New Tanks Questions (Try again)

[Russell Brooke]

I set up my first tank about 2 months ago, and everything is going
well at the moment. I've got a 30gl tank with 10 neon's, 8 bleeding
hearts and 2 albino catfish (oh and a couple of shrimps). I got a few
questions though about feeding and water conditions.

Firstly i'm starting to use R0 water from my local dealer for water
changes, now how often should i change the water and how much should i
change. I've recently read a book which suggested changing 20% a week,
but my local dealer told me I'd only need to change about 10% every
5-6 weeks or so. I've been doing the later, about 20% a week. Also, R0
water, what exactly is it and why is it better than normal water.

Secondly, now i've got some bottom feeders, (the albinos), do i need
to substitute their diet with any thing. I'm currently feeding flakes
and now and again frozen live food, and also live food. I'm also
interested in getting some redtail corys today so will i need to get
some different food fo them? I've checked my ph which is 7.6, no
ammonia, no nitrites, kh is looking good now. Any comments would be
welcome.

Thanks

[Russell Brooke]

I've started to use R0 water as well as tap water (which i boil first
or use a britter filer) to get rid of hardness because my tap ph is
about 8.6. So i thought a combination of both would be ok to bring the
ph down. As this is my first tank i'm not really that interested in
getting anything too specific. I'm saving for a bigger tank at the
moment because i fancy getting an oscar! Any thoughts on that one.
What size tank, filtration etc.

Russ

"Djay" > wrote in message >...
> Russell, your other post came through okay too..
>
> 20% water change per week is the generally accepted target to try and
> maintain. RO is water that has been forced through a membrane to strip it
> of any particulates (usually minerals).
> Generally, exclusive use of RO water is used for very specific water
> conditioning reasons. Are you planning on keeping fish that require
> specific water conditions? e.g. Discus? And even then some tap water is
> usually added back in to replenish "some" of the lost minerals. The fish
> you mention usually do fine over a wide variety of water conditions. IME,
> Unless your water conditions are HORRIBLE the RO is overkill. You mention
> that your KH is now under control... what was it before? If you use RO for
> every water change, will eventually deplete your tank of essential minerals.
>
> I have 3 cories, and a horse face loach in my 70 gal. They get what the
> other fish miss during regular feedings and 3 or 4 times a week, I feed a
> few algae wafers or sinking brine shrimp pellets.
>
>
> "Russell Brooke" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I set up my first tank about 2 months ago, and everything is going
> > well at the moment. I've got a 30gl tank with 10 neon's, 8 bleeding
> > hearts and 2 albino catfish (oh and a couple of shrimps). I got a few
> > questions though about feeding and water conditions.
> >
> > Firstly i'm starting to use R0 water from my local dealer for water
> > changes, now how often should i change the water and how much should i
> > change. I've recently read a book which suggested changing 20% a week,
> > but my local dealer told me I'd only need to change about 10% every
> > 5-6 weeks or so. I've been doing the later, about 20% a week. Also, R0
> > water, what exactly is it and why is it better than normal water.
> >
> > Secondly, now i've got some bottom feeders, (the albinos), do i need
> > to substitute their diet with any thing. I'm currently feeding flakes
> > and now and again frozen live food, and also live food. I'm also
> > interested in getting some redtail corys today so will i need to get
> > some different food fo them? I've checked my ph which is 7.6, no
> > ammonia, no nitrites, kh is looking good now. Any comments would be
> > welcome.
> >
> > Thanks