Did the first water change to my aquarium, today!
The six Serpae Tetra were first introduced to their new home, my 80 litre aquarium, last Saturday. Compared to my first grow, I seem to have got off to a better start, knock on wood! Did I mention the war, again!
Last night, I started preparing for this water change, by filling up a 20 litre pail bucket with tap water, and letting it sit for 24 hours to de-chlorinate.
This afternoon, I added 2 mls of API Stress Coat & Stress Zyme to the 20 litres of water - let this mixture sit for half an hour. I measured this mixture at 6.4 pH. I added 1 ml of API pH Up solution to this mixture, and again let the mixture sit for half hour. The mixture now measured 6.9 pH, which I figured is close enough.
Placed another 20 litre pail bucket underneath the aquarium, and used a siphon to clean the gravel and extract the used/dirty tank water. I removed about 10 litres of tank water, and added about 18 litres of treated water - to take into account for the amount of tank water which evaporated.
Sit & Wait, to see how my family of six Serpae Tetras respond, to this first water change.
What's all this gotta do with my Pathetic First Grow? Well...
My other half instructed me to get rid of the discarded tank water - i suggested otherwise, and she was happy instead to use this discarded tank water on her flowering household plants.
I have started to conduct regular testing of the tank water, including its pH using the same pH meter to measure my nutrients for my plants. I got bits & pieces - water pumps, air-pump and its tubing, buckets, etc - which could be used for either hobbies - aquarium or my grow.
There is a regular routine of monitoring and ongoing maintenance to both my grow & aquarium. A discipline of sorts are similar for both hobbies, where the hobbyist is ensuring the conditions in the aquarium are suitable for healthy fish, and to make sure the growing conditions are suitable for healthy plants. Both hobbies includes measuring certain factors to maintain these suitable conditions. Both hobbies, I'm using a syringe to add solutions to water.
Again, similar to my pathetic indoor grow, i have taken the same approach of wearing out the brake pad, trying not to bite off too much than i can chew on my first attempt(s) at running an aquarium, and my grow. Both hobbies, I did some research, before decided to dip into the deep end, to get hands-on experience rather than any further academic studies. And organically again like my grow, i'm thinking soon of adding more population to my tank. Finally, both hobbies, (to me) it's FUN.
Though...I'm not going to eat these fish.....