How Many Water Changes Are Nessicary During Fish-In Cycling?

[waterdrop]

Stingray is correct. The lore that shock to fish from water changing is the main worry dies hard. It is much, much more stessful and damaging to expose fish to ammonia or nitrite above 0.25ppm than to expose them to the minor fluctuations of a water change.

It would be kind of like if you had a human locked in a garage with the auto exhaust filling the garage with carbon monoxide. You are there offering a pillow to make the person more comfortable but you are not taking away the carbon monoxide or letting the out.

The gravel-clean-water-changes just need to be considerably bigger and more frequent (with good technique) until you finally see a breakthrough in those numbers, then you will know you are giving their gills the relief they need.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Arei]

Ok, with the frequent changes the ammonia is staying low to non-existant and it hasn't gone back up to 1.0.

I think I got a messed up strip because I went to compare the tests and the strip gave a reading of 3.0 when the liquid test was at 0.25 O_O That's... not good. Definitely glad I invested in the liquid test. Cutting back and lowering the food has kept the water nice and clear and the fish happy XD

 

[waterdrop]

OK, that sounds good. Yes, the paper strips are, in a way, worse than useless in that they can have you making wrong decisions. WD