Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
Is there a length of time that is to long? Just curious
water changes
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Malawi Freak
Aquarium Advice Addict
This really depends on bioload and tank size. I never let my tanks go 2 weeks.
BHead707
Aquarium Advice FINatic
for what? between water changes?
Yep Water changes.
I judge it on Nitrate levels anything close or over 20ppm......or 2x week 50% usually Thursday Late Afternoon and Late Sunday night.
I don't have a lot of real Plants due to the Cichlids so hard to disperse the nitrates. I buy PRIME by the gallon.....
I judge it on Nitrate levels anything close or over 20ppm......or 2x week 50% usually Thursday Late Afternoon and Late Sunday night.
I don't have a lot of real Plants due to the Cichlids so hard to disperse the nitrates. I buy PRIME by the gallon.....
Cichlid Kid
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have an aggressive pwc schedule with my rift lake tanks also. I think alot of us do because of various reasons such as overstocking and the fact that plants are really hard to establish in these tanks.
I do pwc's of at least 50% a minimum of once a week.
I do pwc's of at least 50% a minimum of once a week.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Water changes
Under ideal conditions, a partial water change of 10 % of the water volume weekly will produce healthy and happy fish. I have followed this schedule for over 40 years of fish keeping with tremendous success as both a hobbyist and a commercial breeder.
What you need to remember is that most fish can take excesses but they can't take drastic changes very well. So by maintaining this schedule, you never allow the water parameters to change much thereby creating a more stabile environment. Keep in mind that most fish in today's hobby are not wild caught fish so they are not used to the extremes of the wild and shouldn't be kept that way.
Obviously, if a tank is overstocked or underfiltered, a more vigorous/ frequent schedule should be maintained. Avoid extremes at all cost
Hope this helps.
Under ideal conditions, a partial water change of 10 % of the water volume weekly will produce healthy and happy fish. I have followed this schedule for over 40 years of fish keeping with tremendous success as both a hobbyist and a commercial breeder.
What you need to remember is that most fish can take excesses but they can't take drastic changes very well. So by maintaining this schedule, you never allow the water parameters to change much thereby creating a more stabile environment. Keep in mind that most fish in today's hobby are not wild caught fish so they are not used to the extremes of the wild and shouldn't be kept that way.
Obviously, if a tank is overstocked or underfiltered, a more vigorous/ frequent schedule should be maintained. Avoid extremes at all cost
Hope this helps.
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
I was just curious cause I can go 4 weeks and my water still test great. And it makes me nervous so I change it around 35 gallons. Should I let it go longer?
Malawi Freak
Aquarium Advice Addict
My water tests fine every week at around 30ppm nitrates but I still do about 50 gallons each Thursday.
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
Malawi Freak said:
But can it go longer?
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
Lol how did you know I was going to ask
Malawi Freak
Aquarium Advice Addict
Andrew McFadden said:
It can but isnt recommended for health of the fish. I know someone with an African tank and he changes the water maybe 4 times a year. These are also 3-4 years old and have grown accustomed to it. I like weekly cause the tank just looks so much cleaner and active.
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
Does the api test kits go outdated?
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
It will be 4 weeks Wednesday night and my water nitrates are 0-5 nitrite 0 and it doesn't change.
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
Malawi Freak said:
This is the only reason I change it at 4 weeks is to clean the stuff on the bottom.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes but...
.... There ARE things going on with your system that you aren't testing for I'm sure, nor do you have to. What I was told by my mentor (a certified Ichthyologist) some 40+ years ago, was that by changing the smaller amount of water on a constant basis, you are adding back things like electrolytes and minerals that the fish naturally absorb as well as "Freshening up" the water in the tank. It does more for the tank than charcoal ( and subsequently carbon) does regrding water quality. The object is to create as stable an environment as possible and reduce, as much as possible, radical changes within the system at any time. Larger volumes of changed water have to change the water's chemistry more drastically than smaller changes even if that change is a slight temperature change or a change in, for example, PH. Plus, you are probably adding chemicals to the water to dechlorinate or dechlorimine the water and who knows what changes that is doing to the system. Not necessarily bad things but just a more drastic change. Nitrates are not the only indicator of a souring tank. Also, you must keep in mind that reagents in test kits go bad from age.
The system I have followed has allowed me to not have to test my water anymore when the bioload is stable and the fish don't react poorly to a water change. (This comes from years of studying the behaviors of my fish.) They don't feel the change as much because the volume of change is small. As I mentioned in my other post, I've followed this routine for over 40 years quite successfully.
Now, what I am proposing will be challenged by many on this site (I'm sure) as their experiences will be different. Each fish type reacts differently to changes. The system I follow takes away a lot of unseen variables which is why I still follow it. I adapt it's frequency, depending on the types of fish I am keeping, (ie the bigger or dirtier the fish, the more frequently I change the water and filtering materials) as needed.
The basic survivability of any ecosystem (FYI: your fish tank is an ecosystem) is consistency. By doing that smaller water change weekly, religiously, you create a more consistant environment thereby reducing any potentially harmfull effects of the water change (ie temp difference or possible PH fluctuation, etc.)
