Anyone here never do water changes?

[chasgood]

Just had to tell you about a old Navy buddy. Chatted with him today. He has had a 55 gal going for 12 years plus several other tanks some are even older.
He tells me he never does water changes. He stirs up the gravel once a week. Tops off the water and cleans the filter after it has sucked up the stuff stirring the gravel churned up is all. A hob filter is all he uses. Now get this. He rinses the filter pad and washes it in the dishwasher.
As for the fish. He has a 14 year old goldfish and a 12 year old sucker cat.

He does everthing most of us are told not to do and his tanks are healthy. I just dont get it. How could it be?
He says the ugf is the foulest thing ever invented.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I sadly don't do water changes unless i absolutly have to. I gravel vac or top off the water but my water stays pretty clean and the readings are always good.

 

[grimlock3000]

How would you determine when you absolutely have to?

Also, healthy is relative. I can not image that new fish could be acclimated into those tanks very well. Or leave those tanks and go into new ones.

 

[William]

You can get away without water changes ON ONE CONDITION.


And thats if the tank is heavily planted with real, living and healthy plants.


Why? They suck up the nitrates that the biofilter can't get rid off.


If you don't have live plants, You have a ticking timebomb waiting to explode.


Judging from the fact the fish in your navy buddies tank are still alive, I'm tempted to believe he does do water changes.. Maybe not as often as he should, tho.


Why? Well, after 12+ years without a waterchange...The water would be nothing but a toxic pool of undestinguishable waste.


----

Edit.

Accidentally submitted the post before I was done.



Anyways, Even if you do have a heavily planted tank you should STILL do your water changes. Why? Cause theres gunk and goop that the biofilter just dosn't get out! Thats why


and those fishy friends need a fresh breath of water every now and again.




As far as water changes, I do my waterchanges weekly. I never go more than 2 weeks without a waterchange.

 

[TankGirl]

I know a boy aged 8, who has a fish tank in his room. His parents know nothing about fish and leave it up to him to keep the tank. He has never done a water change in 5 years. He has no live plans, and he has a 5-year-old angel.

One thing I can tell you, if he ever does go to clean that tank, the angel will die, sure as your'e born! I can't explain it, but I personally can't imagine that this is a good thing for fish. Water changes are my middle name, so to speak, and I see nothing but good come of the practice.

In my early days I did not know about water changes or the nitrogen cycle and I somehow kept a couple of fancy goldfish for 9 years, selling them back to the LFS when I moved. I have no idea why they lived!

 

[shawmutt]

One thing I can tell you, if he ever does go to clean that tank, the angel will die, sure as your'e born!

The same thing would occur if someone tried adding new fish. The residents in the tank get used to the high NO3, but any new fish would quickly succumb. If the water is changed, the nitrate level drops dramatically, and the same thing happens. My father-in-law used to be an avid fish keeper, but slowly got out of the hobby due to time constraints. The last tank he got rid of had a few angels and a few cories, and he did the same thing--only top off, throw in some food once in a while, and leave it at that. The tank was choked up with java fern, I mean you could barely see water! When he gave the tank to me (after a year of telling him how to take care of fish) I cleaned it all up and gave Butch (the last angel) an awesome home. He died. Granted, the fish was old, about 10 years or so, but IMO the water change was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

[shawmutt]

Just had a thought--does your friend move around a lot?

 

[chasgood]

not only did the fact that he never changed water get me but that he is washing the filter media in the dishwasher. This is totally destroying the bacteria. What is doing the bio-filtration?

 

[shawmutt]

There's more than enough in the gravel--just like when the filter media is changed.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I should correct myself- I clean the water but I don't do weekly changes. I gravel vac and the water evaporates so when all is said and done 20% of the water is gone and I add more.

 

[oscarbreeder]

NO water changes? 8O 8O 8O 8O

I couldnt live with myself.

