is falling?
Now what about for the Endler Livebearer tank. How much of which Wonder Shell and what size wonder shell and how often and how long after a water change. Filtration should be fine but Nitrates will most likely be a problem so at what ppm should I do a water change and how much buffer should i add to the water to get the higher KH they need. I will not be doing any CO2 either because all I have is myrio in there which basically is a weed but I have an Odyssea 30" 6500K which might be considered higher light.... should I throw some duck weed in there?
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 21, 2014 9:30:36 GMT -5
I was going to get the SunSun HJ-1542 so the sponge catches smaller stuff for the most part and then the bigger stuff i will have my dad take out manually. I dont want to put volcanic rock in because it could take away from the aquascape but if you think the filter max would be better with the RIO 1100 then the SunSun let me know but I like the sun sun because I can suction it to the wall behind some plants and the sponge is included. Alright so low Nitrates and my KH should be fine because my plants and the filter. And 1/2 of what size wonder shell by the way? Also how long after a water change should I add it? Once GH is falling? Now what about for the Endler Livebearer tank. How much of which Wonder Shell and what size wonder shell and how often and how long after a water change. Filtration should be fine but Nitrates will most likely be a problem so at what ppm should I do a water change and how much buffer should i add to the water to get the higher KH they need. I will not be doing any CO2 either because all I have is myrio in there which basically is a weed but I have an Odyssea 30" 6500K which might be considered higher light.... should I throw some duck weed in there? I would say the pre-filter on the 1542 is not enough for any high bio-load tank. There is another conversion going on in this forum where someone is having to cover the 1542 with volcanic rock, cause the pre-filter just can't handle the bio-load. I would say have that 1542 with the filter and still add volcanic rock. You can choose to do the Rio with the pre-filter. It will just need to me cleaned more regularly than a bunch of volcanic rock. Ya, just half is all you need since your water is really in the zone. Make sure to check GH after a water change to see where its at. I would just add the half after a water change, don't wait for it to be depleted. Small wonder shell for the 20 gal. The ppm should stay under 40 ppm, but lower is better. If they get higher, you can do a water change. You can also try to help with more filtration. Volcanic rock is another option here, even though I know you said you don't want it to mess with the aquascape. I found that I rather look at the V rock than the pump. It doesn't look that bad. More plants would use up the Nitrates, so that's not a bad option. I would add the buffer according to the instructions and then test to see how the water reacted. You'll know how much to add each time afterwards. |
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Post by Carl on Jul 21, 2014 10:53:08 GMT -5
Here is a snip from our Nitrogen Cycle Article: "Further pH/Nitrification Information:
During the nitrification process carbonates are used by the aquarium or pond to counter acids produced during nitrification (or other organic breakdown), however without an adequate KH (even for Amazon River Fish such as Discus or German Rams), subtle or even sudden changes in pH can occur that affects the nitrogen cycle"Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.htmlFrom the Chemistry Article, pH Section: "Please note that Natural Buffers such as Peat, Driftwood, Pillow Moss, etc. generally lower pH via a slow release of acids such as Tannins.
If your carbonates are high (KH) your pH will remain high until a slow balance is reached"Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumKH.html#phThe point is that natural acid production is part of the bio process and the addition of high tannin products such as FRog/Pillow Moss can add to this process. From the Wonder Shell Page: "For maintaining a higher pH or KH Wonder Shells should be combined with baking soda or better; Sea Chem Buffers (or similar).
