Lazy tank maint.

[Guest]

Right now I only about doing maint. every two weeks, PWC and changing the carts in my Whisper 60. What do you guys think the optimum amount of water would be to change every time? I have a python so 20% is as easy as 80%.

 

[Tiffi]

Every two weeks I would say 1/3 should be fine.
If you clean your cardriges the same day you clean your tank, I wouldn't change more or you might loose too many bacterias at one time.

 

[Guest]

bacteria is plural.. bacterium is singular... sorry but that bugs me.. LOL

Anyway, i have gotten to where i only have time to do a water change about once every 2 weeks so i do about 50-80% just because... like you said i have a python and its just as easy so why not? Plus it takes me that long to get all the junk up that i feel like needs to be sucked up.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I'd say 20-25%, and not change cartriges at the same time. Offset them, maybe carts one week and water the next. I change my carts only every 4 weeks. After 2 weeks, if your carts isn't too dirty, I'd go longer on the change. Just depends on how much crud your filter picks up.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

You definitely don't want to get rid of too much of the good bacteria in one shot, might end up cycling again.

 

[Tiffi]

Sorry, but I'm from Germany and live in the USA since August last year. I think for that short time my English is quite good.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Your English is pretty good. How do you like it here?

 

[Tiffi]

Like it a lot. I got married here, so my husband helps me a lot to get though getting to know a new culture and having left family and friends.

 

[Guest]

water changes don't remove beneficial bacteria, you can change 100% of the water and not get rid of any bacteria because the bacteria grows on your gravel... filter media.. etc. Why do you change your filter media Every 2 weeks? It really only has to be changed on a monthy basis, or if you have a sponge like me, just rinse it out and reuse it.

 

[coolchinchilla]

Sorry, but I'm from Germany and live in the USA since August last year. I think for that short time my English is quite good.

Tiffi, no apologies necessary! Your English is EXCELLENT! I sure can't use a second language as well as you are doing. The bacteria/bacterias plural thing is a common mistake for native English speakers. So no problem.

BTW, welcome to the United States.

 

[Guest]

Sorry, but I'm from Germany and live in the USA since August last year. I think for that short time my English is quite good.

your english is fine, I have been corrected on my spelling of this same thing so i didn't think people would mind if i showed the correct spelling I hope you didn't take offense but the bacteria thing bugs me... but at least now you know

EDIT: Personally I like being corrected if i mispell something and people correct me all the time!! That what forums are for.. for learning

 

[Guest]

water changes don't remove beneficial bacteria, you can change 100% of the water and not get rid of any bacteria because the bacteria grows on your gravel... filter media.. etc. Why do you change your filter media Every 2 weeks? It really only has to be changed on a monthy basis, or if you have a sponge like me, just rinse it out and reuse it.

1) Its cheap ($12 for 24)
2) Carbon wears out very quickly
3) Even by two weeks I can notice that the water is not flowing through the filter as smoothly, as some is overflowing and not being filtered at all.
4) It has a sponge element too (that I don't change), so I think that has enough bacteria on it to prevent a cycle, along with all the bacteria in the tank.

 

[Guest]

1) Its cheap ($12 for 24)
2) Carbon wears out very quickly
3) Even by two weeks I can notice that the water is not flowing through the filter as smoothly, as some is overflowing and not being filtered at all.
4) It has a sponge element too (that I don't change), so I think that has enough bacteria on it to prevent a cycle, along with all the bacteria in the tank.

well as long as you leave the sponge element in i think you are fine with changing it as often as you like! And you can change as much water as you like, in my opinion, the more the better!!! My fish always seem more active after a large water change, and since you have a python its easy!!!

 

[Guest]

Thanks Ashley!

 

[BrianNY]

Actually the very best thing you can do for your fish is change water. But I will caution on changing too much water at any one time. Some of us just luckier than others, meaning we have the right tap water for this. If you're going to change 40% or more, make sure there are no radical differences in pH, GH, and KH. This can harmful to the bacterial colony as well as the fish.

 

[patagonia]

i agree with BrianNY...my tap water has a pH of 7 and my tank water is 7.6...not a huge difference but having ottos and neons i just dont wanna risk it...i dont change more than 30% every week...
on a side note...Tiffi...im with you there...and your english is very good...at least better than mine

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Tiffi- I have lived in the states my entire life and had no idea what the plural to bacteria was.

Tony- I would change water based on your test results. If you show 40 Nitrates after 2 weeks, I'd change 50%. But this is granted that you don't have a big pH difference between tap and tank. Haven't seen you post in quite a while. Hope things are going good with the tanks.

 

[Hara]

Tiffi- I have lived in the states my entire life and had no idea what the plural to bacteria was

me either, nor do I care..as long as the point gets made, no worries.

my husband is Dutch and speaks more correctly than I do. You do fantastic Tiffi.
I went to Holland last year and if I wouldnt have had my husband there to translate, I would have been miserable. I commend anyone that can speak a second language fluently enough to make themselves understood.

 

[HoopsGuru]

EDIT: Personally I like being corrected if i mispell something and people correct me all the time!! That what forums are for.. for learning

In that case, only for clarification:

Whether Tiffi knew it or not, she is actually quite correct. A lookup of "bacterias" in the dictionary shows it is the proper inflection form of the word "bacteria". The inflected form is the fancy way of describing the plural of nouns amongst other uses. In our aquaria, we have both Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter directly involved in the nitrogen cycle (amongst others), it is correct that the fear of loss would be of bacterias in an acceptable plural form.

http://www.m-w.com/

An example is available from a curriculum unit from Yale under the "Pathogen Contamination":
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1992/5/92.05.11.x.html

None of us here are infallible with spelling, grammar, etc.... with all the angles and loopholes of the English language (not to mention being in a hurry at times and whatever), and hence why most don't tend to correct other folks on trivial items.

Welcome to America Tiffi! I would have never guessed that English was your second language.

 

[Guest]

I have to disagree agree with you on the bacteria... at least according to the dictionaries I have it is not in them.. one of which is a Tabers Cyclopedic medical dictionary. I don't really trust online references as much as i trust book references.