How can I convince someone that weekly 50% wc isn't dangerous?

[rbarn]

Tell her that the "food" the bacteria thrive on is "poison" to the fish.
Ask a simple question: Are you more worried about raising healthy fish or healthy bacteria ?

As long as she is consistent the amount of bacteria in the tank will self regulate to where it needs to be.

 

[duanes]

The Amazon river flows at an average of 290,000 cubic feet per second.
In nature most fish are in a constant water change.
I change about 30% on my tanks every other day, and when I compare that regime to nature, I feel I'm a bit of a slacker.

 

[Pomatomus]

Tell her that the "food" the bacteria thrive on is "poison" to the fish.
Ask a simple question: Are you more worried about raising healthy fish or healthy bacteria ?

As long as she is consistent the amount of bacteria in the tank will self regulate to where it needs to be.

Absolutely true. While I'm typing this I'm looking at the published poster on the wall that cites nitrate as an endocrine disruptor in sturgeon.

To summarize this discussion, 50% water changes aren't harmful as long as the new water doesn't contain chlorine/chloramine and has similar parameters to the old water (excluding nitrogenous wastes). This includes pH, KH, temperature, etc...

 

[decoy50]

Keep a log of your water params with your 50% changes to show her the benefit.

I overstock my tanks & with only 50% weekly my nitrates would be through the roof. I do 4x50% changes weekly!

 

[lando]

Keep a log of your water params with your 50% changes to show her the benefit.

I overstock my tanks & with only 50% weekly my nitrates would be through the roof. I do 4x50% changes weekly!

This is ridiculous..... Wow that's all I can say.


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[JimA]

My question would be why do you want her to do a 50% once a week? If the nitrates are in check and everything seems pretty balanced with say 20 to 30% changes why go to 50? I have a 240 with 30+ Tropheus in there, 1 FX5 and 2 aquatop 400s along with 3 power heads moving water. I do 50% on wed and 30 to 50% water change on Sunday only because Tropheus like fresh water. I clean the filters alternately every other week or so I am a strong believer that the BB is in the substrate and on the rocks and in the filters. Not really much in the water column. So if the water changes she is doing is effective why change, unless I missed something there?? Should add I am on a well that's very hard and has high a PH, I put no additives in what so ever so there is not much to worry about other than getting the temp of the incoming water right specially when it gets colder..

 

[808_fairladyz]

WOW, how lrge are your aquarium and what's in them? 50% x 4 is alot of water. If you're really doing water changes that often, you should design & implament a constant drip & over flow system for your aquarium/s. Water params would be more consistant and managable. I have my overflow connected to my sump under my aquarium. My fill goes into my aquarium from the top. Mines is not a constant drip system yet, but i'll flow about a 100 gal or so over a few hours once a week as long as my two 320 gal storage containers have water in them. Both containers are connected to my roof gutters and collect rain. It rains alot where I live, so I almost always have extra water available. Just a thought.

My Xbox gamer tag: xXclusive808x. Run & gun baby!

 

[decoy50]

Its a 150gal overstocked w/ viejas at the moment. I will be thinning the herd in the next 6 months to a year & hopefully get down to 2x 50% weekly. Right now it keeps my nitrates around 5-7.

I'm starting a 75gallon discus tank in the next month or so & that will be 55gallons changed daily haha. I like perfect water & enjoy doing water changes.

If you get your water change process streamlined, its not a big deal at all. I can do the 50% change on the 150 with a tank wipedown & cleaning both filters in about 45 minutes.

 

[skjl47]

The Amazon river flows at an average of 290,000 cubic feet per second.
In nature most fish are in a constant water change.
I change about 30% on my tanks every other day, and when I compare that regime to nature, I feel I'm a bit of a slacker.

Hello; Another way to consider it is that along the many hundreds of miles that the water flows thru the various tributaries of the Amazon they are picking up all sorts of material and are teeming with life forms. The life processes of the creatures are also affecting the content of the water. At any one point along the way the water will be loaded with things that can be called water parameters. It seems to me that what matters is the quality of the water at any time more than how much may flow by. It may well be that many aquariums have as good or better water parameters than are found in nature.

An analogy may be that if you wash clothes twice and they are clean, then washing the clothes three more times may get them marginally cleaner but the percentage of improvement is likely to be tiny. My take is that if the water parameters are good at one level of water change % and frequency, then larger amounts of water and more frequent changes add little to the quality of the water. It then may become an exercise that makes a fish keeper feel better about his/her industry but likely adds little to the environment for the fish.

I tend to go with the idea that if the water parameters are good at a particular water change regimen, then additional quantity and frequency adds little. In the end we each get to run out tanks any way we want.

Good luck

 

[lando]

Hello; Another way to consider it is that along the many hundreds of miles that the water flows thru the various tributaries of the Amazon they are picking up all sorts of material and are teeming with life forms. The life processes of the creatures are also affecting the content of the water. At any one point along the way the water will be loaded with things that can be called water parameters. It seems to me that what matters is the quality of the water at any time more than how much may flow by. It may well be that many aquariums have as good or better water parameters than are found in nature.

An analogy may be that if you wash clothes twice and they are clean, then washing the clothes three more times may get them marginally cleaner but the percentage of improvement is likely to be tiny. My take is that if the water parameters are good at one level of water change % and frequency, then larger amounts of water and more frequent changes add little to the quality of the water. It then may become an exercise that makes a fish keeper feel better about his/her industry but likely adds little to the environment for the fish.

I tend to go with the idea that if the water parameters are good at a particular water change regimen, then additional quantity and frequency adds little. In the end we each get to run out tanks any way we want.

Good luck

+1

This was stated extremely well!


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