Water Change

[Matt_7689]

I have a ten gallon tank and was wondering how to 1)do a water change and 2) clean the gravel.
I know that to clean the gravel you can get a vacuum but I have read that it takes too much water out of your tank if it is a 10 gallon. I am not sure about the water change. I know it is possible with a vacuum as well but not sure.

-Matthew

 

[Nicho]

Hey Matt. To do a water change most people typically remove 20% of their water weekly, this is done with a removal device of some sort, then the water is replaced with conditioned water.

As far as vacuuming:
For such a small tank you'll need airline tube, and another tube that is substantially thicker, preferably an inch or so wide. What I do is roll up a piece of old cloth (CLEAN) around the end of the tube with a piece sticking out and stuff it into the tube halfway. This allows a small suction to go through over a wide-ish area, and this is PERFECT when I vacuum my 11g.

 

[fishfanatic]

I have a ten gallon tank and was wondering how to 1)do a water change and 2) clean the gravel.
I know that to clean the gravel you can get a vacuum but I have read that it takes too much water out of your tank if it is a 10 gallon. I am not sure about the water change. I know it is possible with a vacuum as well but not sure.

-Matthew

In past reading I have read it is fine to only vacuum half of the gravel at a time. Which I think cleaning half the gravel while taking out 5 gallons is reasonable. Just make sure the next water change you clean the other part of the gravel .
I always just use a vacuum (python) to do my water changes.

 

[Nicho]

Here's a picture of the one I use:
(I used two airline tubes, for more suction and faster siphoning )

 

[Andy Sager]

Water changes....

I have a ten gallon tank and was wondering how to 1)do a water change and 2) clean the gravel.
I know that to clean the gravel you can get a vacuum but I have read that it takes too much water out of your tank if it is a 10 gallon. I am not sure about the water change. I know it is possible with a vacuum as well but not sure.

-Matthew

If you get into a routine of doing a 10 % water change every week, your fish will do much better than doing larger amounts less often. Even in a 10 gal tank, 1 gal of water shouldn't do enough damage should you do something wrong. It is best to keep a gallon of water set aside (I use my old 1 gal plastic milk jugs after they've been sterilized) so that it's available immediately after removing the water from the tank.
As for cleaning gravel: what you need to remember is that your nitrifying bacteria are on your gravel as well as on any other surface that has a place for them to attach to. You NEVER want to disturb this bed by over cleaning it. That means, in an older, established aquarium clean no more than 10%-15% of the area at any time. The following week you can do another same sized area if necessary. Continual cleaning of small areas will keep the tank clean but allow the bacteria beds to recover from the cleaning that you did the last time. 1 suggestion: before cleaning the gravel, ALWAYS check to make sure that the water parameters are still okay. Too much cleaning will cause a spike in ammonia and nitrites.
Also, if you maintain living plants in the tank, you'll want to leave some of that "dirt" in the gravel to aid the plants.

Hope this helps...

 

[Parrisgg]

My tank is still cycling and I made the mistake of putting in fish when I shouldn't. I now do 2 changes of 50 percent a day, my ammonia levels stay safe when I check them 4 times a day. I have a 10g and use a 10-20g vacuum which works fine for my tank. However, I do not disturb the gravel all the time, only once a week but I do the water changes and my tank has been crystal clear ever since.

 

[Andy Sager]

If you stop...

My tank is still cycling and I made the mistake of putting in fish when I shouldn't. I now do 2 changes of 50 percent a day, my ammonia levels stay safe when I check them 4 times a day. I have a 10g and use a 10-20g vacuum which works fine for my tank. However, I do not disturb the gravel all the time, only once a week but I do the water changes and my tank has been crystal clear ever since.

If you stop messing with the gravel, your tank will finish cycling much faster. Nitrifying bacteria beds thrive when left alone. A new tank doesn't need to have the gravel cleaned so often or even at all.
The biggest mistake I see on this site is over cleaning! Fish do not come from a sterile environment and overcleaning will subject them to other situations that will be harder to treat. The same way you were vaccinated against diseases as a child, your fish need to be "hardened" so that they can get used to less sterile environments. (I see this with Bettas all the time.) If it is done gradually, they will be stronger in the long run and you will enjoy them for a longer period of time.

 

[Matt_7689]

Here's a picture of the one I use:
(I used two airline tubes, for more suction and faster siphoning )

I'm still a little confused on your setup. Thanks though!

If you get into a routine of doing a 10 % water change every week, your fish will do much better than doing larger amounts less often. Even in a 10 gal tank, 1 gal of water shouldn't do enough damage should you do something wrong. It is best to keep a gallon of water set aside (I use my old 1 gal plastic milk jugs after they've been sterilized) so that it's available immediately after removing the water from the tank.
As for cleaning gravel: what you need to remember is that your nitrifying bacteria are on your gravel as well as on any other surface that has a place for them to attach to. You NEVER want to disturb this bed by over cleaning it. That means, in an older, established aquarium clean no more than 10%-15% of the area at any time. The following week you can do another same sized area if necessary. Continual cleaning of small areas will keep the tank clean but allow the bacteria beds to recover from the cleaning that you did the last time. 1 suggestion: before cleaning the gravel, ALWAYS check to make sure that the water parameters are still okay. Too much cleaning will cause a spike in ammonia and nitrites.
Also, if you maintain living plants in the tank, you'll want to leave some of that "dirt" in the gravel to aid the plants.

Hope this helps...

Thanks! If you didnt tell me that, I would have cleaned ALL of it.

