Unpopular Opinions (fish related)

[NearMeBettas]

I have a question actually...
If I get that 40g I've been talking about and get it all set up with plants, can I change the water every OTHER week?

Whats the stocking?

 

[Colin_T]

I have a question actually...
If I get that 40g I've been talking about and get it all set up with plants, can I change the water every OTHER week?

yes you can change the water every 2 weeks instead of once a week, but it depends on how many fish you have in the tank. If you have lots of fish, keep doing weekly water changes. if you only have a few fish in the tank, then you can do water changes once every couple of weeks.

 

[jaylach]

Your fish would have been suffering from old tank syndrome.

You do water changes for a number of reasons.
1) to reduce nutrients like ammonia, nitrite & nitrate.
2) to dilute disease organisms in the water.
3) to keep the pH, KH and GH stable.
4) to dilute nitric acid produced by fish waste and food breaking down.
5) to dilute stress chemicals (pheromones/ allomones) released by the fish.
6) to dilute un-used plant fertiliser so you don't overdose the fish when you add more.
7) to remove fish waste

I guess that we shall have to agree to disagree.

1) If your tank is properly cycled there is not much worry as to the nitrogen cycle as that is why we promote good bacteria. A heavy dose of live plants does better than water changes than in this.

2) My very first tank was way back in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Other than a minor outbreak of Ich MANY years ago I have never had a tank that experienced an illness.

3) If a tank is properly setup these things will take care of themselves. If such things do not go stable the tank is not properly established.

4) For the most part this is taken care of by plants in a heavily planted tank. This stuff is plant food.

5) I actually have to call this one silly. Weekly removing 50-75% of the tank's water for a change just MUST be more stressful to the fish than what the fish naturally produce.

6) To me this makes no sense... You use algae to judge nutrient additions.

7) Why would I want to remove fish 'waste' when it is food for my plants?

Like I said in the beginning of this post we shall need to agree to disagree. There seems to be a difference between us as to how we look at tanks. I look at every tank being a unique Eco-system that has specific requirements than other tanks. I hope I'm wrong but it seems that you seem to consider what you do as the only way to go.

 

[Rocky998]

Whats the stocking?

Well I would add on to my gudgeons. So in total I would have 5 peacock gudgeons (Tateurndina ocellicauda). Then I would get 15 Corydoras Sterbai and 15 upper dwelling fish (possibly of the Pseudomugils species or Iriatherina werneri)

 

[Rocky998]

yes you can change the water every 2 weeks instead of once a week, but it depends on how many fish you have in the tank. If you have lots of fish, keep doing weekly water changes. if you only have a few fish in the tank, then you can do water changes once every couple of weeks.

That's good to hear... I may still try doing it weekly. Keeps the water more fresh.
Thank you!

 

[jaylach]

I have a question actually...
If I get that 40g I've been talking about and get it all set up with plants, can I change the water every OTHER week?

People will put this down but, if properly planted, you could probably do fine doing a large water change just when the tank shows issues.

 

[Rocky998]

People will put this down but, if properly planted, you could probably do fine doing a large water change just when the tank shows issues.

No, I'm not comfortable doing that at all. May work for some but not me

 

[NearMeBettas]

Well I would add on to my gudgeons. So in total I would have 5 peacock gudgeons (Tateurndina ocellicauda). Then I would get 15 Corydoras Sterbai and 15 upper dwelling fish (possibly of the Pseudomugils species or Iriatherina werneri)

If you do you will want to change a bit more than usual. If you are getting algae or any abnormal behavior in the fish then you will need to up it as that's a bad sign.

 

[jaylach]

No, I'm not comfortable doing that at all. May work for some but not me

I'm just curious as to why you would think it better to change the water on a large scale when the water is perfectly fine for the fish? Mayhaps I'm on the dumb side but large water changes are, in my opinion, harmful to fish. These large water changes cause stress to the fish. That is never good...

 

[Rocky998]

If you do you will want to change a bit more then usual.

Yah, I'll probably be changing about 50% every week when possible... My mom just doesn't like it when it takes me a long time to do WCs .

I'm just curious as to why you would think it better to change the water on a large scale when the water is perfectly fine for the fish? Mayhaps I'm on the dumb side but large water changes are, in my opinion, harmful to fish. These large water changes cause stress to the fish. That is never good...

The water stays more clean. Nothing wrong with having water that is really fresh.
Like a stale room. You'd want some airflow

 

[Kyshiara]

Here’s my fuel for the fire, I think artificial plants are better than live

LEAVE
NOW

 

[Kyshiara]

Hehe.............

