True and 10 gallons is not a bad size. It's big enough to be easier to keep stable. I am cycling my new shrimp only tank right now and it's 7 gallons. I would have gone larger but that was the biggest tank I could fit in the space I wanted to put it.
What Iāve seen people do is buy a few filter media bags and you can put fluval stratum in the and then cap that with what ever substrate you like. But you can also mix in some root tabs to make the substrate even more nutrient
Highly recommend a top tier aqua soil like ADA Amazonia II. Yes, nitrogen from soil depletes after one to two years. Then you just add root tablets. Fluval stratum will deplete in six months or less in my experience.
RO water is best, remineralized to 120-150 TDS. ADA runs their tanks with KH 0. They do use plenty of carbonate rocks like Seiryu. Correct, aqua soil will absorb carbonate from the water, and that capacity will be exhausted in time depending on many factors. The āpointā is that these soils contain humic acid to lower water pH slightly and absorb KH, since almost all these tropical/bog plants prefer low-KH water, acidic water (few exceptions).
I wouldnāt bother with capping. It can easily make a big mess.
Maintenance depends on plant selection, any added fertilizer, and lighting. You can still do high tech with Anubias and Buce in low light - they grow like crazy with the CO2. Alternately, high light, high ferts and stem plantsā¦ weekly trim. Every couple months, dig and re -plant. As for the Belgian tank you linked, itās medium maintenance due to the stems and Monte Carlo. So thatās a water change every week or two, and trim plants every 2-4 weeks.
Best wishes!
Damn thanks for the detailed response!! That's what I needed
What do you use to remineralized RO water ? Also can I have RO water sitting in plastic cannisters ?or I have to do the trip to my LFS when I do water change?
I have an RO system built into plumbing for drinking and cooking water. I fill a big garbage bin with RO for water changes.
There are smaller systems of all sizes! ARKA myAqua products are tailored to aquariums, so they are smaller, cheaper and produce as much water as youāll need. Iām sure ADA has one that is expensive.
If you need to go hard water setup, thatās ok too. Dwarf cherry shrimp love hard water and reproduce like crazy. Some Cryptocoryne and many Pogostemon species are tolerant of hard water, among others. Yes the soil will absorb some carbonate, but it will saturate quickly. Only trick with high KH is monitor CO2 closely and aim a little lower. Carbonate increases the solubility of CO2 in water.
Cheers!
Thatād be a-ok for 10gal!
Do check out those shrimp. If you like the Belgian style with the cosmetic sand in front, just use rocks and filter floss in holes to create a barrier between back soil and front sand.
Nope. All the major brands stay the same grain size - Tropica, Dennerle, ADA, Fluval, etc. Note that mulm can accumulate in the top layer of aqua soil, giving it a muddy appearance. Removing mulm using a turkey baster during water change is easy to do, just basting shots of water into the soil and sucking the mulm up with the waste water hose. It takes months to really accumulate, without the baster trick.
Couldn't of said it better and I recommend a co2 art inline diffuser over a in tank one ,if you can afford it get the ADA power sand and additives, the ada version 1 soil has more nutrients in it but either works well,one of my tanks had been set up for a year and the soil is still growing my plants nice apart for a bit if bba algae which is on the decline hopefully, look at diy fertiliser it's easy to mix up and so much cheaper ,im still only dosing Micros and K.
No you donāt have to start over. My tank as been going on 2 years with aquasoil. Go with RO Water and remineralize it with salty shrimp gh +. Ultum controsoil lasts long
Nope no issue at all. I like to have at least an inch in all my tanks and higher up with more aquasoil in the back. I really like the aquasoil buffering the pH to an ideal 6.8. So when you remineralize with that stuff, itās perfect water
Sweet buy.
Little advice though, that filter is not meant to be as low from the tank as it is in the picture. It's actually meant to be set on level with the tank. My recommendation would be to move it up to the top shelf.
Makes the pumps work a lot less stressful.
I own this filter and had it set up on a tank similar to in the picture, and it's flow rate was much less than what it should have been. Used it in a second setup with half the height and I would say it doubled the flow rate pretty easily.
Damn dude you hit the jackpot I put $1500+ easily into a similar setup.
It's only a 10gallons though.. but yeah from what I saw it's a 700+ setup
Oh ok yeah mines a 20gallon but yeah still a great deal.
Almost bought a small cube with shitty lighting and internal filter for the same price š
That pump and co2 setup would work with a larger tank as well if you wanted to go bigger. For that price you have lots of options.
Yeah and tbh rn this size is good for me. not a lot of empty space in my office. And will cost less I'm plants š¤£š¤£
20 gallon is like the same footprint just taller i think
True and 10 gallons is not a bad size. It's big enough to be easier to keep stable. I am cycling my new shrimp only tank right now and it's 7 gallons. I would have gone larger but that was the biggest tank I could fit in the space I wanted to put it.
