Cloudy/Dusty water bad for fish?

[pacu mom]

Instead of removing the fish, take out less water, refill, and start the process over again. It is definitely not as efficient, as you are just diluting the remaining water, but eventually, you will get your nitrates down and the tank clean. It is more time consuming, but you can get the nitrates down to an acceptable level. In the past, I have drained out 1/3 of the tank, refilled, and immediately drained out another 1/3 and refilled. After that, I was out of hot water and had to wait until I had enough hot water to repeat the process one more time.

 

[TERTELKeng]

Instead of removing the fish, take out less water, refill, and start the process over again. It is definitely not as efficient, as you are just diluting the remaining water, but eventually, you will get your nitrates down and the tank clean. It is more time consuming, but you can get the nitrates down to an acceptable level. In the past, I have drained out 1/3 of the tank, refilled, and immediately drained out another 1/3 and refilled. After that, I was out of hot water and had to wait until I had enough hot water to repeat the process one more time.

That actually seems like a great idea; I’ll do that next time. Thanks.

 

[jaws7777]

doing 100% wc is a good way to start a mini cycle Jack waitley does 100% water changes on his discus tanks everyday but he has has aged water an an expensive system to do this if you have to do large water changes all the time you are probally keeping too many large fish in too small of a tank

This is a myth. 100% water changes will not cause mini cycles.

Adding a bunch of new fish at one time is more likely to cause a cycle in terms of the bb catching up with the new bioload

 

[justarn]

Agreed, I guess if your very tight on BB with bare bottom and inadequate filtration for the BB to grow on and don't dose the water correctly and it's cold water you have a chance of starting a mini cycle.
if done correctly there are no issues with 100% WC other than removing and stressing the fish, fin level is best for big messy fish. I do 80% PW on my 300g which is moderately stocked. By the end of the week my n03 is at 50ppm, considering my tap water is 30ppm that's not bad.

 

[Chockful O Phail]

Instead of removing the fish, take out less water, refill, and start the process over again. It is definitely not as efficient, as you are just diluting the remaining water, but eventually, you will get your nitrates down and the tank clean. It is more time consuming, but you can get the nitrates down to an acceptable level. In the past, I have drained out 1/3 of the tank, refilled, and immediately drained out another 1/3 and refilled. After that, I was out of hot water and had to wait until I had enough hot water to repeat the process one more time.

Alternatively, I have been taking one of my tanks down to 20% or so and then started refilling with a different hose on the other side of the tank. So while it’s still draining I start adding and my Clowns don’t splash and stress like they were. Kind of a poor mans auto drip for a minute. Not an efficient method and takes a bit longer to refill but effectively deals with nitrate creep.

And 25% is a great amount if done daily I suppose but

 

[pacu mom]

Alternatively, I have been taking one of my tanks down to 20% or so and then started refilling with a different hose on the other side of the tank. So while it’s still draining I start adding and my Clowns don’t splash and stress like they were. Kind of a poor mans auto drip for a minute. Not an efficient method and takes a bit longer to refill but effectively deals with nitrate creep.

And 25% is a great amount if done daily I suppose but View attachment 1292984

When we first got the 8 large fish in the 55 gallon tank that they came in, we could only remove 5 - 10 gallons of water at a time in 5 gallon buckets. I removed and added 60 gallons of water to that 55 gallon tank every day. It was very labor intensive...I was vacuuming substrate almost the entire time. A python made things a little easier as I didn't have to fill 5 gallon buckets and dump them in the tub and refill to dump back in the tank. Your method would have worked even better...two pythons, one draining out the back door and another filling from the kitchen sink.

 

[Backfromthedead]

i usually just wait until enough water evaporates out of my tank so that my filters can no longer function. then i fill it back up. nature does half the work for me.

 

[skjl47]

i usually just wait until enough water evaporates out of my tank so that my filters can no longer function. then i fill it back up. nature does half the work for me.

Hello; I guess this is a troll post and you are not serious. This was the way we were told to do over 50 years ago. Just top off and allow stuff to concentrate from the evaporation.
Even tho it may appeal to those who do not like WC, I do not think it is a good way to run a tank. I gave it up decades ago.
If you happen to be serious, what a shame.

 

[jaws7777]

Hello; I guess this is a troll post and you are not serious. This was the way we were told to do over 50 years ago. Just top off and allow stuff to concentrate from the evaporation.
Even tho it may appeal to those who do not like WC, I do not think it is a good way to run a tank. I gave it up decades ago.
If you happen to be serious, what a shame.

I was hoping this one and a couple of other were troll posts.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Hello; I guess this is a troll post and you are not serious. This was the way we were told to do over 50 years ago. Just top off and allow stuff to concentrate from the evaporation.
Even tho it may appeal to those who do not like WC, I do not think it is a good way to run a tank. I gave it up decades ago.
If you happen to be serious, what a shame.

no i was joking. forgive my "troll post". i was feeling unusually snarky earlier.

i just think this topic is the deadest, most battered horse ever. we just need somebody else to jump in and say "i run 7 hang on filters and 3 canisters on my 55 and never change water!" and it'll have all been said.