Water changes-who is right??

[beckyd]

I have been happily making 50% water changes weekly for about a year now, since I got my Python. My gravel is clean, my water sparkling, my parameters perfect. I have fry in my tanks and the little fellas need to be fed frequently. It makes for higher maintenance, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I sure have the fry numbers to prove something. Recently gave away about 300 healthy youngsters.

Anyway, yesterday I popped into a struggling LFS (that I try to support so Petsmart doesn't bancrupt this family). The owner and I get into the water change thing. He says I am overcleaning, stressing my fish, and I will kill them all by keeping this habit up. He says I should NEVER do more than 25% every two weeks and that's pushing it. REALLY?? I have lost like 2 fish in a year. One was a 3 or 4 yr old neon for heavens sake, he had a right to die.

I use Prime and add beneficial bacteria with every change. My tanks do not have live plants. We are moving and I do intend to venture there once we are all re-established.

Please advise away!

 

[ishar]

As far as water changes go, there is no set in stone rule. More people will tell you to do as you are currently doing (50% per week) than what the owner suggested (25% ever other week). But as long as the parameters stay in check than that is all that matters.

However, there is the issue of top-ups. If the water isn't changed enough (25% every other week) and the tank is topped up often in that time then the tank builds up the heavy metals and chemicals from the water that are normally harmless, but they can reach a dangerous level quite quickly.

Personally, I have done both methods and been fine. I have a planted tank which a fertilize though, so I ran into trouble by having excess ferts build up at the end and I didn't notice b/c I didn't test, but 50% a week is the general rule of thumb and will not stress your fish- if you think it might than try 25% twice a week

 

[homebunnyj]

Your water can never be too clean, IMO. I assume you're taking good care of your filter media by not replacing it but simply de-gunking it in dechlorinated water. You must be to have the success you have.

The only reason I could see for not doing 50% weekly wc's would be if the pH or other parameters of your tap water were vastly different from your tank water for some reason, which I think would be sort of unusual with weekly wc's.

There are some fishkeeping methods that involve few water changes, but that's a different thing altogether.

 

[bmoraski]

i do between 25%-50% weekly water changes.
and i dont replace filter media i just swoosh around in tank water im changing out (getting rid of the gunk).
and i dont touch ornaments or fake plants ,unless theres a build up of algae.
want to keep all that good bacteria.if i need to clean glass i only clean half the glass then next week during WC i do the other half.Same with vacuuming gravel i do half and half.Hope this helps
good luck

 

[Orion]

Fish keeping is more of an art rather than a science, meaning that what works for you may not work the same for me. And what works great for me may not work worth a crap for the next guy that comes along. We find what works for us, and stick with it. You can tell more about your tank by observing the fish and reading tests than anyone else can. Bottom line, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[Lotus]

I've been doing 50% weekly water changes for about 6 years, and I'm happy to do that. In a river or lake, water is replaced constantly. I agree that you can't change too much water.

For fry tanks, I tend to do more water changes thank weekly. Sometimes even daily if it's a lot of fry in a small tank. Fry certainly grow faster with more feedings and more water changes.

Once your tank has been set up for 6 months, unless you remove all the gravel and clean all the filters, it's really hard to upset the biological filter.

 

[sombunya]

Another one here who does 25%-35% water changes every 4 or 5 days. (I have a weird work schedule)

Most of the good nitrifying bacteria live in the filter, in the gravel and on the ornaments etc. Very little lives in the water. Treat the change water or tank properly and change it as often as you like. The only stress I can see would come from temp changes.

Also, homebunnyj is absolutely correct about using de-chlorinated water to rinse the filter media/pad in. Don't use straight tap water.

 

[beckyd]

Thank you everyone! I will continue my water changes. As far as stressing the fish, seems to me they are quite used to me. If I chase them with a net for some reason, they act stressed. When I am changing their water and cleaning the gravel, I can't get them to move out of my way. They are constantly nipping on me and swimming by me through the entire process. I'm always trying not to touch them and upset their slime coat. They, however, seem intent on seeing if I'm edible or if I'll stir up something good to eat. Not exactly freaking out. I can now, guilt-free, continue to clean away

 

[EnyaGirl]

Another one here who does 25%-35% water changes every 4 or 5 days. (I have a weird work schedule)

Most of the good nitrifying bacteria live in the filter, in the gravel and on the ornaments etc. Very little lives in the water. Treat the change water or tank properly and change it as often as you like. The only stress I can see would come from temp changes.

Also, homebunnyj is absolutely correct about using de-chlorinated water to rinse the filter media/pad in. Don't use straight tap water.

I have a question about this. I have a 55-gal, that I do about 30% water changes on every week, and once a month I clean out my canister filter. I take the sponges and swoosh them around in the tank water from the water change, but then when I have to re-fill the canister, I'm filling it with tap water which granted, I am dropping some Prime into, but isn't doing that killing bacteria that I tried to avoid killing by not rinsing out the sponges in tap water? My parameters seem to be perfect, so obviously I'm not killing all bacteria, but I don't understand HOW I'm NOT killing bacteria by filling that cannister every week with tap water.