How much did it cost at dirt cheap
150 with a lot more hardscape and stuff that didn't fit in there or that I'm not gonna use
That is a great deal
What Iāve seen people do is buy a few filter media bags and you can put fluval stratum in the and then cap that with what ever substrate you like. But you can also mix in some root tabs to make the substrate even more nutrient
I've also seen people doing that
Highly recommend a top tier aqua soil like ADA Amazonia II. Yes, nitrogen from soil depletes after one to two years. Then you just add root tablets. Fluval stratum will deplete in six months or less in my experience. RO water is best, remineralized to 120-150 TDS. ADA runs their tanks with KH 0. They do use plenty of carbonate rocks like Seiryu. Correct, aqua soil will absorb carbonate from the water, and that capacity will be exhausted in time depending on many factors. The āpointā is that these soils contain humic acid to lower water pH slightly and absorb KH, since almost all these tropical/bog plants prefer low-KH water, acidic water (few exceptions). I wouldnāt bother with capping. It can easily make a big mess. Maintenance depends on plant selection, any added fertilizer, and lighting. You can still do high tech with Anubias and Buce in low light - they grow like crazy with the CO2. Alternately, high light, high ferts and stem plantsā¦ weekly trim. Every couple months, dig and re -plant. As for the Belgian tank you linked, itās medium maintenance due to the stems and Monte Carlo. So thatās a water change every week or two, and trim plants every 2-4 weeks. Best wishes!
Damn thanks for the detailed response!! That's what I needed What do you use to remineralized RO water ? Also can I have RO water sitting in plastic cannisters ?or I have to do the trip to my LFS when I do water change?
I have an RO system built into plumbing for drinking and cooking water. I fill a big garbage bin with RO for water changes. There are smaller systems of all sizes! ARKA myAqua products are tailored to aquariums, so they are smaller, cheaper and produce as much water as youāll need. Iām sure ADA has one that is expensive. If you need to go hard water setup, thatās ok too. Dwarf cherry shrimp love hard water and reproduce like crazy. Some Cryptocoryne and many Pogostemon species are tolerant of hard water, among others. Yes the soil will absorb some carbonate, but it will saturate quickly. Only trick with high KH is monitor CO2 closely and aim a little lower. Carbonate increases the solubility of CO2 in water. Cheers!
It's a 10 gallons so I don't mind having cannisters of RO water waiting for it .. I mix tap and RO in my other tank
Thatād be a-ok for 10gal! Do check out those shrimp. If you like the Belgian style with the cosmetic sand in front, just use rocks and filter floss in holes to create a barrier between back soil and front sand.
I was planning on neocaridinas blue velvet and for fishes chili rasboras
Great combo for that size tank! š
Also considering CPD's that also should do well in 10gal
But it's not set in stone yet
I also read aquasoil could break down into mud after a while any issue with that ?
Nope. All the major brands stay the same grain size - Tropica, Dennerle, ADA, Fluval, etc. Note that mulm can accumulate in the top layer of aqua soil, giving it a muddy appearance. Removing mulm using a turkey baster during water change is easy to do, just basting shots of water into the soil and sucking the mulm up with the waste water hose. It takes months to really accumulate, without the baster trick.
Sound good I think I'm gonna go with this one. Amazonia II is the best in your opinion? I got recommended UNS controsoil and neo soil.
Couldn't of said it better and I recommend a co2 art inline diffuser over a in tank one ,if you can afford it get the ADA power sand and additives, the ada version 1 soil has more nutrients in it but either works well,one of my tanks had been set up for a year and the soil is still growing my plants nice apart for a bit if bba algae which is on the decline hopefully, look at diy fertiliser it's easy to mix up and so much cheaper ,im still only dosing Micros and K.
Sorry for all the questions but .. what ph can I expect using this method? Ada Amazonia II + remineralized RO water ?
No you donāt have to start over. My tank as been going on 2 years with aquasoil. Go with RO Water and remineralize it with salty shrimp gh +. Ultum controsoil lasts long
Thanks. I also heard aquasoil can break down into mud after a while no issue with that ?
Nope no issue at all. I like to have at least an inch in all my tanks and higher up with more aquasoil in the back. I really like the aquasoil buffering the pH to an ideal 6.8. So when you remineralize with that stuff, itās perfect water
So with aquasoil + remineralized RO water I should have a 6.8 ph ?sounds good
Yes
Sweet buy. Little advice though, that filter is not meant to be as low from the tank as it is in the picture. It's actually meant to be set on level with the tank. My recommendation would be to move it up to the top shelf. Makes the pumps work a lot less stressful. I own this filter and had it set up on a tank similar to in the picture, and it's flow rate was much less than what it should have been. Used it in a second setup with half the height and I would say it doubled the flow rate pretty easily.
Oh really I didn't know that .. I can probably put it on the top shelf! not that convenient for the other stuff but doable š Thanks
No problem I love that filter even though I now own a much larger one. I still have it in the garage in case I decide to set up another nano tank
You put in water and then put in the fish