Is My Dad Right?

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"The size, number & type of fish & the amount of water involved also play a part in formulating a viable W/C schedule"

Well I thought about that but couldn't see what correlation, outside the food fed, that different types of fish would make.

And I was using percentages so that the tank volume was unimportant, outside the fact that a large tank has a larger safty margin.
 
Who here has played with a freshwater refugium? I'm tired of carrying buckets to do water changes. I admittedly change water probably less than I should, but my fish are healthy and reproducing like crazy. I'm hoping by using a refugium I can keep my water parameters better between changes. As for the contest of the refugium, I'm thinking, clams, shrimp, and plants, or a combination of some sort.

Thoughts?

Scott
 
I'm starting to think that we are both right. I'm right, because it costs close to nothing to do my watcher changes, My dad is right because I don't need to do them quite as often. But Friday will give the reall data
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;) Well, Friday will give you a starting point. The data will be progressive as you track how long it takes for your nitrates to rise to your desired point. ( ie. 20/30ppm) Once you reach that point & do your W/C to bring it back close to '0' you'll have established a base. A few more times w/ all things being somewhat equal will allow you to set a schedule of for example maybe 50% every 12 days give or take. It's always gonna be subjective cause no two setups are exactly alike. Tailor your schedule to suit the needs of your system instead of a 'one size fits all' approach. That's not to say that you can't be successful just arbitrarily changing 50 or 75% a week, but testing will allow you to maximize your time & minimize the work & water usage. Trust me it makes a difference if you have large or multiple tanks. Even w/ a small tank, it's a good habit to adopt. Testing will give you a better idea of what's happening sooner so you can make adjustments to correct. "T"
 
Well I thought about that but couldn't see what correlation, outside the food fed, that different types of fish would make.

And I was using percentages so that the tank volume was unimportant, outside the fact that a large tank has a larger safty margin.
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:popcorn:Types, sizes & numbers make all the difference in the world when it comes to waste produced. Tank volume is vital when it comes to ability to handle said waste. That 'safety margin' can vary greatly depending on the tank occupants. Yes nitrate poisoning is a 'slow death' for certain tolerant fish but others show negative signs of high nitrates rather quickly. (ie. discus) Point is there are several factors that play a part in the speed of nitrate 'creep' (excess food is one) they all need to be concidered in making an efficient W/C schedule. JMPO "T"
 
i think 'dad' just comes from a different time and understanding of keeping fish. My dad ordered sea horses off the back of some magazine. Times were different then , he might not realize that you in fact know more about proper fish keeping than him.
 
Oh this is great. As a dad and a keeper of fish. I always have to tell my son to do bigger w/c on his tank and more often he does 25% twice a month on a 55 with a suncat 6" and a clown knife 7". Now I know that these two fish in this large tank don't produce a lot of waste, but the tank is heavily planted and clean water is so valuable to plants. With the stock list that was provided if it is fish only that you are keeping you could probably get away with 1/3 twice a month without any negitve effects. With plants I would do 50% a week. But as it sounds like you are doing, test your water. And go from there. I dident read the entire thread only half so if you have plants and that is a part of your hobby too then there are other things to test for not just what a standard test kit will have.
 
I dont know if this is bad but i never do water changes i just fill the evaporated water which is about 10 gallons per week on my 100 gallon tank my nitrates stay low and water is crystal clean
 
Jakeaz;3582665; said:
I dont know if this is bad but i never do water changes i just fill the evaporated water which is about 10 gallons per week on my 100 gallon tank my nitrates stay low and water is crystal clean
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As mentioned old tank syndrome as well as Aquatic Metabolites are 2 things you may wany yo read up on.
 
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