I have a question..... If you test your water with standard API visual color test kits and all your numbers are within a reasonable boundary.....should one still do a water change. I know of a situation that.... 2 tanks that are connect both had an ok set of numbers after their water had been tested with API test kits. However.... biological matter and crap had begun to accumulate and cover all the rock as well as some substrate. So eventually animals started to die and some look like they have some bacteria problem. Now we looked back into the records and it turns out the water hasn't been changed in 2 months, the only thing that got done was gravel vac. Also just thought that I should also included that at one point these tanks had trace amounts of copper. SO my question is........ if all your numbers are ok according to the API test kits....should one still do a said amount of a water change? What else is in the water that could have effect on the animals if the water isn't changed after a said amount of time?
Water Chemistry
- Thread starter zipybublelipz
- Start date
yes still do the water changes. These tests do not test everything in your water. Nutrients in the water are not tested and replaced when you do water changes. Also the tests state that a little bit of ammonia is safe. I disagree with that myself and I think others do as well.
Save your money and just do a water change weekly.
Save your money and just do a water change weekly.
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There are any number of pollutants that can accumulate in the water that your typical API test kit doesn't check for... but water changes reduce...
There are any number of beneficial elements that can decrease in the water that your typical API test kit doesn't check for... but water changes replentish...
Fresh water is just that, fresh. Stale air is less desirable for us to breath than fresh air, even if the stale air is not "polluted"...
...Nothing will ever replace reqular water changes...
^^There are any number of pollutants that can accumulate in the water that your typical API test kit doesn't check for... but water changes reduce...
There are any number of beneficial elements that can decrease in the water that your typical API test kit doesn't check for... but water changes replentish...
Fresh water is just that, fresh. Stale air is less desirable for us to breath than fresh air, even if the stale air is not "polluted"...
...Nothing will ever replace reqular water changes...