 

[jo3olous]

I have a question about this. I have a 55-gal, that I do about 30% water changes on every week, and once a month I clean out my canister filter. I take the sponges and swoosh them around in the tank water from the water change, but then when I have to re-fill the canister, I'm filling it with tap water which granted, I am dropping some Prime into, but isn't doing that killing bacteria that I tried to avoid killing by not rinsing out the sponges in tap water? My parameters seem to be perfect, so obviously I'm not killing all bacteria, but I don't understand HOW I'm NOT killing bacteria by filling that cannister every week with tap water.

what?

 

[jo3olous]

I have been happily making 50% water changes weekly for about a year now, since I got my Python. My gravel is clean, my water sparkling, my parameters perfect. I have fry in my tanks and the little fellas need to be fed frequently. It makes for higher maintenance, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I sure have the fry numbers to prove something. Recently gave away about 300 healthy youngsters.

Anyway, yesterday I popped into a struggling LFS (that I try to support so Petsmart doesn't bancrupt this family). The owner and I get into the water change thing. He says I am overcleaning, stressing my fish, and I will kill them all by keeping this habit up. He says I should NEVER do more than 25% every two weeks and that's pushing it. REALLY?? I have lost like 2 fish in a year. One was a 3 or 4 yr old neon for heavens sake, he had a right to die.

I use Prime and add beneficial bacteria with every change. My tanks do not have live plants. We are moving and I do intend to venture there once we are all re-established.

Please advise away!

I would do consistent water changes based on your bio-load. I have a lone albino tinfoil barb and redtail shark in a 60G tank, I only do a 25% water change every other week.

My 20G with 5tiger barbs I do a 25% water change every week.

I'm thinking of combining the 2 tanks or adding more fish to my bigger tank, but the thing is i have to do so little maintenance and I'm only home 4 days a week so I don't want to have too much to worry about while I'm gone. My sister does a good job of feeding them when I'm not home. They get feed every other day. I don't trust my fam to change the water, lol

 

[emmanuelchavez]

I have a question about this. I have a 55-gal, that I do about 30% water changes on every week, and once a month I clean out my canister filter. I take the sponges and swoosh them around in the tank water from the water change, but then when I have to re-fill the canister, I'm filling it with tap water which granted, I am dropping some Prime into, but isn't doing that killing bacteria that I tried to avoid killing by not rinsing out the sponges in tap water? My parameters seem to be perfect, so obviously I'm not killing all bacteria, but I don't understand HOW I'm NOT killing bacteria by filling that cannister every week with tap water.

There's also bacteria inside the tank, in the gravel, the tank walls, and decorations. Since you clean your filter media in dechlorinated water, you're not killing off much of your bacteria.

 

[sombunya]

I'm filling it with tap water which granted, I am dropping some Prime into, but isn't doing that killing bacteria that I tried to avoid killing by not rinsing out the sponges in tap water?

When you say you're "dropping some PRIME into" it, do you mean you're putting PRIME into the water before you put it into the canister? If so you're not going to kill off any of the good stuff in there because the water is de-chlorinated before it goes into the canister.

Once in a while I clean out the H.O.B. filters on my tanks and I use water treated with PRIME to re-fill them.

And a quick word here about PRIME. I use 5ml. (about 1 cap full) to treat about 55 gallons of tap water. They say that's enough to de-chlorinate water that contains up to 3ppm free chlorine residual. My water runs about a .8ppm. I test it after adding PRIME and it is virtually chlorine free. If you treat 1 gallon of water it takes about 3 drops of PRIME from an eye dropper. Amazing, but that's all it takes.

 

[exhumed07]

I know alot of u will think I'm either nuts or cruel but I do a 50% water change in ym 55 gallon tank about once every 2 months and a 25% in my 20 gallon every other week. But I have sound reasoning behind it. I have noticed with alot of tropicals that durring summer months the water gets old and semi stagnant. but when the spring rains come the water cools down and cleans up and is refreshed. I simulate this by allowing the water to go half ass stagnant then bring in the spring rains. and every time I do about a week later I got 3-6 pregnant fishes. so I say whatever u feel is neccessary for a water change do it as long as the fish are not just surviving but thriving.

 

[jo3olous]

I know alot of u will think I'm either nuts or cruel but I do a 50% water change in ym 55 gallon tank about once every 2 months and a 25% in my 20 gallon every other week. But I have sound reasoning behind it. I have noticed with alot of tropicals that durring summer months the water gets old and semi stagnant. but when the spring rains come the water cools down and cleans up and is refreshed. I simulate this by allowing the water to go half ass stagnant then bring in the spring rains. and every time I do about a week later I got 3-6 pregnant fishes. so I say whatever u feel is neccessary for a water change do it as long as the fish are not just surviving but thriving.

so what fish get pregnant?

 

[exhumed07]

usually both female mainganos, then usually 1 but sometimes 2 or 3 labs, and every time my lab maingano hybrid.