I have an adult female kenyi cichlid living in a 40 gallon tank. Once every week, I do a 60 % water change for her. However, my uncle who keeps discus cichlids , recently told me that I'm changing the water in my tank excessively. Now, based on my understanding, African cichlids are more vulnerable to sudden nitrate spikes than their Central and South American counterparts. Does my uncle have a point or should I stick with the established routine? Thanks in advance.
How often should I change my kenyi's water?
- Thread starter brown_snake
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I like to change 20% every day (or every other day depending on how lazy I am).
My nitrate level is usually in the 2-5ppm range.
Because I have over 1000 gals in tanks, I have a semi-automatic water change system, and the old water is cycled through me pod, and garden.
And in my area water is plentiful, and any water used is recycled through out sewer system back to the lake it came from.
The rift lakes have a natural nitrate level of <1ppm.
My nitrate level is usually in the 2-5ppm range.
Because I have over 1000 gals in tanks, I have a semi-automatic water change system, and the old water is cycled through me pod, and garden.
And in my area water is plentiful, and any water used is recycled through out sewer system back to the lake it came from.
The rift lakes have a natural nitrate level of <1ppm.
One fish in a 40G isn't going to make much of a mess. 30-50% once a week would be fine.
When I had my 40 breeder I changed anywhere from 25%-50%. It all depended on nitrates. If it's just one fish in your 40 gallon then 10%-25% water changes will be fine.
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I have one medium sized flowerhorn in a 65 and i do about 30% every week, or even every other week. I test the water frequently and it is always 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, <5 ppm nitrate. How much you need to change your water will depend on your filter setup and your feeding schedule. I feel that many people on this forum either exaggerate how much they change or change it excessively.
I feed mine twice a day and am careful never to overfeed her. So that would go some way towards preventing sudden nitrate spikes I guess.
Brown_snake, the real key that some have hinted at is water testing. If you don't have a freshwater test kit, such as API, then get one, or you need to take your water to your LFS to get it tested. You need to test your water pretty regularly for a while to get an idea for how much waste your fish produces.
I advocate for regular water changes, at least every other week even when nitrates have remained low. Some say this is due to a buildup of hormones, depletion of nutrients, etc. I say, that from my experience fish grow faster and seem to fare better when regular water changes are done - regardless of nitrate buildup. But how often you need to do water changes is controlled by two factors:
1. how much waste your fish produces (measured through nitrate testing)
2. how much water you change at a time
I advocate for regular water changes, at least every other week even when nitrates have remained low. Some say this is due to a buildup of hormones, depletion of nutrients, etc. I say, that from my experience fish grow faster and seem to fare better when regular water changes are done - regardless of nitrate buildup. But how often you need to do water changes is controlled by two factors:
1. how much waste your fish produces (measured through nitrate testing)
2. how much water you change at a time
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