How much water should i change???

[11panos04]

Hey all!!!

Recently(a week ago) i did a couple of changes of 500%,cause i used a medicine for some reason,as well as used carbon in the filter.How much water should i change normally?I do one w.c. every week,i can t two or more due to too much work.I notice a lot poop on the substrate, although i don t feed much,if not at all(ottos and shrimps eat a lot from catappa barks,leaves,here and there).I have 5 red cherries and 2 ottos and one betta fish,in 35lt tank with amtra niagara 370lt/h.

Thanks!!!

 

[Aiken Drum]

Day 1

Change 30% of the water.

Week 1 (7 days after above water change).

Test for nitrate. Is nitrate above 40ppm?

If yes, change 30% of your water and proceed to week 2.

If no, proceed to week 2 without a water change.

Week 2.

Test for nitrate. Is nitrate above 40ppm?

If yes, and you did a 30% water change at week 1, do a 50% water change, and proceed to week 3.

If no, and you did a 30% at week 1 then change 30% and continue to do 30% water changes weekly.

If no, and you didn’t do a water change at week 1, then change 30% of the water and continue to do 30% water changes every 2 weeks.

Week 3.

Test for nitrate. Is it above 40ppm?

If no, then change 50% of the water and continue to change 50% of the water weekly.

If yes, you are overstocked. Consider either removing some fish or moving them to a bigger tank.

Ongoing.

Remember that your tanks bioload is likely to increase over time. Fish grow and get bigger, maybe you are adding some new fish, maybe there is breeding going on. Periodically check your nitrate level prior to your water change and check they aren’t creeping above that 40ppm upper target level.

 

[11panos04]

I don t wanna start a new thread.I noticed that black thing,1/2 inch below substrate surface.I guess it s fish poop.When i siphone,i take as much op the top as i can,withput disturbing the below layers.Is it bad?Is ther a way to do it,without messing with the layout?That place is to close to the rocks and the glass ant its not possible for siphon s plastic cup to get in there...

 

[Aiken Drum]

You mean the layer just below the top of the substrate? Its algae. There is still some water down there and ambient light from your room lighting. It will only be around the edges where the substrate is against the glass, not all the way throughout the substrate.

I typically, periodically dig it out with a toothbrush before a water change and remove it with the syphon. But if you dont mind the appearance then just leave it.

 

[11panos04]

So,i ll have to buy liguid nitrate test.I have the stripe ones but they re not reliable.

 

[Aiken Drum]

So,i ll have to buy liguid nitrate test.I have the stripe ones but they re not reliable.

You dont have to buy a test kit. I was probably being overly technical. Honestly with such low bioload changing some water (say 30%) every week will be more than sufficient. You could probably get away with 30% every 2 weeks.

 

[11panos04]

It is just there is too much poop,even the day after the change.Poop on every leave of my anubias,i suspect from the shrimps.Btw,my betta died,we was sitting on the floor a lot and yesterday he swam sideways near the surface and today i found him dead...His tail also torn. I tested ammonia with liguid test,it was 0...

 

[Aiken Drum]

It is just there is too much poop,even the day after the change.Poop on every leave of my anubias,i suspect from the shrimps.Btw,my betta died,we was sitting on the floor a lot and yesterday he swam sideways near the surface and today i found him dead...His tail also torn. I tested ammonia with liguid test,it was 0...

Spot removal with a turkey baster?

If you are worried about waste in the tank and water changes the only way to ease your mind is probably through testing then.

 

[11panos04]

What s a turkey baster?I googled it and something like an eyedropper popped up,how can i clean the leaves with that?

i ll definitely buy no3 test,just to ease my mind,like you said,and...what can i say...Maybe the betta died of something...iknownq///Since the shrimps and the ottos showed no signs of sidcomfort,what can i say...

 

[Aiken Drum]

Use it to suck up poop. Press the bulb, put it in the water hover it over the poop, release pressure on the bulb. Poop gets sucked up.

 

[gilpi]

You can get one of these, cheap and effective...


Python Pro-Clean Gravel Washer Siphon Kit, Medium