Filter and water change

[Nogauthi]

Yes so I'm new at this. Got a 65 gallon with 17 African cichlids and live plants. Was told to do a water change once a month. Would that make sense.
And how often do I change the filter?

 

[aaronjohn20]

Swish filter cartridge in old tank water and replace when falling apart. There's not set time limit to do a water change. Your water parameters determine how often and how much of a pwc to do

 

[chew valley]

Yes so I'm new at this. Got a 65 gallon with 17 African cichlids and live plants. Was told to do a water change once a month. Would that make sense.
And how often do I change the filter?

Not sure about once a month. You have a lot of fish there and so they will produce a lot of waste. Most people with African Cichlids do water changes once or twice a week, around 25% each time. I don't keep them myself but this seems to be the common consensus from what I can gather. This is one of the reasons it put me off keeping Africans, overstocking means lots of waste. But saying that I know somebody with two oscars in a 63 gallon tank who only change water every 6 weeks but they do use two big filters.

I personally do a weekly water change of 25% but just keep a Jack Dempsey and a Green Terror. I like to do this as its no hassle really, only an hour of my time a week to clean tank and do water change. Would rather do this and not worry so much about water quality.

 

[phishfriend]

First, is the tank new? Has it been cycled? If it hasn't you need to plan on doing a lot and I mean a lot of water changes till it is or you are going to start lose in fish. Also do you
Have a test kit?

 

[Nogauthi]

First, is the tank new? Has it been cycled? If it hasn't you need to plan on doing a lot and I mean a lot of water changes till it is or you are going to start lose in fish. Also do you
Have a test kit?

Yes I had for about 2-3 month and it has cycle. I have PH, ammonia nitrite and nitrate test kit. So now what do I do?
My filter is a Rena filstar xp for up to 175 gallon

 

[aaronjohn20]

Test your trates and change water as needed. Let's say your tapwater has 0 trates. If you want to do a water change at 40ppm, a 50% pwc will get you down to 20ppm. 75% will get you down to 10ppm, and so on.

 

[rocksor]

I would keep the nitrates below 20ppm.

 

[Nogauthi]

I would keep the nitrates below 20ppm.

My nitrates and nitrites are 0. So what does that mean I don't do a pwc

 

[phishfriend]

Wait.. your nitrates are 0? Are you using the api mater kit?

 

[Nogauthi]

Wait.. your nitrates are 0? Are you using the api mater kit?

Yes using api. Doesn't say mater

 

[phishfriend]

I ask because for the API kit's nitrate test has a very exact process to get the right readings. no nitrate would indicate the tank hasn't cycled

 

[rocksor]

A properly cycled aquarium won't have a nitrate reading of 0ppm, especially with that many fish.

Did you shake bottle number 2 of the nitrate test for 2-3 minutes? There are particulate matter in bottle number that clumps up if the bottle is not shaken every week. The directions for the nitrate test are as follows

1. Fill vial to the line with tank water.
2. Put 10 drops of bottle number 1 into filled vial.
3. Shake briefly
4. Shake bottle number 2 for 30 seconds (or 2-3 minutes if you have not used this bottle in more than 1 week).
5. Put 10 drops of bottle number 2 into vial.
6. Shake vial for 1 minute.
7. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
7. Compare vial with the color chart on the card. Make sure the white part of the card is behind the vial, and not touching it when making the comparison.

 

[Nogauthi]

A properly cycled aquarium won't have a nitrate reading of 0ppm, especially with that many fish.

Did you shake bottle number 2 of the nitrate test for 2-3 minutes? There are particulate matter in bottle number that clumps up if the bottle is not shaken every week. The directions for the nitrate test are as follows

1. Fill vial to the line with tank water.
2. Put 10 drops of bottle number 1 into filled vial.
3. Shake briefly
4. Shake bottle number 2 for 30 seconds (or 2-3 minutes if you have not used this bottle in more than 1 week).
5. Put 10 drops of bottle number 2 into vial.
6. Shake vial for 1 minute.
7. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
7. Compare vial with the color chart on the card. Make sure the white part of the card is behind the vial, and not touching it when making the comparison.

Thanks. I guess I wasn't doing it right. My nitrates are between 40-80 ppm. So now what do I do. I guess water change more often. Do I need to clean filter also and change more then once a month?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Thanks. I guess I wasn't doing it right. My nitrates are between 40-80 ppm. So now what do I do. I guess water change more often. Do I need to clean filter also and change more then once a month?

You should be doing 2 25% water changes a week to keep water parameters in check. Fish like fresh water and letting your nitrates build up over 40 isn't a really good thing. Plus you should be rinsing your filter media once a week with the old tank water. If you have two filters do one on one water change and the other on the next water change.

 

[Nogauthi]

You should be doing 2 25% water changes a week to keep water parameters in check. Fish like fresh water and letting your nitrates build up over 40 isn't a really good thing. Plus you should be rinsing your filter media once a week with the old tank water. If you have two filters do one on one water change and the other on the next water change.

Perfect. Thanks so much. So I rinse my filter once a week and change them one a month like they say

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Perfect. Thanks so much. So I rinse my filter once a week and change them one a month like they say

It depends on the media your using if you would change them or not. I only change mine when they are falling apart or I can't get them clean enough to lower nitrates. All what are you using?

 

[rocksor]

The first thing I would do is 50% water change everyday for 4 days in order to get your nitrates under control. Then start testing nitrates every 3 days, and doing a water change based on the readings.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Agreed I'd do what Rocksor said first 50% to get it down first

 

[Nogauthi]

Perfect. Thanks so much. So I rinse my filter once a week and change them one a month like they say

I just did a 25pcw. Can I test right away for nitrates? And I've put it in my agenda to do it twice a week

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I just did a 25pcw. Can I test right away for nitrates? And I've put it in my agenda to do it twice a week

25% probably didn't lower it much that's why rocksor said do a 50%. Even at that depending on how high it really is it still may be high. So then you'll need to do it again till you get it at 20ppm or lower. Then you'll start two 25% a week to keep it under control. But you'll still need to test the water to make sure its keeping it under control.

You can test I normally wait an hour