How often do you do a water change?

TooManyDogs

So after a bit of a guilt trip from me about the state of hubby's tropical tank didn't he go and do a 50% water change like a big dense :eek: He hadn't changed the water in forever and now he's lost 5 fish (poor cory no longer needs buddies ) I tried telling him it's too much after so long but what do I know???:rolleyes:

So how often do you do a water change and what percentage do you take out?

Sleepy

10-20% every week.

paddyandy

A few drops of Isinglass from the petshop but i use it for the GOLDFISH TANK. I never change the water the filter keeps it clean .Sometimes the water can 'look dirty' but it's the panels that need a clean .

Sleepy

The filter does *NOT* keep the water perfectly safe for goldfish. It turns the ammonia in fish waste into Nitrate. Nitrate, when present at less than 20 ppm isn't any danger to fish. Above that, however, becomes toxic to them. paddyandy: you need to start doing regular water changes and testing your water.

kylith

30-50% every 7-10 days, depending on the tank.

godtabh

The size of the tank, the number of fish, now often they are fed all determine how often the tank should be cleaned.

I generally do a 30 change ever week and clean my filters every 3/4 months. i have been known to go to two weeks if I dont have a chance to do it at the weekend for what ever reason.

50% or more water change can have a negative effect on the good bacteria in the system

fungun

~30% change out every 2-3 weeks, sometimes might sneak to 4. Filter clean out every second or third water change.

I know they are generally hated as being inaccurate (which they are) but I find the strips to be a great once over spot check on water quality.

Its an art, not a science :rolleyes:

paddy147

20% water change in the 500 litre tank every 2-3 weeks or so.External filter wool also cleaned out/changed roughly every 6 weeks to 2 months..

Water temp at a constant 29 degrees C and PH is allways at 6.5-6.7 max.

The usual and regular water tests are done too.

Tank,plants and fish are flying.

Even have several baby bristle nose plecs in the tank now (2 plecs got jiggy with it).:D



PS-Changing too much water too often,can actualy do more harm than good (tank size dependent)

paddy147

paddyandy wrote: »

A few drops of Isinglass from the petshop but i use it for the GOLDFISH TANK. I never change the water the filter keeps it clean .Sometimes the water can 'look dirty' but it's the panels that need a clean .

Who told you that??

Id be changing pet shops,if its a petshop that told you that.:eek:

Alkers

10% every Wednesday.

TooManyDogs

Thanks guys. Hubby lost another 2 tetras last night so the decision is made, the tank is now mine

So I think friday nights will be washing-hair followed by cleaning-tanks night from now on!

Do you hoover the gravel every time or just take out water?

Sleepy

TooManyDogs: do the tank before your hair, it can be a messy enough business if you need to get your arms in to do some gardening / squeeze out filter sponges etc.!

Hoover the gravel every time, it siphons out the water at the same time and once you start seeing the crap that comes out of the gravel, you'll get why it needs to be done!

fungun

paddy147 wrote: »

20% water change in the 500 litre tank every 2-3 weeks or so.External filter wool also cleaned out/changed roughly every 6 weeks to 2 months..

Water temp at a constant 29 degrees C and PH is allways at 6.5-6.7 max.

The usual and regular water tests are done too.

Tank,plants and fish are flying.

Even have several baby bristle nose plecs in the tank now (2 plecs got jiggy with it).:D



PS-Changing too much water too often,can actualy do more harm than good (tank size dependent)

if your baby bristlenoses enter the swap shop, let me know! :cool:

Silverfish

Goldie tank : weekly, 25%. Recently got another gravel vacuum so I can give the gravel a clean during the week.

120L : 25% every week, or sometimes two weeks (since I'm way understocked and all)

110L snail tank: 50% every two weeks, these lads poo like nothing I've seen before.

23L Shrimp and rasbora tank: 10% weekly, afraid to shock these guys.

25L Shrimp tank: 5% every two days, it's open topped so it evaporates like crazy.

paddy147

fungun wrote: »

if your baby bristlenoses enter the swap shop, let me know! :cool:

I spotted 4 of them today all feeding in a small gap in the main piece of bog oak.Very small but wery well developed in their appearence/markings

Tried to get up close and get a decent pic,but I scared them off,with my ugly mush.:D

TooManyDogs

I hoover my own little tank each week but didn't know if I'd end up taking up too much water from a big tank with the hoover by getting carried away cleaning!

