WATER CHANGES ARE CRITICAL

[SGypsyMermaid]

you absolutely cannot do too many water changes. the more you change the water, the happier your fish will be. i strongly advocate fifty percent water changes weekly, and even more if your stocking levels are higher than suggested. as long as you consistently do frequent water changes, even your tanganyikans will not be bothered by mammoth water changes. however, you cannot suddenly begin to do fifty percent changes if you've only been changing the water once a month or once every two weeks. if you want to increase the size of your water changes, i would suggest doing your normal water change, wait a couple of days, then do another, wait another couple of days, do another, then the following week, you can do a fifty percent change without shocking your fish.

[jonah]

I like to change 100% every day. Sure, it upsets the fish, but the water looks great. :twisted:

Truthfully, I usually change about 40%-50% every 7-10 days. After all these years, I still think my Python was the best aquatic purchase ever. :D

[SGypsyMermaid]

over time, the fish become accustomed to the water changes to the point where they won't even move away from the siphon. sometimes i wonder if getting that python was such a great thing--up until i discovered it, i never had more than two tanks at a time--now look at me--a stark, raving fish lunatic...

[harmonic]

water changes are a sensitive area. during the beginning of the cylce, too much water changed can inhibit the cycle. the entire cycle is dependant on ammonia, and if to much is removed the cycle will be stunted. i have several tanks and have experimented with water changes to this conclusion: do 20% every week, to the day, and you'll be safe.
thats my opinion. :)

[SGypsyMermaid]

harmonic--what you say is true, however if one is committed to the huge water changes(faithfully), then it won't matter that the cycle takes longer to establish itself because you will be keeping the ammonia levels down through the water changes, while still slowly building up your bacteria levels. on the other hand, you can do 20 percent water changes until the cycle is well established and then slowly move up to larger percentages. many aquarists agree with harmonic's assessment, and there's nothing wrong with that--i've merely stated my personal preference. discussion and disagreement are healthy!

[harmonic]

:lol:

your personal preference is a lot of work Gypsy! whew...

i certainly dig. i use your method on my hospital/quarentine tank. its 5g, and i change 2g every single day. that way it never has the chance to cycle- its constantly being renewed. but this tank is in my kitchen, 8 feet from the tap, so its minimal work. theres no way i could keep up that routine on all my tanks.

i love to watch my fish. i hate carrying buckets back and forth. my opinion is that you have to find a happy medium in there somewhere.

(i have a python but i still use buckets for dosing/measuring...)

[Beaker]

I have a question when doing water changes with a python. A LFS person told me not to add water using the python because you don't have a chance to add dechlorinator before the water goes into the tank. Therefore you are exposing your fish and beneficial bacteria to the chlorine, possibley killing off your bacteria. She said to mix the new water in a bucket and then add it. Is that true? It sounds nice in theory, but when I'm changing 60 gallons of water in my 125 g, it's not that practical. What's your guy's experience with this?

[harmonic]

well beaker, yeah she told you right. but she's guiding you toward best case scenerio, dig?

take a minute and think about it. when you use a python, its water straight from the tap into your aquarium. chlorine and choramine going straight into your tank.

when you have a large tank, it just isnt practical to use buckets. so its "give and take". my biggest tank is a 55, and i dont use buckets on it.

i get my dechlor ready, hook up my python, suck the old water out, adjust tempeture, then start filling, straight from the tap. i use my thumb over the end of the hose to create spray, dissapating some chlorine, and add the dechlor as im filling, as much as i think its needed.

yeah! its guess work!. but if you want speed and ease, thats the price you pay. ive never lost a fish by this method, but thats not to say you wont, or that i wont in the future.

buckets are the best way to go. you can be sure of what your doing.

[Beaker]

Thanks, for the imput harmonic. That's what I thought, and I pretty much have the same method as you when I add water. I was just thinking there might be a better way.

Here's my million dollar idea: we need to invent a way to attach a bottle of water conditioner to the python so the water passes through it before entering the tank. Kinda of like those bottles of weed killer or car wash stuff you can connect to your hose and spray on your lawn/car. That way the tap water would pass though the bottle and remove anything harmful before entering the tank and it would still be just as fast. Sound good?

Oh...and please, if anyone wants to steal my idea, feel free to email me and I will happily give you my address so you know where to send the royalty checks.

[harmonic]

good idea beaker! hey, they make pressure washers that pick up soap, so why not a python that picks up dechlor?

theres no better way to do it easy. common sense says the bucket method is right. thats the only way to get it right.

i use the hose method because ive had success with it, period. if some disaster happened and i found my fish dead tomorrow, id drop that method like a bad habit, and go back to buckets while i tried to figure out what went wrong.

and then id have death on my hands.

and death dont wash off, dig?

