# Fluval Spec Maintenance



## charliearkem (Jun 22, 2013)

Every tank is going to be different. I have a Fluval Spec V with glossostigma and dwarf baby tears with 16 neon tetras (I know that's a lot but I don't care). I do a light water change of 10 percent every 2 days and a 30 percent water change every week. I also feed the fish once every other day because I prefer not to have the ammonia spiking in the tank. If you face the output nozzle facing the water surface, you'll get surface agitation and that will allow more oxygen in your tank. I personally face it lower because my carbon diffuser mists out the bubbles right underneath the output. Depending on what you do, requires more maintenance. Have you cycled out the tank yet before putting those fish in? It usually takes about a month for it to completely cycle.


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## charliearkem (Jun 22, 2013)

Here is a picture of my spec as is. The top is from a few days ago and the bottom is from a week and a few days before the picture above was taken.


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## rcs0926 (Jun 14, 2013)

charliearkem said:


> Every tank is going to be different. I have a Fluval Spec V with glossostigma and dwarf baby tears with 16 neon tetras (I know that's a lot but I don't care). I do a light water change of 10 percent every 2 days and a 30 percent water change every week. I also feed the fish once every other day because I prefer not to have the ammonia spiking in the tank. If you face the output nozzle facing the water surface, you'll get surface agitation and that will allow more oxygen in your tank. I personally face it lower because my carbon diffuser mists out the bubbles right underneath the output. Depending on what you do, requires more maintenance. Have you cycled out the tank yet before putting those fish in? It usually takes about a month for it to completely cycle.


Yes, the tank is cycled. I used a combination of used filter media and Tetra SafeStart to cycle the tank. The every other day feeding sounds about right to me. I guess I'm really just trying to nail down the the frequency and amount of water changes I should do. My plan is to do 50% water changes every other day. I'm not sure if that's overkill...


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## charliearkem (Jun 22, 2013)

It might shock the fish if you do 50 percent water changes every other day. I only recommend doing that if you were to get a huge algae bloom out of nowhere. Since the tank is considered cycled already, 10 percent water changes daily and 20-30 percent water changes weekly should work. If you have a test kit that measures pH, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and hardness levels then you should do that about once a week just to make sure. I wouldn't recommend 6 guppies in a 2 gallon fluval spec but hey, I have 16 neons in a 5 gallon. Lol no judgement here.


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## rcs0926 (Jun 14, 2013)

charliearkem said:


> It might shock the fish if you do 50 percent water changes every other day. I only recommend doing that if you were to get a huge algae bloom out of nowhere. Since the tank is considered cycled already, 10 percent water changes daily and 20-30 percent water changes weekly should work. If you have a test kit that measures pH, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and hardness levels then you should do that about once a week just to make sure. I wouldn't recommend 6 guppies in a 2 gallon fluval spec but hey, I have 16 neons in a 5 gallon. Lol no judgement here.


They're just guppy fry. At the end of the week, I'll be moving at least half of them to my 20 gallon. The remaining fry will stay in the Spec until I can figure out what I really want to put in this tank.


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## charliearkem (Jun 22, 2013)

I recommend tetras. They are beautiful. Are you modifying the light or keeping the stock light?


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## charliearkem (Jun 22, 2013)

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1010691_470854296342880_226698546_n.jpg

What mine currently looks like. The one on the top is from a few days ago and the bottom picture is from a week and a few days from the top picture.


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## rcs0926 (Jun 14, 2013)

I'm keeping the stock light for now, so I'm sticking with floaters, anubias nana and perhaps some moss that I'm receiving through an RAOK.


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## rcs0926 (Jun 14, 2013)

charliearkem said:


> https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1010691_470854296342880_226698546_n.jpg
> 
> What mine currently looks like. The one on the top is from a few days ago and the bottom picture is from a week and a few days from the top picture.


Nice. :smile:


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## charliearkem (Jun 22, 2013)

Thank you. I've been doing that one for a month. I started with just arranging my stones a certain way and I kept changing it. When the tank was cycled was when I started adding plants. Just something to do while my significant other is vacationing on the other side of the world.


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