Water changes....

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
C

ChiPerf

Candiru
MFK Member
Sep 21, 2011
623
36
46
St. Charles, IL
www.chicagoperformance.com
So, I know you have to do water changes. How much and how frequent, I'm not sure, but based on amount of fish and filtration I would guess. I have a 55 gallon with about a dozen smaller cichlids, an FX5 and HOB filter too. I've had the FX5 for a month now and seems to be working well. Questions...

When you do water changes, what exact order do you do things in? I have never added any chemicals to the new water, but I am reading maybe I should? I change roughly 25% of the water once a week. Good? Should I add anything to the new water? What and when do I add it? The fish seem to like the new water once a day or two has passed, but right after I put new water in they breathe pretty heavy and don't like it. Also, is the FX5 fully established after a month to stand alone in filtration? I have Seachem rocks and ceramic rings in it, with one filter pad at the top.

Thanks for the help MFKers, you have been great so far and a BIG help getting someone new into fishies again! I am looking at a 210 gallon in a couple hours for the somewhat overstocked 55 gallon cichlids and trying to figure out what to do here and when.
 
Bump. All my fish died last night because nobody answered me. Their blood is on your hands now! Alright maybe not, but I still want to know when to add chemicals, what you add, and when the FX5 will be fully established as a sole filter. Thanks.
 
Water changes should be done atleast once a week depending on your stock 50 to 25 % Use dechlor to treat the new water. Go to a fish store and ask questions or do some research.
 
Hello; Call or go by the water company and get a water quality report. You can also ask what chemicals they use to treat the tap water. If they only use chlorine the water can be kept in containers for a few days and then added to the tank without needing to add additional chemicals. This is what I am able to do.
If they use chloramines ( my spelling??) you will have to use a water conditioner to chemically make the water safe for fish as this does not become safe from simple sitting.
Based solely on your initial post, it would appear that the chemicals in the fresh tap water did the fish in. It may also be that the tank has not been properly conditioned (cycled) Look it up if cycled is a new term to you as there are numerious posts on this.
You are basically correct in that the amount of water to change is largely dependent on the size and number of fish. (often called bio-load.) The presence of live aquarium plants can make a difference. The question of how much to change and how often has been the subject of heated debates on this and other fish forums. Opinions are all over the place from near continuous 100% changes to modest changes every month or so. High stocking densities will equal a high bio-load and require larger and more frequent water changes. Lower stocking densities can allow the volume and frequency to be less. Low stocking densities can also help with fish survival when there is a power outage in that the water does not go bad so fast. On water changes you will eventually have to pick a method that suits you and keeps the fish alive.
 
Your fx5 should be good after a month with alot of stock, but the only way to truly know is by testing. Skip the test strips. Go with a decent kit.



First off, test your tap water to see what's going on there. Reports are great but your never sure how recent they may be. Then test your tank water. You should have nitrates showing up in the tank if your tank has finished cycling. Personally, I've seen the best growth out of most fish with 50% weekly changes, but I don't house alot of sensitive species either. Some discus keepers change that much or more a day but for most cichlids, if stocked correctly , a 50% change once a week should be good. Now, if your nitrates are still above 20 ppm after a water change, then you need to change more water more often or house less fish. Adding more filtration will have little effect on nitrate levels. Water changes keep them in check.


As for water conditioners, unless you know 100% that you have no chlorine or chloramines then a good declorinator will be a bit of insurance. I change alot of water each week, so I use Safe, which is a powdered version of prime. 1 kilo treats 200,000 gallons and is about $35 shipped. You would never need that much for a 55, but of you did buy it, you'd get 8000 50% water changes out of , or declorinator for about 150 years lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom