Is it ok to clean your tank every day?
- Thread starter MonitorSpiderCichlid
- Start date
water changes do not reduce your bacteria numbers. water changes reduce the amount of 'food' (ammonia and nitrites) available to your bacteria. with fish in the tank constantly creating waste, that cut to the bacteria food supply is short lived when you do the water change, and the ammonia and nitrites start building up again, until the bacteria colonies can do their work to create the end result, being nitrates.
two parameters that many hobbyists don't have tests for are TDS (total dissolved solids) and DOC (dissolved organic compounds). these two things build up in a tank between water changes and do need to be removed on a regular basis. it's not just nitrate levels you need to worry about when it comes to water changes.
Could very well be the case for daily large water exchanges.
But I am not to sure my 28 inch silver arrowana after 5 yrs. could max out more in a 300. Now in 600 gallons might make a difference.
I think clockwork hit it on the head. Consistency is the most important thing and a lot will depend on what you stock and how you setup your tank along with your local water supply.
Here are two different examples of what Im talking about. Ive quarantined new plecos in styrofoam coolers doing 40-50% daily changes with no filtration at all other than a small powerhead. Coolers were bare bottom, so all solid waste was removed every day and the water parameters were pretty stable. The fish thrived, but this was a short term setup so it was manageable.
That being said, my local tap is about 7.8. My mbuna tank sits at about 8.3 with all the fieldstone and coral sand. If i were to change 50% of the water at any point in time, wether it be daily or weekly, my fish would be subjected to some pretty heavy swings in ph. With this setup, the ph will stay more stable with more frequent, but smaller changes, say 15-20% twice a week as opposed to one larger one.
And then theres the issue of stress. Water changes of any size can be stressful to the fish, so they must be done in a way that minimizes it. All the clean water on earth won't do much good if the fish are constantly stressed by the gravel vac, temp variances or ph swings. Most folks I know who pull it off successfully on a daily basis are the ones who pay attention to the consistency on all levels and usually drip systems are best suited for these situations.
Here are two different examples of what Im talking about. Ive quarantined new plecos in styrofoam coolers doing 40-50% daily changes with no filtration at all other than a small powerhead. Coolers were bare bottom, so all solid waste was removed every day and the water parameters were pretty stable. The fish thrived, but this was a short term setup so it was manageable.
That being said, my local tap is about 7.8. My mbuna tank sits at about 8.3 with all the fieldstone and coral sand. If i were to change 50% of the water at any point in time, wether it be daily or weekly, my fish would be subjected to some pretty heavy swings in ph. With this setup, the ph will stay more stable with more frequent, but smaller changes, say 15-20% twice a week as opposed to one larger one.
And then theres the issue of stress. Water changes of any size can be stressful to the fish, so they must be done in a way that minimizes it. All the clean water on earth won't do much good if the fish are constantly stressed by the gravel vac, temp variances or ph swings. Most folks I know who pull it off successfully on a daily basis are the ones who pay attention to the consistency on all levels and usually drip systems are best suited for these situations.
^ But pH swings don't mean much. Even in nature fish are exposed to pH swings daily, every single day. The only way I could see pH swings harming captive fish is if your water was acidic and had ammonia in it. In this case, ammonia would become highly toxic if the pH increased above 7. This is the same thing that happens when you open a bag with a fish that was just shipped. Co2 leaves water, pH increases, ammonia becomes Toxic, fish dies during the "acclimation" process. Plus a .5 swing is not extreme at all.
Here's a great post that explains it in detail: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...-and-Suggestions&p=87738&viewfull=1#post87738
I've transferred fish from water with a pH of 6 to water with a pH of 7.8 several times and I've never noticed anything wrong. Hardness and drops in temperature are much more likely to cause shock imo.
I agree with the last paragraph tho. Only way I would do 100% daily water changes is by using a drip system... otherwise I think it just does more harm than good. Maybe it's just me but I've noticed fish seem much more relaxed and behave "naturally" when you aren't constantly messing with their environment, I've had several fish start breeding while I'm on vacations and have no access to the tank whatsoever. It's funny because I'm away thinking "damn I'm gonna go back to a nasty tank with horrible water quality" and I come back to happy fish guarding eggs or fry lol
Here's a great post that explains it in detail: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...-and-Suggestions&p=87738&viewfull=1#post87738
I've transferred fish from water with a pH of 6 to water with a pH of 7.8 several times and I've never noticed anything wrong. Hardness and drops in temperature are much more likely to cause shock imo.
I agree with the last paragraph tho. Only way I would do 100% daily water changes is by using a drip system... otherwise I think it just does more harm than good. Maybe it's just me but I've noticed fish seem much more relaxed and behave "naturally" when you aren't constantly messing with their environment, I've had several fish start breeding while I'm on vacations and have no access to the tank whatsoever. It's funny because I'm away thinking "damn I'm gonna go back to a nasty tank with horrible water quality" and I come back to happy fish guarding eggs or fry lol
I keep Discus and water changes everyday are recommended. But just not practical for me. Tap water kills nitrifiyng bacteria as it contains chemicals that kill bacteria in order to make it safe for us to drink such as chlorine and flouride. If you're using R.O., spring or even water thats been standing idle for several days then you're golden and wont be loosing any beneficial bacteria. All depends on the size of your tank and how much water you can store away for the water changes. Gets alittle tideuos and time consuming.
i do 50% water changes 2 times a week..for me its depends on your filtration system, how big your tank and your stocked.
