just set up this 5.5 gallon tank a few days ago and added a good amount of botanicals (all boiled) but now I’m reading that too many can cause bacterial blooms. the tank is still cycling so i haven’t added any animals yet. I’m brand new to fish keeping and any info on anything I could be doing wrong would be very appreciated! Also curious about flow rate? how do I know if my filter flow is fast enough to sufficiently clean the tank? (I’m using a sponge filter with an adjustable air pump) and any info on caring for aquatic plants would be awesome thank you 🙂 !!
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1pfwmhg
Posted by froggyfrogo
1 Comment
It can definitely cause bacterial blooms due to the sudden load of organic waste, but it can also crash you pH/KH depending on your KH, which will then of course have negative effects on the stocking and cycle. Add a little at a time, allow the water to settle and stabilise.
If there is no stocking yet, it doesnt really matter as much, but you’d still have to be mindful of the effects botanicals can have on the water chemistry and what it means for water changes and stability down the line when a fish does move in and you’re doing maintenance. 🙂