overstocked 55 gallon??

[Sharkgurl]

tell me...if the water is clear and no fish have died in over almost 9 years than why should the water be changed??? sorry betta, but one thing she forgot to mention was that when the water evaporates(it get down about an inch or so from the top) we add new water. idk if that counts as a water change or not but still

 

[gatotsu77]

All that really does is allow the harmful substances to concentrate in the water until you dilute them out a bit by adding water to top-off the tank. It doesn't allow for the removal of any of those harmful substances as real water changes do. I apologize if this is rude, but clear water doesn't mean squat. Have you tested any of your water parameters recently? Bettagurl did mention that 4 painted tetras died, but I won't focus on that. Has it been 9 years without an actual water change? Or have you done them before and just haven't recently? Based on what Bettagurl was describing, some of your fish might be suffering. (again, I don't want this to come across as rude... I'm just going off of what I've read)

 

[bettagurl]

the painted tetras probably died because they were painted tetras(i hate the fact that they are dyed).i put this post up to see if her tank was os so i could get her a dwarf gourami,but it's a bit os so i cant get her one.thats the whole reason that i put the post up.

 

[Rbishop]

After all the deletes and edits, this needs to stay on the topic of fish and overstocking/water changes. It will not be allowed to digress into more personal attacks as in the past.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Sharkgurl]

yeah sure.....i find this all a little rude. concidering she didn't have to put up the whole thing about me not doing water changes. she could have just told you how many fish were in the tank and asked if it was os or not. if she had done that mabey i wouldn't be so ticked off right now.
i care about my fish and you all do to but if your going to give me the advice then do it! i really don't wanna stay mad...allthough i might stay mad at betta for a while, but we're still friends....i hope. :girl:

 

[plah831]

I hate to butt in, but she posted that you do not do water changes because it demonstrates the extent of neglect to the fish. Water changes are essential to keeping fish healthy because otherwise their waste products have nowhere to go. They can't disappear on their own, and will not be eaten up by bacteria, as this is a closed system, not an open one like a stream or bay. This is not a personal attack, Sharkgurl, it is a fact.

 

[bettagurl]

i posted not doing water changes to see if a dwarf gourami could live without water changes,i wasnt trying to start a problem i was trying to do somthing nice for my friend.

 

[plah831]

well, gouramis like bettas can breathe air. But their gills and the rest of their bodies are still exposed to the toxins in the water. So they'll still suffer ammonia poisoning and get diseases from poor water quality.

Bettagurl, I know you were trying to do something nice for a friend. But if someone doesn't want to help themself, there's no way anyone else can convince them to make a change. Unfortunately, in the case of pets, another living thing is the one that suffers

But we're probably not going to change Sharkgurl's mind if she's convinced nothing is wrong.

 

[RockabillyChick]

just like plah said, when fish pee, it creates ammonia, which is very, very deadly. but its not JUST ammonia, there are other minerals and substances in it as well. the ammonia is eaten up by bacteria already in the tank (in the filter sponge) and converted into nitrIte. nitrIte is also very harmful. there is another type of bacteria also present that eats the nitrIte and converts it into nitrAte. this is the least harmful. but it is also the end of the line. there is nowhere else the nitrAte can go. and if it builds up and builds up, along with all the other minerals and what we call "Total Dissolved Solids" in the water, it causes the water to actually get "thick" with all this stuff dissolved into it.

the ONLY way to remove these substances is through water changes every week. these substances do not evaporate, so just topping off the water that evaporates does nothing. water has to actually be removed, and replaced with conditioned tap water.

if your tank was a lake or stream, for one, there would be a much, MUCH smaller bioload, but the same bacteria would be present, PLUS there would also be plants and other microorganizms and bacteria all working together to eat up the extra nutrients. not to mention that the water would be seeping into the ground, and being replaced by rain water and snow melt, which is pure water, not containing any sort of dissolved minerals or waste.

therefore, in a closed system like an aquarium, without all those microorganizms and bacteria completeing the cycle, its up to us to play god and do water changes every week to keep the tank healthy.

 

[Rbishop]

Well said, RC.