Water Changes

[Sambo]

Hi guys, what is the recommended anount for doing a water change? and how often?

Currently i do 25% every week.

However i have been told that doing a water change this often is actually harmful to fish. I was also told that it can cause fish to bleed which can give them a red coulour near their gills.

Can anyone please shed some light on this matter for me please.

Many Thanks

Sam

 

[PaPeRo]

What you're doing is fine just make sure you treat the water for chlorine etc. What is your curorent Nitrate level?

 

[Sambo]

What you're doing is fine just make sure you treat the water for chlorine etc. What is your curorent Nitrate level?

Nitrate level is 25mg, nitrite is 0, ammonia is 0.6 a little high i know, would a biger water change decrease this?

 

[PaPeRo]

In a fully cycled tank your ammonia should be zero. Anyway keep doing what you're currently doing. How often do you test for ammonia? Do you remember your previous ammonia reading? How long has the tank been running? Did you add any new fish recently?

 

[Sambo]

In a fully cycled tank your ammonia should be zero. Anyway keep doing what you're currently doing. How often do you test for ammonia? Do you remember your previous ammonia reading? How long has the tank been running? Did you add any new fish recently?

I just did a reading and ammonia is 0, 0.6 was last weeks reading. However my nitrite has increased to 1 mp which is too high isnt it? How cani reduce this/

had the tank about 4 week. Added 6 cory cats last week

 

[PaPeRo]

Looks like your biofilter is in the process of catching up to the new bioload from the cories you introduced. It's going through a minicycle. If your Nitrite continue to climb higher than the 1ppm then do a small water change.

 

[Sambo]

Looks like your biofilter is in the process of catching up to the new bioload from the cories you introduced. It's going through a minicycle. If your Nitrite continue to climb higher than the 1ppm then do a small water change.

i have just done a small water change 25% as i have notice one of the Cory;s was lying on his side, i think he is on his way out

i will do another 25% 2m too.

 

[PaPeRo]

You should try not to introduce so many fish at one time without a ammonia and nitrite detoxifier because every time you do, the tank will go through a minicycle. I always use ammonia and nitrite detoxifier when I want to add a lot of fish at one time, but then I also use a realtime ammonia indicator to see the free ammonia level too.