[chennes]

I use a small bucket filled with about 1 liter of tank water and the appropriate dose of dechlorinator. I then use my "python" (see the DIY forum) to add water into that until it overflows into the tank. I've never had any fish casualties.

Has anyone tried just using one of the hose things you're all talking about? It's not like they're really specialized gadgets, you could easily buy the hardware to hook one up to your hose. Perhaps it's time for an experiment this afternoon... Lowe's, here I come (again!).

Chris

[SGypsyMermaid]

the fish and bacteria are not harmed by brief exposure to a small amount of chlorine. just put the dechlorinator in the tank right before you start refilling. also, the dechlorinators begin to neutralize chlorine and chloramines really quickly--so no worries there. i did hear of some small-scale breeders who said that they passed some really bad diseases tank-to-tank using the pythons and have gone back to buckets for draining tanks, but i can't imagine carrying all those buckets under any circumstances. :?

[chennes]

You could probably avoid passing diseases if you simply kept a seperate length of hose for each tank. It could even be a semi-permanent installation, depending on how you do it. The hose is dirt cheap - the expensive part is the faucet connecter, which would be pretty easy to sterilize between changes.

Chris

[Slider1981]

I see you are from iowa. what town you in, i'm around the knoxville area.

[jonah]

I've been adding dechlor before and after the refill for at least 5 years and never had dead fish after a water change. They do tend to breed right after though. It was nice at first, but I don't even pull the holding mothers out of the main tank anymore unless they're getting beat up.

Even on my little 20 high I don't premix dechlor and the betta and ghost shrimp do fine after each change.

[Chet]

It would seem to me that you could somehow automate water changes. I'm sure you would have to gravel vacuum by hand, but the removal of the water and addition of new should be something that would be handled independently. I'll work on it and let ya'll know. Right now I do the bucket brigade to remove water, and refill with pretreated tap water via 1 gallon water jugs. It takes a little longer, but I feel safe and it's now quite as hard on me or the wife. I don't see being able to keep up that regimen with a 240 gallon tank though... :shock:

[SGypsyMermaid]

there is an automatic water changer in existence that has a filter attached. it continuously changes about 5 gal per hour. have to find a link.

[chennes]

A couple of links for you. Remember that you need to make sure that the water is dechlorinated.

http://www.thekrib.com/Filters/water-changer.html
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=3884

I think the krib articles have some DIY information for you, as well.

Chris

[SGypsyMermaid]

thanks for the links--that diy stuff gives me a headache--i'm real 'girly' when it comes to that stuff! :oops:

[bgeorge]

[color=blue:a689c7c91f][/color:a689c7c91f]

I do a 25% water change in my 40 and my 10 every week (and am called too anal) :wink: . My fish don't mind. My question is this - I want to set up a hex 50 in my office. Way too far from any sink for my python. Way too far to bucket water for changes. Any suggestions? :?:

[SGypsyMermaid]

sounds like you should forget the hex, and instead, throw out the couch and install that 400 gal. reef tank...

[chennes]

Don't listen to her - she's a bad influence! :lol: And if it's too difficult to do the water changes in your office, perhaps you need to consider a smaller tank, or getting an intern :).

Chris

[SGypsyMermaid]

chennes, how did you find out about me?--i've been really good since the new forum went up--i haven't been encouraging anyone to buy more fish--or have i? :oops:

[bgeorge]

[color=blue:da8aeccbc8][/color:da8aeccbc8]
Hmmmmmmm, if I could figure out a billing code for water changes than my new assistant could do it....but no, if a fish died I'd have to fire her. :evil:

[SGypsyMermaid]

i like your thinking. :lol:

[SpaceGooch]

Move the water cooler near you, and then use it for the changes.

[1980camaoz28]

Crazy as it sounds I have a 200gal in my living room and had a plummer install a water outlet under the tank and drain. I just add water and remover water with a flick of a switch. The best thing I ever did and it only cost $150. I do a 20% water change everyweek. I have 3 Fluval 404's one is pack just with the White Ammonia removing charcol. I clean 1 every week to keep the cycling down. Just a thought not sayying I am right or wrong but it works for me.



Originally posted by harmonic
:lol:

your personal preference is a lot of work Gypsy! whew...

i certainly dig. i use your method on my hospital/quarentine tank. its 5g, and i change 2g every single day. that way it never has the chance to cycle- its constantly being renewed. but this tank is in my kitchen, 8 feet from the tap, so its minimal work. theres no way i could keep up that routine on all my tanks.

i love to watch my fish. i hate carrying buckets back and forth. my opinion is that you have to find a happy medium in there somewhere.

(i have a python but i still use buckets for dosing/measuring...)

[cichlidlvr]

Hey guys what is the reason for such frequent/ large water changes I just recently started doing 25% weekly just from what I've read but I'm not sure why? is it to keep the tank clear? Also what type of dechlorinater do you use I have used Stress Coat so far it has dechlorinater in it.

