Yes or No weekly water changes LARGE Tanks 90 gallon

Water changes not only remove nitrates....but that help replenish other minerals and items that keep your pH buffered. Nitrates/nitrites/ammonia are just easy things to test for at home with simple kits. Some of us just use TDS meters and frequent water changes regardless of what the tests say.
 
You will almost always have a trace amount of ammonia so don't panic when it turns a slight yellow. When you test and the color is lighter than the first bar, cut the reading in half. so if it is supposed to be red on the first bar and it is pink instead, you know it's less than the first reading. (Just using arbitrary colors) for the sake of discussion.

If you want to use cCO2 - it drops the pH of the water so make sure you know how to use your kit.
 
BTW, RO/DI water while good for top off is NOT usually needed in most cases.
RO/DI is pretty much stripped of minerals..it tests out at 7.0 but has 0(zero) buffering capabilities.

I use it for my Marine tanks where salts are added back to the water.. and in the case of P.Altum. they are wild caught and use to acidic water.. there is some Tap water in the mix not but it is about 10% of the total water I use for their tank(75).
I did try to slowly acclimate the altum to Tap..but I ran into issues and had to revert back to RO/DI .

my water is normally slightly acidic at pH 6.8
 
I like the idea of keeping fresh water in the tank. My goal is to do at least 15% weekly with the light load I have in the tank. The sump system is very nice and really a great set up.

I use the tests as a guideline. I usually do not test my Betta tank I just change the water and I can tell my Betta loves it as I love to feed my Betta. He does get a pea once a week or so and that keeps his digestive system inline.

Fresh water is so important.
 
Thanks I was wondering how people empty then put water directly back into tanks. I like to put in my prime first. Out of the tap my ph is high 7.6. My fish are good with it which is great.
 
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