opinions on my water changes please.

[MdngtRain]

So, back in december, I had started a new regimen of about 50% changes once a week... I did this based on what I had read in a few books from my brother (he's been into fish way longer then I have, and has been very successful with a number of different tanks). I wish I had the books so I could cite them...
anyway, what I Read in the books said that most of the bacterial load was on the surfaces in the tank, and only a fraction of that in the water. They also said that the fresh water in the tank was way more beneficial then the left-over water from a change...
Taking all this into account, and knowing I will need to watch my parameters closely, I started changing about 50% weekly. My parameters remained good, with amonia & nitrites remaining around 0ppm (only once going to about 5ppm the week after my first change), and nitrates never going abouve about 10ppm...
That being said, I was severely scolded by an aquaintence this weekend for doing such drastic water changes... The whole reason it came up was because I purhased some new fish, and one had died. Upon testing the water, my amonia had risen slightly since the addition of the fish, but again not going over 5ppm... Am I screwing everything up completely? I havn't seen any real cycling since the move (and start of this all) until now. AM I just messing things up with th eaddition of the new fish? or am I just missing things? I've used both test strips and the liquid test during all this.
Thanks in advance.

 

[KcMopar]

I change at least 75%-ish in my 75G African tank every weekend and at least 1/2 of my 120G as well. If your ammonia is going up you are doing something wrong.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Hmm yeah true, What temperature is the water you are putting in? do you have lots of wood or minerals in your tank? whats the ph of your tank and your tap water?

if you change half your tanks water (at for Example:8Ph) and the ph in tank has dropped/climbed quickly since the last change due to minerals in rocks (increase ph)or wood (decrease PH) that would be a drastic change which could kill off bacteria.

How often do you clean your filter? and how do you do it?

 

[MdngtRain]

I have one piece of driftwood and maybe 2 small rocks(lava rock). I will have to pay attention to the pH on the next test. It has always tested relatively neutral (7-ish)...
I clean my filter every week with the water change, rinsing it in the run-off from the siphon. I change it every 3 weeks or so, but when I do that, I only do a20% water change to help keep balance. I'm thinking this recent spike is from the addition of the new fish... And the dead fish had been in the water for a few hours I'm guessing before I found it. Would that make that much of a difference? I didn't have time (correction: energy) to do a water change tonight, but will do one asap and re-test after a day. I think I may have also accidentally double fed one day... Thanks guys. I will update with results again once I get them.

 

[lauraf]

BTW, you do not need to change your filter every three weeks. Keep using it until it is kinda falling apart. Changing it may result in a mini-cycle which would explain the small ammonia spikes....

 

[Lotus]

Yes, a dead fish will cause ammonia to go up. Test it when you can to make sure it's back to normal. Generally, in a cycled tank that's running well, adding one fish won't increase ammonia measurably, assuming it's not a huge fish in a tiny tank. I'd assume it was the dead fish. It might also be a good idea to check your dechlorinated tapwater for ammonia. Sometimes you'll get a reading.

There's nothing wrong with a 50 percent weekly water change. It's generally very good for the overall health of the tank. If you're currently doing it with buckets, consider getting a water changer. It makes it a lot easier to do water changes and I find it tends to stop you from "putting it off" for whatever reason.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Oooh lotus, i've never heard of a 'water changer' Is that the wife? Kidding, is there actually a device you can use?

And MdngtRain: From the sounds of it you're not doing anything wrong, the way you're doing your filter is perfect and the driftwood wont make that much difference, unless theres a large amount in there... Just to be sure i'd test the water in tank just before you add the new water in, and test the water before you add it in, then maybe test the tank a little after if you think you need to.

It cant hurt, but if you're ph stays around the same you should be fine,

And yes a dead fish gives a remarkable Problem to the fish keeper even in only a few hours. It is most likely that the dead fish caused all your problems, but why did it die?