[SGypsyMermaid]

the more water changes you do, the fewer dissolved organics in the water column...a good thing.

[83Street]

What I have found that works is buying a new 45-60 gallon trash can, filling it with water prior to gravel vaccing and water changing, adding the appropriate amount of dechlornator, removing the water from the tank, then adding the prepared water. This takes the guess work out of how much dechlorinator to add and is more practical for the larger tanks (75g+). The temperature might be a little hard to determine but I have learned over time what 78-80 degress Farenheit feels like and how to achieve that temperature through my tap :D

I do maybe 30-40% water changes biweekly on my 60G and fill my trash can to half capacity to change about 20-25G of the water
Oh yeah, I use Kordon NovAqua and use 2-3 teaspoons to detoxify the tap water.

Warning: Make sure you buy a NEW trash can and that it is clearly marked for AQUARIUM USE only.

[Ash]

A friend of mine swears his household water filter (under sink installed type) takes the chlorine/chloromine out of the water & only costs about $300AU. One of these with a long clear hose seems to work very well for him.

Edit: Like this --> Britta web site (http://www.brita.com.au/products/tapconnected_systems)

Edit again: :eek: They only have a very limited life, they only have enough filtration for 100g :(

[tbrodale]

Originally posted by 83Street
What I have found that works is buying a new 45-60 gallon trash can, filling it with water prior to gravel vaccing and water changing, adding the appropriate amount of dechlornator, removing the water from the tank, then adding the prepared water. This takes the guess work out of how much dechlorinator to add and is more practical for the larger tanks (75g+). The temperature might be a little hard to determine but I have learned over time what 78-80 degress Farenheit feels like and how to achieve that temperature through my tap :D

I do maybe 30-40% water changes biweekly on my 60G and fill my trash can to half capacity to change about 20-25G of the water
Oh yeah, I use Kordon NovAqua and use 2-3 teaspoons to detoxify the tap water.

Warning: Make sure you buy a NEW trash can and that it is clearly marked for AQUARIUM USE only.

I really like this idea and I could be helped by using a Mag Drive Pump with a high gph rating (3600 gph goes for under $180) and just fill the trash can and then pump it into the tank with VERY minimal time. Anyone do this?

[JoShmo24]

The trash can idea seems logical. If your house has more than one floor, you could also place the trash can on a higher level than your tank and siphon the treated water from the trashcan into the tank using the long hose of the Python.

[cichlid-insomniac]

What's a python???

[SGypsyMermaid]

http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/Itemdy00.aspx

[Kolorfinz]

There are some people who just use air to dissapate the Chlorine as any type of chemical you add to your tanks end up breaking down into waste product.
I had a friend who had breeding discuss and Angels and never used dechlor as he used his python to shoot air into the tank thereby releasing Chlorine out.
I do both though. I use Bio-Coat as there is no "goo" just dechlor and vitamins.

Also here is where my belly gets ripped out :D :

I beleive that water change schedules depends on your bioload.
If your tank has 0 amno 0 nitirite and 0 nitrate then most likely at that time you don't need to do a water change..but you need be consistant in testing your water weekly.

I have 4 HOT magnums in my 55 gallon: one holds carbon, one holds the polisher, one holds lavarock for a bio-bed and the other holds aquaclear's foam blocks for extra dirt trapping and bio-bed.
Having lots of filtration with lots of bio-beds really help, but yes you still need to do water changes. If you don't want to test all the time, best bet is do the weekly, but I test all the time and usually is a good stocked tank, its about every other week that the water needs to be changed. I usually do about 80% every other week, sometimes 50% weekly depends on whats going on in my life at the time LOL.

Geez I rememeber a long time ago...and some people my age still do this...they(and hey I did too) changed their tank water like once a month and only 25% and never tested and stuff. How on earth those fish survived is beyond me LOL. I've been keeping fish for 15 years and things have changed ALOT during that time. For the better at least. ;) Lots more species to choose from too!

[dleonard]

Hi: I'm new here and new with african cichlids, ecerybody has a different opinion on water changes.................very confusing when your starting out..........I was changing my water every week 10%, and water was foggy, I was told to leave it alone, and only make a change once a month.................. So I did not change my water and lost my yellow lab, not sure if that is the reason. Could it be????:( :confused:

my tank is 30 gallon, and I had 8 cichlid..................

[punkypuffer]

you didn't give your tank adequate time to cycle from what you are saying. also, that is too many africans for a 30 gallon, imo.

you probably had an ammonia spike that was too high for the fish to handle... probably because it wasn't cycled well...

[dleonard]

what should I do next?? I don't want to lose any other fish.I also added holey rocks from the pet shop, the guy said just rinse them under water and put them in the tank...................:confused:

[SGypsyMermaid]

start by going to the "beginner's forum" and reading the stickies at the top of the page.

[thescalones]

Originally posted by jonah
After all these years, I still think my Python was the best aquatic purchase ever. :D

How do you add your water additives to the tank when filling with the python? do you just put them in the tank and fill it up or is there some sort of screening process that you do so the untreated tap water doesnt mix in with the treated tank water?

[SGypsyMermaid]

if you read from the beginning of the thread, you will see the different ways that people handle it.

[thescalones]

Sorry, after posting this thread I realized I should have read the whole topic first. My bad!

[blakrain]

I have never dechlorinated my water since I have had the tank running and his is through american and african cichlids. (so over six years) and I have been fortunate in not having a problem

[Justa Hobby]

I have my tank on the second floor of my house so i just use a basic gravel vacuum attached to a garden hose. I route the hose down the stairs out the front door to the flower bed(2 birds one stone...drain tank, water flowers.....flowers seem to like it as well). Then when I refill I just attach the hose to the sink tap and filler up adding any chemicals directly to the tank. If you know how much your changing then there is no guess work as to dosage.

[dtroup]

I have become a 1 person bucket brigade.
My tanks only have sponge filters at the moment so I have to be very good about my water changes. My 55 only has 3 fish@4 inches each and a few inverts, so I only change about 25% weekly. My 10gal has a much heavier bio load so it gets 30-50% weekly. I have come up with a method that works for now. After I vac I put a 5gal bucket on a stand higher than my tank and start a siphon from the bucket into the tank. I then run back and forth from the sink to the 5 gal bucket with 5 quart ice cream buckets. I put the dechlor directly into the tank before I start adding the water, if I think I removed say 15 gal I add dechlor for 18-20 gals. I have constant issues with ammonia because my water has .25ppm streight from the tap.
Power filters are in my not to distant future. Just gotta squeeze it out of the budget.

[jesse 1420]

i use 1 five gallon buckit to change the old water.i use a basic two inch hose and fill the buckit up 3 or four times. i use 2 15 gallon plastic containers for the new water and i use prime to treat the water.i then use an ehiem water pump to fill the tank back up takes about 15 min to clean my tanks.very easy.i dont like adding water to the tank without it being treated

[N.TexasCichlid]

Heres what i do to make water changes easy.

I have a 50 foot python and i use it to clean the tank and suck out the water. The end of my python drains the water into a bath tub in the other room. You never have to pay attention to overflowing a bathtub. For the new water I bought ten 5 gallon water jugs like you see on top of water coolers ex. Ozarka or Sparkletts. Fill them up, declorinate, and pour into the tank. 45lbs of water might be a little heavy for some or women. After you finish your water change you can refill those "jugs" and delorinate and store them for the next use because they have a cap



Works for me . Hope this helps someone new in the hobby
:ok:

[warrgodd]

I found marking the side of the tank near the corner with what gallon it is very easy to measure how much chem I need to add. If I drain 30 gal of water out of my 75 gal tank then I need to mix
45 gal worth of start right or something to take out the clorine or clorimines or to add the right amount of salt. I hate having to guess how much water did I drain or need to fill. But this is mu two cents worth.
Cheers Thor

[jobowker]

I guess I've been a bit lax. I have been doing 20% water changes every other month, but I've only had it for six months. The tank is a 55 gallon with a few mbuna & 1 catfish. Everything looks fine from my limited view (test kit looks ok, water is clear, no smell, etc) so at this point will I make things worse by starting to do bigger water changes and more often?

[cichgirl]

It's never too late to step up water changes. You can safely change out 40% at a time if need be. It's best to keep your nitrates as low as possible.

[jobowker]

Glad to hear it. I was just afraid that I would change things in an effort to make it better, only to have my fish go belly up.

[Fish Head]

I've been out of aquariums for more than 10 years and there were no forums like this back then. I'm setting up my 75 gal now and getting ready to add fish. This one thread alone would have saved me many hours. I use to keep a 150 gal salt, 75 cichlid, and a 30 gal and 20 gal for breeding. I mixed the water in a 50 gal garbage can and put a heater and power head to keep temp right for water change the next day. I didn't know people put dechlorinator and water straight in the tanks. I'll never get those hours back :hehe: . It will surely be what I do now that I read it. I guess I was doing it the right way but would have added it straight if I knew it would work. THANKS!!!!!!!

PS. Excited about getting back in....

[SGypsyMermaid]

glad you found the thread useful--welcome back to the hobby!

[Roxtar]

I have to agree, the discussion of ideas on this topic is very beneficial for noobs and those of us getting back into the hobby after many years.

I really like the idea of putting a clean garbage container beside the aquarium for the new water going into the aquarium

I also just realized a use for that powerhead that I wasn't using. I'll use it to get prepared water from the container to the aquarium. I could fill the container the day before with clean water and leave it over night with a heater in it and in the morning just add the power head and wait for it to finish. Or, leave the powerhead in there all night too for aeration for dechlorination

Thanks for the ideas.