Please note that Wonder Shells do NOT generally raise KH or pH (despite some incorrect claims by Weco and other websites that have not used these AAP Wonder Shells properly), they more aid in maintenance of these parameters by neutralizing harmful acids that result from organic decomposition."Carbonates primarily buffer pH up, Wonder Shells have very little carbonates, so any buffering would be from a more complicated chemical reaction with the calcium (similar tot a calcium reactor in marine aquariums) Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/MedicatedWonderShell.htmlIn a closed system, which ANY aquarium is, you will still need to make at least some water changes to remove organic mulm that will buildup. Dosing Potassium (K) is not always necessary if Flourish, Wonder Shells, (both have potassium) along with water changes are provided, but this is another example of there is "no one size fits all" answer. Carl |
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 21, 2014 18:31:20 GMT -5
Doesn't the FSB handle the bioload? I thought the prefilter is just to keep stuff out of the FSB. How will I know when I need to take care of the organic mulm because I know it will be a problem at first but once the plants mature and start taking over my tank won't they take care of it? And I know I have to remove dead stuff but I will have a carpet of glossostigma going so I wont be able to see the mulm or be able to clean it really until the glosso has grown in and has strong roots so I can press the vacuum against them enough that they wont uproot.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 21, 2014 19:39:04 GMT -5
Doesn't the FSB handle the bioload? I thought the prefilter is just to keep stuff out of the FSB. How will I know when I need to take care of the organic mulm because I know it will be a problem at first but once the plants mature and start taking over my tank won't they take care of it? And I know I have to remove dead stuff but I will have a carpet of glossostigma going so I wont be able to see the mulm or be able to clean it really until the glosso has grown in and has strong roots so I can press the vacuum against them enough that they wont uproot. The sand filter handles a high bio-load of the small good build-up, but you really want to try and get the larger debris out of the build. The large stuff will build up and clog the filter. The filter will either be clogged of the debris in the filter will be to heavy to fluidizes. If it can fluidize, it can't gather a large source of good bacteria to remove nitrates. The pre-filter keeps all the big stuff out and the nitrogen cycle in the tank will break it down to be collected in the pre-filter and through the filter. Burying the pump in v rock is the best. Even with large plants, this could still be a problem. |
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Post by Ameenah on Jul 22, 2014 0:24:26 GMT -5
No matter which. Filtration System(s) you use, those filters need to be cleaned regularly as do pre-filters. I have been working with my Big Tank for months and still am needing to find ways to get the systems up to optimal function. This includes my FSB Filter with 1542 that I am now needing to cover with bags of volcanic rock to pre filter. This is to "catch & destroy" mulm before it gets to the sponge on the 1542 so that my FSB Filter (V-1000) will be able to function better.
I am also preparing to go to my other home - on the other side of the planet - for a few months and have learned in the past that you can show well-meaning people how to maintain tanks but they will fail. This has happened with 2 different house sitters in the past who did not have tank experience. I highly recommend that you find an aquarium service in your area and have them come in while you are still home - to get to know you and your tank Then just set up a schedule for them to come service your tank while you are away. Of course your father would set the appointments and be there while the tank is being serviced. Plus if your fish come down with illness (or babies) your father can have the service come in an extra time. This will give you greater peace of mind for sure.
It is great to learn about tanks, but the more you learn - the more questions you will have. This Forum is so wonderful for sharing of knowledge - it greatly accelerates learning. I hope you will still take part in this forum while you are away at school. Imagine what a plethora of knowledge you will have gained which you will be able to put in practice when you are with your tank.
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 22, 2014 3:46:58 GMT -5
A picture of the tank we are working with is attached. More plants are on the way but for the most part the bottom will be carpeted besides places that i will feed and others for the corys to graze. I am thinking the filter max with rio is best but how deep in the tank could I place the pump? I will be adding a powerhead possibly two for surface agitation so I can maximize my CO2 input and keep O2 levels steady. Organic mulm will be handled by plants and I when I come home and do a water change i will syphon the carpet slightly. I will not be doing any CO2 for the 20 because all I have is myrio in there which basically is a weed but I have an Odyssea 30" 6500K which might be considered higher light.... should I throw some duck weed in there? Is the UV sterilizer actually necessary if my water quality is taken care of by the other stuff. I know disease could be an issue without one but if the water is well maintained I would be fine right besides on the off chance sometimes? Wonder Shell dosing schedule. 20 gallon: One small shell every two weeks. (Correct?) 