Main Water Change

[Cheese Specialist]

LOL,

That sure is a lot of options!!

Anyway, I thought it was best to try and cover as many possibilities.

I just want to get idea of what people do as I am fairly new to the water change thing, even though I got my first proper tank 1.5 years ago. )

Now then, what I am talking about here is regulart maintenence. Your main water changes if you like. So, you may do a 10% change ever 2 days as well as a 60% every fortnight. What I am after is your main one.

If you want to explain further, please, please do! Like how you do it, whether you have a gravel clean/filter clean/water change rota.

I chose 30-40% weekly, I do it with all my tanks with my gravel cleaner as a syphon. I clean the filter in my c/w fortnightly and gravel clean just a little weekly. I haven't cleaned out the filter in my biggest tank since I got it 1 month ago as I don't know how to!! LOL

Cheers guys!

P.S. The reason 60%+ Daily isn't an option is because I needed to get rid of one for it to fit. If you are in the category, please choose 'other'.

 

[freshmike]

That is "ONE HUGE POLL"!!!!


I voted 40-50 weekly, although I usually do them a little more often, especially the baby tanks...they get dirty fast, even though they are bare- bottomed....mmmmmmmm bare-bottomed *drools*



Chris

 

[Cheese Specialist]

LOL

I just read how many tanks you have in the 'where do you keep your tanks' topic! I am surprised you have the time, or do you have a full workforce? LOL

I thought it was better to make the poll big to avoid too many 'other' answers. I bet I get loads of people who change 60%+ daily!!

 

[Cheese Specialist]

bare- bottomed....mmmmmmmm bare-bottomed *drools*



Chris

We are talking bare-bottomed tanks, aren't we Chris?! Not just any old er... bare bottom?!

LOL

It is Valentine's Day I suppose!!

 

[freshmike]

I think I will leave the bare-bottomed comment open for debate.....

....as for time to do tanks, I am alone in the effort, well, the "PYTHON" and me.


Chris

 

[Where the river goes]

minibows get 10% change 3-4 times a week.

The ten gallon will get 15-20% change twice a week.

 

[Alien_spawn]

I do a 20% water change weekly, I clean the sponges every fortnight and one big hovver once a month

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

I used to do 50% a week, but I broke my right arm on Tuesday and haven't felt like doing on since.

 

[guppygirly]

I usually do 50% weekly. But if I happen to be reading about water changes in posts, books, etc. I get the urge to do them more often. But I am wondering how in the world I'm goin to do changes in my new big tank (29 gallons). Its in my bedroom and the nearest sink is about 50 ft. away. Any suggestions, while we're on the subject...

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I syphon water form my tanks into a bucket and then empty the bucket down the sink.

I do that with all my tanks. Not too much hassle actually, I then syphon the water back in.

 

[guppygirly]

I broke down and got a Python. I used it for the first time tonite and it was great! I'll probably still do the bucket thing with the 10's though.

 

[LoveMyOscar]

...

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

well when i first started out i was doing a 20% weely. but i was loosing to many fish. Ich and other stuff.

So then i took daily readings or my tank over a 3 month period and when i saw the water levels jump in one day I changed 20% of the water..

over this period i noticed that the water chemistry was basicly normal until around a month. then it shot up.

But this all depends on what fish you keep and what filteration system you are using.

one tank is happy and i am getting no more problems now Ich and other stuff.

but i would watch the water very closly if your going to do this as sesonal conditions will differ.

I just can wait for my new tank. I wont be able to do that per week. so i am just going to have a spare tank to one side and a automatic water topper uper.

 

[Exiled]

like everyone else has said...the Python is crucial for doing large scale water changes. I do a 40% change weekly for my African cichlids to give them the best possible water quality. Nitrates never get above 6-9 ppm. Also, because they require lots of dissolved minerals in their water (and these dissapate naturally over time) the weekly water changes allow me to reintroduce them consistantly with very little variation in the water composition. B)

 

[chaotica2010]

What the hell is a fortnight? Is this some UK thing I wouldn't understand