[SGypsyMermaid]

it's very gratifying to know that we have supplied useful info...thanks for saying so.

[juice604]

[QUOTE=jonah;51]I like to change 100% every day. Sure, it upsets the fish, but the water looks great. :twisted:

Truthfully, I usually change about 40%-50% every 7-10 days. After all these years, I still think my Python was the best aquatic purchase ever. :D[/QUOTE

without a python , i could not keep my fish , i love to many types and to change close to 300 gallons every week , without it ..not a chance !@!

[pooch]

my water chemical balances are great but i lost two fish today they are new to the tank since friday do you know why i may have suddenly lost these fish i change 25% water weekly . so i am wondering could i have purchased two fish that came home with a disease Or??? any suggestions

[Glaive]

Is your tank cycled?

[pooch]

yes we do water changes every week 25-50 %

[SGypsyMermaid]

how long has the tank been set up? what size is it? what's in it? how many and what kind of fish? decor?

[Ed209]

Wow,old thread.Started in 2002.:)

[Ben1988]

Do any of you turn your filters off durring water changes?

I have three tanks currently, but only one test kit. I just rinse the test tubes with tap water and dry them the best i can. How do you all test multiple tanks?
Do you guys test your tap water when you test your tanks to be sure nothing has changed?

[Glaive]

I only turn off a filter during a water change if the water level is going to drop below the filter intake. Rinsing the tubes out should be good enough. Most of us test to get a base idea over a short while and then we grow out of testing. We still keep a test kit around in case things get weird. I personally do not test my tap water regularly. I instead use enough prime to counter any changes that may occur. However this is not to say that occasional testing is a bad idea, it's not. I am personally in the situation that my tap water is liquid rock and my tank water even more buffered and hardened. The changes I can get away with are possibly greater than most.

What I would suggest is to get an idea of how quickly your nitrates build up and base water change frequency and size on that. Test over a week to get a good picture.

[RustyNut]

Excellent advice, just adding that every year you should be doing a re-check of nitrate build up rates as your fish grow. As your fish grow they require more food and produce more waste in less time.

A good old fashioned logbook is very helpful here. :)

[Ben1988]

i have been keeping a log book ever since i got the 150 and its nice to be able to actually see what my levels are a week ago rather than guess what they were.
Glaive: I too have liquid rock in my tap water. How does this help with getting away with changes?

How about multiple tanks? Do you just rinse the test tubes and move to the next tank all in the same night?

[Glaive]

Liquid rock promotes a stable pH which can result in larger water changes not causing a fluctuation in pH.

[Ben1988]

i see

[franknbeanz]

No one can give you an exact answer for water changes. Do to many water changes or larger % of water could posibly disrupt your biological filter. (But what is to much to often) Depends on tank and fish. Do what you and your fish are comfortable with. I have a 30 gal hex with 6 cichlids and im doing 25% every 2 weeks or longer. Reason i do this is because i have some fish that will easily out grow the tank. But fish secrete a hormone in the water that keeps them from growing if this hormone stays diluted due to water changes, my fish would continue to grow. The whole reason to do water changes is to keep the un used nitrogen low. i have a friend that cleans his tank a few times a year and his fish breed like crazy. So just take the info and do what you feel is best for your fish, over time you will learn what your fish like. ps i have never lost a fish.

[Glaive]

Water changes are easy in truth. The idea is to keep your nitrates at manageable levels.
One trick is to measure your nitrate production and base your changes on that. The
previous statements were intended to point out the importance of water chemistry stability.

[Ben1988]

Oh i understand the water chnges and the need for them. I was more looking to see how you all test your water. I check all three tanks at once. Ill do the 150 then rinse the test tubes in tap water... test the 55 rinse the tubes and then do the 29. My fear is that i am getting un-accurate readings from the tap water or the possability of cross contamination. I dont really worry about it or i would change how i was doing it. I was just more or less curious.
ps... i do 25-35% WC's on the 55 and 29 every week and have yet to need to do a water change on the 150.

[Redeye75]

i always rinse my tubes in tap water and then rinse again in the tank water im testing before i pull a sample.

[Ben1988]

ok thats what i was wondering.

[paddy100]

i have a 6x2x2 tank with pretty high stocks i do water changes every week 20 30 percent using buckets mix hot and cold to get right temp staight into my tank without anything added never had a probem water crystal clear

[BioG]

I don't mind the buckets, and I've got 15 Tanks from 120 to 10 gallons. I admit, every sunday night (WC night) after football my basement looks like fantasia!

I change once a week, 30%, I prime, salt, buffer (I keep tangs), and I throw in a 50% change every 5th week for my own obsessive satisfaction. I'm one of those freaks who actually enjoy cleaning tanks!