46 gallon: Half of medium shell every two weeks (Correct?) Then this is a checklist I have compiled (am I missing anything?) Dad Checklist Wash Hands without soup before anything Feed fish only as much as they eat in 1 minute (they don't need to be fed everyday but if you go a long time without feeding them, feed them twice that day.) Feed Variety Algae Wafers (be sure to remove what remains) New Life spectrum White worms Spirulina loaded brine shrimp Veggie Clip Cucumber to side of aquarium every so often Send weekly picture of tank to me FaceTime me for doing trimmings Algae? Tell me when I call unless it is out of control then call immediately Are plants healthy? (holes, yellowing) If not, add a dose of K Then, root tabs Test GH, KH, and Nitrates weekly 46 gallon should read: KH of 80-120 GH of 100-300 *might be unreliable because ions have been used Nitrates 0-30 20 gallon should read: KH of 100-160 GH of 200-500* Nitrates 0-30 If GH is under 100 in 46 or 200 in 20 or nitrates are over 30 in either, call me. White Worms Feed whole wheat bread covered in plain chobani and sprinkled with yeast. Replace food when it has all been eaten Remove food if mold has grown on it Place metal mesh on top for best harvesting When feeding be sure to wash in two cups of drinking water removing all food and soil from them Save as many worms as possible when removing food When worm are covering walls of container it means the soil is finished or you wet it too much you can harvest the worms now but you need to save a chunk of them to start a new batch after replacing dirt and making it decently moist. Replace UV bulb on And notify me when you have done this because you will most likely be out of wonder shells. Check thermometer 79* for 46 gallon 82* for 20 gallon If lower then these temps then notify me and get backup heater from unuses 10 gallon and toss it in If there is a power outage immediately hook up battery powered air pumps and turn on (Be sure to make sure they don't run out of D batteries) Check CO2 canister levels make sure CO2 is coming out of reactor Attachments:
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 22, 2014 3:50:12 GMT -5
soap*
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 22, 2014 9:06:56 GMT -5
No matter which. Filtration System(s) you use, those filters need to be cleaned regularly as do pre-filters. I have been working with my Big Tank for months and still am needing to find ways to get the systems up to optimal function. This includes my FSB Filter with 1542 that I am now needing to cover with bags of volcanic rock to pre filter. This is to "catch & destroy" mulm before it gets to the sponge on the 1542 so that my FSB Filter (V-1000) will be able to function better. I am also preparing to go to my other home - on the other side of the planet - for a few months and have learned in the past that you can show well-meaning people how to maintain tanks but they will fail. This has happened with 2 different house sitters in the past who did not have tank experience. I highly recommend that you find an aquarium service in your area and have them come in while you are still home - to get to know you and your tank Then just set up a schedule for them to come service your tank while you are away. Of course your father would set the appointments and be there while the tank is being serviced. Plus if your fish come down with illness (or babies) your father can have the service come in an extra time. This will give you greater peace of mind for sure. It is great to learn about tanks, but the more you learn - the more questions you will have. This Forum is so wonderful for sharing of knowledge - it greatly accelerates learning. I hope you will still take part in this forum while you are away at school. Imagine what a plethora of knowledge you will have gained which you will be able to put in practice when you are with your tank. ^^+1 I second this post. All of it. To have a high tech tank, it's the interest and the experience that make it successful. There is a lot to learn and a lot to dial in. |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 22, 2014 9:17:43 GMT -5
Before I make any suggestion about the check list. Is your dad even into fish keeping? This is a lot of work for someone that might not take interest in it.
There are the basic fish keepers that just put fish in a tank and don't think much more about it. Then there are advanced keepers that put a lot more effort into it. On top of that, you are doing plant keeping which is its own thing.
I have to think about dosing each day, feeding twice a day, wafer at night, check filter flows, health of the fish, health of the plants...each day, then this doesn't even count the water changes, vacuum...on and one I need a do for regular maintenance. I'm just saying, if your dad is not into it, he could get burnt out and your aquarium may not turn out like you are thinking.
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Post by jakester42 on Jul 22, 2014 11:44:02 GMT -5
He has a 1500 gallon koi pond that he has managed for 7 years. He is also in love with my aquarium because he finds the fact that I can keep an ecosystem in a glass box amazing and is fully ready to take on my tanks. I will be teaching him why he is doing everything he does and he is up to it. But honestly I will be calling home 1-2 times a week to talk to my family anyway and I can have him Facetime me and look over the tank myself. The tank does not need to be perfect and he is not doing that much in all honesty, just making sure things run semi-smoothly until I get home to tweak everything to perfection. I know the ethics, I need help with the science.
I am thinking the filter max with rio is best but how deep in the tank could I place the pump?
I will not be doing any CO2 for the 20 because all I have is myrio in there which basically is a weed but I have an Odyssea 30" 6500K which might be considered higher light.... should I throw some duck weed in there?
Is the UV sterilizer actually necessary if my water quality is taken care of by the other stuff. I know disease could be an issue without one but if the water is well maintained I would be fine right besides on the off chance?
Things I will add to list:
Wonder Shell dosing schedule.
20 gallon: One small shell every two weeks. (Correct?)
46 gallon: Half of medium shell every two weeks (Correct?)
Clean filter sponge off every two weeks
How is filter flow?
if low, clean filter sponge
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