Aquarium tips

1. Use a prefilter with a Hang-on-back filter. This are small cylindrical foam cut to fit over the Hang-on-back filter's intake tube. Keeps small fish and snails from damage and also means you need to clean the main filter's media far less often.
2. Test and adjust kH instead of pH. Dose with food grade Potassium Bicarbonate to raise kH.
3. Don't do frequent water changes after the tank is well seasoned, about 1 year. I do water changes less than once a year.
4. Don't use a general fertilizer with live plants. Dose with (Seachem in my case) Trace, Potassium, and Phosphorus and no nitrate. Fish/tank produces nitrate. Live plants clean the water.