Has anyone had a tank that seems like it won't complete it's cycle

[Tomt37]

More often is always great and bigger water changes in stable systems fine ... but in this case it's not a stable system so cutting back on feeding and letting the tank bed in has always worked for me ... have had tanks stocked as high but never had nitrite above zero

 

[Demon012]

If you can get away with cleaning filters every 3 weeks then do it, obviously if the flow rate reduces a massive amout the filter needs to be cleaned,,

 

[Demon012]

Of cause in a un stable system that method will not work, just trying to reassure people that are frightened of large water changes it comes up in forums all the time ( sorry going of topic) just to add to your 30% a week water changes while cycling a tank, everyone has there own way of doing things but I have always done 20% every 3 days and has always worked for me, small amounts of water but regular, but at the same time iam sure you have had success with your method

 

[Coryloach]

it's common for people who do more and don't vacuum adequately to have heterotrophic bacterial blooms which can release large amounts of ammonia and nitrite from available organic matter into the tank .. it's also a bigger change in water chemistry and temperature ...imo 30% with thorough vacuuming is a good approach if your tank isn't stable ... obviously monitoring is key

You never actually explained any reasonable logic behind your advise. Heterotrophic bacteria like that has nothing to do with the amount of water being changed but the amount of organic matter in a tank. The less water changed, the more organic matter. The more bioload, the more organic matter. Dirty filters=detritus in the tank=heterotrophic bacteria on the media.

...Organics dissolve in water and it is when they alter the water quality...They're not dangerous to fish when in solid form but promote growth of other bacteria one doesn't always want. As long as a tank is oxygenated, healthy decomposition takes care of that. But that's another topic...

Changing that little amount of water is your choice but you'll suffer the consequences over the years..I like posting this below for those that don't bother changing much water,...

If you want to bring 40 ppm nitrates to a 5 ppm level

Daily water change @

70% - takes 2 water changes
50% - takes 3 water changes
40% - takes 4 water changes
30% - takes 6 water changes
20% - takes 10 water changes
10% - takes 19 water changes

To reduce 1ppm ammonia to 0.0X ppm where X is a value below 5
Daily water change @

70% - takes 3 water changes
50% - takes 4 water changes
40% - takes 6 water changes
30% - takes 9 water changes
20% - takes 14 water changes
10% - takes 29 water changes

So when you say you change no more than 30% water change at once, I am guessing that varies between 10 and 30%. If you change water once a week, it will take you about 2-4 months to remove a minuscule amount of naturally produced toxins and other harmful stuff, including dissolved organics, by which time, a ton of it more is produced.

Unless you completely restart your tanks every year, the water quality in a tank like that deteriorates to a point its not a healthy place for the most robust fish.....It certainly will not keep long lived fish healthy,. How old are your tanks?

 

[Tomt37]

Oh totally I'd agree I'd do smaller and more often if i wasn't so lazy so we're in agreement and as long as im monitoring and vacuuming and looking for organic build up etc

 

[Coryloach]

Smaller and more often is fine as long as one is willing to do the work but it actually isn't doing anything better than a large water change. The easier one makes it for themselves, the longer they'll keep up with it. It's easier for me to just drain a large amount of water at once and forget about it for a good few days...Whether we flush the toilet with 3 jugs of water or a bucket of water, we still need to sink that p**p

 

[Tomt37]

No always around 25 to 30% roughly ... I don't have ammonia or nitrite as my tanks filter is cycled ... nitrate I'll monitor and do more often as needed to keep it where I want it

 

[Tomt37]

Ah but if you're vacuuming more often ur removing the real problem .. organic waste in the substrate more often

 

[Tomt37]

anyway my head hurts

 

[Coryloach]

I don't want to go on about it for too much longer but I'll just say one more thing. When you go to McDonald's to each chips, you're aren't eating just chips but 15 other ingredients. Same applies to a fish tank. Just because one has only heard about ammonia/nitrite and nitrate, it doesn't mean these are the only toxins produced in fish tank. Take dissolved organics for example...How do your measure that? Dissolved organics is a major pollutant in a tank... You're measuring nitrates...the test for which are notoriously useless and a marketing gimmick..They tell you zilch about your water quality...