Dosing ferts on low tech aquarium

[dchollo82]

Hi members,
I have a couple of question on dosing. I’m fairly new to the hobby and currently in the process of cycling my first aquarium in a number of years.
1. How long does it take roughly for an aquarium to be fully cycled with regular water changes on a low tech set up?
2. I’m currently dosing 2hr aquarist daily. Once fish are added in the coming weeks is it still necessary to dose daily or just would it be ok to dose just when carrying out a water change? Or plants look like they need it?

Thanks very much,
David

 

[Bradders]

Hello @dchollo82 !

Could you kindly provide us a current photo and answers to the below please? It may seem a little overkill at this stage, but it really helps the members build up a complete picture.

1. Size of tank
2. Age of the system approximately
3. Tap water parameters
4. Filtration and Media
5. Lighting and duration
6. Substrate
7. Co2 dosing or Non-dosing
8. Drop Checker
9. Fertilizers used + Ratios
10. Water change regime and composition
12. Inhabitants

 

[dchollo82]

Hi Bradders, sure have answered best I can below.

25l nano

3 weeks old

Hard water ph 7-8

Internal super fish filter (supplied with superfish home 25)

Lighting - hygger 45w full spectrum.

Substrate - Pro aqua scape - nutri base

Non co2

No drop checker

Fertiliser - 2hr aquarist (currently dosing daily)

Water currently every day/other day

No inhabitants yet. Planning 3-4 guppies and red cherry shrimp

Thanks!

 

[dchollo82]

Photo of aquarium

 

[Bradders]

Nice looking aquarium!

Sorry, I forgot to ask if you know your current Amonnia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels?

 

[dchollo82]

Thanks Bradders, I will do a test and get back to you. Forgot to mention that this is a superfish home 25. The light had issues so I removed the top and sides and replaced with the hygger one as emergency lighting whilst the original was fixed. Have left on as kinda prefer it.

 

[Bradders]

Thank you. Let us know the current parameters.

My personal experience (and this is just my experience!) is that Guppy's are not that hardy these days. I have small fish in my aquarium, and the Cardinal Tetras (blackwater fish) and Green Neon Rasboras have been far more robust than any of my livebearers, such as Mollies and Guppy's. (That being said, I would make sure your water is great for Cardinals). Some people do great with them, but I just can't keep livebearers alive for the same length as non-livebearers!

 

[ElleDee]

I find that dosing with every water change works great with low tech, the only thing you really need to think about is how much.

I also adjust the dose to how big my water change is so that the nutrient concentration in the water is always about the same. I know how much fertilizer the tank needs for its entire volume and dose that once, then subsequent doses are directly proportional to the amount of water that is removed. Sure, your plants uptake as they grow and your livestock makes waste in between changes, but neither of those has as drastic an effect on fertilizer concentrations as a large water change, and I want to prevent any big swings.

 

[PARAGUAY]

Thank you. Let us know the current parameters.

My personal experience (and this is just my experience!) is that Guppy's are not that hardy these days. I have small fish in my aquarium, and the Cardinal Tetras (blackwater fish) and Green Neon Rasboras have been far more robust than any of my livebearers, such as Mollies and Guppy's. (That being said, I would make sure your water is great for Cardinals). Some people do great with them, but I just can't keep livebearers alive for the same length as non-livebearers!

Yeh, intensive fish farming has weakened many of the easy to keep species

 

[dchollo82]

Thanks for the advice on stocking Bradders. Will keep that in mind. Nitrate is coming in at around 30, nitrite looks to be at 0. Tested with test strip.

and thanks for the dosing tips ElleDee 🙂. Would you say it’s safe to only dose on water changes? Or is that something to do once the tank has cycled and it has live stock?

David

 

[Bradders]

Thanks for the advice on stocking Bradders. Will keep that in mind. Nitrate is coming in at around 30, nitrite looks to be at 0. Tested with test strip.

Assume Ammonia is 0?

 

[sparkyweasel]

My personal experience (and this is just my experience!) is that Guppy's are not that hardy these days.

You're not the only one.

 

[dchollo82]

Thank you. Let us know the current parameters.

My personal experience (and this is just my experience!) is that Guppy's are not that hardy these days. I have small fish in my aquarium, and the Cardinal Tetras (blackwater fish) and Green Neon Rasboras have been far more robust than any of my livebearers, such as Mollies and Guppy's. (That being said, I would make sure your water is great for Cardinals). Some people do great with them, but I just can't keep livebearers alive for the same length as non-livebearers!

Assume Ammonia is 0?

Sorry, forgot to say. I’m not able to test ammonia atm.