lefty o

in most instances, less is better. im much more into seeding a tank, and going form there, but during the establishment of beneficial bacteria ("cycle"), whatever bacteria you do have is few, and at its most fragile stage. doing water changes is when you are most likely to cause problems with the establishment of bacteria, so i say avoid water changes unless testing or some other clue tells you something is out of whack.

if doing a fishless cycle, dont go changing water for no reason. it just goes against what you are trying to achieve.

anubia's dont tend to melt. as for new growth, it can take a very long time to see growth on an anubia.

i agree, should be fine. if anything new plants will add to the good in the tank. always better to do small water changes, and give it a day or two in between, but i think you're fine.

agree with the others. doesnt matter the tank. half the required wattage, and run 2 of them. two reasons, both related to failure. if one sticks on , much less likely to cook your fish as a single heater wont be able to over heat the tank on its own. second, if it fails to heat, you still have 1 keeping some heat in the tank. 1 thing in life you can guarantee is that an aquarium heater will fail.

thing with tanks is, you pay your money, you take your chances. most tanks from every brand will be fine. reviews online, most people are inclined to leave a review when things go bad, so you see a higher rate of issues with online reviews. usually tanks that are going to leak will do so right away, so whatever you get, put it somewhere that can take water spilling, and set it up and fill it for a day or three. if it doesnt leak then, 99.8% the tank is good to go for a very long time.

ive used frtizyme7, and fluval cycle, they both work, and will have your tank up and running virtually instantly. now that doesnt mean you can just fully stock a tank on day 1 either.

pretty much permanent. it may lighten over time, but the only way to remove it is to strip out the silicone and reseal the tank.

many moons ago when i had the long nose gar. toss in minnows for dinner, and they'd hide under a stump i had in the tank. just a big enough gap for the minnow to get under it. well you could see this little monster gar eyeball them, and figure out how he was going to attack. absolutely not a reaction feeder, he'd make a plan how to get them. he'd slide his snout in the gap moving in maybe an inch every couple of minutes. so slowly he could get his nose right next to the minnow without spooking it, then bam, all she wrote. i dont know if he could do math, but he could sure formulate a plan.

Roses are red, violets are blue. when i listen to AC/DC, my neighbors do too...........................

give it a couple more weeks. 2 weeks isnt very long for plant growth.

how long is a while ago? crypts will melt back, that is fairly normal. as long as the roots still look good, it will probably sprout new growth.

id find it a new home, unless you want a 2' long pleco.

this is a good point, if you have plants that can out compete algae, you will suffer less algae.

you need to keep it wet, and the bacteria fed or it will die off.

if water conditions are good, and everything in the tank looks happy and healthy, no you dont have to do water changes. i let the tank dictate when and if it needs a water change. i dont subscribe to the every week water change ( good thing for beginners who havent got a handle on things yet, so there is a place for it). you really have to have a perfectly balanced tank to never do water changes, but a well balanced tank can go for very long times without.

if you want to separate them, it is best to do it as soon as you can start telling them apart.

you will likely grow a good bit of algae in that tank being right in front of the window.

looks okay, just stock in increments. put in some fish6,8, or 10ish give it a week or so, then add some more, repeat until you get to the level you feel is good.

water conditions, genetics, and minerals.

sounds like a plan. skip a dose or two, then sneak back up on it.