I had expectations...

[Magnum Man]

water changes... so it was suggested I wasn't changing enough water... now with the big RO, and pumping water in and out 1/3 of the tanks water changing twice a week, now for 2 weeks, I'm not noticing any differences in fish reactions or attitudes... granted I'm not currently trying to breed, and not raising discus or altums, but it would appear, at least on the short terms, I was previously changing enough water, at 10% weekly plus replacing for plant use and evaporation, at least for the fish I currently have... maybe long term it may make a difference changing out 2/3 per week, but I'm not witnessing any immediate changes in fish, or plants... the shrimp cocktail "happy dance" is still the high point of their week...

 

[GaryE]

When I switched from the balanced aquarium myth era to the water change era, the main thing I saw was with my killies. They were ideal, because they only live two or three years. In the no water change era, they lived 18 months at best, and with clean water, that rose to an added 6 to 12 months.
I was also able to breed some difficult rainforest fish I don't think I could have kept.
I saw fewer diseases. I used to keep an Ich med, a fungus med and a velvet med on hand at all times. Once I upped the water changing, I haven't seen a single case of fin rot, or needed a fungus med even once. Incidences of velvet dropped off. Ich remained a risk with new arrivals, especially during the cold months.

At the outset, I thought water changing sounded sensible, but I did it monthly at best. Sense is one thing, free time is another. We're talking in the early 1990s, when I had always had at least one aquarium for 25 years. Going to methodical, scheduled water changing took another 5 or 6 years from then.

Fish grew larger. I thought I had bred up a dwarf variatus, but one generation after I started weekly water changes, I had 100% full sized adults. Oops.

Some fish lived long. Generally though, I bought a lot of fish when I didn't do water changes.

I didn't do it as an experiment. I had no control group. I wasn't trying to prove anything. I had 3 tanks when what I was reading strongly suggested water changing would help. It made sense, and the success I had (and the over all experience I gained) sent me along a path.

I'd argue @Magnum Man that you're lucky you see nothing. There's a local aquarist who did zero water changes, just top offs for about 6 months, then did a large 80% change and killed her fish with the radical change in water composition. I did that once early in my learning curve too, but she is now accusing all who change their water of being fish murderers. Ah, people. But the period when you increase water changes after a long period of minimal intervention can cause some wild fluctuations, and is a dangerous transition zone in older tanks.

Check back in with this question in 2, or 5 years, and I think you'll see it differently. You're playing a long game here.

 

[Magnum Man]

I had expected to see a difference in a couple different tanks... the Hillstream tank, of which are mostly wild caught fish, from fast flowing clean water, and in my African Tetra tank, which is my darkest water tank, and I've not added anything to any of the tanks to supplement the RO yet... albeit I'm not changing 2/3 of the water in a single water change, with 2-4 days between 1/3 water changes, for the water to fully blend, before the next 1/3 change...

I do have 1/4 inch hard well water lines to each tank if I need to add some minerals, but the bulk of my soft water fish have been on straight RO for a year, just with minimal water changes, because of the size of my previous unit...

 

[GaryE]

Have you tested for mineral content in the RO tanks?

I have the luxury of soft tap, but I still always have some minerals in the tanks. My water's from a blackwater lake system, but it carries at least 40ppm, and city water treatment temporarily elevates that to protect the pipes from acid erosion. Most of my tanks sit around 65 to 85 tds, which is my easy, lazy way of measuring.

 

[Magnum Man]

life hasn't allowed m the time to do any testing lately

 

[jaylach]

Personally I have never seen more than a 30% water change once a week being needed. Now that may be different with some exotic fish but I've never kept exotics. My history is mostly S.A. cichlids but I can't have a tank large enough for them so have changed as to my fish but still no exotics. For example, if I actually get off my butt and finish setting it up, my new 20 gallon high will have Panda Garra and Ember Tetras along with some scuds if the scuds can survive the fish. Nothing exotic there and will continue the 30% once a week. My only question on that is the Pandas I will have as they are VERY sensitive to nitrates and a level of 20 PPM is pretty much fatal. If my weekly 30% does not keep the nitrates decently below 10 PPM max I will, of course, increase the changes.

Here is one of the reasons that I don't do more extreme changes... As @GaryE pointed out city water, which I use, changes, sometimes, suddenly, to protect the pipes from acidity. Just going with PH half the year it is 6.2 and then can suddenly go to 7.2 and then back to 6.2. If the PH changes and I'm doing 50% changes I, within minutes, change the PH to 6.7. May not seem like much but, with some fish, this can cause undo stress shortening the life span.

 

[Oldspartan]

Is there a digital meter for measuring total dissolved solids. I have some other ?? about them but will start a thread on it at a later date. I am curious about a digital meter though.

 

[MaloK]

Is there a digital meter for measuring total dissolved solids. I have some other ?? about them but will start a thread on it at a later date. I am curious about a digital meter though.

Yes, there are Pen Conductivity testers and in-line you can use. There is also calibration fluid that is good to have.

 

[Oldspartan]

Yes, there are Pen Conductivity testers and in-line you can use. There is also calibration fluid that is good to have.

No point and shoot, huh??

 

[Magnum Man]

I have a professional unit, at work, for my boiler water, that I don't really need anymore, that will find it's way to aquarium water, one of these days...

 

[Back in the fold]

Then there’s Jack Wattley the legendary Discus man who advocated daily 100% water changes . Fish in the wild have that daily 100% water change . Aquarium life is unnatural and big water changes every week reduce that unnaturalness to make fish life in an enclosed environment possible . Filtration alone doesn’t cut it . Big weekly regular water changes are mandatory for success in this hobby .

 

[MaloK]

No point and shoot, huh??

The only point and shoot devices I have, are Remote Hole Punchers of different calibre. These are not to be used on aquariums.

 

[Magnum Man]

another expensive hobby

 

[Oldspartan]

The only point and shoot devices I have, are Remote Hole Punchers of different calibre. These are not to be used on aquariums.

Yeah, we use them for varmints around the garden and bird feeders, and sometimes food.

 

[MaloK]

another expensive hobby

I treat it as tools, so I'm not buying anything that doesn't fill a precise job. And as a matter a fact I haven't changed anything in over 30 years.

Yeah, we use them for varmints around the garden and bird feeders, and sometimes food.

Where we live, peoples go air powered or Co2 for these. You have to be extremely cautious, in many occasions you can't take the shot. Too many things behind them. But when a squirrel has the idea to make his nest in your recycle bin, There's no other way. They come back and make new holes to get in each time they're fixed.

So I used an old Crossman American Classic 22, That I played with for a couple months. Replaced the stock, the barrel, the pump and polished the trigger to 1 pound click. Replaced the barrel supports added 2 picatinny rails, Some good telescope, a tripod and zeroed it parallel to the canon.

It looks dead pan tactical loll, I call it "The Squirrelator"...

They are really fun to mod.