How often do you do water changes?

[Olive]

I am sure that this has been posted before, but I was just curious.

I do a weekly 25% water change in my FW tanks. I do a weekly %10 water change in my SW tank.


What do you all do? Why do you do the changes the way you do?


Me, personally, I do the weekly changes out of extreme anxiety (no children, have to mother something! ) that my fish aren't happy. Even if they are, I figure the new, nice, clean water could only help. My fish are so healthy 'cause of it!

I use a python so it is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo easy. I have no excuse.

 

[sinistral]

You have quite a few tanks Olive, so I'd be embarrassed if I performed water changes less diligently than you (me and my one tank with fish and other tank with snails )! I do weekly 30 to 40% water changes on my 29 gallon and 10 gallon. I used to do the siphon and bucket routine, but have since gotten a python and couldn't be happier about it.

My fish always look vigorous and active after the water change on Sunday. I was really influenced by a newbie book I read by David Boruchowitz who is a fanatic about regular water changes. Plus, it's very satisfying to siphon the gravel, scrape the algae, and know that I'm doing what I can to keep my pets healthy.

Out of curiosity, since I know next to nothing about saltwater tanks, why do you do 10% changes in that tank as opposed to 25% in the freshwater tanks?

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

i do 2 changes of 15% a week on my malawi tank.

 

[modernhamlet]

Weekly, 20%.

Though right now I'm doing 2x weekly, 20%. But I'm not angry at PETSMART FOR SELLING DISEASED FISH!!! Nope, not in the least...

 

[Olive]

You have quite a few tanks Olive, so I'd be embarrassed if I performed water changes less diligently than you (me and my one tank with fish and other tank with snails )! I do weekly 30 to 40% water changes on my 29 gallon and 10 gallon. I used to do the siphon and bucket routine, but have since gotten a python and couldn't be happier about it.

My fish always look vigorous and active after the water change on Sunday. I was really influenced by a newbie book I read by David Boruchowitz who is a fanatic about regular water changes. Plus, it's very satisfying to siphon the gravel, scrape the algae, and know that I'm doing what I can to keep my pets healthy.

Out of curiosity, since I know next to nothing about saltwater tanks, why do you do 10% changes in that tank as opposed to 25% in the freshwater tanks?

that is a very good question there! The reasons for not changing as much water is that the levels of the minerals and vitamins need to be pretty high to keep the corals and the fish happy. It is also a little harder to get the salinity just the same (and the PH) as it was before your water change when you are taking out larger amounts of water. Then you also have to take into account for any evaporation that may have occured which would also affect the salinity. Anyone that disagrees with me, please post, since I am no expert! Just learning as I go along and trying to read all I can on it!

My lfs laughed (with me, not at me) when I came in distraught about my nitrite levels. I told her I just couldn't get them down to under 12.5 ppm. She giggled and told me that those levels were great to help keep all the corals, mushrooms, and the like alive and happy. They feed off of that stuff apparently, (I am a newbie at SW after many years, only then I had a fish only tank!) and really need a little higher to do really well. Go figure!?!?!

It is really just a preference, but not really a must. I have read a few books on it, and they all say to do a weekly 5% change. I cannot do that, so I comprimised to 10% instead of a 25% that I am used to. Guess it is still a little FW coursing through me still! Old habits die hard!

 

[Olive]

Weekly, 20%.

Though right now I'm doing 2x weekly, 20%. But I'm not angry at PETSMART FOR SELLING DISEASED FISH!!! Nope, not in the least...

sorry to hear about that MH. I don't buy from them anymore because of that. I lost most of my dear old fish around Christmas due to introducing a fish from Petsmart that had ich. I have never had ich like that before. And wouldn't you know, the fish that brought it survived, while the old favorites all died. I only buy plants and supplies from them, only if I have to after the LFS doesn't have what I need or they want an arm and a leg for them. I support my LFS 95% of the time.

 

[Olive]

i do 2 changes of 15% a week on my malawi tank.

you are a very good fish parent aberdeen!!!!

 

[Tempestuousfury]

SW tanks have multiple filters to keep the number of water changes down so the fish don't get stressed and to save money on the minerals, salts, etc.

As for me, I do 10-25% water changes semi-weekly, weekly, or bi-weekly, depending on how lazy I am or how much food is left after feeding tablets and pellets.

 

[Olive]

SW tanks have multiple filters to keep the number of water changes down so the fish don't get stressed and to save money on the minerals, salts, etc.

As for me, I do 10-25% water changes semi-weekly, weekly, or bi-weekly, depending on how lazy I am or how much food is left after feeding tablets and pellets.

Oh yeah, that too. Skimmers are a wonderful invention, eh?

 

[rollntider]

my wife bought me some fish as a present a few weeks ago. she bought some fish from super pets. I finally got rid of ich but I see my fish going to a leaf or gravel and scratching them selves on the rocks and stuff. I probably need to increase my water changes. i presently dont have ich on any of my pets but it annoys me to see them have to scratch like that, should i also put some meds in there also just to prevent another outbreak?

 

[x-router]

Once every two weeks about 20%.

I use 70Gallon filters on my tanks tho and they are well planted plus I have poly filters inline. I also feed only once every other day.

 

[Olive]

my wife bought me some fish as a present a few weeks ago. she bought some fish from super pets. I finally got rid of ich but I see my fish going to a leaf or gravel and scratching them selves on the rocks and stuff. I probably need to increase my water changes. i presently dont have ich on any of my pets but it annoys me to see them have to scratch like that, should i also put some meds in there also just to prevent another outbreak?

If I were you at this point, I would just gradually increase your temp to around 85, add some aquarium salt, (all of this after a 20% water change) and cross your fingers. Do small water changes every other day for a couple of weeks and vacuum your gravel like a mad man. The meds usually have formaldehide in them, and some tetras are very sensitive to it. If you don't kill them with the meds, they may be weakened afterwards anyway, though the ich is gone. Not all meds are that bad, I just don't think they work like we would want them to, and it is just better to do it this way unless you see a huge outbreak.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

I do around 50-60% water changes every week. I've been trying to do two 50% water changes on my ten gallon per week, but I never have the time. Right now I'm doing 50% water changes every other day on my tank upstairs, because my favorite fish is sick. but after every water change she perks up a little bit more

My fish always look vigorous and active after the water change on Sunday. I was really influenced by a newbie book I read by David Boruchowitz who is a fanatic about regular water changes. Plus, it's very satisfying to siphon the gravel, scrape the algae, and know that I'm doing what I can to keep my pets healthy.

I read that book too . My LFS recommended it to me before I went all willy nilly buying fish that I couldn't care for, and it taught me everything I needed to know about fish. If there are any newbies reading this thread, I would suggest you get the book, it is very informative, and interesting too.

 

[Alien_spawn]

I do 20% water changes weekly on both my tanks

 

[cutechic]

10% daily on my fry tank (10 G) and on my 4 gallon; 15% every week on my 5 gallon.