[philipMac]

I think it completely depends on your stocking levels.
Almost everyone has a lot of fish in their tank, its in the aquarists nature to want a few, but I started easing back on my big planted tank changes because of work / baby, and my levels just stayed exactly where they were. There are few fish, and lots of plants, and the tank has been going for a few years now.
Its just to do with the supply and demand for nutrients. If your plants and bacteria are gobbling up everything in sight, and you are not adding very much into the system, and your tank is big so any spikes are buffered, there doesn;t need to be that much water changes.

Another trick I use is to use the algae growth as your water tester. You can look at the amount and type of algae and use that as your test kit. At the moment I have no algae at all, I haven't cleaned the glass of the tank because my firemouths spawned and I wanted to leave them in peace and in 8 months there is barely anything more than a tiny build up of diatoms on the heater.
Of course now the place is mobbed with firemouths, so this will change things.
But, yeah, I think if you have a large tank (>100 g) and a lot of plants and light, and very little fish there water changes can be neglected for a while and things will be OK.



edit : having said this though, I want to say this is the exception than the rule generally. Most people do not have massively planted big tanks, most people have lots of fish, and most people feed more than I do, I am not in the majority here at all. I'm just saying that I feel that constant 50% changes are not a hard and fast rule for all tanks. Almost all maybe.

[ablockag]

i change my water once a year

[Boogerosa]

i change my water once a year

ablockag, Are you kidding??? :uh: I sure hope you are.... Lara

[ablockag]

nope i i have under ground filters and i keep my water clean with them but i change water maybe every 6 months i have been keeping fish for over 11 years and never had a problem

[Glaive]

What are your nitrates?

[Boogerosa]

So do you have a heavily planted tank??? Plants remove nitrates; right??? I am new to this and I just don't understand how an UGF could take the nitrates out of the water. Gosh, I must be crazy cause I change 50% of the water in my tanks weekly and do one 75% change monthly. Oh, I have 11 aquariums too. I just feel like it is worth it for the fish to have the freshest water possible. Lara

[HmoobVaaj]

Thanks, for the imput harmonic. That's what I thought, and I pretty much have the same method as you when I add water. I was just thinking there might be a better way.

Here's my million dollar idea: we need to invent a way to attach a bottle of water conditioner to the python so the water passes through it before entering the tank. Kinda of like those bottles of weed killer or car wash stuff you can connect to your hose and spray on your lawn/car. That way the tap water would pass though the bottle and remove anything harmful before entering the tank and it would still be just as fast. Sound good?

Oh...and please, if anyone wants to steal my idea, feel free to email me and I will happily give you my address so you know where to send the royalty checks.

You have a good idea but if they did have what you said it would be expensive...buy a filter for the sink faucet like(BRITA) or other brands

[Artisan]

nope i i have under ground filters and i keep my water clean with them but i change water maybe every 6 months i have been keeping fish for over 11 years and never had a problem

I too have taken to less frequent water changes- out of informed laziness.
Today I tested four week old water and ammo, nitrite and nitrate were 0, Phosphate is about .75. Ph is 8, gh is 17, kh is 10, temp is 80.

Filter is a big sump wet / dry on a 72 gal with a second 20 gal on the same circuit, so I have about 100 gal going at about 500 gph. No charcoal or other chem filters. The tank has 2 five inch plecos, a four inch syn. Cat and about 40 fish inches in ten other mixed Africans.

Even at six or eight weeks I was expecting to see some nitrates, but haven't.
I have two females repeatedly holding, and now have half a dozen of their fry
approaching the "too big to fit in the biggest mouth" size of about 1" with two month old water, it has an slightly earthy smell, but all levels are nil.

I tend to feed pretty heavily, but vacuum the bottom every couple days. Even so I'm at a loss to explain why my water stays so low in nitrates...any ideas?
Mind you I'm not complaining, but my experience seems to be contrary to both
popular opinion and best practice.

Only thing I could imagine is that my test kit is no good. But it registered levels when the tank cycled 10 months ago.

Any thoughts?

Tony

[shon982]

I haven't read this whole topic but I assume its about when you should do water changes...

Water changing isnt just removing nitrates, its also adding minerals and trace elements back to the water, since fish use them up
Without the minerals, elements (whatever it is) fish will grow deformed or just have many problems with their health

Note, in the wild, water is being "changed" every second

[Hnownr]

I like to change 100% every day. Sure, it upsets the fish, but the water looks great. :twisted:

Truthfully, I usually change about 40%-50% every 7-10 days. After all these years, I still think my Python was the best aquatic purchase ever. :D

i bought my python after the first water change i did! dragging 5 gallon buckets is for the birds...

