[rfisher3]

Hello!

I am soon going to be transitioning my tank from dry start method to being flooded. I have monte carlo and S repens in there currently. I will be adding some more stem plants the day I flood. I read alot about quite a few water changes when you get a new planted tank. So one of my questions is

- How often should I do a water change on a new planted tank?

I was thinking maybe 3 times a week but that led me to my next question

- When should I add in my live bacteria?

I wouldn't wanna add bacteria in just to remove it later with a water change. I also heard that using some live bacteria you need to wait a day after adding a dechlorinater like prime.

Then my final question is

- Should I be adding my fertz right away?

Also I do have decent lighting and CO2.

If anyone would know how to remove air bubbles from aquasoil after a dry start please let me know. I cant do it like normal obviously because of the plants in the way.

I am using Fritz zyme 7 as live bacteria.
I am using Prime as my conditioner
I am using Thrive all in one as my fertz

Thanks for your help!

 

[Plinkploop]

Since you're using aquasoil you're going to want to change 50% everyday for the first week, every other day the second week, twice a week the third week and once a week thereafter (or monitor and adjust water changes based on accumulated nutrients in the tank).

Monitor your parameters and when you've bottomed out on nitrate that's when I normally start dosing frets, until then there's just too much of a risk (in my mind) of making the starter algae bloom worse.

Bb should be added per instructions. I have not used fritz' so I don't know how to advise you in that.

I usually use a turkey baster to remove air bubbles in substrate. Hope this helps.

 

[rfisher3]

Since you're using aquasoil you're going to want to change 50% everyday for the first week, every other day the second week, twice a week the third week and once a week thereafter (or monitor and adjust water changes based on accumulated nutrients in the tank).

Monitor your parameters and when you've bottomed out on nitrate that's when I normally start dosing frets, until then there's just too much of a risk (in my mind) of making the starter algae bloom worse.

Bb should be added per instructions. I have not used fritz' so I don't know how to advise you in that.

I usually use a turkey baster to remove air bubbles in substrate. Hope this helps.

Do you stick the turkey baster into the substrate? How do you get around the carpet of plants? Thanks for your response!

 

[Plinkploop]

I lightly squirt around where the bubble is, usually I can get the substrate to shift and fill in. I've also been successful in sucking out the bubble through the carpet and then I poke down a little to fill with substrate. Glad I could help 😁👍

 

[NoahLikesFish]

I would do like what she said but besides that if you keep up with that maintenance and use established filter media and some BB and dose ferts from the start in about a week usually you can start to stock

I don’t believe in waiting 6-8 weeks or whatever ridiculous amount time it is because Its better to just get the tank going. If you do bb and established media then u can add fish but you just gotta so it slow. Don’t do Like a goldfish in a 40 gallon as your first fish. You would do a smaller lower bio load fish like danios (don’t mix goldfish and danios). Also you get bacteria from the dry start iirc

 

[Plinkploop]

Safest way is to cycle fishless, especially with active substrate. I'm sure you can do it with fish as well but if you're getting ammonia from the substrate anyway you might as well just fishless and not risk losing any livestock. This is just my own opinion. Just do your research and figure out which method of cycling is right for you. GL!

 

[Savetheplants]

Fish out. I put fish in an old tank with a defunct filter and now I'm changing the water everyday and cycling in a bucket. It's so much work.

 

[Karl Starr]

If its got a lot of plants in it then it is already cycled.