One last thing, When you say you 'Change' your filter every three weeks, what do you mean by that? when you feel filter media is becoming old only replace one or two things at the same time, depending on filter size of course.
For Example, I have a Fluval 305 which has 4 large filter sponges as primary filtering, which then goes into 'custom' filter baskets which i have one carbon and one ammonia remover (packs) inside, then up to biomax media (harbours large amounts of bacteria)
then to the filter wool chamber then out of the tank. If i were to change all the media it would most likely KILL ALL of my fish and cause a drastic ammonia spike, If i change maybe 1 foam pad and the ammonia removing pack then a week or two later change the carbon pack i'd be absolutely fine,

What im trying to say is, you should never replace all of your filter media at once, The bacteria in that media will be gone and it'll be like having a brand new tank, the small number of bacteria actually within the tank will not be able to cope with the new overload of ammonia, Your filter is Vital.

 

[Lotus]

The water changers are products like the Python or Lee's (here's an example: Aquarium Water Changer - 25 ft. (Aqueon)). You attach them to your faucet (tap) and they siphon and refill your tank. We've had up to 16 tanks running, and it just wouldn't be possible with buckets.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Ah awesome, i see how, however, with marine tanks it wouldnt be very good would it? i can guess with FW dechlorinating can be done after adding to tank but still..

Not as healthy. i think it'd be easier to have a pump that can suck aswell as pump out...

 

[OrangeCones]

I used a Python when removing water from my marine tanks. I premade my water ahead of time in a 55 gallon drum and used a pond pump (brought water from the bottom to the top) to circulate it to dissolve the salt mixture. Once the water was at the correct temperature (using a heater or chiller, depending on the time of year) I then moved the output (25ft hose) to the tank and used the pond pump again to add the new water. On four 110gallon tanks plus each had 20-40gallons in the sumps, it was the only way to not break my back!

 

[MdngtRain]

I have some time tomorrow morning (assuming I wake up in time) before work to try to do a water change. Our water here is decent and tests out safe right from the tap. I have been lucky that way, so I use the water changer. It only gets tricky when starting or stopping the process, as I have to sprint to the bathroom (hindered by a few furry hurdles that like to move into my way as I'm trying to hurry) to turn off the water or to start the siphon action... Overall, it had helped my poor back feel a lot better.
As for changing the filter, I have 2 hob's on each tank, and I change the cartridge in one filter at a time... They tend to fall apart after about 3-4 weeks or so, which is when I change them. One filter on each tank has a bio wheel that is never changed.

 

[Kiara1125]

I think I might get a Python. Dragging a 5g bucket of water up and down the stairs sucks. I do either a 25-35% water change weekly or a 50-75% water change bi weekly (when I'm short on time). Does the Python filter the tap water so it's safe for the fish?

Also, I only clean my filter cartridge about 1-2 times a month. I haven't replaced it in 6 months and it's still holding strong.

 

[KcMopar]

It does not filter it, its just a transport device.

 

[Kiara1125]

It just stops all of the debris from floating back into my tank. Besides algae, (which my many snails and Otos are happily content with) my tanks are clean.I just love how duckweed always gets past the impeller unharmed and floats in my filter. I'm fine with it, since it doesn't seem to harm anything. I just find it, along with many other fish things, amusing.

 

[MdngtRain]

Tested my water again after a water change, things are looking good for parameters... Other issues now tho. I'm totally kicking myself for letting my wife convince me to get rid of the qt tank... (well, more like she tore it down and put it away since there wasn't anything in it but I kept the cycle going by adding some food...). Anyway, now, despite careful selection of fish and netting the new fish out of the bag, I have ick in my live-bearer tank. I added salt and increased the temps, but it has spread to my existing fish. Grrr. Going to keep up with the large water changes and the higher temps plus salt to forefoot get it under control. If that doesn't work, I might have to try the chem route, tho I really don't want to, as I have shrimp in the tank... Grrr I say! Grrr!