Do I Need To Do A Water Change?

[simon10]

Just done a test here are my results:

PH - 7.6
Ammonnia - 0
Nitrite - 0.5 - 1
Nitrate - 20

If so how much water should i take out?

I have 5 Zebra Danio's in the tank.

Cheers

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yes, if fish are exposed to nitrIte too long, it will give them permanent nerve damage.

If you have 1 ppm of NitrIte, and do a 50% water change, 50% being half, your 1 ppm of nitrIte should now be at .5 ppm.

Also, if it is at 1 ppm, a 75% WC will bring it down to .25 ppm.

Just use basic math to figure out how much water to change out.

-FHM

 

[simon10]

Yes, if fish are exposed to nitrIte too long, it will give them permanent nerve damage.

If you have 1 ppm of NitrIte, and do a 50% water change, 50% being half, your 1 ppm of nitrIte should now be at .5 ppm.

Also, if it is at 1 ppm, a 75% WC will bring it down to .25 ppm.

Just use basic math to figure out how much water to change out.

-FHM

ok is it alright to leave the fish in there or shall i take them out?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Keep the fish in there; moving them is going to stress them more than just keeping them in.

Once you do the water changes, the NitrIte level will go down, so they will be fine.

I would do two 50% water changes, which will equal one 75% water change.

OR

Five 25% water changes, which would equal a 76% water change.

OR

Three 40% water changes.

OR, this is the one I would do.

Four 30% water changes.

Check between each water change to see where the NitrIte is at, and this will determine to do another water change or not.

-FHM

 

[simon10]

Keep the fish in there; moving them is going to stress them more than just keeping them in.

Once you do the water changes, the NitrIte level will go down, so they will be fine.

I would do two 50% water changes, which will equal one 75% water change.

OR

Five 25% water changes, which would equal a 76% water change.

OR

Three 40% water changes.

OR, this is the one I would do.

Four 30% water changes.

Check between each water change to see where the NitrIte is at, and this will determine to do another water change or not.

Hi just done a 50-75% water change and the nitrite appears to have gone down to 0, i bought some stuff called API Stress Zyme it says to put it in every 7 days but as i have change the majority of the water should i put some in or wait for the 7th day to come around? thanks

-FHM

Hi just done a 50-75% water change and the nitrite appears to have gone down to 0, i bought some stuff called API Stress Zyme it says to put it in every 7 days but as i have change the majority of the water should i put some in or wait for the 7th day to come around? thanks

 

[simon10]

well its in between 0 - 0.25

 

[fatheadminnow]

Keep the fish in there; moving them is going to stress them more than just keeping them in.

Once you do the water changes, the NitrIte level will go down, so they will be fine.

I would do two 50% water changes, which will equal one 75% water change.

OR

Five 25% water changes, which would equal a 76% water change.

OR

Three 40% water changes.

OR, this is the one I would do.

Four 30% water changes.

Check between each water change to see where the NitrIte is at, and this will determine to do another water change or not.

Hi just done a 50-75% water change and the nitrite appears to have gone down to 0, i bought some stuff called API Stress Zyme it says to put it in every 7 days but as i have change the majority of the water should i put some in or wait for the 7th day to come around? thanks

-FHM

Hi just done a 50-75% water change and the nitrite appears to have gone down to 0, i bought some stuff called API Stress Zyme it says to put it in every 7 days but as i have change the majority of the water should i put some in or wait for the 7th day to come around? thanks

API Stress Zyme is nothing but snake oil, and has no effect on your water parameters, in other words, it is completely useless.

Try to return it to get your money back.

The only thing you should ever need to add to your water is a water conditioner.

-FHM

 

[tgo]

really? so is Nutrafin Cycle and Waste Control 9and similar products) also useless? That ticks me off a little since I just went out and bought more and its already opened. Does it not contribute to a quicker and more effective cycle either? I am glad I saw this.

 

[fatheadminnow]

really? so is Nutrafin Cycle and Waste Control 9and similar products) also useless? That ticks me off a little since I just went out and bought more and its already opened. Does it not contribute to a quicker and more effective cycle either? I am glad I saw this.

Sorry to hear that, but yes these products do not work at all, they are absolutely rubbish!

The only product EVER proven to cycle a tank faster was Bio Spira, however this product has been discontinued a couple of years back.

The only ways now to cycle a tank are a fish-in cycle and fishless cycle, both in which can be aided with the edition of mature filter media from an established tank.

-FHM

 

[SchottayB]

Sorry to jump your thread.... but is your tank fish-in cycle? And you have just added the fish to your tank?

I'm in need of help regarding this aswell, if I was to add 4 Zebra Danios tomorrow... how oftern would I change the water? Or would it depend on the tests I get from the water?


Thanks!


Sorry if this isnt the same problem as you mr/miss thread starter

 

[fatheadminnow]

Sorry to jump your thread.... but is your tank fish-in cycle? And you have just added the fish to your tank?

I'm in need of help regarding this aswell, if I was to add 4 Zebra Danios tomorrow... how oftern would I change the water? Or would it depend on the tests I get from the water?


Thanks!


Sorry if this isnt the same problem as you mr/miss thread starter

The best and safest way to cycle a tank is a fishless cycle.

I do not recommend a fish-in cycle, but this is what you want to do.

For water changes, you do a water change whenever your Ammonia and/or NitrIte is over .25 ppm

If fish are exposed to a higher level of ammonia than .25 ppm, this will give the fish permanent gill damage.

If fish are exposed to a higher level of NitrIte than .25 ppm, this will give the fish permanent nerve damage.

So you must do water changes whenever the Ammonia and/or NitrIte is over .25 ppm.

Also, NitrAte starts to become harmful to fish if it is 50+ ppm.

-FHM

 

[tgo]

tested my water before a 15% water change before I read this thread and ammonia was at about .6 and my nitrite was at less than 1.0, now I just tested it again this afternoon and its about the same, how large a waterchange should I do? Thanks, I really appreciate the advice, I wish I had come across this site before talking to the LFS

 

[arobinson1984]

If your levels are still high, do a 50% change, wait and hour then do a test again, if your levels are still high then do another change.

Unfortuanately, regular daily water changes are normally a must with fish in cycling

Andy

 

[tgo]

thanks, good thing I'm on holidays for the next two weeks

 

[arobinson1984]

You'll be kept busy then lol

If your ammonia or nitrITE readings are over 0.25ppm then a water change is required.

Use simple maths to work out roughly how much you need to change for example if your nitrite reading is 1ppm then a 50% change will take it down to around 0.5ppm, wait an hour, do a test, if it is still high, say 0.50ppm for example, then another 50-60% would bring it down below the required level of 0.25ppm

If you have fish in your tank, you will be better doing 2 or 3 changes at 50% a time rather than one 90% change because this would stress the fish too much. Remember to leave at least an hour after a water change before testing or performing another water change.

Andy