Water changes

[Caper]

hmmm...thought I posted this last night or I should say in the wee hours this morning!

After the disaster with the Mollies, I didn't do another water change until 2 weeks...wanted to give Sam and The Little One some stress free time!

I plan on doing my water changes on Mondays.

What do you folks suggest...I've read many different opinions on this on the net?

25% every week? or should I do every second week?

Do I need to vacuum everytime I do a water change?

I'm trying to set up a routine here!

Thinking...water change only 1 week, then 2nd week water change & vacuum, then once a month water change, vacuum, and remove decorations and clean. What's the opion on this????

Oh...and how do I get the emoticons in this section? I understand that I shouldn't use them too often.

On a funny note, I also have a calico (male, which is rare here!) pussycat...who at first was SCARED of the aquarium...but now when I put him in front on a chair...always with him when I do this of course... he likes it, of course, trying to figure out how to get them...lol I also have to be careful not to stress him...he has cardiomyopathy!

One more thing...NEW ZEALAND....WOW! Is there like a 24 hour time difference between us?

[Snowman]

I do the water change 1 week, vacuum the next week but i dont remove the decorations as i like a little bit of algae on them as they look more natural, i have had to remove them before to get Black Beard Algae off before but my fish dont like being disturbed to much. My male B/Nose and big Clown Loach get especially upset and takes about 3 weeks before i see them again. Depends on the fish though of course.

When you are typing a message just click on an emoticon n the left hand side and it will appear in your message, i don't think there is a limit on emoticons as long as they are part of a message. : -)>

[Luke*]

It's just as easy to vacuum the gravel when doing a water change so why not? All their waste is in there so the fish appreciate cleaner all round tank and water as opposed to just some fresh water that will be dirtied by the deitritus in the bottom of the tank sooner.

[Snowman]

My GBA i vacuum every time (70-80 GBA's) the others dont get very dirty so no point in disturbing the bacteria in the substrate.

[HummingBird]

I agree with Luke, I always vacuum when I do water changes. As for frequency, every two weeks should be alright but it certainly wouldn't hurt to do it every week if you have the time spare.

[Snowman]

I suppose it depends on tank size and loading, i get a lot of gunk out of the GBA tank every week but the others i get very little out once a fortnight so not much point in a weekly vac, my syphon is 3 times faster than vacuuming so it saves quite a bit of time. I started vacuuming every time but after a while of getting very little decided every 2 weeks, depending on what Hollywood has in stock next time i visit may change that of course LOL.

The key to a low stock tank i have found is make sure you leave your wallet at home when you visit the LFS

[muddy]

there is no exact time frame for changing water, just regular time frames and regular water quality checks with test kits.

there seems to be one thing in common with which ever web site you go to, the LFS never gives the right info, they are there to make money, of course there are some very good shops around as well, they sell you all the equipment to start and the fish, your happy and they are happy, the fish die, you think you did something wrong or you just got bad fish, so you go back and buy more fish, your pocket is lighter and the LFS has more of your money in his account and so on and so on.

research and patience, snowman is correct in saying that you go to the LFS with an empty pocket.

i vacume/syphon fortnightly about 25% give my filters a swishout in the syphoned water about every 6 months but don't sqweeze or wring out the filter you will damadge the bacteria, try to have the new water as close to the same temp as the tank , room temp seems to work.

everybody has different ideas for everything, there is nothing exact with this hobby

muddy

[plecs]

muddy,

i work in an LFS and i can honestly say that I have NEVER given wrong advice in the hope that things will go wrong in the customers tank and i will make more money as a result.

Many customers dont have a lot of money and I will always try and find the cheapest way for them to do something, even if that means them going to another LFS for something.

I will also not sell a customer something that I dont think they need or want! they are less likely to return if they feel that we are just after their money!

I think that you shouldnt generalise so much! what u say may be the case at some LFS, but certainly NOT mine!

plecs

[Caper]

Thanks folks

As a rule, there is no problem for me to do a water change on Monday's... but then I've only had the tank since...1 MONTH today!

I only bought the tetras on Friday...so I didn't do the water change today because I was scared it might stress them too much, want to give them time to get used to their new home, does this make since?

