My First Water Change!

colinsk

colinsk

On the fringe...
Dec 18, 2008
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www.designerinlight.com
Tonight I completed my first water change. I am starting to feel like a fish keeper instead of a book worm. I am doing a fishy cycle (I did not know there was another way when I bought my tank and fish :( ). I have two platies in a 29 gallon tank. The ammonia danced from 0 to .5 and back to 0 for 3 weeks but I did not have any equipment to do a water change. (My LFS told me not to to a water change for at least 6 weeks in a new tank so I though I had plenty of time to get it.) Finally the ammonia was consistantly reading 0.

However the nitrites were just climbing, I was getting some nitrates but the nitrites were getting towards .5 and showing no signs of stopping so I cut out of work early and got a gravel vac and a bucket. When I went to start cleaning the tank I saw something dart from under a rock. It was a platty fry! I only found one and no bodies. So I decided if I am going to save it I need to really get the numbers under control.

I did a 33% water change and vacuumed most of the gravel. I made sure not to suck up the fry. I treated my return water and did not have a thermometer so I had to use the hand method. I made the water a little warm and then I took my hand from the fishtank to the replacement water and if I could feel a difference I waited. Finally it was safe to dump the first bucket in. I went slow and made sure I did not see the tank thermometer spike. (I even remembered to unplug the heater!)

After replacing the 10 gallons of water the fish are terrified of me. Normally when I approach the tank the run up to the glass to see what I am doing and see if it is dinnertime. Now when I enter the room they run and hide. Will they forgive me?

Should I remove the fish before doing a water change?

Ammonia 0
Nitrites .25
Nitrates 10
 
Keep the fish in they do not mind water changes, I think they like them and they will love the fresh water. Keep the nitrites at or below .25ppm and you cycle should finish just fine with no fish losses. Welcome to the hobby.
 
Maybe the fish just got freaked out over the big bucket coming at them (something they havent seen before since this was first water change) and maybe they werent used to the syphon tube..maybe dumped water in too fast but never the less, they will get used to it...believe me..ha..ive put my fish through hell with water changes and theyve gotten used to it!...they love them now..you can see a definant boost in mood after a good change...whoop!
 
my fish adore water changes, especially my goldies, they come up and nibble at my hands and arms while im trying to vac the gravel, often making me jump and smack my arm on a bracer bar-ouch! they love the new water going in, and always seem much happier and more active straight after a big change. my smaller tropicals arent so friendly and usually avoid me when im in to vac the gravel but as soon as the bucket comes they are all out and swimming in the clean water stream as i pour it in.
 
all my fish love water changes. they all come to the front of the tank LOL!! keep the changes coming, keep them numbers under control and your fish will do well.
 
keep it up. once both ammonia and nitrites stay at 0ppm your cycle is done!
 
jm1212 said:
you should be changing the water more often if you have fry in the tank. fry are more sensitive to ammonia and nitrite than adult or even juvenile fish.

don't let the ammonia or nitrite get above 0.25.
Click to expand...

The ammonia has stayed at zero for at least a week now. Still working on the nitrites. I'll do another change shortly and see if I can get the nitrites a little lower. Now that I have done it it is not to bad. It is easier than I expected. My gravel vac worked pretty well and was only $6!
 
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