No water changes ever. Why am I not having any problems?
- Thread starter Brandorr
- Start date
You can safely do water changes. All of the biological good stuff is on the plants, decoration substrate etc.
I have done up to a 70% water change without going through a mini cycle.
Based on reading your posts I am going to assume that you are afraid to do water changes so that you dont have to do any mini cycling.
Fear not my friend, water changes will not harm your tank unless going to extremes. Meaning more than 70% at one time. There are many variables that go into this though i.e. old tank syndrome and bare bottom tanks.
Brandorr you have a nice tank, with your stocking level and quantity of plants, i don't know how your readings would be acceptable, unless there are some other details not listed, iam betting on a expired test kit .....
By the sounds of it, a kitten would have been much less work.
My daughter is turning 4 in less than a month. Plus, I don't find mammals agreeable. They produce strange odors. (This includes humans)
for the record, the pH is low because you are not changing water. Accumulated wastes in the water are acidic and cause the pH to drop.
your tank has classic old tank syndrome.
it will continue to drop until your fish begin to suffer pH shock and die.
I have seen it happen many many times with people that never change water..you are okay for a while, sometimes a long while..and then the pH hits 5.5 or so, and boom.
your fish begin to die.
you have a nice tank, but please BE CAREFUL!
we don't want to see any dead fish. that always sucks.
your tank has classic old tank syndrome.
it will continue to drop until your fish begin to suffer pH shock and die.
I have seen it happen many many times with people that never change water..you are okay for a while, sometimes a long while..and then the pH hits 5.5 or so, and boom.
your fish begin to die.
you have a nice tank, but please BE CAREFUL!
we don't want to see any dead fish. that always sucks.
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My daughter is turning 4 in less than a month. Plus, I don't find mammals agreeable. They produce strange odors. (This includes humans)
LOL
I will get shot at too!
I have had my what I thought was a 50 tall is now a 35t... I do monthly 50% waterchange. The list below is pretty accurate as far as stocking and I have no real plants. I have to admit I have been a little lazy in the testing of the water... I do have a liquid test kit. this tank has been running for over a year. I did have some difficulties when I first started it but have not any problems.
Just my 2 cents but dont grill me.:headbang2:
I have had my what I thought was a 50 tall is now a 35t... I do monthly 50% waterchange. The list below is pretty accurate as far as stocking and I have no real plants. I have to admit I have been a little lazy in the testing of the water... I do have a liquid test kit. this tank has been running for over a year. I did have some difficulties when I first started it but have not any problems.
Just my 2 cents but dont grill me.:headbang2:
people can sometimes get away with long periods between water changes because the nitrate levels slowly climb and the fish can adapt to some extent to this slow gradual increase.
however, this only happens to a point. Often what happen is the nitrates eventually reach a critical level (usually 50 to 100+ mg/l depending on how senstive the fish is) and they run into problems then.
what also can happen, is 'old tank syndrome" which is the gradual drop in pH due to acidic wastes being accumulated.
again, this can be okay for a while, but once the pH gets too low, even the hardiest of fish can run into problems.
you start to see cloudy eye, fungus like stuff on the body and fins etc.
from the high nitrates, of course, fish are much more prone to bacterial infections that can result in popeye, cloudy eye etc.
it really can be playing a bit of russian roulette with the fish..
What can also happen with tanks with old tank syndrome, is the fish that are living in it can appear fine, due the gradual drop over time.
the problem often comes when a NEW fish is added, who goes from a nitrate level of 12mg/L and a pH of 7.5 at the fish store, to a tank of 100mg/L nitrate and a pH of 6.0 at home.
these fish often do not make 48 hours in the new tank...
however, this only happens to a point. Often what happen is the nitrates eventually reach a critical level (usually 50 to 100+ mg/l depending on how senstive the fish is) and they run into problems then.
what also can happen, is 'old tank syndrome" which is the gradual drop in pH due to acidic wastes being accumulated.
again, this can be okay for a while, but once the pH gets too low, even the hardiest of fish can run into problems.
you start to see cloudy eye, fungus like stuff on the body and fins etc.
from the high nitrates, of course, fish are much more prone to bacterial infections that can result in popeye, cloudy eye etc.
it really can be playing a bit of russian roulette with the fish..
What can also happen with tanks with old tank syndrome, is the fish that are living in it can appear fine, due the gradual drop over time.
the problem often comes when a NEW fish is added, who goes from a nitrate level of 12mg/L and a pH of 7.5 at the fish store, to a tank of 100mg/L nitrate and a pH of 6.0 at home.
these fish often do not make 48 hours in the new tank...
From what I understand the bacteria that break down Ammonia and Nitrites produce acidic waste...(That are in addition to Nitrates?)
So technically could he have a low nitrates level (as the plants absorb the Nitrates to convert to Nitrogen and use), but a dropping pH as the acids build up in his tank?
*Edit* By acids I mean other possible byproducts of the bacteria cycle aside from the Nitrates themselves. I am aware that high Nitrate levels are usually a symptom of OTS.
So technically could he have a low nitrates level (as the plants absorb the Nitrates to convert to Nitrogen and use), but a dropping pH as the acids build up in his tank?
*Edit* By acids I mean other possible byproducts of the bacteria cycle aside from the Nitrates themselves. I am aware that high Nitrate levels are usually a symptom of OTS.
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one of the toxic byproducts that a bacterial population will give out via respiration is c02, which of course drops the pH of the water via the formation of carbonic acid.
so, yes, this is part of it.
but the ammonia excreted by the fishes gills is also acidic, as is the urea produced by the fishes urine in the water.
so, there are lots of waste products that can drop the pH on the tank (decaying plant matter is another for example).
the function of water changes is not not only reduce and then dilute these wastes, but to add carbonate minerals into the water to help to buffer the pH against further drops.
