Water changes

[cmiyata]

Can you provide information that proves otherwise? Most of the fish we keep come from central and south America. I gave you links on a detailed study that shows nitrates are basically non-existent in these river systems.

Toxic water in an aquarium...to me that means any reading of ammonia or nitrites and high concentrations of nitrates. That is why beneficial bacteria exist on this planet, to consume all these toxins. It's not easy to grow anaerobic bacteria to consume nitrates like in the wild so we take the next best approach; water changes.

Bro, are you trying to give someone a epileptic seizure with your Avatar?

 

[duanes]

While a chemist/microbiologist at the Milwaukee Water Works, I tested our source water, (L Michigan) many times per day for many years. Nitrate results were always <1ppm, ammonia and nitrate virtually non-existant.
If you were to look at the way water is recycled thru natural means in clean rivers and laminar flow in lakes , it would equal to a complete water change every minute.
Of course there are fish that can exist in less than ideal conditions, (the labyrinth fish come to my mind) and have developed an organ to breath atmospheric air. Some have become able to walk overland to better waters (climbing perch, walking catfish).
If you check water parameters of the African oligotrophic rift lakes, and most clean rivers around the world, you would find most will mirror our L Michigan results.
Those that significantly don't, are often referred to as dead zones.

 

[Gutes64]

Depending on your set up, you might not need to do as many water changes so frequently