I reckon the fact that there's now about 8 fish dead now that the water must be pure muck, so what do you think of doing a 10% water change each week for a couple of months before adding in any new fish?

paddy147

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I hoover my own little tank each week but didn't know if I'd end up taking up too much water from a big tank with the hoover by getting carried away cleaning!

I reckon the fact that there's now about 8 fish dead now that the water must be pure muck, so what do you think of doing a 10% water change each week for a couple of months before adding in any new fish?

Well for starters,I wouldnt be using a hoover to take out the water.

Not a good idea.

TooManyDogs

I'm being smart saying hoover, I use one of these. It does act like a hoover though

kylith

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I hoover my own little tank each week but didn't know if I'd end up taking up too much water from a big tank with the hoover by getting carried away cleaning!

I reckon the fact that there's now about 8 fish dead now that the water must be pure muck, so what do you think of doing a 10% water change each week for a couple of months before adding in any new fish?

I'd change more than that; about 25%, or you could change 10% every couple of days.

fungun

I know space is an issue for some people, but also people need to realise that smaller tanks are harder to maintain water stability in. You see these people in a fish shop thinking 'ah, ill just get a small tank to start with', without realising that those small ones are much more difficult to keep stable than a larger one!

paddy147

I could name 3 specific pet shops here in Dublin where the staff are talking out of their arses,when it comes to fish stock and keeping a fish tank healthy.

These 3 shops havent a clue about fish tanks and fish stock.

The staff are as thick as 2 planks and should be fired,as they havent a clue,yet they seem to be allowed to work in the aquariam sections of these particular shops.

Best to go to a dedicated fish/aquariam shop,at least you know that these shops are up to date and actually know what advice to give out.

kylith

paddy147 wrote: »

I could name 3 specific pet shops here in Dublin where the staff are talking out of their arses,when it comes to fish stock and keeping a fish tank healthy.

These 3 shops havent a clue about fish tanks and fish stock.

The staff are as thick as 2 planks and should be fired,as they havent a clue,yet they seem to be allowed to work in the aquariam sections of these particular shops.

Best to go to a dedicated fish/aquariam shop,at least you know that these shops are up to date and actually know what advice to give out.

I find that in just about every petshop. There's only one I'd really trust, and one where they don't seem too bad. I'd still do my own research before buying anything.

Remember; they're sales people. Their job is to sell you things. From the shop's point of view if they sell you a fish and it dies then they can sell you another one and make more money.

paddy147

kylith wrote: »

I find that in just about every petshop. There's only one I'd really trust, and one where they don't seem too bad. I'd still do my own research before buying anything.

Remember; they're sales people. Their job is to sell you things. From the shop's point of view if they sell you a fish and it dies then they can sell you another one and make more money.

My friend recently went of a job interview with a well known Pet store here in Dublin.

He knows everything (and I mean everything) about fish keeping,marines,cold water,tropicals etc etc.He has good retail sales experience,from working with customers and fish/pets previously and has a very impressive CV to back it up.

He got a text saying that he wasnt successfull in getting the job.

The "young lad" (and I mean young lad,barely out of nappies) who got the job,is in charge of the aquariam/fish section of this large pet store,and he hasnt got a bleeding clue what hes doing.:mad::mad:

Myself and my girlfriend had to tell him he was wrong,when he was giving us "so called" "expert" advice on our tank and its stock.

Another customer over heard this,and he came up and tapped me on the shoulder,and told me that he too had been badly miss informed by this lad too.

I actually mentioned to the store manager,that the lad in question,hasnt a clue what hes doing or talking about,and was completely out of his depth.

How do these large pet stores expect to do any business,and keep their customer base if they dont/wont employ the propper staff that know what they are doing and talking about????

Sleepy

The more fish people mistreat the more medications, water treatments and new fish the store sells.

Sad reality for those who aren't serious about fish-keeping.

paddy147

Anyway,Im gone off topic now.

Sorry about that.Lets move on.

mutznutz

I would also love one of those plecos.. had a royal pleco and he died on me .. was so upset cos he was beautiful and also expensive ...so theres room for one now ...

Degsy

mutznutz wrote: »

I would also love one of those plecos.. had a royal pleco and he died on me .. was so upset cos he was beautiful and also expensive ...so theres room for one now ...

i have a sailfin pleco..he was about two inches when i got him and a year later he's over 8" long.

The amount of crap that comes out of this one fish dwarfs what comes out of my two large oscars put together.

Actually maybe you'd like to rehome the pleco?