L66 pleco info and tips needed

[Austy16414]

Yea once you start with RO, you'd wanna stick with it for best results. Once your soil becomes saturated with minerals (from regular water) it will no longer absorb them, which will make your water harder, and if the fish are used to soft water that could cause problems for breeding. Once the soil is saturated with minerals, I believe the only thing to do is to get fresh soil

[Fishkeeper19]

Do you know how much it costs for x amount?

[Austy16414]

Aquarium World sells theirs for 49 cents per gallon

[Fishkeeper19]

That's not bad

[Fishkeeper19]

How much would you suggest for 3 months for about 30%-40% WC on a 40B weekly?

[Austy16414]

If you can find a good deal on a RO filter that's the way to go, long term at least

[Austy16414]

Well for 40% water changes weekly for three months, 16 gallons per WC times 12 weeks = 192 gallons plus your initial 40 gallons

[Fishkeeper19]

I just wouldn't feel comfortable drilling into the wall to get to the necessary pipes

[Austy16414]

You shouldn't have to drill, you can hook it up under your sink or just make a PVC attachment with hoses, similar to a carbon filter

[Fishkeeper19]

Wait? So it's a while filter by itself that hooks into a sink and tank stuff out of the tap water? And I just take water from it and out it in the tank? Or would it be hooked up to the tank in anyway?

[Austy16414]

It won't really be hooked up to the tank, directly at least. It'll have one end hooked up to the water supply, and another end will either run to the tank or to a storage tub that then runs to the tank

[Fishkeeper19]

Could I just have a large storage run the water runs I tk and the. I just put water in the buckets when I do a water change? I don't have a water source in the room or space for a storage tub in the room. So could I just get a huge tub and keep it outside with the water in it?

[Austy16414]

I wouldn't keep it outside, but you could do that inside

[Fishkeeper19]

Hmmmm but would it be possible to just buy it by the gallon and use it for water changes? For some reason it seems easier considering the space I have and with other factors

[Austy16414]

Yes absolutely. You just need 5 gallon buckets with tops to move the water in