 

[GaryE]

I'm just waiting for the black helicopter so we can visit @Rocky998 if he switches to water changes every other week. Of course you can go to every other week! I do sometimes when I'm working, or travelIing.

Stress versus stimulation.
I think water changes are stimulating. If you take a tetra, stress is the arrival of a foot long Crenicichla in their habitat. It probably happens daily, at least. They are tough little creatures who have the capacity to survive things we can't imagine. They live in Jurassic Park.

So we need a measurement technique. For me as a fish breeder, I think fish live to breed and carry on. We may not want fry, but they do. It may take a perfectly set up tank to get them to breed, and that's rarely a community tank. But breeding is their motivator in life.

So what liberates them to breed? Fresh water. The day after a water change, they are more vibrant, more active and much more inclined to lay eggs. I watch as the week goes on, and in a crowded tank, they slow down and lock back into a groove. Change the water again, and they are doing courtship dances.

If I want fry, a water change is the essential tool. You could, I suppose, argue that fear of death leads to breeding, but I see nothing traumatic. You can see fear in a colourful fish. They control their colours. And after a water change, they show off. They swim into the hose current when I'm filling. As long as I stay weekly and don't allow major changes in the water quality, I'd argue they are stimulated by water changes. I like opening the window to allow fresh air in, and a good walk in the country on a day when the temperature changes is good for me. Seal me in a cell and I'll stay alive for years though.

And so, we all disagree. A water change is an enormously stimulating, positive thing in my books. @jaylach , an aquarist whose voice I respect, thinks it's stressful. Obviously, we're going to proceed according to how we see it, and never convince each other. You can put aside the chemistry numbers and watch the fish, and I see them enjoying a water change.

I'm on record as not having owned test kits for 25 years or so. I watch the behaviour and colour of my fish, and they tell me if I need to increase water changes. I work off growth rates, egg production, egg hatching, etc. To me, everything points to daily water changes being ideal, as in a moving stream in a rainforest. Since I have a life, and metered water, I compromise by doing weekly water changes. I do the opposite to @jaylach to accomplish the same goal - fish that are acting as naturally as possible in an artificial environment.

I wonder who is right?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Here’s my fuel for the fire, I think artificial plants are better than live

 

[Rocky998]

I'm just waiting for the black helicopter so we can visit @Rocky998 if he switches to water changes every other week. Of course you can go to every other week! I do sometimes when I'm working, or travelIing.

Stress versus stimulation.
I think water changes are stimulating. If you take a tetra, stress is the arrival of a foot long Crenicichla in their habitat. It probably happens daily, at least. They are tough little creatures who have the capacity to survive things we can't imagine. They live in Jurassic Park.

So we need a measurement technique. For me as a fish breeder, I think fish live to breed and carry on. We may not want fry, but they do. It may take a perfectly set up tank to get them to breed, and that's rarely a community tank. But breeding is their motivator in life.

So what liberates them to breed? Fresh water. The day after a water change, they are more vibrant, more active and much more inclined to lay eggs. I watch as the week goes on, and in a crowded tank, they slow down and lock back into a groove. Change the water again, and they are doing courtship dances.

If I want fry, a water change is the essential tool. You could, I suppose, argue that fear of death leads to breeding, but I see nothing traumatic. You can see fear in a colourful fish. They control their colours. And after a water change, they show off. They swim into the hose current when I'm filling. As long as I stay weekly and don't allow major changes in the water quality, I'd argue they are stimulated by water changes. I like opening the window to allow fresh air in, and a good walk in the country on a day when the temperature changes is good for me. Seal me in a cell and I'll stay alive for years though.

And so, we all disagree. A water change is an enormously stimulating, positive thing in my books. @jaylach , an aquarist whose voice I respect, thinks it's stressful. Obviously, we're going to proceed according to how we see it, and never convince each other. You can put aside the chemistry numbers and watch the fish, and I see them enjoying a water change.

I'm on record as not having owned test kits for 25 years or so. I watch the behaviour and colour of my fish, and they tell me if I need to increase water changes. I work off growth rates, egg production, egg hatching, etc. To me, everything points to daily water changes being ideal, as in a moving stream in a rainforest. Since I have a life, and metered water, I compromise by doing weekly water changes. I do the opposite to @jaylach to accomplish the same goal - fish that are acting as naturally as possible in an artificial environment.

I wonder who is right?

Definitely. A few hours after a WC and my fish are super vibrant. The male shows off and tries to court the female into the cave.