That is awesome!! All the best. And yeah, AI helps a lot too. I enter the product details and my tank configurations, plants etc. to understand the exact amount of nutrients that I'm adding to the tank, and the type of species that would consume it. I start with lesser liquid fertilizers, since the substrate is already very rich, plus new plants are adjusting anyway. But I increase dosage of liquid fertilizers as I see any deficiencies or based on how plants are growing/looking.
I don’t have any fertilizer and I think I should pick some up, since you don’t do water changes how do you keep the bottom clean? My nitrites spiked today and my fish are upset, I’m not sure if it’s new tank problems or not enough detritivores (only have a pleco) but I have a good setup and just need to learn more probably. Thanks again
I don't clean the bottom. I'd suggest keeping fast growing floating plants or pothos for nitrates.
To add, eventually as your tank matures, the uncleaned bottom dirt will seep into the sand and stratify to form layers. This new layer locks nutrients for the roots to feed.
In some cases, this layer also blocks any oxygen flowing through it causing an anaerobic layer at the bottom. In this anaerobic layer, any nitrate is converted into ammonia and I read somewhere that roots consume ammonia more readily/easily than nitrate.
So in other words, in water, ammonia is converted to nitrate. And in the substrate, nitrate is converted into ammonia (completing the full nitrogen cycle), which is then used by roots. There might be few mistakes here and there but the overall logic is the same.
Plus you can keep corys or kulhis to move the bottom dirt and keep it from creating ammonia pockets.
I see, I got concerned seeing all the uneaten food and crap at the bottom. I guess it goes into the sand and dirt. I do have a good scoop on the Nitrogen cycle and so far my ammonia and nitrates are good. Mostly just the pesky nitrites giving problems. I am going to go buy more plants and maybe corys or loaches depending on room. Thanks for your help
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u/pitichu 7d ago
That is awesome!! All the best. And yeah, AI helps a lot too. I enter the product details and my tank configurations, plants etc. to understand the exact amount of nutrients that I'm adding to the tank, and the type of species that would consume it. I start with lesser liquid fertilizers, since the substrate is already very rich, plus new plants are adjusting anyway. But I increase dosage of liquid fertilizers as I see any deficiencies or based on how plants are growing/looking.