How often to clean a tank

[TCZeli]

I know the best is to do water changes once a week. However I work with a girl that is telling me that doing water changes once a week is actually harmful to the fish.

She tells me it should be topped off as needed but as far as gravel cleanings and water changes, they shouldn't be done for 3-4 months!!!!!!!!!!

She has a 55gallon with a a butterkrofi (im sure i spelled that wrong) that is 8inch, and a channel cat that is over a foot long!

No matter what I tell her she will not believe that once a week or even 2 weeks is what hobbiest usually do, she is set in her ways and says it shouldn't be done more then once every 3-4 months.

I would like as many people as possible to respond with how often she should be doing water changes, so that maybe she will start to realize she is way off

Oh by the way - she has a fluval 404 (she thinks 404) and a HOB.

thanks everyone!

 

[robmcd]

Sounds like she works at petsmartco. She is waaayyy off. At least 20% a week. My cichlid sensei (polomax) suggests 80% every 2 weeks. Water quality is key to fish healthand growth.

 

[Wolf3101]

Water changes are importiant...yes...however water changes for the hell of it are a waste of time. We do water changes to remove built up concentrations of nitrates along with a few trace elements from the aquarium. Regular water testing is the only real way to know when and how often...water changes are necessary. 3 of our tanks recieve 40% water changes every two weeks while the rest of the tanks maintain optimum water conditions with 25% once a month.

Water changes can be stressful to fish...some more so than others...and can introduce temperiture and chemical related problems as well. Just because you've DONE something for a year or so without problems dosn't make it safe.
It only requires ONE preventable disaster to re-evaluate your maintance schedule.

By the way I've used my own testing/water changing methoud for 30 years now without a single problem. Some tanks have ran for 10 years or more on every other MONTH water changes.... No stunted fish...no alge blooms...no mysterious deaths...

 

[X24]

wolf brings up a good point. w/c are for removing nitrate (on a cycled tank) and in order to gauge when you need to do w/c's you should pick yourself up a $10 test kit to find out. i myself have never tested for nitrates, but i'm going to be picking up a test kit next time i hit a lfs as i'm really dying to know if i'm overkilling it by doing 70% weekly. if i could do 70% bi-weekly it'd be much easier for me lol.

 

[rallysman]

Tell her to test her nitrate levels. That will answer her question.

 

[jimk]

Water changes also remove compounds that are not usually tested for. Hormones being one of the things you always hear about. Water changes will also induce certain species to spawn, simulating the rainy season. I like to turn over 100 % of the water every month(25% a week). I do keep my stocking densities low and certain tanks get different treatment. All in all, water changes are a pain and in you can reliably test and get them bi-weekly, more power to you. That lady you work with must be reading aquarium books from the 70's.

 

[cichlid savage]

First your friend needs to realize that a 1 foot catfish and an 8" butti need more space than a 55. With that much bioload you would think (atleast I would) that her water quality is crap. More than likely there needs to be more frequent water changes on her tank.

 

[ThePBM]

Tell her to test her nitrate levels. That will answer her question.

First you have to explain to her what nitrate is.

 

[benzjamin13]

I do about a 50% every week. If you change 100%...then, yeah...that's bad. It's always debatable...my Dad does 90% water change once every 3-6 months and his Goldfish are healthy and happy, believe it or not.

 

[ThePBM]

i've never seen a sick goldfish. they're either alive and active or dead.