Water Change Question.

[moxxommox]

I do w/c at work every week... I gravel clean my tank at home (gouami, plecos, bass, bichir) every week - I clean the FX5 on that tank every 2 months.

Oscar tank, every 10 days. - filter every 1 month.

 

[Bderick67]

Hey don't get discouraged, you just have to read all the info and decide which to go with. Lets assume your tank is now cycled. Your water parameter goals are zero ammonia, zero nitrites and nitrates below 20ppm. I know you are aware that you will need to move most these fish, for now I don't think you are overcrowded with the size of the fish.

What are your current water params regarding ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

Your filtration is taking care of Ammonia and nitrites and producing nitrates.

You are going to control the nitrates with water changes.

Do you have a test kit for all three above mentioned?

I would plan on weekly water changes, how much is the question we need to answer.

 

[richardhmc]

Unfortunately I only have a nitrate and nitrite test. I ran outta money before i could buy ammonia kit. ( I dont have a job, im just a teen! Money is not my biggest thing im good at)

Right now, I have a Filstar xp2, Aquaclear 20, which has everything in it since my 10 gallon tank, im pretty sure it has good bio in it cuz it smells horrible. and an aquaclear 150, which used to be 30 i think. also the 150 only has a foam pad. i gotta go out to get bio and carbon. both of them are HOBs.

nitrates are around 20 ppm
nitrites are between 1 and 3 ppm. ( its hard to tell because i use the 5 in one strips and the nitrite section was only colored half and half. half light pink and in the middle pink.
ph was 6.0ish but i added some ph up

I usually feed them flakes, spirulina discs for the plecos, cichlid pellets and freeze dried bloodworms. I give them live bloodworms every couple of days. i feed them once in the afternoon on school days and twice on nonschool days(weekends) - morning and afternoon.

 

[CHOMPERS]

Woah, I have three different people telling me different things..
I am going to keep a jd pair in the 55 and get more tanks for each pair that comes up. Right now, there isnt much aggression between the jds and ebjds which i am thankful for. There is no fin nipping at all and fins are all fine.

So 3 -5 days water change? every 2 weeks? who should i listen too?!?!

Welcome to the real MFK where anyone with a computer and a fish is an expert, and everyone else is just plain wrong. That leaves us all guessing who is right and who is wrong.

When you get a reply with an explanation backing up the response, you can count on that being a better answer than the short answers or "this is what I do". Keep in mind, what works for one person may not work for you. The response by terrypowerz is an example of a very good answer.

 

[CHOMPERS]

Unfortunately I only have a nitrate and nitrite test. I ran outta money before i could buy ammonia kit. ( I dont have a job, im just a teen! Money is not my biggest thing im good at)

Not to worry, there are plenty of ways around the expenses of the hobby. Most fish stores will test your water for free and will also make recommendations when things are wrong.

Right now, I have a Filstar xp2, Aquaclear 20, which has everything in it since my 10 gallon tank, im pretty sure it has good bio in it cuz it smells horrible. and an aquaclear 150, which used to be 30 i think. also the 150 only has a foam pad. i gotta go out to get bio and carbon. both of them are HOBs.

There are two types of bacteria that we are conserned with in filters, aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic bacterial action is when bacteria are in an oxygen rich environment. This produces a clean dirt smell and should not smell foul. Anaerobic bacterial action is when bacteria are in an oxygen poor environment, and this produces bad smells. Aerobic bacterial action is much more effective in aquarium filters. Aerobic bacteria are what drives the nitrogen cycle. Anaerobic bacteria in large numbers produce sulfates (contributes to the foul smell) which in high numbers can be toxic to your fish.

nitrates are around 20 ppm
nitrites are between 1 and 3 ppm. ( its hard to tell because i use the 5 in one strips and the nitrite section was only colored half and half. half light pink and in the middle pink.
ph was 6.0ish but i added some ph up...

