Heavily planted tank - Why do water changes?

[Tryne]

Hello, I've got a question about water changes in my tank.

I'm only 6 months into my first tank, but everything is going very well, not losing any livestock for months now. It's honestly great and I'm surprised it went so well so far.
This is also an experience before I get a bigger tank. I wanted to start with a small 30L one first and see how it goes.

Heavily planted and well stocked. No overfeeding.

For now 4 months, whenever I do a water test, I get 0/0/0 readings.
I use a Multi-Test Kit from NT Labs + have a bottle JBL Aquatest strips just in case and to compare readings. Same readings on both.

I just did the test again yesterday, after not having changed water for 5 weeks now. 0/0/0
Again, everything looks well to me but I'm a newbie so that might not mean much.
There's also dried leaves in there for their medical and nutritional purpose, so the water is a little bit colored, which is fine to me.

So I would like to know, is there any other reason to do water changes?

I already posted this yesterday in the videos section but for reference, I will link it here again so you can see what it looks like right now and if you see anything wrong in there:

Thank you for your help as always.

 

[SouthAmericanCichlids]

Well there are other nutrients that plants and fish pull out of the water, that will deplete overtime I believe. But there is always the Diana walstad method. And I know some yt peeps don't ever change water on some of their indoor ponds.

 

[NotSoAggressiveAquatics]

When you do water changes your replacing the nutrients that your plants and fish are using in the water. I think your tank looks great by the way

 

[MacZ]

There is more in the water than can be tested by the average hobbyist.

Many things have to be removed, some have to be re-added, like minerals.
High waste amounts in the water are also an invitation for pathogens to reproduce.

The Walstadt method has some strict rules people tend to overlook. Converting a tank to a Walstad tank is almost impossible. For a Walstad tank it's best to start from scratch.

 

[Tryne]

I see. I am googling that Walstadt method right now. Looks interesting. Changing watr every 6 months only, wow. Well to be honest I wouldn't go that far. I will still change the water every 6 or 7 weeks just to be sure. The water I have here in Paris is very hard btw. I have it at a reading of 15 from the tap water and 14 in the tank.

I currently have tests for PH / Cl2 / KH / GH / NH3 / NO2 / NO3 and I use a Co2 graph chart to set bubbles/sec
Can you guys recommend a good test kit that allows to check for other minerals the plants need?
That's one thing I haven't yet started to look into.

 

[MacZ]

Can you guys recommend a good test kit that allows to check for other minerals the plants need?

Either the complete JBL or Sera kits with over 20 different tests (comes 60-70€) or you will have to buy every test separately.

 

[Freshfishguy]

I see. I am googling that Walstadt method right now. Looks interesting. Changing watr every 6 months only, wow. Well to be honest I wouldn't go that far. I will still change the water every 6 or 7 weeks just to be sure. The water I have here in Paris is very hard btw. I have it at a reading of 15 from the tap water and 14 in the tank.

I currently have tests for PH / Cl2 / KH / GH / NH3 / NO2 / NO3 and I use a Co2 graph chart to set bubbles/sec
Can you guys recommend a good test kit that allows to check for other minerals the plants need?
That's one thing I haven't yet started to look into.

I’m curious—what is your stocking? It looks pretty light, but if you consider that well stocked that’s a good thing. Going light on stocking is always better. Beautiful tank btw.

 

[Tryne]

5 pygmy cories
5 Chili Rasboras
3 Amanos
5 or 6 Neocaridinas and lots of babies now
2 Dwarf crayfish males
1 Anentome Helena
1 Faunus Ater
Pest snails

I was wondering if adding a Honey Gourami or another kind of solo fish would be overkill or pose any problem with my other inhabitants.

 

[Freshfishguy]

5 pygmy cories
5 Chili Rasboras
3 Amanos
5 or 6 Neocaridinas and lots of babies now
2 Dwarf crayfish males
1 Anentome Helena
1 Faunus Ater
Pest snails

I was wondering if adding a Honey Gourami or another kind of solo fish would be overkill or pose any problem with my other inhabitants.

Oh wow I guess I just wasn’t paying enough attention. I think that’s fully stocked for your size tank. I wouldn’t put a honey gourami in anything smaller than a 10 gallon honestly. Although you could up the chili rasboras to 8, which would make them happier.

 

[Tryne]

Alright, no Honey Gourami it is then. thank you

 

[MacZ]

5 pygmy cories
5 Chili Rasboras
3 Amanos
5 or 6 Neocaridinas and lots of babies now
2 Dwarf crayfish males
1 Anentome Helena
1 Faunus Ater
Pest snails

I was wondering if adding a Honey Gourami or another kind of solo fish would be overkill or pose any problem with my other inhabitants.

And you write the tank is 30 liters, right? Huuuuu, this is overstocked. I would probably get at least an 80l and move the fish, the amanos and bigger snails over (and stock them up to appropriate group sizes).

 

[jtjgg]

do you have evaporation? are you topping off the tank? if so, there could be a build up of heavy metals.

you'll also have to dose minerals.

have you been testing your pH, KH? CO2 and the bacteria creates acids that consumes your carbonates KH over time. KH is directly tied to pH. when KH drops so will the pH.

 

[MacZ]

KH is directly tied to pH. when KH drops so will the pH.

Not necessarily. Still needs addition of H+ ions to lower pH. Just soft water alone doesn't have to be acidic. And nitrification and oxidation of Ammonia and Nitrite don't necessarily produce acids. Nitrate is present as nitric acid in watery solution, though.

 

[Tryne]

Yes, I top up with water I always have prepared in a bucket used only for that purpose and prepare that water once a week to use through the week.

KH:10 / PH:7.0