[zzzdeprived]

Wow... There is so much to know about Cichlids! My teenage daughter picked out the cutest little fish because it followed her when she walked by the tank. Needless to say she barely changed the water, I am surprised the thing survived. She was soon calling her cute little fish a dangerous killer that she is afraid of. I have just taken on the care of this fish. "Maggie" is a Jaguar Cichlid that is about 5 inches long. We have her in a 10 gallon tank! YIKES !!! I think she might also be a boy... but this forum has been very helpful and I will start to do 20% water changes weekly. I hope to find a better home for Maggie soon. Thanks!

[clearwater]

If ppl stop overloading their tanks with ever fish they see and keep a tank the way it should be kept then 25% once every 10 days would be enough.My fish live quite a long time but im seeing most put to many big fish in little tanks such as a 55 or 75,this is why they need these hig priced test kits and massive water changes ever other day,its foolish cause if you keep the correct size of fish for the tank you got,it will work.Also on the cycling process,no need to buy ammonia or fish to start your tank,pee in a cup,drop it in the tank for 3 days and your off.I have cycled 15 different tanks this way,its faster,cheaper and easier on the fish.I have never had sickness in any of my tanks over the past 20 plus years.

[AmayaOkami]

How do you know when a water change is needed?

[Boogerosa]

I usually change my water a minimum of once a week. I will change it more often if I have a sick fish or a overstocked tank. (like right now when I have a million fry) My theory is the cleaner the water the healthier the fish. Lara

[Glaive]

Amaya, some of us are nut cases and change water based on nitrate buildup.
I personally would figure out how quickly my nitrates increase and what amount
of water in a given time period is needed to keep them manageable.

If I have a 100 gallon tank with nitrates at 50ppm and the nitrates increase by
20ppm/week I know that I want to remove at least 20ppm worth per week.
So if you start at 50, add 20 to get 70ppm.

70n/100gal infers 0.7n/1gal the goal is a reduction of 20n
20n/(0.7n/1gal) = (20n * 1gal)/0.7n = 28.6 gallons

I would just change 30 gallons every week.

That's how I figure mine out, so long as I maintain my regular feeding I am fairly safe.
Occasionally I test just to make sure I am not off.

[Heyguy74]

I change my water each week regardless of my Nitrates. My tanks get 50% water changes at a time. Fry tanks get changed every 2-3 days. My Petro tank is now getting 2 75% water changes a week. Mostly becasue I'm feed them a homemade shrimp mix. Its messy but the fish are growing like crazy. PLus they are all at least 6+ inches. Some are pushing over 10+ inches. Active fish produce alot of waste.To be honest I haven't tested my tanks water conditions in a while. I find myself tesing my tap water more than the tanks. PH KH and GH. I know how much baking soda and epsom salts to add to keep the PH at what I consider to be good levels.

[Glaive]

That is true, waters changes are for more than nitrates. They dilute hormones that can inhibit proper growth and they restore other essential minerals.

[AmayaOkami]

Ok please do not jump me for this because I have not been home with my tank this week.

I filled up my tank about two weeks ago. Had it cycle for a week. Then added fish. And haven't been home this week. (will be there Saturday).

Now I have not changed the water since I first filled it. I have plants (I read somewhere in here that makes a difference idk tho) The water is still crystal clear and the fish seem happy. I have city water and have no clue what is in it, and do not know where to get these test kits, but I do have access to like a million buckets, and my tank (thankfully) is next to a window.

What would be a healthy (but not spastic and fanatic way no offense) to change the water? How does a third a week sound???

[belxavier420]

If you have a fish store near by they will normally test your water for you. Also often I have thought my water looked good until I changed it. Once I got some clean water I noticed how much better it looked.

[crzychickenlady]

I didn't read thru the whole thread, just the first page. So, I don't know if this has been suggested or not.....

I got a cheapo garden hose and I cut it in half. I use one section to hook up to my "vacuum" (I bought this thing like 10 years ago, lol) to drain water.
I use the other end, with one of those waterbed filler attachments to the faucet, to fill. You can adjust the water temp, get it running, then add the clorinator to the tank as it fills.
Makes life alot simpler and no buckets!

There is debate on the chlorination, but in the 10 years I've kept fish, never had a death after a water change.

[davidwillson]

the fish and bacteria are not harmed by brief exposure to a small amount of chlorine. just put the dechlorinator in the tank right before you start refilling. also, the dechlorinators begin to neutralize chlorine and chloramines really quickly--so no worries there. i did hear of some small-scale breeders who said that they passed some really bad diseases tank-to-tank using the pythons and have gone back to buckets for draining tanks, but i can't imagine carrying all those buckets under any circumstances. :?

You could probably avoid passing diseases if you simply kept a seperate length of hose for each tank. It could even be a semi-permanent installation, depending on how you do it. The hose is dirt cheap - the expensive part is the faucet connecter, which would be pretty easy to sterilize between changes.

[jonah]

Links to websites promoting downloading movies and music are not welcome. Sorry.

