The Wonders of the Water Change.

[itiwhetu]

My thoughts...
Wild fish normally live in water that is being constantly changed.
My water changes try to replicate that to some degree and, like much of my aquarium care, it is another habit I've developed through repetition, just like feeding and water testing, etc..
Purely out of habit now, I change 16 litres of my 88 litre tank thrice or at least twice a week.

The water changing thing has been bugging me, so I referred back to a couple of old books. The message is it doesn't matter what you do just do it consistently. If you are going to do 25% water changes fine, if you are going to do 50% fine. But don't swap and and change the BB gets used to what you are doing and adjusts to that, but it doesn't like a curve ball thrown at it. So consistency is the trick.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Walstad method seems to work but I prefer to do water changes each week, mainly cos I am nosy and like to have a good old looksy around the aquariums whilst the water levels are down and sort any issues such as sand spotting & puffing etc

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

That’s 18.18181%. I suggest 19.00984% for better results

Perhaps a better response would've been to ask why 16 litres?
(The answer is that I use an 8 litre bucket).

 

[FishHobby99]

Perhaps a better response would've been to ask why 16 litres?
(The answer is that I use an 8 litre bucket).

Forever tattooed to my consciousness!

 

[noobfish]

For my own understanding, are some of you saying there is such a thing as too much water changing? If so, this is something I hadn't considered.

I do an 80% WC on the 29g weekly. 50% WC on the 5g twice a week (being so small I'm always concerned about something small crashing the tank).

Is this harmful?

 

[Slaphppy7]

For my own understanding, are some of you saying there is such a thing as too much water changing? If so, this is something I hadn't considered.

I do an 80% WC on the 29g weekly. 50% WC on the 5g twice a week (being so small I'm always concerned about something small crashing the tank).

Is this harmful?

Not harmful at all.
Water changes done correctly never hurt.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Personally I do not think you can ever do too many water changes or too high a percentage (although 85-100% is going to cause more issues than it cures for obvious reasons)

The heavier your stock percentage, the higher your water change routine...imho...since more fish = higher waste/toxin level potential

Smaller aquariums are by virtue of their size and volume confinement do benefit from more than one water change per week

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

For my own understanding, are some of you saying there is such a thing as too much water changing? If so, this is something I hadn't considered.

I do an 80% WC on the 29g weekly. 50% WC on the 5g twice a week (being so small I'm always concerned about something small crashing the tank).

Is this harmful?

They're big changes to impose on the tank on a regular basis and their effect on the tank community would depend on the fish.
For example, a hillstream mountain loach would probably love so much fresh water, whereas a more sedentary water-type, such as a loach, might not.

Generally, I'd say that such big changes would not be harmful at all. Remember my point earlier about streams and rivers are always having their water changed?

There was a point earlier about possible damage to the bacterial populations, but I believe that as the aforementioned bacteria live mainly on surfaces in the tank and not in the water column, such changes shouldn't really make too much of an impact on them.

 

[noobfish]

They're big changes to impose on the tank on a regular basis and their effect on the tank community would depend on the fish.
For example, a hillstream mountain loach would probably love so much fresh water, whereas a more sedentary water-type, such as a loach, might not.

Generally, I'd say that such big changes would not be harmful at all. Remember my point earlier about streams and rivers are always having their water changed?

There was a point earlier about possible damage to the bacterial populations, but I believe that as the aforementioned bacteria live mainly on surfaces in the tank and not in the water column, such changes shouldn't really make too much of an impact on them.

I assume that gravel vacuuming disrupts the BB to a degree, but would any disturbance be as much of an issue if the tank is moderate to heavily planted?

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I assume that gravel vacuuming disrupts the BB to a degree, but would any disturbance be as much of an issue if the tank is moderate to heavily planted?

Not in my opinion.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I thought beneficial bacteria live in the filtration system & substate far more than the water.

That's what I said.
'Surfaces'.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Saving the BB inside the filter is essential...but there are many who rinse their sponges, media and ceramics under the tap or follow instructions on the box to change their filter cartridges monthly when all media should only be rinsed in old aquarium water and media only changed when it starts to fall apart (which takes months to happen)

That quick rinse of sponges, ceramics and other media under the tap kills way more of the good stuff than it washes away the bad stuff. And throwing that month old cartridge has thrown away a hefty proportion of the good stuff too.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I think the only time to avoid water changes is when you have delicate fry, things like Gourami or Betta fry like their conditions stable, Some of the tetras are the same. I also was careful of water changing when I had Cichlids looking after eggs or fry and I preferred not to water change.

Fresh, clean water is always a benefit, especially for fry as along with quality, frequent feeding, it encourages better growth.

I got perfect chem readings today on new 90 gal tank. No ammonia, no nitrite, neglible nitrate, same as tap. Good pH. how much and how often would you change water on a tank with good parameters?

Well a 'new' tank setup would yield the same result as the tap water for a time and it may not be cycled yet. Be on the lookout for an ammonia spike.
In general, along with good (bio) filtration, nearly all tanks benefit from 50% - 75% weekly water changes. For fry grow out tanks, I like to do 50% twice a week.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

As a Brit & an experienced fish-keeper, you’re using a lexicon different than mine, at times.

Surely you have 'surfaces' in the US of A?
Mechanical and biological filtration works because of the multiple surfaces of the media inside them.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

As I Brit I knew what he meant by surfaces what would you call them?