Sorry for the lengthy post but I just can't stop when I am on a roll teaching this stuff
Hope this helped
.... There ARE things going on with your system that you aren't testing for I'm sure, nor do you have to. What I was told by my mentor (a certified Ichthyologist) some 40+ years ago, was that by changing the smaller amount of water on a constant basis, you are adding back things like electrolytes and minerals that the fish naturally absorb as well as "Freshening up" the water in the tank. It does more for the tank than charcoal ( and subsequently carbon) does regrding water quality. The object is to create as stable an environment as possible and reduce, as much as possible, radical changes within the system at any time. Larger volumes of changed water have to change the water's chemistry more drastically than smaller changes even if that change is a slight temperature change or a change in, for example, PH. Plus, you are probably adding chemicals to the water to dechlorinate or dechlorimine the water and who knows what changes that is doing to the system. Not necessarily bad things but just a more drastic change. Nitrates are not the only indicator of a souring tank. Also, you must keep in mind that reagents in test kits go bad from age.
The system I have followed has allowed me to not have to test my water anymore when the bioload is stable and the fish don't react poorly to a water change. (This comes from years of studying the behaviors of my fish.) They don't feel the change as much because the volume of change is small. As I mentioned in my other post, I've followed this routine for over 40 years quite successfully.
Now, what I am proposing will be challenged by many on this site (I'm sure) as their experiences will be different. Each fish type reacts differently to changes. The system I follow takes away a lot of unseen variables which is why I still follow it. I adapt it's frequency, depending on the types of fish I am keeping, (ie the bigger or dirtier the fish, the more frequently I change the water and filtering materials) as needed.
The basic survivability of any ecosystem (FYI: your fish tank is an ecosystem) is consistency. By doing that smaller water change weekly, religiously, you create a more consistant environment thereby reducing any potentially harmfull effects of the water change (ie temp difference or possible PH fluctuation, etc.)
Sorry for the lengthy post but I just can't stop when I am on a roll teaching this stuff
Hope this helped
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
.... There ARE things going on with your system that you aren't testing for I'm sure, nor do you have to. What I was told by my mentor (a certified Ichthyologist) some 40+ years ago, was that by changing the smaller amount of water on a constant basis, you are adding back things like electrolytes and minerals that the fish naturally absorb as well as "Freshening up" the water in the tank. It does more for the tank than charcoal ( and subsequently carbon) does regrding water quality. The object is to create as stable an environment as possible and reduce, as much as possible, radical changes within the system at any time. Larger volumes of changed water have to change the water's chemistry more drastically than smaller changes even if that change is a slight temperature change or a change in, for example, PH. Plus, you are probably adding chemicals to the water to dechlorinate or dechlorimine the water and who knows what changes that is doing to the system. Not necessarily bad things but just a more drastic change. Nitrates are not the only indicator of a souring tank. Also, you must keep in mind that reagents in test kits go bad from age.
The system I have followed has allowed me to not have to test my water anymore when the bioload is stable and the fish don't react poorly to a water change. (This comes from years of studying the behaviors of my fish.) They don't feel the change as much because the volume of change is small. As I mentioned in my other post, I've followed this routine for over 40 years quite successfully.
Now, what I am proposing will be challenged by many on this site (I'm sure) as their experiences will be different. Each fish type reacts differently to changes. The system I follow takes away a lot of unseen variables which is why I still follow it. I adapt it's frequency, depending on the types of fish I am keeping, (ie the bigger or dirtier the fish, the more frequently I change the water and filtering materials) as needed.
The basic survivability of any ecosystem (FYI: your fish tank is an ecosystem) is consistency. By doing that smaller water change weekly, religiously, you create a more consistant environment thereby reducing any potentially harmfull effects of the water change (ie temp difference or possible PH fluctuation, etc.)
Sorry for the lengthy post but I just can't stop when I am on a roll teaching this stuff
Hope this helped
Ok well very long hahahaha very good answers
I'm going to re and re read this and get my thoughts together because I'm going to have some more questions about this.
So stay with me for a day or two lol
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Fire away...
Fire away when ready
I'll probably be doing some water changes so I'll get back to you ASAP
LOL
Fire away when ready
I'll probably be doing some water changes so I'll get back to you ASAP
LOL
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
I don't use charcoal so wouldn't that change this?
And as for a water conditioner and minerals: I have a 50 gallon trash can that all my clean new water goes to after water changes then I add the conditioner and minerals to that and it sits for 4 weeks there before going into my tank. I have an air hose that runs to the bottom of it. So wouldn't that change things that your saying aswell?
I also use that water for top offs witch is a little more then a gallon of water every 3 days. So some minerals are being put back in before my 4 week water change
Sorry I've been doing this for a long time and have had a lot of thoughts over the years on why and how I do things. But I can say one thing I should have joined a forum a long time ago to understand more.
And as for a water conditioner and minerals: I have a 50 gallon trash can that all my clean new water goes to after water changes then I add the conditioner and minerals to that and it sits for 4 weeks there before going into my tank. I have an air hose that runs to the bottom of it. So wouldn't that change things that your saying aswell?
I also use that water for top offs witch is a little more then a gallon of water every 3 days. So some minerals are being put back in before my 4 week water change
Sorry I've been doing this for a long time and have had a lot of thoughts over the years on why and how I do things. But I can say one thing I should have joined a forum a long time ago to understand more.
OP
OP
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm not trying to bash you or anything if it sounds that way. Just trying to get a very good understanding.
Imo I have worked some of what your saying out by having the trash can. This is all what I've fought myself or thought myself from books,and trying to work out issue's. So far it seems to be working I thought
Imo I have worked some of what your saying out by having the trash can. This is all what I've fought myself or thought myself from books,and trying to work out issue's. So far it seems to be working I thought
Labenator65000
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Cichlid Kid said:
Me too. Keep checking your parameters and adjust accordingly.
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