[daviidwilson]

good idea beaker! hey, they make pressure washers that pick up soap, so why not a python that picks up dechlor?

theres no better way to do it easy. common sense says the bucket method is right. thats the only way to get it right.

i use the hose method because ive had success with it, period. if some disaster happened and i found my fish dead tomorrow, id drop that method like a bad habit, and go back to buckets while i tried to figure out what went wrong.

and then id have death on my hands.

and death dont wash off, dig?
I use a small bucket filled with about 1 liter of tank water and the appropriate dose of dechlorinator. I then use my "python" (see the DIY forum) to add water into that until it overflows into the tank. I've never had any fish casualties.

Has anyone tried just using one of the hose things you're all talking about? It's not like they're really specialized gadgets, you could easily buy the hardware to hook one up to your hose. Perhaps it's time for an experiment this afternoon... Lowe's, here I come (again!).

[ellyka112]

I use a small bucket filled with about 1 liter of tank water and the appropriate dose of dechlorinator. I then use my "python" (see the DIY forum) to add water into that until it overflows into the tank. I've never had any fish casualties.

Has anyone tried just using one of the hose things you're all talking about? It's not like they're really specialized gadgets, you could easily buy the hardware to hook one up to your hose. Perhaps it's time for an experiment this afternoon... Lowe's, here I come (again!).

Chris

the fish and bacteria are not harmed by brief exposure to a small amount of chlorine. just put the dechlorinator in the tank right before you start refilling. also, the dechlorinators begin to neutralize chlorine and chloramines really quickly--so no worries there. i did hear of some small-scale breeders who said that they passed some really bad diseases tank-to-tank using the pythons and have gone back to buckets for draining tanks, but i can't imagine carrying all those buckets under any circumstances. :?

[chilly willy]

Lowe's, Home Depo and the like have pretty cheap tubing, so I sized mine for my "vacuums" and bought nice lengths to use for each of my tanks. Rotate new tubing in by just cutting off another length from the master supply. This way I make sure I avoid introducing stuff as much as possible...

[urbanherbalist]

I have a 32 gallon Rubbermaid container that I fill up with water, oxygenate, de-chlorinate and pre-heat before I fill up my 75G. If anyone has the room to do this, it's the way to go! This winter the water out of the tap was a chilly 20°F! Doing large water changes was out of the question until I invested $15.00 in a Rubbermaid trash can.

[leelika08]

the fish and bacteria are not harmed by brief exposure to a small amount of chlorine. just put the dechlorinator in the tank right before you start refilling. also, the dechlorinators begin to neutralize chlorine and chloramines really quickly--so no worries there. i did hear of some small-scale breeders who said that they passed some really bad diseases tank-to-tank using the pythons and have gone back to buckets for draining tanks, but i can't imagine carrying all those buckets under any circumstances. :?

You could probably avoid passing diseases if you simply kept a seperate length of hose for each tank. It could even be a semi-permanent installation, depending on how you do it. The hose is dirt cheap - the expensive part is the faucet connecter, which would be pretty easy to sterilize between changes.

[SGypsyMermaid]

yeah, i think someone else suggested that solution also.

[ACE61502]

I know this is an old thread, but I also worried about adding tap water straight to the tank, though I knew to be more concerned about the filters than the fish. First rule is you add enough dechlor to treat the entire volume of the tank. The Prime bottle has this in the directions. I turn my filters off until refilling is complete because I do typically overstock (but I overfilter, too, my 75g has the filtration for a 150g tank) and I do not want a mini-cycle. Ever. Turning them off protects the bacteria in the filters, and "overdosing" on the Prime (as per instructions) means there is plenty of dechlor in the water to make contact almost immediately, lowering the risk of killing off any bacteria in the tank itself. I've not had a mini-cycle issue yet. :)

Like some posters above, two of my tanks test 0, 0, 0 even if I had a busy weekend and didn't get my water changed for a couple weeks. I wouldn't call them heavily planted, but the plants obviously like the nitrates and suck them up well enough. Tank #3 has only a bit of java moss in it and it's only 29g, so even on the busiest weekends that one gets changed. Tank #4 is a new setup with mature filters, the reason I'm here as I'm new to cichlids now (YAY!!! Been wanting to do this for a LONG time) with NO plants, so it will definitely be changed every week, too. I will be investing in a longer hose soon. I had one of the big manual vacs for the 75g, saw a "replacement" faucet connector from Aqueon for $15, so hooked up the old vac to that and voila. It only reaches the 75g as is, so more hose is a necessity. Cross contamination is a concern of mine (the 75 was hit w/Angelfish plague in the fall, and another attempt to get back into Angels failed last month so who knows how long that crud hangs around!!), so multiple hoses will be purchased for the 3 bigger tanks. The 29 isn't a big deal with buckets.

So, if you want to use a Python (or knockoff/DIY) to fill, just turn off the filters, dose the dechlor for the full tank volume, then fill. Simple and worry free.