WC in planted tank

[guille2007]

What would be the best WC schedule in a heavy 50G planted tank, 1 sponge filter, 2 corner filter with zeolite substrate, 1 AQ50 power filter fixed only to biological filtering, 8 young discus, 13 cories feeded 4 times a day, 2 times beefheart 2 times tetrabit color. ammonia=0 nitrite less than 0.2?, asking this because I have heard some criteria about a well planted cycled tank need get affected with frecuently waterchanges, what is true about?

[gg5190]

You have to change your water. It really doesn't matter how much filtration you have, even if you manage to get ammonia=0 nitrite=0 nitrate=0. The water changes also replenish other things such as minerals essential to discus growth. This is important in your case because you have young discus. Water changes also replenish minerals (macro and micro) for your plants. If i were you I prob. would go for one of the following:

1. 25%-50 water changes a day
2. 25% 3 times a week
3. 30% 2 times a week
4. And 50% a week (absolute minimum)

This is just what I think. i think that the 25% 3 times a week would be the easiest and the most beneficial. The first one being the BEST. Any one else agree?

[guille2007]

Yes apart of the comment I do a 10% everyday and 2 times a week a 20%, just to know about since a person told me that I could be damaging the tank cycling cause of the continues WC.
what about those special products to add to the water that bring traces to discus, do they really work?

[surya_niki]

Hi gg5190,

WC for discus tank is must but wc for a planted tank would indeed bring about problems in you planted tank. This is because plants require nutrients for thir growth and this will not be possble with regular wc. It is always advisable to grow your juviniles in a BBT and then move them into a planted tank. In a BBT you can ado regular WC which will help your babies grow rapidly. Remember that the babies will grow for the first 18-24 months and after which their growth will slow down.

Hence, do the right thing and enjoy watching them grow.

Regards,
Surya

[gg5190]

Hi gg5190,

WC for discus tank is must but wc for a planted tank would indeed bring about problems in you planted tank. This is because plants require nutrients for their growth and this will not be possible with regular wc. It is always advisable to grow your juveniles in a BBT and then move them into a planted tank. In a BBT you can ado regular WC which will help your babies grow rapidly. Remember that the babies will grow for the first 18-24 months and after which their growth will slow down.

Hence, do the right thing and enjoy watching them grow.

Regards,
Surya

I don't think that a WC on a PT is bad... changing the water will replenish minerals that the plants used. I like to also supplement flourish, and flourish trace.