|
Water Quality and Algae Questions and comments about water quality. |

,
|
 |
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 54
|
|
Water changes
How often do you all do you water changes. Because when I bought my first tank the guy told me once a month but ive been hearing of once a week.
|

,
|
Super Moderator
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,756
|
|
Re: Water changes
You can get away with doing p.w.changes once a month & some people may do it only monthly - it can also depend on the size of the tank & filtration. The larger the tank is, the more stabilised/balanced water chemistry wise it is, plus less evaporation may occur. If there is a problem with the any parameters in the water, it will take longer for the problem to arise/get noticed in a larger tank.
Doing monthly p.w.changes means that a larger amount of water is often changed, which is stressful to the fish. Smaller more frequent changes are better IMO, as it doesn't cause major fluctuations in the water chemistry/temperature & it doesn't shock the fish as much.
10-20% weekly is often the best (even smaller changes done twice weekly is good if there is time) Doing weekly changes will also help avoid any problems arising in the first place. It can also depend on the type of fish in the tank, more sensitive fish require more frequent w.changes.
Also fish excrete a growth inhibiting hormone (in order to slow done the growth of other fish-so they will be the strongest/biggest (survival of the fittest I guess) & you need to do regular p.w.changes to remove the hormones.
|

,
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 197
|
|
Re: Water changes
With my 12 gallon tank, I try to do them weekly...about 20%
__________________
12 Gallon Eclipse:
7 Harlequin Rasboras
4 Ghost Shrimp
5 Gallon Hex:
Crowntail Betta
|

,
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Goose Creek SC USA
Posts: 1,892
|
|
Re: Water changes
Water changing is a topic of much debate. Every body has a different approach to this subject. It seems to be somewhat a common conscensus that a 25% once a month is reasonable in a medium loaded tank. Too many large w/cs too often can be counter productive to the bio-system. Frequent w/cs should only be used to control water problems that are affecting fish. (one or more per week) Me and most of the people I associate with do around 25% per month and use activated carbon when we can't. You have to find what ever level of tank maintenance is best for the conditions you have. TOO MUCH IS BAD AND TOO LITTLE IS WORSE!! This does not include water replacement from vacuuming and or evaporation.
Last edited by Dano : at .
|

,
|
 |
Moderator
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Posts: 594
|
|
Re: Water changes
I try to replace water evaporated and dont count it as water changes. I try to do 20% every 2-3 weeks. If something happens that 4 weeks pass I do a bit more. But frequent water changes might kill beneficila bacteria, thats why sometimes you see the water turn a bit "white" and eventually clear by its own. I think that at the begining w/c should be less frequently until tank is fully cycled, then do more frequent smaller changes. But as someone said, we all have our opinions on the matter and it can also depend on the fish you keep. All my tanks are kept differently. I refer to my "main tank", the 55 gal with Discus and Tetras. The others have w/c less frequently. My Killis dont like w/c for example. Mostly I replace evaporated water and only clean it like every 3 months. Thats the only way I have been able to reproduced them, as all the people I know here told me to do so and it worked. So I think it will depend mostly of what fish you have.... 
__________________
55 gallon - 3 Discus w/ company
29 gallon - Endlers w/ Cherry Shrimps
5 10 gallons - Gardneri, Striatum Moyoko, Ijebu Ode Killifish
 "It's better being happy than being right"
|

,
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: IL
Posts: 258
|
|
Re: Water changes
I do 30% a week, but i was experiancing a huge brown algea growth so i thought there was a nitrogen problem. I will be going down to 15%-20% a week once the algea is taken care of. The reason is, the fish i keep need good qater quality and i will be pushing my limit soon. I also only do 10% right now, and 5% once the algea is gone, every time i change or clean the filter. Also, when i clean the rocks, i dont change the water, just full it back up.
__________________
20g = 1 Tiger Barb, 3 Green Tiger Barbs, 3 Otto Cats and 1 Krib, 1 Dianos Planted.
6.6g = 1 male fancy guppy and fry.
|

,
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 197
|
|
Re: Water changes
The size tank comes into it as well; smaller tanks have less 'room for error' as it were.
__________________
12 Gallon Eclipse:
7 Harlequin Rasboras
4 Ghost Shrimp
5 Gallon Hex:
Crowntail Betta
|

,
|
 |
Moderator
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 2,290
|
|
Re: Water changes
I do a 20-25% change on all my tanks, and a gravel vac. once a week. I like to keep nitrates below10........... 
__________________
 Sharon
5 gal... Robin, (Betta)
5 gal...Pete, (Betta)
5 gal...Scotty(Betta)
10 gal...Female Betta Sororiety
10 gal... Neons, Glolights and Cardinals, 1 Oto
10 gal... Ram Pair
29 gal... Mbuna Tank
29 gal... Krib Pair, Tiger Barbs, Tetras, 2 Otos
55 gal...5 Australian Rainbows, 1 Angel Fish, 1 Blue Gourami, 6 Congo Tetras, 1 Leopard Ctenopoma, 1 Clown Pleco, 1 UpsideDown Catfish,5 Otos, 1 Bronze Cory, 2 Peppered Cories,2 Panda Cories
|

,
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 345
|
|
Re: Water changes
I've always gone with a 25% water change once a month, suctioning the water out from the bottom with a gravel cleaner . If the tank is overloaded, then I do it more often, if there are only a few fish I can stretch it out longer .
__________________
|

,
|
Junior Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 7
|
|
Re: Water changes
I have had tanks everywhere from 10gal to 200gal, and my water changes are usually ever other week - 50%.
If you have fish that you want to really grow big (like angels) then big water changes help a lot.
If you don't want to grow your fish a ton, or your tap water is dramatically different from your tankwater, or you have a heavily planted tank, then it better to do smaller water changes more often
I have yet to ever kill a fish from too many water changes.
My humble opinion.
Last edited by Evad : at .
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is .
|
|