Water changes

[ljtan55]

Last night I did about a 50% water change with aged tap water at the same temp of the tank, and I've come home in the afternoon to a slightly cloudy tank, with some of the fry at the surface. I've done another water change with water from the established community tank, so hopefully the cycle has been established again, but I'm wondering how ppl that do major water changes manage with the bacterial bloom that happens with big water changes? I'm concerned about the fry in the tank, its my first batch, and I'd hate to lose them, especially cos the parents are producing increasingly smaller batches.

Any help would be great thanks!

[Luke*]

Hey ljtan55, did you wash the filter/s out with cold tap water or warm tank water? If you used cold it would've killed the beneficial bacteria and your fish could be exhibiting nitrite poisoning, I've seen a couple of my discus do this once when the filter wasn't properly cycled. It's your filters that cycle, not the tank, so major water changes doesn't affect the bacteria, there is little or none in the water body itself. With undergravel filters the good bacteria is in the gravel as opposed to a filter sponge.

Did you vacuum the gravel? Maybe this disturbed detritus from the bottom and has made it cloudy, is it white or green cloudy? If you haven't already would be a good idea to clean out the filters to help remove it. HTH

[Keri Anne]

If you're running a sponge filter it may pay to pull it apart and give it a good clean out in 1/2 a bucket of tank water. I sometimes get blockages in the airline connection (an old earring has been sacrificed for cleaning out suck problems, but a hair clip or piece of thin wire are also good for the job).

The sponges should also be rinsed in a bucket of tank water every now and then as they clog up over time. I use the twin sponge filters and rinse one sponge per water change. You can usually tell if you have either of these problems by a drop in water flow.

[ljtan55]

Wow thanks for the quick replies. I didn't rinse the sponge filter or anything, it was sitting in a established tank for about 2 weeks before it got put in the fry tank, and I set up the fry tank with water from the community tank. The tank itself is only about 2 weeks running.

Last night I did a 50% water change, and the water before that was clear, it was clear water the water change but when I came back this afternoon for lunch the water was white cloudy. I've noticed the same thing in the big tank, the water gets cloudy an hour after a water change, and then becomes clear again. Never thought much of it, just thought it was like bacterial bloom. Only got worried when i saw the fry at the surface looking a bit distressed. Does that happen to anyone else, or is it just my weird water? The water is clear again after topping it up with community tank water. and the fry is looking a bit better. No fatalities that I can see luckily.

Another quick question, if you use water from the tap with a gas heater with dechlorinator, would that be the same as using aged water? Just curious cos I'm running out of containers to age water

[jude]

I don't know what fish you have but I just use tap water and dechlorinator. I've never aged it as well because the dechlorinator does the same thing.

I also usually use cold water for 20% or less water changes because it doesn't drop the temperature enough to bother the fish.

Cheers

Jude

[Keri Anne]

I don't know what fish you have but I just use tap water and dechlorinator. I've never aged it as well because the dechlorinator does the same thing.

I also usually use cold water for 20% or less water changes because it doesn't drop the temperature enough to bother the fish.

Cheers

Jude

Auckland water is quite bad in some areas though Jude. (Don't PPl in the Waikato flush twice as it's going to Auckland? )

I'd get a sample of your tap water checked by your LFS so that you have a base line to work from. Also might help to do a little research with your water company, find out what they add, if they use mutible water sources etc.

[Luke*]

Well you did everything right, 2 weeks is the right time for seeding a new filter in an already established aquarium. Also good you mentioned you dechlorinated the water and heated it. One thing.....what's your tank pH vs the tap water pH?

[sharn]

aging your water allows the chlorine to dissapate which in turn normally lowers your ph a bit. after aging my ph sits at 6.8, out of the tap its 7. dechlorinators dont evaporate the chlorine instantly so you would still get the drop (which isnt major but sometimes it will drop significantly)

[ljtan55]

Good point, I think you've nailed it. My tank water is pH 6.0 (very very soft water) and tank water is ph 7. So my 50% water change would have shocked them. Thanks I think the mystery is solved 8) Thanks!~

[Luke*]

Sweet dude glad I could help You could use some peat in your fresh tap water to lower it a bit and this will also stop the fish getting stressed out (is that the 7.0? looks like you wrote tank water twice )