water changes

[Nicole29]

how often should you change the water and how much each time? Also, how much of the gravel should be vaccuumed each water change?

Thanks

[dorkfish]

Atleast 25% should be changed, but I aim for 50%. I do a thorough vacum each time and consider it nessisary of you want to keep your tank in the optimum of health.

[sumthin fishy]

I do 25% water changes once a week, but you should really base the timming or ammount on your nitrate levels. Find a routine that keeps them under 20ppm if possible. I vacuum all the gravel each change.

[plah831]

I have heard at least 25% weekly on this forum a lot. I personally strive for 40-50% weekly. I break it up into 20% a day, twice a week. Sometimes I'll do it more often because my tank is pretty well stocked. Of course, the more fish you have per gallon, the more often you need to clean.

I used to vacuum 100% of my gravel at once, but I noticed it was stressing my fish out. Mostly it was probably because I would remove all the decorations so I could get to the gravel. Now I just do one half at a time, and keep the decorations on the other half. My fish like that a LOT better, because they have some place to hide while I'm mussing up the other half. That's also why I break up cleanings into twice a week.

In the end, it's your personal preference. The cleaner you keep your aquarium, the happier and healthier your fish will be. For a while I got lazy and would only change 50% a month, and some of my fish got sick. It was minor, nobody died, but I'm still fighting the repercussions (loach with barbel infections, see "Catfish and Bottom Feeders" for my post). So if my experience is any lesson, learn it now before you make the same mistake!

[myfishandi]

I do 25% water changes once a week, but you should really base the timming or ammount on your nitrate levels. Find a routine that keeps them under 20ppm if possible. I vacuum all the gravel each change.


How agressively do you both vacuum the gravel?
I mean, do you push the Python head down into the gravel and stur it or just kinda let it suck stuff off the top of the gravel, or just stir it up alittle?
I havent been vacuumming since my tank has been cycleing but now complete so I need to start vacumming.

Thanks

Jees, I sure wish email notification worked on this site! :confused: :idea2:

[plah831]

Yes, now that your cycle is done, you will need to vacuum pretty well. It was recommended not to during cycling because the nitrifying bacteria are aerobic (need oxygen) so needed access to the water. Now that you will be adding (more) fish, you will need to remove fish poop before it decomposes and causes pollution and increases nitrogen load. I vacuum aggressively, as in disturb the gravel all the way to the bottom of the tank because I find poop even down there. Sometimes even vacuum twice! I keep doing it as long as I keep picking up particles instead of just water.

If your filter has a bio-media (like a sponge or foam), they will repopulate the gravel after your vacuuming. Also, not all the gravel bacteria will die. Sure, some will get buried and suffocate, but if your tank is healthy and mature, it will reproduce and replace those lost in no time. E.g. you shouldn't notice any ammonia spikes.

[echoofformless]

You can go months and months without changing the water or maintaining the filter...honest. Especially if the tank is heavily planted.

Yeah go ahead and flame away. But I still speak the truth.

[Galaxie]

It would take more vacuum suction than any gravel vac I've seen to suck the bacteria out of the substrate.

25% is a minimum weekly change recommendation. I go for 50% & vacuum until the water hits the 50% mark.

As echo said though, for advanced aquarists, you can go a long time in a planted tank without water changes.

Keep in mind too, tap water adds trace minerals and elements that fish need to be as healthy as possible. Its not 100% about removing nitrate.

[fishcatch22]

I change 50% of my tank's water every sunday, and do an light gravel vacuum. I just roam around with my siphon, and only lightly disturb the substrae if I see poops or food in the siphons vicinity. I think how much you vacuum and how muchwater you change depends on how many fish you have in the tank, and what kinds. for example, I probably wouldn't do as many water changes if I didn't have my BN pleco in there, because she makes a lot of waste and mess, because plecos come from faast-flowing rivers, so they're mess and waste is immedately swept away, and they don't worry about being messy. and when I had only my betta, I did a 50% only once every 2 weeks, because they make a lot less watse and mess, an adaptation to living in small, filthy, ponds, no doubt.

