Maintenance and so on!

[Shaydensmom]

My 1,7 Gallon Tank is almost cycled- can't take to long since, the Ammonia and Nitrite-Spike is over, both Levels at cero, Nitrate is only at 20!

So!

I have a little reminder-thingi on my Tank wich starts beeping at certain times when Things need to be done, a reminder so do speak!

How often do they really need to be done, and are they really nessesary? Not that I mind the work, that's nothing, but there are a couple of things where I'm not really sure if it actually harm my Tank cince it is not fully cycled yet!


How often or, if at all:

Change Filter Cartridge?
(what's with the good bacteria it took so long to get established in it, wouldn't that get totally lost when I exchange it?

How often to Clean Gravel-Bed?
(means only vaccume right, not replace it?)

How often waterchanges once fully cycled?
(right now I'm still doing daily 20% waterchanges)

How often Filter maintenance?
(does that mean get the bigger stuff out of it, means cleaning the Filter-Cartridge in used Aquariumwater? I do that right now about once a week!)


Then, I got some Melafix since everybody here keeps raving about it how good it works in healing wounds! My Betta loves to challenge the "snorkel" of my filter- he tries really hard to swimm down there, he must like it! Every onece in a while thouhg his tail gets sucked in a little wich makes his tail look like it's been forked. I f I use Melafix on him, will that effect the good bacteria in his Tank also and eventually uncycle the tank again- I readit's killing also bacteria!

Also, I got one snail today- to help keep the aquarium clean! What are the chances that she'll kill of my Anacharis-Plant in there, she seems to like it more then I want her to.

 

[nc_nutcase]

Change Filter Cartridge?
Every time I do a water change I take the filter cartridge out and swoosh it in the bucket of ‘old tank water’. This will get the big stuff off without disturbing the ‘good bacteria’. You can use your hand to lightly brush it off, just don’t get to rough on it. Then about once every 6 months you will want to change the cartridge all together. Actually it’s just whenever the media (the cotton looking part) gets too beat up.

How often to Clean Gravel-Bed?
Your ‘good bacteria’ lives on surfaces and usually your gravel is your largest surface space, so you don’t want to change it, but it’s also full of fish poop, so your gonna want to vacuum it. With this small of a tank (1.7 Gal?) it may be easier to transfer your fish to another container, mix up the gravel to get the ickie stuff in the water (careful not to disturb the roots of the plants at this point, leaving the ickies near them is good for them) then just siphon out the dirty water.

How often waterchanges once fully cycled?
10-33% weekly is the normal suggestion. With smaller tanks you usually end up doing more %age, but still once a week.

How often Filter maintenance?
It’s a good idea to remove your filter and give it a good scrubbin in a bucket of tank water about once a month.

Most of what I’ve suggested are sort of like ‘industry standards’. You may find this is way overkill or not enough. But if you start here you can hone your aquariums needs from there.

To be honest… with my smaller tanks (my 5 Gal and my girlfriends 2.5 Gal)… they are both betta tanks so it’s super easy to move the fish, get the ickies out of the gravel, and replace 100% of the water… and I do that about once a month…

I don’t use chemicals in my tanks unless absolutely necessary… so I don’t have much experience with the Melafix.

The little I know about snails… is that they are easy to get… do a great job at eating algae… and will multiply in a flash… They won’t do your aquarium any harm (unless you have a plant they like, sorry notta plant guy either…) so as long as you don’t find them… unsightly… then they’re great.