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Weekly Routine

Best Practices & Practical Tips

Stability / Algae Control

  • Dose Seachem Flourish Excel daily at ~5 mL per 10 gallons to prevent algae problems from starting
  • Keep fertilizers minimal. Most tanks do well with zero ferts — fish waste is often enough
  • Inert-bottom tanks are significantly easier to maintain than soil setups
  • Run Seachem Purigen as the final stage in your filter before water returns to the tank
  • Use a surface skimmer (built-in to lily pipes or standalone) to maintain clean water and prevent film buildup
  • Kill snails as you see them — don't wait, since a small population turns into an infestation fast

Growth

  • Run CO2 as high as possible without stressing livestock. CO2 is one of the most effective ways to prevent problems early. You can get started for around $80, or a solid system for $150–$200. It may seem expensive — but most people lose more money replacing plants than they would have spent on CO2 in the first place.
  • Extra filtration and flow are one of the easiest ways to prevent problems. Even avoiding a single major issue can save you far more time, money, and frustration than the cost of overfiltering. The typical rule of thumb is 5x your water volume. However, I've been able to go up to 10x without any issues. Anything within the 5x–10x water volume range is strongly recommended.
  • If your budget allows it — invest in the best light you can afford upfront. It is the single best upgrade to make everything in your tank look better.
    • Buy a stronger light than you need, then run it at lower power (I run all my lights below 30%)
    • Start low and increase gradually — never start high and dial down
    • Buy lights that are RGB adjustable and dimmable — then you can change it to highlight whatever plants and livestock you have
    • The better the light, the easier it will be for you to make your money back
  • Prioritize easy plants: ferns, buce, anubias, Hygrophila pinnatifida, bolbitis, riccardia, and moss (weeping moss is the most versatile). This category makes up the majority of professional aquascapes.

Efficiency

  • When taking down a tank: line a 5-gallon bucket with two garbage bags, fill only halfway, then dispose. Take as much water out first, remove major hardscape, then use a net to scoop leftover substrate.
  • Design your setup and workflow to minimize time and effort — small optimizations compound quickly.
  • Do a little bit every day. Spending 5 minutes every day is better than 35 minutes once a week. You'll have fewer surprise issues, it'll feel like less of a chore, and you'll be applying constant pressure to a problem vs. relying on one big change.

Equipment & Standards

  • Use stainless steel pipes instead of glass for durability and consistency
  • Use an inline CO2 diffuser for better CO2 distribution and long-term ease of use — it performs better and costs about the same as in-tank options
  • If 2Hr Aquarist (APT) sells it, default to it — their products are reliable, well-priced, and backed by strong support and educational resources
  • The only dry food I use is Vitalis — because it's cold-pressed (not baked), it is highly nutritious, and I've never seen another dry food that fish enjoy more
  • If using a standalone skimmer, choose the Oase CrystalSkim — other brands are not worth the tradeoff in reliability and performance

Common Mistakes

One of the most common ways to kill fish is using water that's too hot, too cold, or too different from the existing tank water. Stability matters — avoid sudden changes in parameters. That's why I prepare water 48 hours in advance before a water change.

Note: Most TDS meters include a built-in thermometer.

Troubleshooting & Learning

Plants & Tissue Cultures

Design Inspiration & Contest Winners