Water changes and stressed out fish? Your opinions please.

[jaysono]

Since I have noticed a creeping up of amonia levels the last few days, most likely due to the recommendation of the LFS owner to wait a few weeks on the end of my 1st cycle, I decied to take some corrective action anyway.

After reading various other posts and advice from the AA community, it wouldn't hurt to do a partial water change this week in preparation for some new inhabitants this weekend.

Also figure this is a good idea since I've been feeding flakes lately and know that some are trapped in the gravel.

A 20% water change for a 16 gal, is 4 gal. I can get generally 1 gal a day of R/O water and place it in a 'Arrowhead' jug. So last night when I got home, I siphoned off just over 1 gal and noted some debris that was good to get rid of, and replaced the water with my 1 gal R/O.

My question is: Can I go ahead and do another 1gal change tonight, 1 gal tomorrow as I outlined above safely, or do you think my fish are saying: "Uh, what the heck is this vacuum doing in here again?..i
It's scaring me." They all seemed pretty healthy and active this morning, and I'm sure with the cleaning of gravel yesterday, tanks improvements are already taking place.

Your $0.02 please.

 

[grimlock3000]

A 20% waterchange in a 16 gallon tank is 3.2 gallons, not 4

Anyway, you fish will get used to seeing the gravel vacuum in the tank. My fish in both tanks now love seeing the gravel vacuuming since it can stir up food that was trapped in the gravel. A few of the fish always hang out right by the vacuum waiting for something to float up into the tank. Usually the fish get a mouthful of poop but sometimes they actually get a piece of flake

Smaller water changers are always a good idea when you are establishing a new tank. Be careful not to vacuum the gravel too much, you want to let the bacteria get established. Do one side of the tank a week, then switch to the other side.

 

[Maillis]

My bala sharks run for cover when they see me coming with my gravel vac and bucket, but they are anxious fish in general. I'm sure they appreciate the fresh water once it's in there.

 

[Menagerie]

The fish will be fine--even if they hide while you are vacuuming. It's when you start chasing them with the vac that it gets to be a problem! Well, that's what my Khuli loaches must think. They are always "hiding" in plain site right where I am going with the vac. Then they move 4" and wait, the vac gets closer and they move. I always wonder what they're thinking

 

[AtodaJ]

Re: Water changes and stressed out fish? Your opinions plea

I can get generally 1 gal a day of R/O water and place it in a 'Arrowhead' jug. So last night when I got home, I siphoned off just over 1 gal and noted some debris that was good to get rid of, and replaced the water with my 1 gal R/O.

Here's my 0.2 cents

I'm assuming that you are not just using untreated R/O water right? You are using a product that puts in the nessary trace elements and the buffering capacity correct? Probably a silly question but just making sure. I agree with all other advice provided assuming this is the case. Good luck!

 

[deli_conker]

Usually the fish get a mouthful of poop

Nothing like the old "mouthful of poop". Yuck. Sad but true, lol.

R/O water is too pure for fish. All the bad stuff is out of it, but all the good stuff is too. You have to treat it to put the good stuff back into it.

 

[jaysono]

Basically I'm going for almost a 50/50 mix of tap and RO. My tap water is pretty hard, and leaves behind alot of calcium and phosphates during evap. My GH started at 13+ on the Aquarium Pharm charts, but I started my whole tank with 16 gal tap, which I treated for chlorine.

As I've changed the water out, I've added RO back in along with Aquarium salt. I figure I'm about 4 gal in with RO, and by tonight 5 gal. Once I get around the 7 gal in mark, I will try an alternate between tap and RO, all the while treating for chloring. Are you suggesting I add de-chlor to RO water as well? I am, just in smaller amounts....end result...fish look pretty happy and frisky as of late.

I plan on doing water testing tonight anyway....3 days till big LFS sale.

 

[TankGirl]

Just a word of caution (though you did not ask ) - if you have ammonia levels creeping up I would strongly recommend waiting until this cycle is over before adding more fish, which will only add ammonia to the tank.

Another thing, if you are using a Nessler ammonia test kit (one reagent bottle) it could be reacting with your dechlor and giving a false positive ammonia reading. What brand dechlor are you using? Some have this reaction and some do not. One way to avoid this is to get a salicylate based test kit, which has 2 reagent bottles.

 

[jaysono]

Yes, I belive mine is the later....2 reagents from Aquarium Pharmacueticals to test amonia.

My dechlor is Bio-Stress also from Aquarium Pharm...