Your nitrites indicate something is aury with the filter. It should be at zero. This is also a good indication that there is also ammonia present since ammonia is the first step in the nitrogen cycle.

As for your water changes. Avoid using the python to fill the tank, especially with large water changes. The more tap water you add to your tank, the more chlorine you are adding. Not only does it make them "itchy", what is worse is it burns their gills. This may not kill your fish but it certainly puts them in an immunocompromised state where they are more succeptable to secondary infection and disease. A free way to remove the chlorine from your water is to allow it to age overnight. An air stone running in it will also help.

Also, small and frequent water changes are less stressful to your fish than large infrequent water changes. The reason behind this is you want to keep your fish's environment as steady as possible. Small and frequent water changes will keep the tanks parameters close to your tap water. This way, you have less to do to get your tap water close to your tank water.

 

[richardhmc]

Yes, I have already figured that out. Everyone thinks they know alot when they dont.
Quote: Vitaliy: Once one person says one thing, 10 more people just say the same thing.
I never say anything because I dont know really much stuff about different things.

However, I think I am starting to understand on how much water changes I should do... but I am still unsure...

 

[richardhmc]

I see.. Hmm, So if I add an airstone into my tank, this should de-chlorinate the water?

Then what is the best way to add the water into the tank? and take it out?
Maybe then 15 percent everyday? little by little?

 

[prophets]

Bottom line is you need to do what works for you. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and some think they are mighty than thou. Not all tanks are created equal.

Its just a simple routine maintenace that you need to figure out that works best for you and your inhabitants.

Can you imagine checking your water params everyday? Doing W/C everyday? How much will that cost you over a period of 1 year? Quite a bit of money, and its even tougher since your are still in school.

Set up a schedule for yourself and try to follow it as close as possible. I'm sure there will be times you may miss one or two maintenance routine, but who hasn't? Fishkeeping is a great hobby, but its not your whole life. Well, unless you're in the aquatic biz/field, but even then dealing with it at work all day and coming home to deal with it..everyone needs a break. Besides, when you look at the lil buggers or feed them, you'll notice if something is amiss, and perform your tests and do what needs to be done to correct the problem.

I'm sure I'm going to get flak for the above statements. ^

BTW...hello to a fellow NY'er!

 

[CHOMPERS]

Yes, I have already figured that out. Everyone thinks they know alot when they dont.
Quote: Vitaliy: Once one person says one thing, 10 more people just say the same thing.
I never say anything because I dont know really much stuff about different things.

However, I think I am starting to understand on how much water changes I should do... but I am still unsure...

Vitaliy is pretty sharp on things like that

There isn't a magic number for water changes. All fish are different and can tollerate different changes to their environment. There are members here that have reported fish dying after a 10% water change but most people get away with 50% water changes. (Of course they treat the water). See what your fish tell you. Do 10% daily water changes for a week or two just to get your fish into a stable environment. Observe their behavior, color, and eating vigor. Then switch to a different water change schedule, such as 50% once a week (don't forget to pretreat the water with a dechlor product). Again observe your fish. If you see no difference, then your fish are hardy enough for the larger water changes. Keep in mind that larger water changes can cause larger swings in osmotic pressure which can be deadly. The cases of fish dying from small water changes was always due from badly neglected tanks. Fish can slowly adapt to the most horrible conditions but when the water is changed, the osmotic pressure in the fish's gills and tissues is unable to adapt. The result is ruptured capillaries and then what I call "mystery death".

 

[richardhmc]

I see... well, ive just added an airstone in my tank to keep up with oxygen.
Im surprised that my fish are doing so fine!

Can you show me what products are best? I mean de-chlorinating products?

How should i add the water? should i put the water in a bucket, add the de-chlorinating chemical, and then pour it in? Or any other ways?

Yes. Vitaliy knows alot. Ive learned almost everything from him since the day he let me buy his two fish tanks for 20 bucks!

- Richard