Is My Dad Right?

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Tropicalfishking

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jan 24, 2009
1,312
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Seattle WA
Is that to many water changes??

So on my way to soccer practise today my dad brings up the Question, "Do you really need to clean out your aquariums once a week?"
I think to mayself, "oh my god dad, you've asked me like 3000 times!"
I say to him, like I always do. "Doing water changes reduces the Nitrates in the tank, A curtine amount is good for the fish, but to much is bad."
He says "Yeah, but is it really once a week, I would like you to show me were you read this."
I say, "Ok, I'll work on that."
Then he asked "How much water do you tank our of each aquarium?"
I say, "About 1/3."
my dad does some quick calculations. 75+55=130+20=150/1/3=about 50gallons. He then says "50 gallons is a lot of water."
I say, "I know, but like I said, it reduces the nitrates..."

So now I need your help MFK, is taking out 1/3 of my aquarium water each week a good amount, or to much?

I don't know if you need the stock list but I'll give it anyways...

Each tank with fish in it get's fed twice-three times a day...

Stock for the 55gal:
2 Adult Angel fish
1 Three Spot Gourami
1 Bleeding Heart
3 prestilla Tetra
4 Black neon tetra
3 Hatchet fish
2 Glow light Tetra
3 Albino corys
1 Peppered cory
1 8in pleco


75Gallon:
3 Juv. Angel fish
8 Black neon tetra (would like to get 4 more)
2 emerald Green corys (would like to get 6 more corys)
1 ottocinclus (like to get 5 more Otto cinclus)

20Gallon:
1 Angel fish
 
I don't feel its excessive. I do a 50% change every 3-5 days. But my water source already has 20 ppm nitrate. Even if I was changing my water with RO water id do about a third a week so IMO your just keeping it safe and I would not say overdoing it either.
 
Well, "Dad" is trying to save money. Do a 1/4 water change per week. The other option is to help out wit the water bill. i don't know what kind of filtration you have, but you don't have HUGE fish. They are not producing as much waste as some larger fish. You might be able to cut back a bit.
 
test for nitrates, then do you water change based on nitrates levels. really thats the only way to know how much you need to charge.

it could be your over changing or it could be your under changing.

after you do the testing for a couple weeks you can guess the nitrate accumulation rate, then make your schedule accordingly i would still recommend testing monthly tho

im not sure about washington water rates, but really 50 gallons a week isnt that much unless your in a drought and water is rationed.

a shower is like 2 gallons a minute(varies by shower head) a 10 minute shower is 20 gallons, 3 people 1 shower a day is 60 gallons, twice a day is 120 gallons
thats per day not per week

edit: btw the 2 gallons a minute is a reduced flow shower head, if you have a regular one its more
 
As long as your parameters are stable and the tank isnt filthy, and you have adequate filtration, no need to constantly do water changes. I do 25% water changes like every 2-3 weeks and its fine. I can even go longer if I wanted. I think these constant water changes were embedding into hobbiests minds by paranoid hobbiests. Theres some people who do 50% water changes on a 200+ gallon tank every other day. Its nuts. Im with your dad on this one.
 
btw if its a water cost issue look at the bill and figure out exactly how its calculated, the majority of my bill is miscellanous fees.
my actual water usage charge is 700 gallons of water for around 3 dollars, with waste water rate included
 
i'd say that do larger water changes less frequently (and by the way nitrates aren't really ever good for fish as you stated) but that's just how i do mine. more is always better in my experiences. if you want mathematical back up on this one go buy the last 2 editions of the tropical fish hobbyist magazine one of the writers did a big 2 part piece on the issue of water changes and what is he percieves to be best backed up with a lot of statistics
 
My dad used to ask me the same question. Since he thinks he knows everything his expert advice was that you only needed to do water changes once a month. I would just say he's right and then do water changes when he's not home. :)
 
My dad used to ask me the same question. Since he thinks he knows everything his expert advice was that you only needed to do water changes once a month. I would just say he's right and then do water changes when he's not home. :)


My Dad got a good laugh from that one!!!
 
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