silly water change question...

cybersymes

cybersymes

Large Fish
#1
Nov 3, 2005
426
0
0
'serendipity' tank
#1
wait for it...it's a doozie...

can you ''over-change'' the water ... !!!

after a one hour power cut i did a ten percenter...
the next day i was supposed to do one...but i didn't...
i am now back in step and will do one tonite...

would an ''extra'' change have caused any probs...
[when i change the fish are happy not freaked or stressed]... :)

tia...i know i'm a muppet and thinking too much ... :):):)
 

TLH

TLH

Large Fish
#3
Jun 27, 2005
703
1
0
Northants;England
#3
Seleya said:
You can have a river going through your tank and it wouldn't be too much. ;)
Click to expand...
That's is all very well if you're replacing water with water of the same temp,ph,chemical composition,etc.but you don't really want to replace more than 25% in a 24hr period unless there is an emergency.
You don't want great big swings in ph or temp especially.
 

Limi310

Limi310

Superstar Fish
#5
Nov 30, 2005
1,101
5
0
46
Charlotte, NC
#5
I agree with TLH - In my case my tap water is MUCH different then the water in my 46gal tank (Soft/Hard, Low Ph/ High Ph, etc.). So if I did a large change, or one everyday it would cause Ph drop and so forth. I guess it depends on your situation. I do about 25-30% weekly in that one.

Have you tested the water to see if ammonia spiked during the power outage? I came home one day to find that my filter just stopped running. After examining it, I just wacked the back it came back on. Of course now I check it everytime I walk by the tank - but no ill effects with the fishies.
 

seastaar88

seastaar88

Superstar Fish
#6
Feb 1, 2004
1,705
1
0
42
middletown, CT
#6
why woudl you want to do a lot of water changes? what is the reason? a weekly change is typically all that is needed. your tank should be fine after just an hour power-outtage. when in doubt, test the water.
 

Seleya

Seleya

Superstar Fish
#7
Nov 22, 2004
1,384
3
0
59
Cape Cod, MA
Visit site
#7
TLH said:
That's is all very well if you're replacing water with water of the same temp,ph,chemical composition,etc.but you don't really want to replace more than 25% in a 24hr period unless there is an emergency.
You don't want great big swings in ph or temp especially.
Click to expand...
I think it's a given that one should replace water with matching water and, if necessary, that dechlor always be used. In Cyber's case, he's not altering the water at all aside from dechlor. Many aquarists change their water constantly, some do 100% changes daily believe it or not and their fish show the results of that effort.

Losing a filter for an hour is no biggie. Better safe than sorry tho and do a water change and watch parameters for the following week or so. If one's filter is off for an extended period of time, you have to be watchful about the bacteria dying off and causing problems in the tank both from losing the biofilter and from introducing the results of dead/dying/even anerobic bacteria.
 

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