fw tank advice needed

[Arati]

Hi I have some questions about FW tanks? do I use tap for water changes? do I add some kind of conditioner?

would it be better to use my ro/di.

how often does a fw tank need to be cleaned? weekly like a reef? or less im told once a month?

does anythign need to be dosed or added regularly to a fw tank?

any tips appreciated.

 

[stunner620]

fw tanks dont need ro water, 10 percent once a week too keep everything tiptop, only thing that it needs is carbon replacement

 

[fishman1069]

If your gonna use tap water, you should use a conditioner like API or Seachem. You want to take the chlorine outta the water. If your gonna use RO water, your gonna have to use a ph buffer and natrual elements. The ph buffer all depends on what type of fish you want to have. Water changes can be done once a month, depending on the bio-load. Canister filters or wet/dry sumpe are the best way to go. Always go on the high side of the rating for the filter. I usually go double of the size of the tank. HTH

 

[pyekhine]

I got a 30g fw tank with 4 angels and 10 tetras. I do water change/clean like every 2 months. It depends on how much you feed them and the filter. I got a Fluval 405 on it and clean that filter like twice a year. I use aged tap water.

 

[motortrendz]

i had a super overstocked 92g, i had 2 filters running at all times, fx5 and a 1600gph wet/dry i did 40% water changes every other week and cleaned off only the top layer(abt 1/4in of 3in bed) i always added the stress coat with every water change and aquarium salt.. but tap is fine just test for chlorine and use a remover if its present. as far as ph, the amt of salt and water changes all depends on what you want to keep.. thats the big question bc africans need a higher ph like a reef of 8.2-8.4 and discus need a ph of 4.2-6.4 depending on the species.. just some food for thought.. i was huge into s. american cichlids for years then i got the reef bug..

if you have any questions just ask

 

[dacaptain78]

I used to clean my African cichlid tank every two to three weeks. I used Prime water conditioner and still use it on my turtle tank. I clean the turtle tank like once every month or two, but I feed her in a separate container outside the aquarium.

Also I did large water changes, 50% or more. I do close to 80% on my turtle tank which also has a few fish in it.

 

[jeffvmd]

Do I use tap for water changes? do I add some kind of conditioner?

Tap water can be used, but test your water from tap first to see if you have good tap water. I personally just use tap water straight from the kitchen sink tap to maintain a heavily planted community tank and 2 freshwater shrimp tanks.
Adding conditioners will again depend on how your tap water tests out and what kind of livestock you will be keeping. I don't use any conditioners in mine.

would it be better to use my ro/di?

RO/DI units are usually preferred by inverts/shrimp keepers in the freshwater tank hobby specially if they have hard water from tap. But mostly tap water works in keeping most fishes.

how often does a fw tank need to be cleaned? weekly like a reef? or less im told once a month?

I do mine weekly with 10-20% water change. I do keep freshwater shrimps so keeping up with waterchanges is a must as they are more sensitive in fluctuations in water quality. This again will depend on how heavily stocked your tanks are, what type of livestock and what type and size of filter you have.

does anythign need to be dosed or added regularly to a fw tank?

If you are going the planted route, micro and macro fertilizers are a must.
Again dosing will depend in what type of tank you want. Hi tech or low tech? High, medium or low light? If livestock are those that require certain supplements?