# Low tech, low maintenance tank



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

*Low tech, low maintenance Discus tank*

I found this link while searching Google:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...bum/50456-zero-water-change-20-75-update.html

I've been doing research on a planted discus tank, and everywhere I read, people recommend twice a week water changes or even more. Yet, this great looking low tech tank runs on very little water change, if at all. What's more, Tom Barr himself says this kind of tank can work quite well.

What do you guys think? I would love to try my hand at something like this!


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

to be honest with you, my 75 gallon gets a 10%-25% water change maybe like once every 2 months, only has a eheim 2217 filter but runs slowly because I have a CO2 reactor installed which is connected to a pressurized CO2 system. I just believe if you have enough plants, they do the work for you, sucking up all the bad stuff. I've cycle aquariums in less than a week by just overloading them with fast growing plants.

I don't even condition my tap water because plants actually need chlorine and other elements in order for their proteins to pump out protons in their cells which helps store glucose (doing a bio major in UofT). People say marshes are the Earth's water filters, and most these plants come from swamps. However I still do my water change when I remember just to be safe than sorry lol.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

I forgot to mention that this is particularly remarkable as the 75G is a discus tank! I mean, I can probably expect to keep guppies in a well planted tank with little or no water changes, but discus? That's something I really didn't expect!


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## archgop (Sep 19, 2010)

Isn't there too much chlorine in tap water? That might kill the fishes? This is what everyone says :S


Byronicle said:


> to be honest with you, my 75 gallon gets a 10%-25% water change maybe like once every 2 months, only has a eheim 2217 filter but runs slowly because I have a CO2 reactor installed which is connected to a pressurized CO2 system. I just believe if you have enough plants, they do the work for you, sucking up all the bad stuff. I've cycle aquariums in less than a week by just overloading them with fast growing plants.
> 
> I don't even condition my tap water because plants actually need chlorine and other elements in order for their proteins to pump out protons in their cells which helps store glucose (doing a bio major in UofT). People say marshes are the Earth's water filters, and most these plants come from swamps. However I still do my water change when I remember just to be safe than sorry lol.


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

archgop said:


> Isn't there too much chlorine in tap water? That might kill the fishes? This is what everyone says :S


toxins and what not is spread throughout the fish and is diluted by the already aged water in the tank, so that it is less toxic

I haven't seen ill affects of chlorine poison in my fish, i have when i was younger and still learning in the hobby, but the plants help filter the water. They always seem to grow more whenever I do a water change, even though you are gasing out a lot of carbon dioxide, I believe its all the elements in the water that they don't normally get help boost some growth.

i know its crazy, but im pretty loco and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone without experimenting first and with a heavily planted aquarium


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Byronicle said:


> toxins and what not is spread throughout the fish and is diluted by the already aged water in the tank, so that it is less toxic
> 
> I haven't seen ill affects of chlorine poison in my fish, i have when i was younger and still learning in the hobby, but the plants help filter the water. They always seem to grow more whenever I do a water change, even though you are gasing out a lot of carbon dioxide, I believe its all the elements in the water that they don't normally get help boost some growth.
> 
> i know its crazy, but im pretty loco and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone without experimenting first and with a heavily planted aquarium


It also depends on your local tap water, as well as the season. When bacteria levels in local water sources are high, the treatment plant puts more chlorine in the water.

Plus, the fact that you do small water changes less frequently makes the chlorine concentration pretty dilute. I have read that small amounts of chloramine suppress bacteria and actually improves fish health.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Chlorine reacts with organic matter. In a well-planted tank, there's a lot of organic matter for it to react with. In a bare tank, there's not much more than the fish (their gills in particular) to be damaged. Small water changes in a well-planted tank don't really need dechlorinating, but why not be safe rather than sorry...

Btw, there's plenty of chloride in Toronto tap water for plant nutrient, so the chloramine isn't needed as a source of chlorine, but the ammonia as it breaks down is good for the plants!

On the original topic, growing plants will do more for water quality than any filter system. A lightly stocked, well-planted tank doesn't need much in the way of water changes -- you can get away without doing much, as long as the plants are growing. Water changes are a Good Thing, but you can be a lot more slack with a planted tank.

Plants are also a good thing in heavily stocked/fed tanks. I use duckweed as a 'pump' to remove nitrates and phosphates from fry tanks. I just remove 3/4 of it when it covers the surface.


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