Water Change Dangers
- Thread starter labont865
- Start date
I too must respectfully disagree with the origional post. I do agree that anyting can happen within a biotope and balance will eventually prevail.
However, the purpose of the water changes is different than the vacuming or cleaning process. The water changes are for the fish, the vacuming for the biological balance, and the cleaning is for our enjoyment. Different situations require different approaches.
I have found that if you have multiple biological filters in a tank, you should never have a problem (unless you are medicating the tank) with large or thourogh maintinance routines..
I have only had problems during a medication period with mini cycles. I am sure that any changes to the quality of the water source can do that as well. In the summer where I live they increase the clorine content without any warning. This practice is probably the biggest discouragement to hobbiests, and if you follow the recycler or some classified adds newpaper regularly, you will see the patterns by area code and prefix of the communities that do this. If this is a fear, just add more clorinator...
However, the purpose of the water changes is different than the vacuming or cleaning process. The water changes are for the fish, the vacuming for the biological balance, and the cleaning is for our enjoyment. Different situations require different approaches.
I have found that if you have multiple biological filters in a tank, you should never have a problem (unless you are medicating the tank) with large or thourogh maintinance routines..
I have only had problems during a medication period with mini cycles. I am sure that any changes to the quality of the water source can do that as well. In the summer where I live they increase the clorine content without any warning. This practice is probably the biggest discouragement to hobbiests, and if you follow the recycler or some classified adds newpaper regularly, you will see the patterns by area code and prefix of the communities that do this. If this is a fear, just add more clorinator...
Like BigmouthDummydaveedka said:AquaDummy, judging solely from your assesment, It may be time to change your user name to something more fitting.
dave
see this is what I mean another comment on water changes
I just dont get people sometimes We already went through the whole water change thing, I know your comment is different than what has been said but still everybody with a part of the topic we have already covered.
As for Aquadummy, I agree you really dont deserve that name.
Anyways I think this topic has pretty much run its course and to prevent any further confrontation I probaly wont post in it anymore. You guys all have your views and opinions and I respect that. You guys just remember to respect everybody elses as-well.
I just dont get people sometimes We already went through the whole water change thing, I know your comment is different than what has been said but still everybody with a part of the topic we have already covered.
As for Aquadummy, I agree you really dont deserve that name.
Anyways I think this topic has pretty much run its course and to prevent any further confrontation I probaly wont post in it anymore. You guys all have your views and opinions and I respect that. You guys just remember to respect everybody elses as-well.
I respect everyone's opinion. But I rely on factual proof.
All opinions are taken into consideration, but not taken as fact. All opinions presented as fact are...well, not received well by the community, nor should they be.
I don't want to upset anyone. I'm just presenting the reason why I come to AC is this is where I can find WHY it works, not that it seems to work in a certain scenario. A certain scenario that does not relate to my circumstances.
All opinions are taken into consideration, but not taken as fact. All opinions presented as fact are...well, not received well by the community, nor should they be.
I don't want to upset anyone. I'm just presenting the reason why I come to AC is this is where I can find WHY it works, not that it seems to work in a certain scenario. A certain scenario that does not relate to my circumstances.
Part of the reason for a newbie forum is to help those starting out wade thru the myths and misinformation that pervade our hobby. Unfortunately, that fact that something was printed in a published book on fishkeeping doesn't carry much weight around here, because there are a plethora of books that contain patently wrong and/or outdated information.
Water changes, in any amount, have no bearing on nitrifying bacteria, as there are few found floating in the water column. (Want to check this? Draw water from an existing tank, put it in an empty clean vessel and dose it with ammonia. You'll see very little nitrification occur.)
As mentioned, vacuuming the gravel doesn't dislodge bacteria as they are firmly attached to surfaces.
If you cleaned all your filter media, and did it in such a way as to kill all/most of the beneficial bacteria, that could cause problems. Cleaning filter media in dechlorinated water (old tank water, for example) would avoid that problem. Even better, use redundant filters and don't clean both at the same time.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but just because you have an opinion doesn't make it factually correct. It certainly wouldn't be responsible for us to allow incorrect information to go unchallenged, especially in a newbie forum, which is why this thread is as long as it is, I suspect.
HTH,
Jim
Water changes, in any amount, have no bearing on nitrifying bacteria, as there are few found floating in the water column. (Want to check this? Draw water from an existing tank, put it in an empty clean vessel and dose it with ammonia. You'll see very little nitrification occur.)
As mentioned, vacuuming the gravel doesn't dislodge bacteria as they are firmly attached to surfaces.
If you cleaned all your filter media, and did it in such a way as to kill all/most of the beneficial bacteria, that could cause problems. Cleaning filter media in dechlorinated water (old tank water, for example) would avoid that problem. Even better, use redundant filters and don't clean both at the same time.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but just because you have an opinion doesn't make it factually correct. It certainly wouldn't be responsible for us to allow incorrect information to go unchallenged, especially in a newbie forum, which is why this thread is as long as it is, I suspect.
HTH,
Jim
Milky
Follow the white rabbit.
Buddy/Ignore my list...
You can always use the buddy/ignore list. I love it and it comes in handy, I just disagree with some peoples opinions and rather than me read about some peoples replys I prefer not to hear what they have to say... Im sure your post was made with the best intentions of helping fish stay alive..... Theres to many good views, opinions and considerate people to get caught up in the few bad ones that tick you off...When I see people posting pictures of guns I immediatly put them in my ignore list because i dont think guns have any place on a fish website, when i read about people arguing about something I usually put them on my ignore list its not that I have anything against them personally its just that I decide who and what i want to see and read about.
The power is Yours!!! "Captain Planet"
You can always use the buddy/ignore list. I love it and it comes in handy, I just disagree with some peoples opinions and rather than me read about some peoples replys I prefer not to hear what they have to say... Im sure your post was made with the best intentions of helping fish stay alive..... Theres to many good views, opinions and considerate people to get caught up in the few bad ones that tick you off...When I see people posting pictures of guns I immediatly put them in my ignore list because i dont think guns have any place on a fish website, when i read about people arguing about something I usually put them on my ignore list its not that I have anything against them personally its just that I decide who and what i want to see and read about.
The power is Yours!!! "Captain Planet"
