I set up my 125 gallon fish tank in mid December of 2007. I have in total 150 gallons of filtration and I have a 13 inch Largemouth bass in the tank a bluegill and a crawdad. The water is still crystal clear like it was when I first filled up the tank. There is no odor to the water and there is no dirt in the gravel. I'm planning on changing it over do a 50% water change in early March. Should I do it sooner?
When is it time for a water change?
- Thread starter Bluegill
- Start date
First off , Are the fish fun in a tank ? I always thought to my self when I catch
northern fish if I should offer shipping on them fore $$ lol .
(Its good to do water change every week 30 to 50 %)
I say yes time to change some water
northern fish if I should offer shipping on them fore $$ lol .
(Its good to do water change every week 30 to 50 %)
I say yes time to change some water
Are you saying you háven't done a water change since you set it up?
You should be doing at least 25% weekly on most tanks, IMO.
You need to be testing nitrates to figure out the proper water change amount and schedule though. The fish you have aren't sensitive so keeping the nitrates below 80 should be sufficient. I personally shoot for 40 or below even with hardy fish though.
You should be doing at least 25% weekly on most tanks, IMO.
You need to be testing nitrates to figure out the proper water change amount and schedule though. The fish you have aren't sensitive so keeping the nitrates below 80 should be sufficient. I personally shoot for 40 or below even with hardy fish though.
Just because the water is clear doesn't mean there aren't any harmful toxins in the tank. There can (and will) still be ammonia, nitrates, and nitrates in the tank. These toxins are created by fish waste and uneaten food. These toxins can be harmful, and fatal, to your fish. I agree with everyone else, you should be doing 25-50% water changes AT LEAST every other week. You should also shoot for a minimum 4-5x turnover on your filtration. What type of filter are you using now? 150g turnover is barely once per hour. I would assume without testing your water, that you parameters are high (toxic level). The best thing you can do now is a 50-75% water change, and then keep up with them. I hope this helps. Good luck and have fun.
i dont really agree with the 25-50% bi weekly water changes. maybe monthly or every two months depending on your filtration currently running. it just rubbish
sin01bst;1427897; said:
that would depend on the type of fish your keeping.
i certainly wouldent only change the water for a delicate fish such as a stingray once every month or two.
The typical rule of thumb I have is to halve what my filters are rated for. What I mean by this is if I have a filter that's rated for 150 gallons, I figure it to be good for 75. Also, I try to be able filter my water around 10x in an hour. For a 100 gallon tank, I would want something that'll pump about 1000gal/hour. This is just my $0.02.
Filtration has nothing to do with water change schedule unless you are running a drip system along with everything else.
You can run as much filtration as you want and it still won't allow you to do less water changes. The water volume of your system, stocking levels and species determine water change schedule.
The main thing that matters with filtration is that you have enough biological media to establish adequate nitrifying bacteria to remove ammonia and nitrites. The turnover rate doesn't just apply to your filters but the circulation in your tank overall. The species you are keeping and stocking levels also determines what turnover rate is absolutely necessarily. Of course a filter that has a higher flow rate will usually hold more biological material, but that is not ALWAYS the case. There are more important factors. A good wet dry will not necessarily have a high flow rate, it will, however, convert ammonia and nitrites to nitrates very efficiently.
You can run as much filtration as you want and it still won't allow you to do less water changes. The water volume of your system, stocking levels and species determine water change schedule.
The main thing that matters with filtration is that you have enough biological media to establish adequate nitrifying bacteria to remove ammonia and nitrites. The turnover rate doesn't just apply to your filters but the circulation in your tank overall. The species you are keeping and stocking levels also determines what turnover rate is absolutely necessarily. Of course a filter that has a higher flow rate will usually hold more biological material, but that is not ALWAYS the case. There are more important factors. A good wet dry will not necessarily have a high flow rate, it will, however, convert ammonia and nitrites to nitrates very efficiently.