I do not do regular water changes on my established tanks, and have healthy tanks and fish. The larger tanks prolly get one hmmm around about 3 monthly, smaller tanks prolly monthly.
On newly setup tanks though, because i always cycle with fish, i do small regular water changes every 2 days
Works for me and mine
Water Changes too frequent
16 posts • Page 2 of 2
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Tmercier834747 - Posts: 887
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm
Avoid all the details. Just keep the nitrAtes below 15ppm...simple. Or if you want your fish to live as long as possible <5ppm.
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
If you aren't doing water changes while you are cycling your tank, then you don't understand the nitrogen cycle and how it affects your fish.
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stingraysrule - Posts: 271
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:37 pm
What works for one person, might not work for another person.
I think if you have healthy, long living fish, minute algae, and clean water and sand... you are doing something right.
The more fish you have in the tank, the more water changes and work I believe you will have to do. Less fish, less you have to maintain.
I think if you have healthy, long living fish, minute algae, and clean water and sand... you are doing something right.
The more fish you have in the tank, the more water changes and work I believe you will have to do. Less fish, less you have to maintain.
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Mikaila31 - Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:21 am
Their is no such thing as too frequent water changes. However after a certain quantity/frequency their effectiveness is not as great. If a tank is use to frequent water changes then nothing is wrong with it. I just did one of my weekly 50% water changes. Water changes are most important during cycling, I would expect at least daily 50% water changes is not more.... It comes down to the tanks water parameters and how it is setup, if you setup a tank following El Natural method then month WC are fine, if you have a heavily stocked tank you need more water changes.
Nitrates are not terribly important IMO.... I get 20ppm out of the tap and their are a lot more in the tanks. I've bred and currently breed lots of various fish. Eggs generally need a RO mix to hatch though...
Nitrates are not terribly important IMO.... I get 20ppm out of the tap and their are a lot more in the tanks. I've bred and currently breed lots of various fish. Eggs generally need a RO mix to hatch though...
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dream2reef - Posts: 521
- Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:19 am
I agree with stingray here. Fish can't tell us what they need or what is too high or too low or if they are hungry. We just do this and that and hope it works. Like having a newborn. I cycled my tanks with fish due to bad advice and no research. I was in that instant gradification mode. My girlfriend said she'd like a fish....little did she know what I had in mind...55 gallon and 2 30's 75 on the way Do it yourself 130 in the sub-conscience, 6 dead fish later lol. But, I then researched and found cycling with fish should have more frequent water changes (10% every other day). Now, if I had the master test kit I'd just stay within my ranges and know exactly when to change the water. I watch my fish daily eating habits what not. That alone is better then anything you can do for your fish I've found out after a few treaments. And as said before it's different for everyone. Really just depends on your fish where you bought it from how it's treated there. How hardy the breed is ya know all the stuff everyone knows.
