View Full Version : New fish when do i start skimming??
Well i got my first fish for my tank its a cardnial and its name is "fish":grinyes:. My 2 year old daughter named it. Anyway should i start using the skimmer now or can i wait??
nycsicktank
01-13-2008, 8:37 PM
start using it or you can do w/c :grinyes:
I was going to do about 5 gallons every 10 days. Its a 40 gallon tank.
nycsicktank
01-13-2008, 9:29 PM
why wont you use skimmer? i dont get it?
theres no problem with no skimmer if you do 5 gallons every 10 days.
Wrench
01-13-2008, 9:41 PM
You should be skimming during your cycle.
Water changes on a tank that size should be 10g/week not half that.
I got it ready to go i just never pluged it in. I don't know why i never started it yet, i guess because everything i have read says they have a break in period and need lots of attention at first. I guess i need to just fire it up.
nycsicktank
01-13-2008, 10:39 PM
need lots of attention at first, your sure right. watch out for your cup! it might overflow.
Pufferpunk
01-14-2008, 2:41 AM
If you have a skimmer, use it.
O.k im going to start the using the skimmer friday. I want to be home if there are any problems. It is a super skimmer does anyone have any advice before i fire it up.
Water changes on a tank that size should be 10g/week not half that.
There is nothing wrong with doing a weekly 5g change on a 40g tank...that is over 12% and 10% would considered healthy by many including myself.
Wrench
01-16-2008, 9:14 PM
Weekly 20% is the general rule of thumb.
According to whom? The guideline I see most often is 10% weekly.
Fishieness
01-17-2008, 12:00 AM
Weekly 20% is the general rule of thumb.
I have never heard that... 10 percent weekly is perfectly fine for a reef tank, especially one with a low bioload. If i had an agressive reef or a very high bioload, then 20% would probably be more recomended. 20% isnt always bad, but the 12.5 there is good too :)
In my old 40, i did 5 gallons which is 12.5%. Of course, there are other factors to include such as if you have a sump or tons of LR, ect...
Wrench
01-17-2008, 8:36 PM
I had the opportunity to speak with Anthony Calfo about it at a local meeting. He's a proponent of 100% changes especially in a growout system but for the average hobbyist he recommended weekly 20%. I've read countless articles that suggest the same regimen. I do weekly 25% changes on my system to maintain trace levels and to remove the tannins that discolor the water. Even after only a week if I look down into the bucket it is obviously discolored. All the money you spend on lighting is being wasted if your water isn't clear, not to mention the power it takes to run them! Even with regular changes I have to dose Ca and Alk to replace what is used. I wish I could get away with 10% water changes! If it works for you, GREAT! In a fish only or softy tank that is lightly stocked I doubt it will make much difference because your elements aren't depleted as fast. Add a large stocklist or SPS to the mix and you'll see your problems magnified.
Well I'm sure Calfo and Bourneman get a kick out of talking together and cover how Bourneman often goes weeks even months without a change. There are so many ways to approach this hobbby and there are just as many reputable sources that say 10% is acceptable and I still feel the original poster's 12.5% change is a good weekly routine.
clown-lover
01-17-2008, 8:55 PM
That is what I absolutely love about this hobby.. There are so many ways of doing things, such diversity in both the theoretical and practical approaches to how we implement things within our aquariums. The key to everything that we do is stability within our tanks. I'll never say that what one person is doing is wrong as long as they are maintaining a healthy and vibrant system.
As of this point we have a lot of information that contradicts each other and we have to weed through these thoughts and ideas and make heads and tails of the research. There is a system on this forum that has gone at least 200+ days without a water change, has no skimmer and is litterally flourishing.
But debate is a good thing as long as we remember that the science hasn't been written in stone and we are just scratching the surface.
Fishieness
01-17-2008, 8:56 PM
I had the opportunity to speak with Anthony Calfo about it at a local meeting. He's a proponent of 100% changes especially in a growout system but for the average hobbyist he recommended weekly 20%.
he also recomends NO florecents to keep BTAs. not saying he doesnt know what he is talking about in the LEAST. just saying i dont entirely agree... like with those 100% water changes. it would be MUCH better in growout systems where live rock or sand isnt always used and there isnt a hige bioload as long as it is done often, but i think it would be nothing but detrimental otherwise. 20% a week is perfectly fine, just saying that 10% is usually the average of what is considered suitable. i will prbably start doing 20 on my 10 gallon just to help keep up with the Ca and ALK demand so i dont have to dose a billion times a day. :)
PS: i also disagree with bourneman there... haha
My tank is a fowlr i got 22lbs of lr and 30lbs of base rock, I have a hob filter with lr rubble and a carbon bag. Only one fish now. But im going to get 2 small clowns this weekend if lfs has any in stock.
Wrench
01-17-2008, 9:45 PM
There is a system on this forum that has gone at least 200+ days without a water change, has no skimmer and is litterally flourishing.
.
Link? I'd love to see this tank and get some insight in regards to his/her husbandry practices and stocking.
clown-lover
01-17-2008, 9:58 PM
Link? I'd love to see this tank and get some insight in regards to his/her husbandry practices and stocking.
sure here you go..
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116699&page=5
The users name is noskimmer. He does have a low fish bio-load.
Grins
01-17-2008, 10:40 PM
My tank is a fowlr i got 22lbs of lr and 30lbs of base rock, I have a hob filter with lr rubble and a carbon bag. Only one fish now. But im going to get 2 small clowns this weekend if lfs has any in stock.
You went lighter on the live to base ratio than I'd have recommended but the filter will help. Careful of the carbon, it can only absorb so much before it begins to leach back into the water.
how often should i replace the carbon?
Depends, if it is pure carbon I'd probably do it 1x week. Some such as Chemi-Pure elite can be done less frequently.
I only run it when needed though, such as when new corals are added or I have had to treat with something (rare).
It is the carbon bag that comes with the aquaclear filter.