BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
- Messages
- 5,011
Water Changes
Hello k...
Everything eventually dissolves in the tank water. The waste the fish and plants produce dissolves in the water, so the water should be replaced weekly regardless of the fish load in the tank.
Take a look at the tank water next time you remove it. It's an amber (yellowish) color. That's dissolved fish and plant waste, or specifically nitrogen (NO). This chemical is extremely toxic to your fish and attacks the exposed tissues, like those that make up the fishes' gills. When the breathing is affected, the fish stress and parasites infect the fishes' coating.
Removing large amounts of tank water doesn't affect the good bacteria, because very little lives in the water. Most of it lives on the surfaces inside the tank, like filter media, gravel, decorations and plants. That's why you don't need to vacuum the gravel, simply remove large amounts of tank water and remove it often. Remove the water and you remove the toxins that can kill your fish.
B
Hello k...
Everything eventually dissolves in the tank water. The waste the fish and plants produce dissolves in the water, so the water should be replaced weekly regardless of the fish load in the tank.
Take a look at the tank water next time you remove it. It's an amber (yellowish) color. That's dissolved fish and plant waste, or specifically nitrogen (NO). This chemical is extremely toxic to your fish and attacks the exposed tissues, like those that make up the fishes' gills. When the breathing is affected, the fish stress and parasites infect the fishes' coating.
Removing large amounts of tank water doesn't affect the good bacteria, because very little lives in the water. Most of it lives on the surfaces inside the tank, like filter media, gravel, decorations and plants. That's why you don't need to vacuum the gravel, simply remove large amounts of tank water and remove it often. Remove the water and you remove the toxins that can kill your fish.
B
this is what I do on my big tanks and 25% daily changes on my small show tanks. But every one is different and I was just giving a comparison from life experience. The only thing I did say about a normal large water change is that there would be a fluctuation on Bbs (slight lowering followed by a spike and then a return to normal by the time your filter has completely gone through your water). Thanks for your input, helps everyone out
