Question about water changes

[corylover5]

I'm just wondering, whenever my LFS or any pet store asks me about water changes when I get my water tested, they freak out when I say I do 75% water changes weekly. I always do 75% weekly water changes because I thought it was good for my fish and they all do well with large water changes. Why do fish and pet store workers tell people to do 25% water changes monthly? At least that's what I'm told. It's confusing because I'm always getting different information from different stores. I know from personal experience that 75% weekly water changes keep my fish healthy and my parameters good. I'm going to continue with 75% water changes but I'm just curious why pet and fish store workers never understand that large water changes are good for the fish? Am I correct in doing these large water changes? Thanks in advance.

 

[FishBR]

You are absolutely correct in doing what you are doing. Unfortunately, most LFS give terrible advice. Come to forums like this one to get proper advice. A lot of fish breeders do 90% or more WCs daily, with no issues. With larger WCs you keep your water parameters more stable and closer to your water source. And large WCs do not affect the beneficial bacteria in your tank, which attach to surfaces.

 

[mhancock]

You are absolutely correct in doing what you are doing. Unfortunately, most LFS give terrible advice. Come to forums like this one to get proper advice. A lot of fish breeders do 90% or more WCs daily, with no issues. With larger WCs you keep your water parameters more stable and closer to your water source. And large WCs do not affect the beneficial bacteria in your tank, which attach to surfaces.

Presumably large changes don't effect the bacteria only if the new water is de-chlorinated?

 

[kwi]

Because most LFS staff are reading from a script.
Buy your own test kit and you'll not have to go to get your water tested, probably bu someone who doesn't really know what they're doing.

 

[FishBR]

Presumably large changes don't effect the bacteria only if the new water is de-chlorinated?

Sure, it is absolutely important to use a proper conditioner to treat any water that goes into your tank.

 

[Koglin]

I'm just wondering, whenever my LFS or any pet store asks me about water changes when I get my water tested, they freak out when I say I do 75% water changes weekly. I always do 75% weekly water changes because I thought it was good for my fish and they all do well with large water changes. Why do fish and pet store workers tell people to do 25% water changes monthly? At least that's what I'm told. It's confusing because I'm always getting different information from different stores. I know from personal experience that 75% weekly water changes keep my fish healthy and my parameters good. I'm going to continue with 75% water changes but I'm just curious why pet and fish store workers never understand that large water changes are good for the fish? Am I correct in doing these large water changes? Thanks in advance.

I've heard the same thing from a guy at the petsmart I get my frozen brine shrimp at, but I just figured he is basing his opinion on some corporate fish keeping powerpoint that taught him so.

Considering they often use the same plumbing for banks of multiple aquariums at a time, and since I don't think they actually tailor the water parameters of these banks to the fish in them, they are probably taught never to do more than 25% in a group of banks so they stay in a large "safe zone" dictated by the company without risking rapid changes.

I dunno if this is true, just what I figure since they always give me plain-jane basic fish keeping advice if I ever ask.

My other LFS also offers tank/water maintenance home services, and once advised me that as long as the temp., and pH levels are similar I can do anywhere from 10-80% safely as long as I condition the water beforehand.

 

[FishBR]

An example of when I was breeding wild discus (I don't have discus anymore). Here is the fry of Cuipeua discus when they were 2 weeks old:

And here is the same fish when they were 6 months old:

I did 90% water changes every day. Do you think such WC regime affected the fish positively or negatively?