Therefore, next Monday would be 2 weeks since the last change, so I will be doing the change next week...sound reasonable????

[mustcooktea]

Hi Caper and welcome to the site.

In regards to your water changes, because your tank is still very new (only one month) and probably still cycling, I was wondering whether you have tested your water at all? The reason I ask is because 2 weeks can be a long time between changes when the tank is cycling.

If you test the water and everything is good then a water change can wait but if your ammonia or nitrItes are high then it is better for the fish if you do a water change. Sometimes more frequent changes are required during the cycling process compared to when the tank is established.

Best of luck!

[Caper]

Hi Mustcooktea & thank you for the welcome

I'm the person who posted "newbie with fishie-part2". I had trouble the first week (Ick) and had to do daily water changes.

I had my water checked and was told the pH was up a bit: I think it was 7.2 they told me around 7 would be better.

I don't exactly remember when (between that time and the time I got the tetras), I did have my water tested at the pet store. Everything was fine but pH was up, but I knew this because I tested for it myself (but being new I wanted to be sure!) 7.6.

So I bought pH down and gradually began to add. But I wasn't seeing any change, I thought this might have been due to the fact that nothing was added to the water while I was working. Sooooooooooooooo

I wondered if changing from bottled water to tap water had anything to do with it as well. I checked my tap water, as per the net, and it was 7.6 I rinsed the tube out with the bottled water and retested my tank, pH was coming down. I just checked now and it is...mmmmm...hate trying to see these colors 8) ...it is between 7 & 7.2.

As far as testing the ammonia & nitrates regularly, when I was picking up the test kit for the pH I was looking for the kits for those as well. While at the store, I spoke to a woman who had an aquarium for a long time; and she told me I didn't need to test except for pH.

Opinions on this??????????

[DiverJohn]

Giday Caper. IMO test kits are a must. I purchased a kit that had, pH (Hi + std range), Ammonia, Nitrite, and Gh (general hardness). I tested regularly ( evry couple of weeks) until i got use to how things work and then dropped back to monthly.

As i got a little more involved in the hobby I have added a KH test kit, Iron test, and recently a phospahte test kit. if you get into your plants then you will discover ( as I did) these are good tests to have on hand. ( Nitrate is probably on the list for next payday)

Otherwise about all you can really tell is... its water, and its wet! :lol:

Just my 2c

John

[Caper]

Hello there DiverJohn!

Heh, before I get into the testing kits...must tell you...checked out your pictures today...WOW...especially those angel fish, beautiful! Are yours freshwater tanks?

What are IMO kits? Oh, sooooooo much to learn I think I should have started reading about aquariums, hmmmmmmmm, at least a year before getting one!

Do I really need to test all those things? At the most, I expected to hear the ammonia, nitrates, and the pH. If I don't test all these things, does that mean I can't have a "healthy" aquarium with healthy fish?

About the plants, I really hope that I never have to have real plants...my ex used to tell me I was so bad with plants that I could kill artificial plants

Heh...can't get my cat on my drug plan...do you think I can get the fish on it :-?

[Shelley]

Hi Caper.....IMO is an abbreviation for 'in my opinion'. and yes i think test kits are essential. I am new and finding my way by braille too. I think the basic kits you need are PH,ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I also have a GH and KH test kit (for water hardness) but the main tests i do are the PH nitrite ammonia and nitrate. Maybe when we become more experienced we might not need to depend so heavily on the warning signs from these kits but it sure does tell you if something is wrong and you can act on it.

[Caper]

Thanks Shelly... :lol: ...IMO...thought it was something to do with a test kit!

But with everything I've read, obviously long way from being absorbed (need a computer chip in my brain), I don't remember seeing that you had to test nitrite AND nitrate. Until you and DiverJohn suggested! But then, I have been reading soooo much on the net, as I stated somewhere here before..."system" overload.

How long have you had an aquarium? What size?

It is great to have a place like this with so many people willing to help.

There are only 2 places locally that sell fish, 1 a small pet store and 1 is in a department store. If I go to the 1 in the dept. store and people are buying fish, I'll ask them questions...

