For a 5 gallon aquarium with 5,000k fluorescent lighting, a power filter, heater, and a betta fish. Also, what substrate should I use? I want to do the pure water Aqua Terra sand. I have 2 other aquariums, but I’ve never had live plants in them so what are some of the basics of caring for them as well?
i have a 29 gallon tank with pool filter sand as substrate (pure no chemicals) water here is 7.0 ph. im interested in lively fish such as cichlids. i prefer to be understocked to adequate rather than overstocked. what common cichlids can i get from stores and how many can i get? experienced answers only please.
please experts only half of these are ridiculous
and please read the question im asking about cichlids…
i feel like the aquarium industry is just trying to make money saying that filter cartridges should be changed every few weeks to a month. i’ve used each cartridge for several months and don’t change it until i notice the water flow weakening/overflowing over cartridge bc it’s so clogged with muck. plus, isn’t the filter more for OUR benefit of having an aesthetically cleaner looking aquarium?? bc if u think about it, in nature there’s all kinds of crap in the water that we wouldn’t want to touch but fish still live and thrive in it. in nature the "biofilter" is taken care of ecologically but when we have fish in a closed system aka our aquariums, we must maintain it to keep fish healthy and happy. so as long as you feed and clean with the right frequency and maintain the bio system, the filter is virtually moot in reference to the fish’s health, no?
when i didn’t change my filter for months, water is still crystal clear and there’s no stench whatsoever. if either were not the case, i definitely would change filter bc that’s basically all i see the use of the filter for, aesthetic cleanliness.
Ianab: i know the biofilter is vital, that’s what i was referring to when i said "so as long as you feed and clean with the right frequency and maintain the bio system, the filter is virtually moot in reference to the fish’s health, no?" my logic is that my biofilter and filter cartridges are two different entities. there’s a spongey media that supposedly contains most of my biological filter (nitrifying bacteria) and i also have a gravel substrate for my tank which should have a pretty good amount of the bacteria as well. the only filter i change and am referring to is the cottony filter pad that holds the activated carbon. what i’m referring to is just that unit of cotton mesh and the activated carbon contained. the mesh collects the solid waste, while the activated carbon neutralizes any odor and colorations from the water. so, when the activated carbon depletes its absorption capacity, water discoloration and odor may occur, but are harmless to the fish
I’m starting to plan a new home for my 4 inch long red-eared slider. Right now it’s in a 5.5 gal tank. I’m planning on getting him (or her) a 40 gallon breeder tank. What is the best filter for this tank? I was looking at the Fluval 205. Is this going to filter the water well? (110 gph, up to 40 gallons) Are there any other filters that anybody else uses? I’m trying to spend as little as possible obviously but will not pass up a good filter either. It also loves to dig, what is a good substrate to use so that he can’t dig into it? Right now I have small pebbles on the bottom of the tank with a big plastic log for basking.