 

[JenNewbie]

Now for my own guilty confession: About once a month or so I skip a weekly water change due to laziness, mainly. I don't have a python (yet), so lugging a 5 gal bucket across the kitchen to change the water is a chore that very quickly loses its charm. Plus, the filter on the kitchen tap is SO slow it takes about 45 minutes to fill the 5 gal bucket. And I don't dare add unfiltered Davis water. So, anyway, the 25 gal tank gets a 20% water change then about 3x a month, the 5 gal tank a 25% change the same frequency. Each time, they both get gravel vac'd as well. Is this bad? Should I be really consistent on a weekly water change? I know it would be easier if I had a python...anyone want to spring for one for me? 8)

 

[Bioworldmaker]

Am I changing the water too often?
I usually do a 10-15% water change every 5 days or so and a 25% every three weeks... And when it is the 25% I scrub the rocks, re-plant my plant...

 

[newaridiar]

I usually do a 2-4 gallon water change about twice a month at school, I'm having my dad do 1 gallon weekly water changes til I get back. (I've got a python syphon, but not the full system so I still use buckets)
I don't vaccum my substrate because I don't like to disturb my plants, but as is I move my tank twice a year and the gravel/sand/pebble mix gets a quick rinse and is partially removed & replaced then.

Bioworldmaker, it might be bad for the plant to be uprooted so often, but other than that, your fish probably like all the clean water

 

[TankGirl]

Bioworldmaker, I don't think you can change your water too often. As long as you are not taking the rocks out and sterilizing them (you want to leave the bacteria alone on the structures in the tank) then your routine sounds fine to me, if it is working for you.

The key here is to stick with a routine. If you never change your water, then suddenly start doing it often, as mentioned, the fish are going to suffer. If you decide to increase your water change regimen do so over a longer period, and slowly work your way up to where you want to be.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

I know a guy that never cleans his saltwater tank and he has had a 2000 gallon saltwater shark tank. I asked him how he gets away without cleaning his aquarium he started talking about chemicals I've never heard of before(not nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia). I guess I'll have to ask him again sometime.

 

[SHortyGeorge]

considering in nature, rain replensishes the water levels and adds fresh water, and very little moves around on the floor of the pond, unless disturbed by humans :?, it seems to me that if one has the right variety of fish and plants... u should have a fairly stable, low maintenance tank (that's my goal anyway).. But I still do water changes, water in a closed tank evaporates slower, and the addition of fresh new water is similar to a rainfall. Scoop alittle out and put alittle in mind you, I only change about 10%, but tank seems to do quite well, levels are great. I lost an Oto less than 48 hours after I got him... but then they are known for being sensitive little guys, other than that, everything is doing great!

 

[BrianNY]

Hmmm. This is an interesting little thread that I just read for the first time.

Let me put it this way..... I'm sure that some fish may survive high levels of nitrates for some time, but are they comfortable and in the best condition? To me it's like keeping a cat in closet and never cleaning its litter box.

 

[Menagerie]

Some fish, once acclimated to poor water, will do fine. Is this the best way? No.

As with all biological systems, there is an exchange. Water moves (evaporation, stream, ocean currents, rain, run-off) in a fish's natural environment.

Aside from Brian's example, think about this: all winter, you leave your windows closed and make sure the door closes right behind you. In the warmer months, the windows are open and you go out more often. Why do you open the windows of your house ever?? There's plenty of air in your house to breath.
Let's say that you live in a house with the windows and doors shut forever and you never go outside. You could live, aside from feeling couped up, you never need fresh air, but isn't that fresh air in the springtime refreshing? Isn't the fresh air that you get from just stepping outside rejuvenating?

 

[chasgood]

Years ago when I had fish, for the most part I did water changes weekly of about 10%. Once in a great while I might miss a week.
So we have a range from never to 50% a week and everything in between. To me never is way to little and 50% a week is to much (work) but the key I think is finding what works for you and sticking with it.

Haven't chatted with my old friend again. I plan to ask if there are live plants in his tanks.