[Nazasaki]

Set up a 20 gallon long with all the anubias, marimo, betta and snails from my 10 gallon. I want to make sure I'm doing this right! This is my first "real" planted tank.

40 lbs Carib Sea eco complete
Aqueon quietflow 20 (with same media from the 10 gallon)
Aqueon quietflow 10 ( with new media)
Various anubias on driftwood/in dirt
About 20 marimos
One king betta, 4 albino cory cats, 5 nerite snails
Temp-76, PH -7.0, nitrates-0.5ish. all other readings 0 ppm.
Aqueon full spectrum flourescent T8
Dosing flourish comprehensive 2x week
Use Prime for water changes

So....
How often should I do water changes? How much? I know some people do every other week. I feel like I over did the whole water change thing in my 10 gallon. I was doing 30% per week with just the bioload of one betta and some snails.

I had a diatom algae problem in the 10 gallon. I cleaned off the anubias best I could. Will this happen again? If it does, should I just let it sort itself out instead of intensely cleaning it (like I did in the 10)?

Is this tank cycled? I set it up exactly 4 days ago. No ammonia spikes, no nothing. Testing every day with the ATI master test kit. Did my "seeded" HOB from the 10 gallon work?

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to help!

 

[sohankpatel]

I personally do WC's once a week, 50%, but I dose EI and have a decently stocked tank. Monitor your nitrate levels, and base your water changes on that. I got some otos to eat diatioms, but they eventually go awya by themselves. If you have your fish in there and saw no ammonia, then you should be good to go.

 

[Diana]

Dosing flourish comprehensive 2x week In spite of the name, this fertilizer does not have much N, P, K, it is mostly a trace mineral supplement. Fish food supplies N, P and most traces. You might be better off dosing potassium and iron instead of things the fish food is giving you.

So....
How often should I do water changes?
As often as the tank needs it, and there are many schools of thought. I keep the NO3 between 5-10ppm as much as possible, but I allow it to climb to 20 before I must do a water change. Otherwise, whenever the filter slows down I take out enough water to clean the filter. Some people test the TDS, and do enough water changes (frequency and volume) to keep it stable- rises to X, do water change to reduce it to Y, allow it to build up again to X...
How much? Enough to reduce whatever readings you are going by to the right level.
I know some people do every other week. I feel like I over did the whole water change thing in my 10 gallon. I was doing 30% per week with just the bioload of one betta and some snails.
Weekly is pretty much required when the tank has no plants and lots of fish, but a planted tank can go longer. Still, it is better to do more frequent, smaller changes so that the change in parameters is smaller. Rather than waiting longer, then having to do a much larger change that alters the mineral levels too much.

I had a diatom algae problem in the 10 gallon. I cleaned off the anubias best I could. Will this happen again?
Probably.
If it does, should I just let it sort itself out instead of intensely cleaning it (like I did in the 10)?
Better to stay on top of it, and keep removing the diatoms. Diatoms need silica to grow. When they die, their silica becomes available to the next generation. But if you keep removing the diatoms then there is less silica to support the next generation. It never hits zero, but finally the diatoms will stop growing.

Is this tank cycled? I set it up exactly 4 days ago. No ammonia spikes, no nothing. Testing every day with the ATI master test kit. Did my "seeded" HOB from the 10 gallon work?
If the 10 had the same fish population, then the bacteria in the old, established filter have gone a long way toward seeding the new tank, plus all the bacteria on the surfaces of the leaves, and anything else you moved over. I would continue to monitor it, but it sure looks good so far. Zero ammonia and nitrite, rising nitrate suggests the cycle is complete. I would not add any medications, or other things that could stress the bacteria, yet, though. Just in case they are still getting established.

 

[Nazasaki]

Thank you everyone! Here is a pic!