help me win an argument

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80 ppm of Nitrates is really high. I would get that under control asap. If your nitrates are that high that usually means you need to do more frequent water changes.

As for your mom and her oscar...

My boyfriend's dad has two 55 gallon tanks with plecos and large koi (12" long) and he hasn't done a water change in a YEAR. In the summer, the koi go in the pond but his plecos stay in the tank (remember, summer only lasts for 3 months in Wisconsin). His fish are still alive. It BLOWS MY MIND. They're constantly battling diseases, but they're still alive. I'm convinced that some people just have magic water. That, or fish with super powers.

That being said, the chances of a fish surviving without a water change is one in a million.

According to your mother, what qualifies an aqua hobbyist as a professional? I've found that the majority of the aquarists on here are more knowledgeable than the employees at my LFS. If the people with breeding ray tanks are not professionals, I don't know who is. lol
 
alexanian said:
Yea I know how u feel, my parents tell me the same thing everytime a fish dies. Their most effective argument is that before I started doing water changes I almost never had dead fish in years! and I have to say it's true. Another thing they say is : Before u started reading about fishkeeping on the internet and listen all those "so called experts" all our fish were fine and now we only have problems. Which is also a true statment. I used to change water once a month or more and everything was fine. So obviously smth is wrong. Regular water changes r good only when donne right. If u don't add dechlorinator u'll have problems, if u have ammonia or nitrates in ur tap water or if ur tap water is not good in any way then it is very much possible that ur harming ur fish rather then helping.
Another thing is 80 ppm of nitrate is too high, u need to keep it under 40. Try the following: get a photos plant, stick it in the tank with only the roots inside the water and stem and leaves out, it will suck up ur nitrates and help controling them in between water changes. Hornwort aquatic plant also helps alot with sucking up nitrates. I'm just saying that it is possible that ur tap water is harming ur fish and this way u will be able to keep ur nitrates under control and lessen the water changes and see if it works out better for u. Good luck.
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Exactly what they say to me. I just keep all my thoughts about what they say in my head. My parents think a guppy in a half gallon bowl without a heater or filtration of any kind is perfectly fine for a permanent tank. They even think you can have like 20 guppies in said bowl.
 
Alexanian is right. Water changes needs to be done properly. Otherwise, you will have more problems than if you just left it alone.

Another thing to remember is the species of the fish. Fish such as oscars have been bred so much in the industry that they are much more tolerant of poor water quality. Will they live longer without a water change than an arrowana? Probably. Does that mean you shouldn't do a water change with Oscars? Absolutely not. Just because a fish can handle it, doesn't mean it's the best option for their health.

My boyfriend's dad is somehow keeping his koi alive without a water change. But I can guarantee those fish won't live to their full potential.
 
Lets remember that the water evaporates and thus adding more water to compensate is like a "water change".

If you didnt add any water for a year ur tank would be bone dry lol.

Evaporation is a similiar method
 
Well, he does top the water off occasionally. But topping off isn't good either. If you don't take any water out, nitrates build up regardless of how much water evaporates.
 
yeah i know i need to get the nitrates down asap it was at 25ppm idk what the hell happened but im gunna do a 25% tonight and hopefully that takes care of it and yeah i dont think it will ever get through her head that water changes are a good thing and yeah i add dechlor and ammonia remover to my tap water so i dont think that is the problem but idk thanks guys for all the valid argument even tho she wont believe it :ROFL: oh well what can you do
 
Well good luck getting your nitrates down. :) Water changes or not, I hope your fish stay happy and healthy. Who knows, maybe you have some of that magic water. lol
 
KristaM92 said:
Well good luck getting your nitrates down. :) Water changes or not, I hope your fish stay happy and healthy. Who knows, maybe you have some of that magic water. lol
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haha that would be awesome i think i just have bad luck with pbass this is my third one so im not getting anymore i love them but i cant keep flushing 12 dollar bills away you know but thanks
 
hey guys just wanted to let you know i got my nitrates under control did a water change last night and tested this morning and they are at 20 ppm now just wanted to let everyone know haha
 
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