View Full Version : Importance of water change in planted tank
Why is it important or necessary to perform weekly water changes for a plant tank? What is it that is being removed or replenished by doing so? Especially since one actually has to ADD nitrates, etc. to maintain a healthy plant population.
Faramir
01-29-2003, 10:28 AM
All sorts of other wastes. Toxins produced by - albeit small in a well maintained tank - colonies of who knows what bacteria. Hormones secreted by fish. You name it. There's more to metablism than nitrogen.
In addition to Faramir's good comments on pollutant build-up, you are resetting your supplements to correct levels as well. Unless you are testing for a wide variety of ions weekly (both time consuming and expensive as well as being of dubious value), are you sure some are not shifting out of range, whether high or low? Water change, even large volume water change, is fast and simple and sure and safe.
plantbrain
01-29-2003, 1:05 PM
Water changes eliminate the guess work involoved in dosing or build up of many things you cannot test for or have test kits for.
Each tank changes it's uptake, needs of nutrients, ratios of one nutrient to another etc through time. A water change essentially "re sets" the tank.
To mimic stable levels, large water changes with good dosing allows for maintenance of good plant nutrient levels with minimal testing and guess work. No bad nutient levels ever build up this way for very long nor at very high levels.
You basically can re set your tank and make a "reference" solution each water change for the 50% etc that you change each week.
Good basic maintenance like large frequent water changes will help the critters and plants in any tank for that matter(SW, reef, FW fish only etc).
Think about it like this, 4 people living in a bathroom and only flushing the toilet once a week vs daily. Water changes are like the flushings.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Now there is an image that comes across - thanks Tom!!!
plantbrain
01-29-2003, 10:58 PM
Just don't forget to flush and make sure to jiggle the handle after you are done.
regards,
Tom Barr
Slappy*McFish
01-30-2003, 5:31 AM
Originally posted by plantbrain
Just don't forget to flush and make sure to jiggle the handle after you are done.
regards,
Tom Barr
for a second there. I thought you were going to say, "make sure to jiggle....er..nevermind";)
Skippy
01-30-2003, 5:42 AM
does this mean if I dont leave the canopy down when done with water changes my girlfriend will fall in and be mad at me?
GulfCstAquarian
02-04-2003, 1:34 PM
This reminds me of the guy who plumbed his Discus tank as a water reservoir for his toilet in the adjacent room. Every time someone flushed the toilet, fish water would flush to the basin and fresh RO/DI water would automatically refill his tank.
Unusual, but efficient!
plantbrain
02-04-2003, 2:27 PM
I suppose Metameusil or drinking lots of fluids would be popular for the fish Breeding season when you need more flushings?
Regards.,
Tom Barr
quick061
02-05-2003, 6:51 AM
Originally posted by GulfCstAquarian
This reminds me of the guy who plumbed his Discus tank as a water reservoir for his toilet in the adjacent room. Every time someone flushed the toilet, fish water would flush to the basin and fresh RO/DI water would automatically refill his tank.
Unusual, but efficient!
that's just scary.