Reduced Water Changes?

[Redearsunfish]

Closed system + heavy feeding = need for water changes. In nature, you're dealing with huge, unthinkable volumes of water, and most fish eat rarely, especially predators.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Besides, I like making water changes

Having said that, I make 20 per cent water changes every three days on my 75, BUT i suck up the detrius my midas makes each and every day, then replace water (1/2 gallon) or whatever.

 

[Fishman0]

so if i reduce feedings to everyother day possibly every three days, i would only need to do 20-25% WC's?

too easy... wheres the catch haha

all the fish in my tank are predators (except the pleco) would it be okay to reduce the feedings by that much?

 

[bgcoop8784]

lol, i feed twice a day for rapid growth, and have an overstocked tank, and only water change once a week, but i am also very overfiltered.

 

[frontosablkrhom]

i used to do alot of water changes on all my tanks( 50 percent every 3 days) but now i only do that on an overstocked tank. just get some heavy duty filtration and 50 percent a week with some twice weekly changes will keep your tanks nice. and lower the feeding if its not all necessary, what kind of fish do you have?

 

[tcarswell]

Purigen is great for removing tannins just my .02

I do 50 percent changes every 4 days now on all my tanks its well worth the benefit. I feed them all lightly every day.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Overfiltration is the key. And adult fish can be fed only once per day.

 

[mfgl]

I only do 20% or so every other week, but I only have one fish and its a neat eater. Filter turnover is 12x with a very strong current in most of the tank to keep solid waste moving and getting sucked up by the filters.

 

[justonemoretank]

With the pleco, you might benefit from a 5 gallon gravel vac mid-week. I have to do this for my pleco, though sometimes it turns into 10 or 15 gallons, depending on just how much he's been eating. Also, he's in a 180, so he tends to move around and poo, and so it's hard to get all of it in just 5 gallons.

 

[coolermaster]

This is just my understanding. I do waterchanges so that I have the lowest nitrate levels in my tank and at the same time I can bring fresh water and replace depleted minerals in the tank. With waterchanges I believe growth inducing hormones are reduced in the tank as well.

this is my belief and I could be wrong.