Goldie Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 I have just come from another forum and read that water changes are done for many reasons. One being to take away the hormones that accumulate in the water. Can anyone tell me more about this and other reasons for the water changes. I have just simply done them because I was told it was essential for healthy enviroment for my fish and experience has proven that this is true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Sheila Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 The bacteria in your tank break down ammonia into Nitrite, and then Nitrate. Nitrate is harmless to fish, but the levels of it will still rise in the tank. Water changes dilute the Nitrate levels as well as a small amount of ammonia that starts to build up again when your tank is dirty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suemack Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 read somewhere that that the pheromones put out by the dominant male(usually) inhibit the growth and development of the smaller less dominant fish - take him out and the next dominant grows and so on - water changes are s'posed to dilute the levels of these pheromones in the water. came upon this bizarre bit of information when I started doing an animal behavioural course that was fairly involved (didn't finish - life got in the way) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Yeah, it was thought that pheromones were the main inhibitory chemicals that stunt fish growth in overcrowded conditions. We now know that it's not as simple as that, that there r numerous other chemicals released in the poo that inhibit growth n r detrimental to the health of fish. various enzymes called faecal proteases are just an example. Recent findings have shown that nitrates can be toxic too( obviously not as bad as ammonia or nitrites). http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/art ... %20Quality For e.g high nitrates is a commonly believed factor, that plays a role in the development of 'floaters' in goldfish. i like to picture keeping aquarium fish to keeping a puppy/dog in a glass enclosure, where it pees, poos, eats, breathes, sleeps, plays, grows FOREVER. Imagine if u were that pup......pretty much the same for our fish. With fish, the water is the medium, and everything 'goes through' it. Another way of viewing an aquarium setup from a water quality point of view: Picture a clear glass tank filled to the top with 'clean' water. picture it!! no fish in the setup. just an empty tank of water. If everyday we added a bit of fish flakes, pellets etc etc, and even with a filtration system in the tank, what's gonna happen to the water?? it's simply gonna go foul. n how to change that? So the main reason for doing water changes is simply to improve water quality--BY DILUTION. There r probably heaps of toxic compounds, some well known n very popular, others still a bit obsure at this stage, that are diluted with water changes. The results?? = healthier n bigger fish. Other reasons i can think of esp in times of illness/disease: diluting pathogenic organisms that are shed in large amounts from sick fish...kinda like filtering the air n replacing it with new one in a surgical theatre/ isolation chamber--SARs.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Firstly, Nitrates are not harmless. They are less toxic than ammonia and nitrite but still noxic. Long term exposure to high nitrate levels usually causes organ failure in many fish. Some fish are more sensitive than others. Some planted tanks if lightly stocked have very low nitrate levels. In fact the level has to be quite low to grow plants without algae problems. Discus are a good example of fish that release hormones into the water. These hormones inhibit growth. If a bunch of baby Discus are left alone in a tank with very few water changes they grow very slowly (especially if there are adults present). Most good Discus breeders do 90% water changes twice a day. This helps makes the Discus grow to full size in 4-5 months. Check out this article: http://www.fnzas.org.nz/aquarium-conditions.0.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted September 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 great info thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spent Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 hmm, I don't think I'll ever succumb to the discus fetish then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Discus are cool fish and very easy to keep. There seems to be some strange myth behind keeping them for no good reason. I've kept well over 40 Discus as display fish in the last 8 years. I have lost only 4. One jumped out before I knew they jumped. One got stuck under a rock. Two did the panic and smash into something thing Discus are well know for. Of the first 2 dozen I bought, I sold 23 to mates after about 2 years, - got tired of Red Turquoise! (one jumped out). The next dozen or so lived for 7-8 years before dying from old age (I didn't have all of them for the whole 8 years,- got most at 3-4 years old). I'm now on set 3, all of which are 1-1.5 years old. There have also been the many I've bought and sold as my tastes have changed + the ones I've bred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGilchrist Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Warren said Discus are a good example of fish that release hormones into the water. These hormones inhibit growth. If a bunch of baby Discus are left alone in a tank with very few water changes they grow very slowly (especially if there are adults present). Most good Discus breeders do 90% water changes twice a day. This helps makes the Discus grow to full size in 4-5 months. Warren, my Discus are still only half size and older than this, I am pretty sure the LFS did about 50% once a week, I do now about 75% once a week. So my question is if i increase the water changes, will they still grow or are they stunted. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Sounds about right. They will probably still grow a quite a bit yet. How much and how often do you feed them and what type of food? Most Discus take 1.5 to 2 years to reach adult size. Some grow faster, some slower. Keep in mind that ones that grow big in 4-5 months are fed 5-9 times a day. You are doing waterchanges big enough for pretty good growth rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGilchrist Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Phew! was woried there for a bit. The Discus have just started taking flake food, so they get a pinch of that morning and night (as much as they can eat in about 5 min, any more and they ignore it) and a cube or two of bloodworms daily. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Ive never read discus being 'Adult Size' in '4-5 Months'. Very few are even mature then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Didn't say they were mature, just big. I've seen 5 month old Discus that are 100mm diameter. This is easily young adult size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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