Need to change cleaning schedule

Just hook up a hose and treat the the entire tank volume with conditioner. Im don't understand why you cant add the water then treat it. Doing that many water changes at that interval will stress the fish. You can get a python and not have to lug buckets around. As stated earlier in this thread that is only 21-30% weekly. Depending on your nitrate levels and stock id say that would be bare minimum. I do 50% weekly on my 75g malawi tank and the nitrates still almost get to 20ppm with excellent filtration.
 
City water / chlorine / always believed it had the potential to damage/kill good bacteria and fish thats why you remove it before it goes in the tank by conditioning the water first.
 
I do weekly 75% water changes on my 180g, and I used to treat little by little as it was filled with my Lee's ultimate gravel vac (python knock-off... better quality, lower price).

That caused the problem that the walls of my aquarium started getting slimy (I use 'Stress Coat' because I can't stand the smell of Amquel).

So, at last weeks change, I added the water first, then treated the water when I was done filling the tank. Today is water change day again, and I just tested the water (haven't started the WC yet) and my params are still amm:0, Ni:0, and Na: 10

You should really invest the money on either a python or lee's ultimate gravel vac... whichever is available to you, preferably the Lee's because it cost less, the tubing is made of better material (doesn't kink easily) and it's not sold by wally world lol.

The parts are interchangeable between the two which is great!


HTH
 
Without wishing to sound stupid (oops too late) let me get the idea right in my head. I have a 125g tank and at the moment i do 40g water change every week. This i do this using rubber maids with a pump to pump the pre treated water back into the tank. if i refill with a hose from my tap do i add enough treatment for the 40g or for the whole 125g, also should the treatment go into the tank before the water or does it not make any difference?
 
steve p said:
Without wishing to sound stupid (oops too late) let me get the idea right in my head. I have a 125g tank and at the moment i do 40g water change every week. This i do this using rubber maids with a pump to pump the pre treated water back into the tank. if i refill with a hose from my tap do i add enough treatment for the 40g or for the whole 125g, also should the treatment go into the tank before the water or does it not make any difference?
Click to expand...

I always treat for the ammount of new water I'm adding (why treat what's already been treated?) mainly because water conditioners are concentrated, and if you constantly treat the full volume of the tank, while only doing partial water changes, the concentrations should add up in the tank, eh?

In my experience, it doesn't matter either way adding it before or after, but I prefer after (adding before will make the concentration higher in the tank, going down gradually as you add more water... don't want my fish swimming in conditioner [that's drama]).
 
Provided your temp is close, fill from the hose and dose the tank volume with prime.
 
Thanks for the info unfortunatly my tap water is 8'C lower than my tank water so it looks like i will be still using the rubber maid approach.
 
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