Does this sound OK?

[RandomWiktor]

Ok. As you all know, I have a housefull of problematic, sickly bettas from rescues. They've been doing really good lately, but I'm finding that on the weekly cleaning schedule (they are all in filtered 2.5 or 5 gallon tanks that I do 100% h20 changes on weekly), they seem to be getting some fin troubles. While I was away on vacation, my dad did 1 gallon water changes every day or two, and they didn't have any fin problems at all. Is it possible that the major water change weekly was stressing them, and taking out a bit of a time would be better? I like the major water changed because it lets my scrub all of their plants and gravel really good; gets rid of algae and unwelcome bacteria. But, I do admit his method seems to be working better than mine.
So, is that a good idea? Or would doing this consistently eventually screw things up?

 

[BettaMomma]

I'd say keep up with what your dad was doing. You will eventually have to vacuum their gravel - but that's what happens in the big tanks anyway, and that will be much less often than your 100% changes. I notice that some of my fish (HARVEY) can't handle ANY kind of water changes and they go completely bonkers when their perfectly normal calm schedules are messed up. I bet some of your fish are just much happier when they're left alone and just a tad bit of their water comes out at a time...

Might I just ask - why do 100% changes and filter at the same time? I am just curious, as I'm always looking for new good solutions for my kids in their 2.5Gs.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Oh, I gravel vac whenever I siphon, so they would get vac'd whenever I do these daily h20 changes. Emptying the whole tank has a similar effect because I thoroughly rinse everything.

I agree about it stressing some of them. Tim FREAKS OUT with water changes, but he's so sensitive that he needs them almost every day because he otherwise gets fin rot. He's a very weak little guy, but ever since I put him in a long, shallow, current-less tank and cleaned it every other day, he's been very healthy. Or as healthy as a crippled fish who had a stroke can be.

As for why I do 100% water changes even with filters? I really don't know. I found that when I did partials, even if it was twice a week, my really immuno-supressed guys like Tim were getting fin rot. But when I did 100%'s, it tended to calm it down.
However, I think that because it summer so the temp. is fluxuating and the water is hotter, leading to more bacteria growth, smaller more frequent changes would be more beneficial that large weekly changes. I know I should probably be cycling, but I've tried before and it really wasn't gone over well. I'll take the extra work any day.

 

[AlexsDaddy]

If tanks are not cycled, you can filter them all you want, but it wouldn't cut down on ammonia at all leaving the only other way to get rid of that ammonia by waterchanges. The only true way to get all the ammonia (that contributes to fin rot) out of a uncycled tank is by 100% WC's. (you probably know that already, but it looked like you needed an excuse for the 100% WC's ) Cycling with fish in is a pain though cause you have to do a small partial every day to keep the ammonia as low as possible and the cycle ends up taking, like, 2 months.

 

[RandomWiktor]

I'm not trying to get out of doing the 100%'s - I've been busting my ass carrying heavy tanks around my house faithfully every week to make sure these guys stay well.

For whatever reason, however, they were doing much better with small water changes daily. All I know is that half of the time, advice I get trying to take care of them better goes wrong, and if something was working, I want to try it. I was just asking here to try and figure out of it sounded OK, or if doing this long-term would really mess them up.

Hmm. What about partials daily, and maybe once every two weeks a full, as opposed to once weekly?

Bleh. Finicky lil critters. I just want to find *something* that'll keep these guys well. I don't think its anything I'm doing, because my few fish that I recieved healthy have been problem-free; its just the rescues that keep getting random illnesess. But, they're not the ones I'm concerned about of course. I'll probably just keep doing fulls on them. I just am thinking like maybe the fulls are very stressful on my sickies since its a lot at once?

::shrugs:: As long as no one comes on and tells me it'll kill them from toxic ammonia build up or something, maybe I'll try.

 

[BettaMomma]

I'd say it sounds perfectly fine.

I have chronic finrotters, and I haven't figured out what process works well for them. I tend to think that more time in between the 100% changes was better for some, and harder on others.

I'd probably do the partials every other day or so, and maybe full chagnes every week and a half or so.