I can see the headlines one of these days in our local paper reading...Crazy Woman Escorted Out of Mall for Harrassing Aquarium Owners :lol:

[Shelley]

hi again. yes i know what you mean. I had never heard of nitrite before coming to this forum....and when i saw it i thought i had been spelling nitrates wrong! lol. But in a very short time of reading you learn about the cycle of ammonia-->nitrite-->nitrate

we now have7 tanks :-). My daughter had a tiny tank which is now or baby tank. she then bought a 360 litre tank (4 feet wide)which i am currently having a lot of trouble with...something is wrong with the water but i cant quite pin it down. i bought 3 tanks 2 feet by 1 foot by 1 foot and once things are running right they will be my adolescent tank (for babies that are too big to be babies but not quite ready to be put in with the big guys) the breeding tank, and the female fighters tank (currently i only have one i would like about 3). Then i have my dining room tank (3 feet) which I will re-set up as i tried just river stones and it looks awful....also the stand for it is too low so i will drag in a heavy old cabinet we have and sit the tank on that. Then there is the kitchen tank which is.....i think about 2 and a half feet wide. This will be my 'blue' tank for all my favourite fish. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen so it will be nice to chat to my blue gouramis and fighter fish while getting tea ready

I am just in the throws of resetting this tank up now after resealing it. so there won't be muc in there for quite a wee while yet.

[DiverJohn]

IMO = in my opinion - kind of a disclaimer, its just what i think

Yes there is alot to learn, luckly for me I did a BSc with a bit of analytical chemistry. Not a prerequisite to owning fish but helps a bit.

Thanks for the feedback on my tank, unfortunatly the Angel fish died very mysteriously

Just so you know ( and anybody else feel frre to chip in) NitrAtes are not critical to kep an eye on in most aquariums, I am wanting to ensure my plants have the correct balance of nutrients to grow. But Ammonia & NitrItes are something you need keep an eye on while you tank is cycling.

HTH = (Hope that helps )

DJ

[Shelley]

I've said it before.....and I will say it again YGASC! (You guys are so cool ;-) ) thanks for the great advice :-)

[Caper]

Good morning all!

I bought an ammonia test kit...reading is 0! pH is between 7 & 7.2. I'm still looking for a nitrite and a nitrate test kit.

So, I should do tests once a week, right? How does testing fit in with regular water changes? Little...oh heck...a lot confused! If I do my water changes weekly, would I still test? What about if I do the water change every second week?

Monday I will be doing a water change.

Still trying to get this clear:

-vacuum without moving or removing ornaments (once week or every two weeks)

-rinse my carbon filter every second week (replace once a month?)

-according to directions the bio filter I NEVER replace but if really dirty I can rinse it in the bucket of water that I removed from tank

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh....test, change, test, change....HELLLLLLPPPPPP!

[Caryl]

I don't keep carbon in my filters as I think it is an unnecessary added expense as you have to keep replacing it regularly. Depending on your filter type, replace the carbon with extra filter wool or ceramic noodles.

It can be interesting at the start to do water tests just before, then just after, you do the water changes. This will give you an idea of whether you are doing the water changes soon enough, or possibly able to leave them a little longer (like your 2nd rather than every week).

An ammonia reading of 0 is good!

[Caper]

Thank you Caryl

You folks are such a wealth of information!

My filter sits on the back of my tank. It came with the aquarium. Inside is the bio filter and then behind that sits the carbon filter. I appreciate your suggestion (and money saving tips ) but for now I'll keep this until I'm more experienced.

I was really confused on the testing and water changing :-? , couldn't understand why I would test the water then change it right after!

What you have explained makes sense! But just to make sure I'm getting it, this is what I should do tomorrow (water change day!):

-test the water (so far only have a pH kit & ammonia)

-change the water

-then test again....immediately after the change or wait a bit???

Sooooooo, do my readings every week...then I could leave the water changes to every second week????

I hope I can find test kits for the nitrite and nitrate. In your opinion, Caryl, is testing once a week enough?

[Caryl]

That is plenty. Once you are more experienced you will test even less. I only test my tanks if I suspect a problem.

Let the tank settle a bit before the 2nd test. testing twice is just to satisy your curiosity and let you know what your tank is doing until you get the hang of it