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I am interested to see how much would you change on a weekly basis for a well planted Betta tank (mine actually) and why that amount. At the moment I am changing 10Lt weekly.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Weekly? I'd change 50% of the volume. So that works out at around 22.5 litres. But then I do minimum 50% changes on the Panda Fun Palace twice weekly because it keeps the Pandas happy.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I have to agree withCalilasseia. In my experience bettas are messy so I would do a 50% water change.


-Vincent

Mmm, with no hint of your stocking level in that heavily planted betta tank, I will assume that you have a male and a female or two. The plants give the female(s) a chance to avoid the male.

Given the light stocking of two or three fish, I would do a weekly water change of 1/3 the volume to eliminate dead plant matter and other detritus in the tank.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Bob all my tank info is in my profile.

If I increase my water changes from 10lt to 15lt as I think I will be doing at the next change. Will this inprove the growth of the plants especially the Crypts nevilii.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Keith,

Increasing the percentage of your water changes may help your plant growth as nutrients are provided with your water. At worst, the water change will have a neutral effect on your plant growth.

Crypts are nortoriously slow growers. However, you can give them a helping hand with fetilizing your system. The majority of the posters on the planted page have signed on board to EI or Estimative Index for fertilizing plants.

The program works best with medium to high light tanks with CO2. However, I have a medium light tank with no CO2 and I have crypts. My crypts grow well with root tabs, dosing potassium and trace nutrients.

I use a portion of a pond tab once every three months for the root area of crypts and echinodorus as both are heavy root feeders. I dose KNO3 daily to add potassium (K) with Flourish Excel. With each water change I dose Flourish for micronutrients.

My lights are on 10 hours each day (384W/125G). The program means no discernible algae although I just had a spot of BGA. I think dosing with K will help growth more than anything else.

When I read Takashi Amano's articles in Tropical Fish Hobbyist, his prime fertilizer is "Brighty K", a Japanese product that is:

"The Green Brighty Series is a nutrient
formula primarily of metal elements such as Potassium and Phosphorous, Iron,
Magnesium etc. Brighty K is a chlorine neutralizing agent with a Potassium
suppliment."



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Thank you Bob I have PM you for more info. It looks like a 15lt weekly change now. That is very close to a 50% as I have a lot of suibstrate and DW.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I'd do half or a little less, and add some nutrients as Bob recommended but also try adding a carbon souce for increased growth rates. Either CO2 of some kind or flourish excell as a carbon source.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients