so heres the question, we all do X% water changes evert X weeks. why? (no im not that confused) but can someone help me with the loop hole in my logic, here we go. waste (left over food, dead fish, dead plants...) all decompose and create a rise in ammonia (very bad). then the ammonia is broken down by bacteria which created a rise in nitrites (still bad). finally the nitrites are broken down into nitrates (not a problem if under 50ppm). the only way to lower the nitrates is through water changes. so i guess the final question is wouldnt it be more time effective to monitor your water and do water changes whenever your nitrate levels approach 50ppm? i would really enjoy any and every opion on this topic.
approach to water changes
- Thread starter aubicon
- Start date
I dont wait until the water reaches the point to where is needs a water change or the fish could die or be stressed by the dirty water. i generally dont mind doing water changes so i do them almost every two days. my water changes are very easy though. i have a bare bottom tank, so there is no gravel vaccuming. i just put the python in and let it go. it takes very little time and my fish now enjoy the fresh water. i also run off a well so i dont have to add conditioners, and i dont have a water bill either, so i am able to do as many water changes as i like for free. just a few minutes of my time is all it takes. water changes are one of the most important things in fish keeping, so i believe you should do them as much as possible.
The nitrification process removes minerals from the water, also when fish osmoregulate.. Without frequent and consistent water changes, these mineral levels can become unbalanced and cause issues. If a hobbyist gets in a habit of doing the same volume of water change, on the same regular basis, the water chemistry in the tank will be consistent.
If you sporadically change water, based on Nitrate readings, it can cause unbalanced water depending on your tap water chemistry.. However, depending on tap water chemistry, I know many successful fishkeepers who test nitrate regularly, and base their water changes on the incline of nitrogen.
Either way, some people don't ever change water.. So either option is better than what most beginning hobbyist believe to be efficient..
If you sporadically change water, based on Nitrate readings, it can cause unbalanced water depending on your tap water chemistry.. However, depending on tap water chemistry, I know many successful fishkeepers who test nitrate regularly, and base their water changes on the incline of nitrogen.
Either way, some people don't ever change water.. So either option is better than what most beginning hobbyist believe to be efficient..
aubicon;1356374; said:
This really depends on the species. Discus, for instance, seem to die/weaken at anything above 20ppm over long periods. I've heard that fry of African cichlids can get deformed at 40ppm. Some shrimp are sensitive to nitrates above 20, etc.
I personally try to keep nitrates at 10-20ppm. 40ppm is a lot, imho, and I don't consider myself a water quality fanatic either.
For me, no. My nitrates creep up at a regular rate so that eliminates the need for testing; I can accurate estimate what the nitrates will be. I already know that weekly 50% changes will keep my nitrates at the desired level...so why bother testing? Just break out the python!
Anyway, it's not like I can really do excessive water changes this way. In nature, some fish live in what are essentially 0 nitrate conditions, so even 10-20 seems high in comparison.
My plants do a pretty good job of pulling nitrates out of the water. Of course, they also pull out other trace minerals, so I still need to do water changes.
I DO 40% WATER CHANGE EVERY SUNDAY MORNING. NO EXCEPTIONS, BEST ANALOGY THAT COMES TO MIND IS GO SIT IN A TUB OF WATER, AFTER NORMAL BODILY FUNCTIONS OCCUR HOW LONG DO YOU WANT TO STAY IN THAT TUB? HOW LONG WILL IT BE HEALTHY FOR YOU TO STAY THERE?
i knew that i was missing somthing, i forgot all about the minerals in the water. so 50ppm is too high for the example, my tank stays at around 5ppm. by the sound of it alot of people fill directly off their tap, i fill 5 gallon buckets and run an air stone in then over night before a water change. what do you guys do?
Its my personal opinion that people do way too many water changes. At least people that post on these forums do way too many. It really does greatly depend on your fish load and if you have a planted tank or not. I think that with adequate filtration most tanks could get away with a 30-40% WC a month rather than the 20%/wk or even more that I've read about. I feel fairly certain that many of the 'trace minerals' will be balanced by the decomposition of food and other organic matter such that changing the water once every month or two isn't going to be a problem. Some things to keep in mind though are:
1) make sure you have adequate filtration and that your tank is fully cycled. I feel that the beneficial bacteria will be able to keep up with fish growth provided you have the appropriate filter (bio-wheel, canister, sump or whatever)
2) sometimes, especially in non-planted tanks, your water can kind of smell...funky if you don't change the water regularly
3) most of the time the best indicator of the water quality is the actions of your fish. If you have fish that are normally active and hungry huddling in a cave all the time that should signify something is up.
I only write all of this because with so many areas experiencing droughts in the US right now we could all do our part to be more thoughtful in how we approach water changes. Of course, no one can discount your personal experiences but by all means don't just do something because someone on a message board says you should
.
1) make sure you have adequate filtration and that your tank is fully cycled. I feel that the beneficial bacteria will be able to keep up with fish growth provided you have the appropriate filter (bio-wheel, canister, sump or whatever)
2) sometimes, especially in non-planted tanks, your water can kind of smell...funky if you don't change the water regularly
3) most of the time the best indicator of the water quality is the actions of your fish. If you have fish that are normally active and hungry huddling in a cave all the time that should signify something is up.
I only write all of this because with so many areas experiencing droughts in the US right now we could all do our part to be more thoughtful in how we approach water changes. Of course, no one can discount your personal experiences but by all means don't just do something because someone on a message board says you should
.