Low nitrates and water changes

[MidSSouth]

If your nitrates aren't high is there a reason to change the water. I've had 5 nitrates for 5 days now. I thought you were supposed to do a small water change weekly but I don't see the point right now. Am I missing something or would it be ok to wait until the 'trates are higher or 2 weeks; whatever is closer?

 

[dss2004]

Yes you still need to perform water changes.

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

You do not NEED to do the water change. The main reason for WCs is to dilute the nitrates. THe operative word here is NEED.

9 fish in a 40gallon tank is VERY LIGHT, so water changes are needed less frequently.

 

[public_slots_fr]

sometimes

No, you do not need to do a water change. HOWEVER, dont let it go for too long, once a month at the least because the pH slowly declines in your aquarium and water changes is what brings it back up.

 

[Lotus]

If you have a very lightly stocked tank, you can probably get away with doing water changes less frequently, but you will still need to do them.

There are all kinds of dissolved organics, pheremones and all kinds of other byproducts of aquatic life that need to be removed through water changes.

 

[dss2004]

Through my learning curve I have found that fish look healthier, eat healthier, and overall are more active with regular water changes. I also perform the water changes for plants.

I don't know how much I like this theory of low nitrates meaning that you don't have to perform water changes. I realize the theoritical nature of the idea but I don't however think it is best for the fish.

A good comparison might be your bed sheets. Can you sleep on them for a month? Yes. Does it make you feel better and cleaner to wash them every week? Well it does for me and I bet your fish would probably feel the same way about their tanks.

 

[Leopardess]

The main function of water changes is to remove organic wastes only one of which is nitrates. There are many other biproducts of life, nitrates happen to be an easy one to test for in the home setting.

One thing fish excreet is a growth reducing hormone- this is what can stunt your fish's internal organs and development. This is not a good thing. The more time water and the wastes build up, the longer these things stay present.

Fish also absorb their nutrients/minerals through the water, as well as through food. Replacing old, used water with revitalized fresh water is the only way to put all of these micronutrients back into the water - just like we do for plants.

Also, fish have shown to be more active and energized when they are exposed to a freshwater influx.

In addition, by only topping off water every once in a while, rather than removing old wastes, leads to concentrated wastes and the buildup of potentially detrimental metals; especially if you have high concentrations of them in your tap water.

So yes, you still need to do water changes to keep happy, healthy fish.