How to do a water change?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Buphy said:
Plants are very hard for me because I too have cichlids. As much as I would love to have a skimmer and do lots of plants I don't have the experience, room and/or money for these things =S
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That's where plants like pothos come in handy. Just wedge them in beside your filter, or between the lid and the rim, letting only the roots and the bottom 3-5" of the stem enter the water. As long as the tank isn't in a poorly lit room, they'll grow a mass of roots into the aquarium in just a few months.

Edit: xraycer beat me to it.
 
siphon out the windows, fill with a python, all tanks fin level or 90% water changes every Saturday along with a good vacuum, all in all around 300g , I use the water when draining the 180 to clean all the pre-filters every week, HoB every other week, and canisters every 3 months.
 
Buphy said:
how much how often?
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Generally speaking, the best way to determine this in a stable tank is by doing nitrate readings. You should a) pick a reasonably low nitrate level to target and b) do a water change whenever the nitrate level is about to exceed that selected point.

If you choose 40 ppm for example as the maximum desired level, you will want to do a WC when it's nearly 40 ppm. (In practice, you will develop a reasonable estimate from several measurements as to when you will hit the target level. But over a long time, that level will change if you feed more, etc.)

The "how much and how often" then is determined as an interaction between the two variables, If you remove a little each time, then you will need to do WC more often. If you remove a lot, then you can space the WC farther apart.

You should not lock your schedule permanently at any particular x% because changes in the tank (type of food, amount of food, plants, etc.) will change the nitrate readings and can make a locked schedule at x% wrong. (It will be too much or too little.)
 
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While I agree that in a perfect world all water changes should be based on the numbers, as a retired military man who works 50+ hours a week along with other commitments, it is much easier to make sure changes get done if I do have a schedule for them.
 
I agree that nitrate levels should be used to find what your water change schedule should be. I check about once a month these days. my target is 20ppm, I never reach this and that's the way I like it, Saturdays are water change days. as much as I can, if my nitrates read 5ppm. no matter water change day, as much as i can. if they start reading higher that 20ppm. then I will up my water change on what ever tank it is, as much as I can. as much as I can is 90% or fin level. Again this is what I do, I am anal when it comes to water quality.
 
I have been known to do "one eye up" water changes. but only be accident.
The fish really give you the "stink eye" when you do this.
 
I have mill, the logistics are kind of sticky. perhaps down the road. But really do not mind the tank maintenance, I enjoy my water changes and vacuuming and such, it is what makes it a hobby to me. the work and time put into it. And loud rock and roll helps.
 
I don't believe that there's such a thing as too much of a water change. If I had the time and dedication, I would do 100% daily. I also believe that science doesn't have all the answers just yet, so nitrate may not necessarily be the only harmful by-product in aquarium water that affects fish. So, even if my nitrate were at zero, I would still stick to the same exact w/c routine I'm doing now.
 
: )
 
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