How often do you do pwc?

[busymom23]

I was curious how often others change their tank water. I was told that I'm doing too much and that my tank has never cycled because of how often I'm changing my water. I do 30-40% once a week on all of my tanks.

 

[BBradbury]

Water Changes

I was curious how often others change their tank water. I was told that I'm doing too much and that my tank has never cycled because of how often I'm changing my water. I do 30-40% once a week on all of my tanks.

Hello mom...

Water changes of less than half leave dissolved wastes in the tank. Wastes that will build up over time and could stress the fish. If you want pure water conditions all the time, remove and replace at least half the water every week or so and include floating plants like Hornwort and Brazilian water weed that will use the bulk of the rest of the dissolved wastes for food. What little isn't used by the plants is diluted in all the new water, so there's nothing to harm the fish.

If you do this, you guarantee pure water conditions for the fish and plants. I'd even go as far as to say you'd never have to test the tank water for toxins, because you know the water is pure.

B

 

[busymom23]

Thanks for the reply. I'm also vacuuming up waste when I do water changes and scrubbing the sides. Doesn't that help? Now I'm confused if I'm doing too much or not enough...my routine is scrub the glass top to bottom on all 4 sides, while pumping water. After glass is clean I start vacuuming the bottom to retrieve excess waste. When I'm done, I either let it keep pumping out water to get it to the level I want or start pumping back in then treat water with prime. I do this to every tank once a week.


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[mikem691]

50% to 70% Every week on all my tanks.

 

[BBradbury]

Managing the Tank

Thanks for the reply. I'm also vacuuming up waste when I do water changes and scrubbing the sides. Doesn't that help? Now I'm confused if I'm doing too much or not enough...my routine is scrub the glass top to bottom on all 4 sides, while pumping water. After glass is clean I start vacuuming the bottom to retrieve excess waste. When I'm done, I either let it keep pumping out water to get it to the level I want or start pumping back in then treat water with prime. I do this to every tank once a week.


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Hello again mom...

Everything that goes into the tank will dissolve at some point. So, by removing a lot of water and doing it regularly, you remove anything that might be toxic to your fish.

You don't really need to vacuum or scrub anything. The organic material that falls to the bottom dissolves in the water. What isn't used by the plants can be removed through the weekly water change. Just replace it with pure, treated tap water. If you want to scrub something, scrub the front glass with one of those magnetic scrubbers, so you can see the fish. I think they're called a Magfloat. The others sides don't need to be scrubbed.

B

 

[Coryluv]

I do 20% weekly though I do an occasional 40% if I think there is a reason to. I have a planted tank and my nitrates dropped to 0 recently and are staying there, so I'm still doing my changes, just not vacuuming.

 

[Coryluv]

Thanks for the reply. I'm also vacuuming up waste when I do water changes and scrubbing the sides. Doesn't that help? Now I'm confused if I'm doing too much or not enough...my routine is scrub the glass top to bottom on all 4 sides, while pumping water. After glass is clean I start vacuuming the bottom to retrieve excess waste. When I'm done, I either let it keep pumping out water to get it to the level I want or start pumping back in then treat water with prime. I do this to every tank once a week.


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Add the Prime before you add the water, unless you have no chlorine/chloramine. Add it to the tank in an amount for the total tank volume, not just the amount of water you are adding. I assume from what you say you are using some kind of water changer like a python or one of the other brands.

Basically there is a broad range of what is correct in water changes. In general I believe you can only change too much if you haven't done it regularly. Then you need to commence the water changes gradually because the fish can't handle the rapid change in dissolved solids. Since the beneficial bacteria live in the filter, during the cycle it is important to not clean your filter too much.

I have a canister filter and clean it using the slosh in tank water, and do my other regular filter maintenance monthly. Filter maintenance and cleaning does have a relationship to water quality also. After cycling when I had an HOB, that held about 1/8 of the volume of media I have now, I cleaned it weekly.

 

[Cichlid ism]

50% to 70% Every week on all my tanks.

I agree with Mike, this will prevent any issues in your tank.


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[treemanone2003]

Hello mom...

Water changes of less than half leave dissolved wastes in the tank. Wastes that will build up over time and could stress the fish. If you want pure water conditions all the time, remove and replace at least half the water every week or so and include floating plants like Hornwort and Brazilian water weed that will use the bulk of the rest of the dissolved wastes for food. What little isn't used by the plants is diluted in all the new water, so there's nothing to harm the fish.

If you do this, you guarantee pure water conditions for the fish and plants. I'd even go as far as to say you'd never have to test the tank water for toxins, because you know the water is pure.

