water change

[fish lover]

How many times should we change our water, and how much?
I have been reading different advice, and I am not sure what would be the best one? AFter you do a water change, should you put aquarium salt in, or stress coating.

Thanks, dolphin

 

[mentallylost]

I do my water changes everyother week. About 25% or so. I would probably do about the same for your tank. Maybe 10% weekly. But I don not see a need for more unless you tend to over feed your fish. Watch your water parameters, and let them tell you if you need to more often.

 

[Jchillin]

20-30% weekly is fine. A good dechlorinator should be used. Aquarium salt is not necessary unless your tank needs it (ie: brackish varieties of fish).

 

[TankGirl]

I'd check your nitrate level and use that as a guide. If your tank is not overstocked and you are not overfeeding (as pointed out above) then the weekly regimen should be just fine, but keeping your nitrate in the 20-25ppm range might require twice-weekly changes under certain circumstances. I change the water in all my tanks weekly, and some twice-weekly, depending on the circumstances, but I would not go longer than a week. Many, many aquarists change water every two weeks, though, so you will get some differing opinions. Since I adopted a frequent water change program years ago the incidence of illness and tank problems has dropped to almost zero. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I do about 20% water changes every weekend. It may not be needed for the 5 or 29 gal tank becuse the Nitrates really don't get that high, BUT, it keeps them really low. It will all depend on your test results.

I don't see a need for you to be adding the salt or stress coat. Just a good dechlorinator.

 

[Jherr]

sorry to butt in, but I have a question on the subject...

I have a large 7 gallon container that I fill up with water for my water changes. This water usually sits a full week before I use it. Do I still need to add dechlorinater to it?

 

[TankGirl]

Jherr, if your municipality uses chlorine only, you probably don't, as long as you give it a little shake or stir a few times during the week. If your municipality uses chloramines (most do these days) then you need to add a dechloraminator - chloramine does not dissipate with surface agitation and over time like chlorine.

 

[gheitman]

I do 10% partial water changes each week at a minimum in my planted tanks (more if there are fry or for my quarantine tank). Unplanted tanks could probably use at least 20% weekly changes (plants use nitrates so planted tanks don't need as much water changed). I definitely recommend testing your tanks for nitrates on a regular basis to make sure that the levels don't get too high.

I use Seachem's Prime to treat my tapwater before I add it to a tank. I've also used Start Right without any problems. I only add salt to the tanks that have brackish water fish like mollies.

 

[mentallylost]

Chloramine is chlorine with ammonia added to help maintain its bacteria killing ability. Dechlorinator will separate the chlorine from the ammonia enabling the chlorine to naturally evaporate. But on the flip side, the ammonia is now left behind in the water. There are a couple of ways to get rid of the ammonia though.
1 - Use a second chemical made to remove the ammonia,
2 - Run a filter on the 7 gallon container, cycle it, and let the cycled water be used for your water changes,
3 - Let the water set in the tub for a day or 2 to stabilize the temperature, add the dechlorinator just prior to use, then pour the tubs water in to your tank and let your tanks biological system take care of the ammonia for you naturally.
#3 is probably the easiest way to go.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Won't the prime also remove Ammonia?

"Prime is a complete conditioner for both marine and freshwater use that removes chlorine, chloramine, and detoxifies ammonia and nitrite. It also provides essential ions and stimulates natural slime coat. It will also detoxify any heavy metals found in the tap water at typical concentration levels."

 

[Jherr]

How do I test to see if my water has chloramines? Would the tap water give off an ammonia reading?

 

[TankGirl]

You can contact your municipal water department, or even go to their website, and find out if they are using chloramines. I'd bet that Miami is using it to treat the water.

 

[mentallylost]

Thanks Fishy,

I stand corrected.

I didn't realize that Prime also removed the ammonia.

I guess that is why I hear so much about it.

 

[cJw]

Prime also claims to 'restore natural slime coat' - so would you use it instead of Stress Coat (or the like)?

 

[mentallylost]

I don't use stress coat. Actually, I don't use anything of the sort at all. I use Doc Wells Aquarium Salt and I can't remember which dechlorinator I use. I'll check tonite when I get home.

 

[Jchillin]

Won't the prime also remove Ammonia?

"Prime is a complete conditioner for both marine and freshwater use that removes chlorine, chloramine, and detoxifies ammonia and nitrite. It also provides essential ions and stimulates natural slime coat. It will also detoxify any heavy metals found in the tap water at typical concentration levels."

Detoxifying means that the ammonia is converted to ammoniums. It doesn't actually remove the ammonia from the water. It binds the ions into denser particles which are less toxic.

 

[apotocki]

I do 25% changes (for my 70 gallon) on average 2x week adding Amquel to the water as I'm refilling. Haven't run into any problems. Amquel removes Ammonia, Chloramines, and Chlorine.

 

[ripvanrina]

so basically using amquel or prime keeps a tank from cycling? It's just reliant on the chemicals to break down ammonia?

 

[TankGirl]

Oh no - I would actually not use Prime or Amquel when a tank was cycling. If the tank is cycled it will not interfere with nitrification process, AFAIK.

 

[greenmaji]

The bacteria can still use the ammonia once you use prime.. it is just less toxic to the fish, its still there.. Its a sort of a complicated subject, chemistry.. I dont have the names for the chemicals they turn into off hand.. I think I read Tom2K rattle them off in a thread once.. we had an argument on wether or not you could do a fishless cycle with chlorimide water and prime.. we assumed you could it would just take a while..