Ok I am new to the whole aquarium keeping thing and I feel I am spinning round and round at the moment with all the different terms being thrown around.
Basically my tank consists of:
55L (not Gallons, metric in Australia!)
one internal filter (sponge and carbon chips)
one external (hangs on the side, filter wool and plastic sheet with holes)
air pump (flexible air stone)
Glass Heater
Fish include:
2 Angel Fish
2 Dwarf Gourami
6 Neon Tetras
6 Guppies
1 Pictus Catfish (small, spotted with long whiskers)
1 Bristle Nose Catfish
2 Clown loaches (small)
Abot 6 plants, new (old ones did not grow, looked terrible)
Ok basically i change 1/3 of the water every fortnight and clean the filters in the water at the same time.
The light stays on for 10 hours a day, as soon as that is off i switch on the air pump. The air pump goes off before the light goes on. I feed once, sometimes twice a day (tetra flakes and sometimes frozen brine shrimp).
Aside from getting some general advice, can someone please answer the following questions:
1) I was told adding some drift wood into one of the filters will help to lower the ph to more neautral (normally quite high)
2) Any tips to improve the growth of my plants, have added fertilizer etc, nothing seems to help. When I first got my tank the plants grew like crazy.
3) What is a CO2 diffuser and do i need one?
4) When cleaning, should i suction through the gravel every fortnight or some, someone told me that all that sediment i dig up is necessary for the plants.
5) All that fish poo, does it dissolve natrually or is there something i should to to help things along?
6) Do Ineed snails?
The fish seem happy and healthy enough, really bright and vibrant.
I know this seems long winded but finding good help here is quite hard.
Thanks for your help
Basically my tank consists of:
55L (not Gallons, metric in Australia!)
one internal filter (sponge and carbon chips)
one external (hangs on the side, filter wool and plastic sheet with holes)
air pump (flexible air stone)
Glass Heater
Fish include:
2 Angel Fish
2 Dwarf Gourami
6 Neon Tetras
6 Guppies
1 Pictus Catfish (small, spotted with long whiskers)
1 Bristle Nose Catfish
2 Clown loaches (small)
Abot 6 plants, new (old ones did not grow, looked terrible)
Ok basically i change 1/3 of the water every fortnight and clean the filters in the water at the same time.
The light stays on for 10 hours a day, as soon as that is off i switch on the air pump. The air pump goes off before the light goes on. I feed once, sometimes twice a day (tetra flakes and sometimes frozen brine shrimp).
Aside from getting some general advice, can someone please answer the following questions:
1) I was told adding some drift wood into one of the filters will help to lower the ph to more neautral (normally quite high)
2) Any tips to improve the growth of my plants, have added fertilizer etc, nothing seems to help. When I first got my tank the plants grew like crazy.
3) What is a CO2 diffuser and do i need one?
4) When cleaning, should i suction through the gravel every fortnight or some, someone told me that all that sediment i dig up is necessary for the plants.
5) All that fish poo, does it dissolve natrually or is there something i should to to help things along?
6) Do Ineed snails?
The fish seem happy and healthy enough, really bright and vibrant.
I know this seems long winded but finding good help here is quite hard.
Thanks for your help