Water Changes?

[Monroe]

How often? How much? And more specifically, what do you do to the water from your tap before you put it in your tank? Thanks.

[TropicalNorth]

It all depends on the bioload and what type of fish you keep. The larger the number of the fish, the larger the water changes; and the more delicate the fish, the larger (and more frequent) the water changes. Generally though most people go for around 20% water changes once a week.

I do a 30% water change on my 20g every week, and 20% water change on my 50g every week. I let the tap water sit overnight in buckets (to let the chlorine evaporate) before doing a water change, or you can add a dechlorinator to remove the chlorine.

[Rbishop]

Bio load and the world of live plants can alter any set rule, and even your filtration method will come into play.

I hit all my tanks at 30-50% weekly. Some get almost 50% daily or more (discus fry).

I add straight back to the tank, with temps matched and dechlor the tank at start. I only pre-stage the discus water ahead of time.

[TKOS]

For me the smaller thetank the higher the percentage. My betta tank (5 gallon) is well over 50%. My 29 gallon planted tank is a little less, though still needs at least 30% to maintain stability. Much less than that and my very soft water will start to crash, even though my nitrates never register (the plants eat them all). This is of course per week.

I age most of my water though I do use dechlorinator if I haven't aged enough.

[Monroe]

And when you add the water is it still cold? Wouldnt that be bad for the fish...?

[Marinemom]

The water temp. of the water that you put back into the tank should match as closely as possible to the water that is already in the tank. Otherwise you will shock your fish and possibly kill them.

Marinemom

[Monroe]

so what do you guys do if you let your water "age" or if you just use a dechlorinator, how do you get the water temp close to the same? Thanks for all the help!

[Shagmaster]

so what do you guys do if you let your water "age" or if you just use a dechlorinator, how do you get the water temp close to the same? Thanks for all the help!

Add hot water, or if you let your water age, heat on a stove. Even if you let the water sit, you should still use a conditioner. There is stuff in tap water that doesent go away with time. Copper for example.:)

[Star_Rider]

so what do you guys do if you let your water "age" or if you just use a dechlorinator, how do you get the water temp close to the same? Thanks for all the help!


I use a python for water changes..I adjust the water from the tap to bw close to the tank water..if I do miss the temp I miss a bit on the cool side( 1-2 degrees should not cause problems)

most of my tanks house warm water species,(discus, rams angels etc.I use water at about 80-82 degrees.
I do 2Xweekly changes30-40% on most tanks..fry tanks get daily changes.

[BucJason]

I've always done fine with 30% water changes every 2 weeks. Filter change and fresh carbon once a month, and always cleaning the gravel as you change the water.

My Nitrates are usually around 5 or below doing this, but I don't normally keep an overly stocked tank either.

[TKOS]

Unless you are doing massive water changes and the degrees are way off, don't worry too much on temp. I use cool to cold water for my smaller changes all the time, the overall effect isn't very great on a tank full of warmer water. In fact the way to get many fish to spawn is by introducing a cold water change which effects a few degree temp drop in the tank. Cories, white clouds and many others breed this way.

[wataugachicken]

if you age your water, use a big plastic trashcan and just stick a heater in there.

[Mgamer20o0]

i do 50% water changes weekly. i add the dechlorinator right into the tank and put the hose in.

[Caresteph]

Generally I let the hot water run and then slack it back and add the cold. I use a chef's thermometer to gage the temperature running out of the faucet, and it's usually either right on track or off by a degree or so. After you do this a couple of times you'll get the hang of where your hot and cold should be set. That's worked well for me. And I'm doing about 30% to 40% water change every other day just because I have more fish than I should in my 20 gallon. Good luck:)

[zazz]

I guage the temperature of the water from the tap with my hand and try to match it to the tank temp. This seems to get it close enough that I have never shocked the fish with temp.
I add the water conditioner to the replacement water before I add it.
To remove the water from the tank I use the gravel vacuum and suction dirt up from the gravel at the same time as removing the water.

I change about 40 to 50% 1x/week. I think a regular schedule like that is a good habit to adopt, keeps the gravel clean and water parameters stable.

Some people without live plants go by Nitrate level in the water, changing enough to keep it below say 20 or 30 ppm. BUt as others have just said, a rule like that is of limited use.