No water changes for years?

[tyrel]

I heard about a product from a employee at the local Petsmart. He said it was a kind of filter with a cartridge that could last two or three years without water changes.

Has anyone here heard of this? Any links or info that could help me find out more?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Water changes are essential to take out the excess nutrients and add back the essential nutrients. I wouldn't rely on anything that is supposed to replace water changes.

 

[tyrel]

Water changes are essential to take out the excess nutrients and add back the essential nutrients. I wouldn't rely on anything that is supposed to replace water changes.

I was thinking the filter media might have some way of doing that. I still have to find out what it is before I can make any assumptions about how well it works though.

Anyone have any idea of what he was talking about?

 

[theotheragentm]

I doubt anything can replace water changes unless your tank is huge and has tons of natural filters. I've heard of people doing less frequent water changes on large saltwater tanks with the Berlin Method, but nothing near a year.

 

[Esra]

A friend of mine has a tank about 6 foot with 2 BIG catfish in there.
She hasn't changed the water or done anything in about 5 years and the fish are very happy.
Eat everything too, including a baby oscar that was put in the tank!

Anyway i think it comes to the fish.
Some fish are able to handle it and some others can't
Problem is most people want to keep the fish that can't.

 

[tyrel]

The guy said it was a fairly new thing. I'm not even sure if it has been released to the public yet...

 

[Esra]

I'm sure something can be made to do it.
I mean they do it in biospheres for people where they take everything out of urine and it's fine to drink again.

I assume they have just miniturised the technology like everything else.

I always thought that PWC would eventually go away.
I mean Ammonia converts to nitrite via bacteria
nitrite to nitrate via bacteria, but we have to PWC to get rid of the nitrate?

Maybe they have found a bacteria that converts nitrate to something totally inert, or maybe converts it into something that forms a larger mass and thus can be removed by the filter?

However they do it, it would be good for the hobby.

 

[sudz]

There are people at my fish club that do nothing but top up the water. Some make a point of changing 50% every 6 months, but some just keep on topping up the water! Personally, before i knew better, I just topped up. This lasted about 6 months, until i tried to add a new fish. None of the new fish lasted the night.

Personally, i don't do water changes nearly as often as i should, but i make a point to do at least one 30-40% water change every month, and then just 10% every week (2 buckets)

Thats changing now that i want discus!. I've got it to 25% a week. My nitrates went from 40-60 down to 10-20 ppm.

With that Berlin Method, Would that not make the water increasingly hard/calcium rich from the CC? I'm not a saltwater guy, but i know even wheni had lavarocks in my tank, it would get increasingly alkaline/hard if i didn't change the water around!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

How would you remove the fish waste?

 

[Esra]

Fish waste turns to ammonia.
Ammonia turned to nitrIte
nitrIte turns to nitrAte

This thing obviously gets rid of the nitrAte and turns it to something inert.

Like i said, maybe a harmless chemical or something which will naturally group and this be able to be removed by a micrfilter which might be builtin.

No idea but if they can turn urine to water with the same properties of spring water with hardly any volume loss i'm sure they could do the same for aquariums.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I know how the nitrogen cycle works. I always have to suck out fish waste from the tanks otherwise it builds up. It doesn't just disappear unless you are working with planted tanks that use it as a natural fertilizer.

If it is an added chemical, I'll pass. The less chemicals that go into my tanks, the better. I'm curious to see what kind of long term effects the chemicals and filter media have on fish that claim to eliminate water changes.

 

[hc8719]

How would you remove the fish waste?

ya seriously.

those bio sphere enivroments your talking about esra, first the water does get purified, somewhat, you can actually drink urine 13 times before it becomes to concentrated and toxic. also, you can pour urine on 3 feet of dirt, and after 3 feet it becomes clean enough to drink, but you cant keep doing it, because the dirt will become toxic, when it has nothing left to purfiy more urine.

this year long filter has to be a myth, whens the last time you got your filter media to last over a month, like the box says.

while some fish may be able to live in harsh enviroments, esra, doesnt mean that they are comfortable. while surivavle, high ammonia levels start to cause skin irritation, and fish cant scratch themselves (imagine having smog in our air)

i can assure you, i'd loose all my fish before long if i stopped changing water all together.

its just like someone on this forum said they had a friend who didnt feed their fish a year, and the fish is doing great! (i mean come on)

those ecospheres, the snow globe thing that lyquidsphere asked about in the lounge, they only last for 2 years, before everything dies. (yes its been reported to 7 years, but im questionable). and thats just little micro shrimp who hardy have a bio load.

so if you can get a fish to live in a crap ridden (litterely) tank, i'd like to see some pics (or maybe i wouldnt). and if the person whos friend who doesnt feed their fish, ever, i'd wouldnt mind seeing a pic either

 

[Esra]

I'm not talking about present tech, just saying it is something that should be possible.

I do 25% PWC every week so I'm definitely an advocate of the PWC.

I just think that seeing as this is the only inconvenient part of a very rewarding hobby there are sure to be people working on ways to eliminate the need for it.

The two catfish are very well fed and seem very happy.
You say you can't tell when fish are uncomfortable, then how do you know the PWC's keep them happy?

They swim, eat, sleep and explore.
Eat from the hand and generally seem happy.

I'm not saying don't do PWC's cause if you don't your taking a huge chance with another animal's life. Just that i can easily envisage the day when they are not required.

 

[hc8719]

You say you can't tell when fish are uncomfortable, then how do you know the PWC's keep them happy?

because it keeps the ammonia down.

im not saying fish cant do normal things like eat because high ammonia prevents them, but its irrating

 

[Esra]

Fair enough.
They look as happy as the fish in my tank.
no skin issues, or anything.

I'll try and get some pics if possible.

Anyway getting off topic.

We could both be wrong, need to at least have a name of the unit.
Plus it could be like $25,000 and the size of a caravan.

Any word on what it's called?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I did some searching and found a filter that is supposed to eliminate water changes. You add all these chemicals to the tank instead. Sorry, but no way would I dump chemicals in my tank for something like that. Water changes are not an inconvience to me. I enjoy doing them. It only takes about 20 minutes per week and gives me time to inspect my tanks closely.

 

[tyrel]

Any word on what it's called?

No, but he mentioned that a filter cartridge costs about 30 dollars.

I did some searching and found a filter that is supposed to eliminate water changes. You add all these chemicals to the tank instead. Sorry, but no way would I dump chemicals in my tank for something like that. Water changes are not an inconvience to me. I enjoy doing them. It only takes about 20 minutes per week and gives me time to inspect my tanks closely.

Do you have a link?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Sure do, here you go.

 

[hc8719]

i tried to copy and paste to quote from ff's link, but its copyright protected.

it says "...almost never needed a water change"

almost never could be once a month, or so. i dont want my fish swimming in stale water, let alone stale water with loads of chemicals. i'd want to give them the upmost healthy enviroment, if you dont do water changes weekly or monthly on a FW (SW may not be so often). than your being lazy and irresponsible

 

[Lonewolfblue]

The only thing I know that might come close is this, but it is not intended to replace water changes. This media removes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. But it's totally worthless to us planted folk.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18401/si1380233/cl0/seachemmatrixbiomedia2liter