B

Every bit of this is 100% absolute truth. Even in regards to not testing the water anymore. I couldn't tell you the last time I tested mine. A lot of folks claim that I do far too many WC's and frankly, I don't care what they say because I know what my fish like and are used to. I change (including wiping down all glass) a min of 50% on M, W, F, and 100% (yes fish flopping around on the bb) on Saturdays. I haven't cleaned my filter (Fluval 406) in 6 months. This is what the breeder does, the importer does, and what I continue. We all know, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". I've got 7 Tetras and 5, 5-6" Discus in a 55g, bb tank. I can also feed them right from my bare, clean hands and pet and pick them up at anytime. I credit that to the amount of time that I (and my girl) spend around the tank. I also have a mid sized sponge filter running in the tank for a just in case moment. It's already loaded with excellent bb so it's ready to go in a hospital if I wind up with a sick fish or a QT if I decide to buy more. I purchase ALL my Malaysian Discus (for this tank) from one source. When I can set up another tank for Stendkers, they will come from another well trusted importer. To go one step further, my acclimation process is temperature based only. I have almost identical water parameters so after floating the bags for about 20 mins, I simply grab them with my hands and drop them right in the tank. IMO, it's much less stressful on the fish.


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[Dreamingdragon]

I do a 40 to 50% water change. Weekly vacium gravel, because i have big fish and make a lot of dirt.i only clean a filter when it has almost. No flow. Rins my media and put it back. And clean the impellor. The elbow pipe i,ll take of too they get clought over a while.

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[Maridia]

60-70% weekly on my 55g, slightly overstocked cichlid tank. I use seachem prime and use only tap water, as it is 8.0ph, awesome for cichlids. Has worked for me for 4 months so far.


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[busymom23]

Thanks for everyone's replies! This being my routine, since I started keeping fish, and hearing I should only be changing my water once a month came to a shock. Also I was told that my water has probably never cycled and to not change my water this week and bring in a water sample on my water change day before changing the water. She tested my water already and said it was perfect, but wanted to see it on water change day. I just can't imagine how filthy the tank will be after not changing the water for that long....

Also the plants I have are planted.


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[squirrilah fish]

I do 50-70% with a rinse and clean on all my tanks every Sunday, takes about 4 hours to go through them all.

 

[Caliban07]

I believe that as long as you do a weekly routine change of the amount that is sufficient enough to ensure nitrates stay below 20ppm then that's fine.

This could be 10-50% + there is no set right or wrong amount. It depends really on your stocking levels, type of fish etc. there is nothing wrong with changing volumes larger than 50% as I agree that the chances of things going wrong are much less. Is it really necessary? That's up to you to decide. Plants help a great deal.

If you have the time to spare to do regular large water changes and it's what you would prefer to do then so be it.

I hand understocked 50 gallon tanks that are fed sensibly and are well planted. I barely register 5ppm nitrates at the end of the week after a 20% water change. There would be no point in me doing anything more than this. It would be a waste of time energy and water. My fish are very healthy. I vacuum when the waste on the bottom starts to look unsightly and clean the filter once every couple of months.

I don't really see how you can guarantee pure water conditions as water that comes from the tap, a well or even the sky is far from pure. Better to say clean.

Sporadic water changes I wouldn't recommend as the fish will have to constantly adapt to changing dissolved solids. Although fish have the ability to do this and most will without batting an eyelid I think they would prefer stable water conditions and you always get one that the change overwhelms for one reason or another. The water chemistry in a small enclosed case is much more important to keep as stable as possible as large fluctuations can harm fish. A large routine weekly water change of the same amount with the same stock and same feeding pattern is just as stable as one that receives similar smaller changes.

 

[busymom23]

Update: today would've been my water change day, (last water change was 6/19) I brought the promised water sample for testing. She told me that my water cycle was just starting, with the below results:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate 20
Ph 7.8-8.0

Isn't this the reading of a cycled tank? Tank is 300 gallons, with a 55 gallon sump, been up and running since end of February. After I saw the ammonia and nitrite spikes, I've been doing close to 50% water changes every week. Below is stock:
Parrot
Green severum
Gold severum
Oscar
5 silver dollars
Black ghost knife
Firemouth
Rhino pleco
Jack dempsey (got bloat or dropsy and is currently in quarantine)

She told me to only change my water 30% every 4 weeks. I don't believe that is sufficient because today is my water change day and there is waste sitting on the bottom that needs vacuumed, I can't imagine letting it sit there for 3 more weeks!


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[mikem691]

You are correct The pet shop is wrong 0,0,20 is good

 

[Coryluv]

Your weekly water changes are a reasonable regime. The shop is nuts. And if at some point you feel the need to do an additional change, do it! Need vacuuming? Do it!

 

[busymom23]

That's what I thought, but wanted to see what AA people had to say. Thank you everyone!!


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[PB_Smith]

Water changes of less than half leave dissolved wastes in the tank.

So is 50% some magic number that cause all the dissolved wastes to migrate to the 50% getting changed?

your logic is horribly flawed.

Water changes of less than 100% leave dissolved wastes in the tank.

 

[Caliban07]

Flawed in some ways definitely but I do sympathise slightly for Bbradbury. He/she is not wrong in saying that large weekly water changes will probably prevent a lot of problems down the line.

It's not a bad method or habit to have. I personally just don't believe it's necessary. Because of what I now understand. This doesn't mean Bradbury lacks knowledge when it come to water chemistry etc. I believe he/she is a very experienced keeper and that he/she has come across most of the problems we all face at some point or other. I believe his/her method is simply preached to newbies because it's easy although not always necessary.

Telling a newbie to change 50% every week maybe a good way to ensure most people run in to less problems down the line and I believe by encouraging people to do this, less people will come on here with problems.