Water change?

[jennymph]

2 days into having 5 Cory's in my 160L tank. Don't worry I'm not doing water changes any time soon.
However, I would like to know when to do water changes on my tank. I'll insert a picture.
Monthly? Bi-weekly? My assumption would be monthly.
Planted, 2 Sponge Filters and a Fluval 306.
Any help would be appreciated ??

 

[jennymph]

Sorry!! I accidentally posted in this forum

 

[IHaveAquariums]

I would say once it's fully stocked a 40% wc once a week is definitely good. someone will say you should be replacing all the water during the course of a week but that's just unrealistic really. With only having 5 Cory's in a 55g, I'd say you wouldn't have a reason to do a wc for about 2 weeks and I'd do a 20-25% change, remember the wc's also help the plants

 

[jennymph]

I would say once it's fully stocked a 40% wc once a week is definitely good. someone will say you should be replacing all the water during the course of a week but that's just unrealistic really. With only having 5 Cory's in a 55g, I'd say you wouldn't have a reason to do a wc for about 2 weeks and I'd do a 20-25% change, remember the wc's also help the plants

Thanks! Yeah I'm gonna wait 2 weeks so my readings stabilise etc so I can get a true representation of the parameters. So 40L once a week basically? I feel like that's quite a lot but am gonna do more research regarding it anyway

 

[jimsz]

Weekly water changes. Once you start taking readings and they have stabilized you can figure out how much to change.

 

[Brookster123]

Just get in the habit of a 50% weekly wc. It will do you good in the long run. This tank is cycled??

 

[jennymph]

Just get in the habit of a 50% weekly wc. It will do you good in the long run. This tank is cycled??

It is

 

[IHaveAquariums]

Well it also depends on how heavily stocked it is, if it's minimal then a 25% a week should be fine. But if you fully stock it then yeah 40% is a better number

 

[Brookster123]

It depends on a lot of things.. in a planted tank, weekly 50% reset wc, dose up and repeat. In a community tank you can change as much water as you'd like. You can feed a little more, fish will grow faster and larger. Depends what youre into??

 

[smallfry53]

Hey Brooster... interesting you say, "you can change as much water as you'd like" in a community tank. I've been wondering how much is too much? Lately I've been changing around 50-60% every 5-6 days, but I've just been wondering at what point could you potentially just start stressing the fish out by changing too much water, or too often?

 

[IHaveAquariums]

Hey Brooster... interesting you say, "you can change as much water as you'd like" in a community tank. I've been wondering how much is too much? Lately I've been changing around 50-60% every 5-6 days, but I've just been wondering at what point could you potentially just start stressing the fish out by changing too much water, or too often?

I don't really think it stresses them too much, just keeps the tank really clean. Especially fish like discus, notorious for needing clean water. Like 70% changes every day/every other day. Don't think it does much harm

 

[Brookster123]

If it stresses the fish it's because the new water is not temp matched or treated. I hate to use the "discus" example as I've kept lots of different fish bit it seems the most appropriate for making this point. Most sensitive fish+daily 90% wc= huge, colorful most sensitive fish! Everyone's water is different. I store mine in aerated, temp controlled barrels at least 24hrs prior to water change. I would never go right out of tap into tank. People do.. with good results. I can only speak to what has worked for me. But yah. All my tanks get a 90% once in a while and 50-60% weekly. Lots of big, old, healthy fish.

 

[smallfry53]

Right.... Makes sense. I guess I was just thinking the saying if some is good, more is better isn't always true. I guess as far as clean water goes the saying does apply.

I do go tap to tank with a siphon. I guess it's not the best way, but... I dose the tank with prime 10-15 minutes prior to the pwc and use my thermometer from the tank to make sure the water is precisely the same temp before adding it. I know I end up siphoning half the prime out, but I feel that the water probably gets treated better/faster that way. I don't have huge tanks so it isn't too costly. If I had to treat more water I'd probably have to figure a different method out. Maybe some day I'll be able to have barrels of treated water for pwcs but that isn't really an option for me right now.

 

[King Fisher]

Personally I'd test the water once every 4-5 days until I got an ammonia reading or above average nitrate reading or both as a gauge. Then I'd change it a few days before this time. This will change with stocking and any feeding changes as mentioned by others. Going off your stocking plans from earlier posts I'd say you will probably be in the once a week to 10 day water change as a rough estimate.