My tank is still cycling and I made the mistake of putting in fish when I shouldn't. I now do 2 changes of 50 percent a day, my ammonia levels stay safe when I check them 4 times a day. I have a 10g and use a 10-20g vacuum which works fine for my tank. However, I do not disturb the gravel all the time, only once a week but I do the water changes and my tank has been crystal clear ever since.

I was also told to do water changes daily until it stabilizes.

Thanks for everyone's help!!

 

[Parrisgg]

If you stop messing with the gravel, your tank will finish cycling much faster. Nitrifying bacteria beds thrive when left alone. A new tank doesn't need to have the gravel cleaned so often or even at all.
The biggest mistake I see on this site is over cleaning! Fish do not come from a sterile environment and overcleaning will subject them to other situations that will be harder to treat. The same way you were vaccinated against diseases as a child, your fish need to be "hardened" so that they can get used to less sterile environments. (I see this with Bettas all the time.) If it is done gradually, they will be stronger in the long run and you will enjoy them for a longer period of time.

I was always afraid the fish food in the gravel would make my ammonia levels spike so I cleaned it daily until I figured it would be better just to do water changes and clean the gravel when the cycle is complete and only do 15% changes twice a week to keep my tank "las Vegas" clean. So I figured when the cycle is established I will clean the gravel once every two weeks and just do the water changes; is this a good regimen?

 

[butterfly_koi]

I have a gravel vac for my 29 gallon and when I have to clean the 10 gallon nursery tank I just take the clear tube off of the tubing and use the tubing by itself to suck up bits of food etc.

 

[Matt_7689]

I have a gravel vac for my 29 gallon and when I have to clean the 10 gallon nursery tank I just take the clear tube off of the tubing and use the tubing by itself to suck up bits of food etc.

Oh that's a good idea. Never thought of that.

Does anyone have a gravel vac preference?

 

[Andy Sager]

Routine maintainence

I was always afraid the fish food in the gravel would make my ammonia levels spike so I cleaned it daily until I figured it would be better just to do water changes and clean the gravel when the cycle is complete and only do 15% changes twice a week to keep my tank "las Vegas" clean. So I figured when the cycle is established I will clean the gravel once every two weeks and just do the water changes; is this a good regimen?

If you are having so much uneaten food left over that you are worrying about it spiking your tank, you are feeding too much. STOP IT!
You and your fish will be better off if you feed no more than what they can eat in a 2-3 minute span of time 2 to 3 times per day. If you feed them more often, use less food at each feeding. Think of it as a pie. You could eat the whole pie at one sitting or you could cut it into slices. The more slices, the smaller each piece is. At the end of the day, you still ate the whole pie. Feed our fish the same way. Determin how much food they need per day and don't exceed that amount. The only thing that changes is the amount at each feeding, not the total amount per day.

This is the routine I followed for the past 48 years of fish keeping: I kept a combination of fish that used each zone of the tank (Top, middle and bottom.) The bottom feeders kept the "excess" food from accumulating
and causing any problems. I did a 10% water change EVERY week. Once every 3 or 4 months, I would stir a little section of the gravel and let my filter remove the debris (which there was little of). I would do a different section the next time. Carbon/ charcoal was replaced on a monthly basis when using a canister filter or outside filter. My fish lived for years just doing this routine and feeding them properly.
Now, with that being said, using today's outside filters with cartridges, there seems to be this misnomer that you shouldn't change them often because of the bacteria bed that's established on them. Nitrifying bacteria are going to be ANYWHERE in the tank that has a surface that they can adhere to so there is no reason not to change the filter. If time has gone by and your pad is clean and you don't want to replace it yet, add a mesh bag with carbon into the filter. You do want to be mindful with your feeding once you do change the pad so that your bacteria bed has a chance to regrow and catch up with the bio load. You'll see when this has happened by testing the ammonia levels. If it stays at 0, you've done no harm. If it rises slightly, your bed will grow and consume the excess. It shouldn't "spike" because you changed the filter pad unless you are over feeding or adding more fish at the wrong time.

Hope this helps...

 

[Matt_7689]

All of this is very informative! Does anyone have a vacuum preference though?

 

[fishfanatic]

All of this is very informative! Does anyone have a vacuum preference though?

I LOVE my python water changer! Basically what you do is hook it up to a sink faucet and the pressure of the water will start the syphon for you, then when it comes to fill the tank back up you just flip a lever and the water from the faucet gets channeled into your tank. Just make sure to dose your water conditioner to the tank BEFORE you fill it.

 

[Readingexcalibur]

I LOVE my python water changer! Basically what you do is hook it up to a sink faucet and the pressure of the water will start the syphon for you, then when it comes to fill the tank back up you just flip a lever and the water from the faucet gets channeled into your tank. Just make sure to dose your water conditioner to the tank BEFORE you fill it.

I have the aquion 25 footer. Just like the python. Plastic parts. But I love it. I actually just add cond. while its filling. I'll upgrade to a python someday.

 

[fishfanatic]

I have the aquion 25 footer. Just like the python. Plastic parts. But I love it. I actually just add cond. while its filling. I'll upgrade to a python someday.

I actually have the aquion version as well, I just couldn't remember that name.

 

[sheilak]

water changer

i have a python that ive had 20 yrs and am just having to buy another sink adaptor cant beat em

 

[Readingexcalibur]

I actually have the aquion version as well, I just couldn't remember that name.

Cool, I upgraded to a metal faucet adapter. I doubt the aquion will ever have a problem with the upgrade. Just food for thought.