[CatLover]

You can go months and months without changing the water or maintaining the filter...honest. Especially if the tank is heavily planted.

Yeah go ahead and flame away. But I still speak the truth.

Experienced fishkeepers with mature tanks can do this, but a tank that has just finished cycling cannot go that long. It also takes a very, very thorough understanding of the hobby and your fish. It takes a very long time to aquire that kind of understanding....

So, this comment is nothing to flame about. But for most people, this method is not an option.

I would agree to vacuum your gravel in stages digging your hose down in the gravel repetitively until you quit getting as much debris from the section you are cleaning. The water changes depend a lot on the size of your tank and occupants.

[Rbishop]

I'm new to the plant keeping. Which ones remove all the DOC's that water changes assist with? And which ones remove the large physical debri caught in the coarse filter pads?

[sumthin fishy]

You can go months and months without changing the water or maintaining the filter...honest. Especially if the tank is heavily planted.

Yeah go ahead and flame away. But I still speak the truth.
Quite honnestly this is bad advice to a new fishkeeper. Not to flame at all, but it's like telling a 14 year old when they first get thier licence it's ok to go 180 mph on the freeway. Like was said, this is for experiencesd fishkeepers, also, hormones that cause stunded growth are not removed by plants :( while your information is not wrong, it is not a good idea to be teaching to the newbies.

[echoofformless]

Quite honnestly this is bad advice to a new fishkeeper. Not to flame at all, but it's like telling a 14 year old when they first get thier licence it's ok to go 180 mph on the freeway. Like was said, this is for experiencesd fishkeepers, also, hormones that cause stunded growth are not removed by plants :( while your information is not wrong, it is not a good idea to be teaching to the newbies.

Absolutely true. I suppose I should have worded that post a little bit better, adding all of the facts that have been subsequently stated by others regarding when it's okay and not okay to allow long intervals between changes.

I think I forgot how many newbies are reading these posts - I'm often just addressing other more advanced keepers. Good that you guys are here to keep my mind straight!

[onepawnup]

[
I think I forgot how many newbies are reading these posts - I'm often just addressing other more advanced keepers. Good that you guys are here to keep my mind straight![/QUOTE]

might be why its in the newbie portion of the board
:)

[Roan Art]

I'm new to the plant keeping. Which ones remove all the DOC's that water changes assist with? And which ones remove the large physical debri caught in the coarse filter pads?
None will and that's why echoofformless and CathyLover are totally incorrect in advising something like that to anyone, experienced or not.

No one should go months without a water change regardless of whether there are plants in the tank or it is bare as all get out. I could give a rat's posterior as to what a certain person advocates in her book(s).

IMO both of them need to read up on Old Tank Syndrome:

http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Old_Tank_Syndrome

Roan

[CatLover]

I never stated that I don't do waterchanges. I perform waterchanges at least every 5-10 days minimum and I do know what Old Tank Syndrome is, thank you very much! I run 500gph of filtration of my 29 gallon and 99% of the time keep my nitrates below 15-20 ppm. I never stated that plants soak up DOC's. So, please don't jump to conclusions:)

[Grundy]

I used to think that having a large tank (125 gallons) and lots of filtration meant that I didn't need to do water changes as frequently (every 4-6 weeks or so). Since I have been doing them more frequently (every 7-14 days) the fish seem much happier and healthier. I agree with the comment that water changes are not just for getting rid of nitrogen compounds but also to replace minerals, etc. Keeping the nitrate under 20 ppm really seems to help the fish so testing for this may help guide you as well.

[sumthin fishy]

I hadn't done a WC on my 55 gal in 3 weeks. Ive been testing and im still under 20 ppm :) Im gunna do one today anyways, not going to mess with seeing how long I can go (thats not why I didn't do them, Ive just been busy) But that is the benifit of having a really lighly stocked tank.