Water changes

[misterpenguin4]

I have heard alot of different things about this. Can you do too much water changes? In my 36 gallon I usually do 15 gallons once or twice a week and in my 10 gallon I do around 50% once or twice a week. I have heard it might start another cycle. But I also have heard that the water doesn't hold a lot if any beneficial bacteria. I treat all water I put in with prime.

 

[shellieca]

I think a lot of it is personal preference as well as filtration & stocking. In a well established, fully cycled tank a once a week ~50% water change with a vacuuming is sufficient. As long as you're treating the water its Prime & are not changing out your filter media, you shouldn't have a problem with mini cycles.

 

[Mebbid]

I have heard alot of different things about this. Can you do too much water changes? In my 36 gallon I usually do 15 gallons once or twice a week and in my 10 gallon I do around 50% once or twice a week. I have heard it might start another cycle. But I also have heard that the water doesn't hold a lot if any beneficial bacteria. I treat all water I put in with prime.

The cycle with water changes is a myth of the industry. As long as your fish are used to it you can do as many water changes as you want. But if water changing isn't really a normal practice your fish wont be used to it and will get stressed out by a sudden large water change. 50% is a good effective standard and won't stress out fish too much.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Once a tank is stable, established and cycled, I go by the 50 percent weekly rule. Sometimes, I do a mid-week "semi-change" in which I take out about half of what I take out during the weekly main change -- so, in my case, with a 60 gallon, I normally do 30 gallons during the weekly main change...and so during the mid-week change, I'll do 15 or so gallons (half of 30)...this is just to make sure the goldfish (messy) remain in really good quality water...