What are the benefits of extra water change?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Think about this: "Dilution is the solution to pollution".
If you have 40ppm of nitrate and do a 50% water change, with 0ppm nitrate in the replacement water, now you have 20ppm right? How long will it take to get back up to 40ppm? A week, two weeks? Who knows. It would have to be observed and tested daily. The point is, water quality varies. It will reach equalibrium eventually, but the goal in doing water changes is to eliminate toxins in the water. Nitrate is a toxin. Tolerated by the fish to a certain degree, but a toxin and source of stress to your fish. People are usually ok if their fish live in 20-40ppm nitrate. Me, not so much. That is why I do more than 50%. I do 75% weekly, and still have a nitrate residual of 10ppm. Nitrate can be attributed to a number of things including a shorter life span and elevated stress in fish.

Bottom line, dilute that nitrate as much as possible. Some aquarist utilize a nitrate reductor and they work awesome, just expensive. The cheapest insurance and assurance is large frequent water changes.
 
Awesome lab pics Duanes! any differance in the effectiveness for protein skimmer vs diy fractionatior, any service needed to keep it operating to optimal spec.

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ultimatejay said:
I think you guys are going way overboard here. I've been in the hobby for over 25 years and have had tanks as large as 750 gallons. I never have done more than 50% water changes a week, never used any water fractioning stuff or anything fancy and all my fish have thrived. Just use common sense and don't overstock your tanks, don't overfeed like 99% of fish hobbiest do, and make sure you have a killer filtration system. It's that simple!


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Agreed. Good ole 50% wc a week will keep the fish doctor away. Is it that simple no, but it works 9/10. I don't like messing up things that already work. If you want to do different than go for it. I'll stick with the plain and simple all day everyday.
 
Hellman said:
Got a question doing a 50% to 60% water change once a week is that the same as doing a 30% water change twice a week or no


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Nope, I am way too lazy to do daily water changes on anything other than my R.B.P. tank. (75% - 100% W/C daily).

I do the much heavier than 50% weekly change in one W/C, but understand that it is not as good as doing 10% every day.

Some factors that are not as good with fewer W/C's at higher %

1. In all thirty + tanks when the water level is drained better than 50% I notice that all of the fish temporarily become extremely aggressive toward one another with the lower levels.
2. Fish get stresses and dart about bumping into things that they would not normally be in the water column of in the full tank. Often forcing mid to upper level fish into the lowest level with the bottom feeders can cause undesired "interaction" between species otherwise not accociated.
 
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