Changing Water Too Often?

[bgormley]

Hi guys
I'VE BEEN CYCLING MY TANK WITH 5 ZEBRA DANIOS for almost two weeks. It's a 71 litre tank and I've been doing a 20% water change every 2 days. This morning i visited my LFS where the owner advised that i was changing the water too often and i should really be only changing 30% once a week. What do you guys think? Where am i going wrong?!! Thanks in advance for any advice!!

 

[dwarfgourami]

The advice given by the lfs is oldfashioned thinking from the days when it was thought perfectly acceptable for fish to live in a bath of toxins during the cycling period, and it was believed that water changes would stop the cycle. There is no evidence for the latter, and the former is no longer thought acceptable at least not by the members of this forum.
So keep going! You are doing the right thing. You want to keep those danios healthy. Have you got a test kit?

 

[bgormley]

Thanks dwarfgourami for the quick reply! Yes i've been testing the water for amm, nitrites and nitates. 2 DAYS AGO amm was 1, nitrite was 1 and nitrate was 40+. Should i do another change today as planned?

 

[Bloo]

30% weekly once your tank is cycled, sounds great. But: as dwarfgourami says - during this cycling period with fish, there are way too many toxins building up for your fish to cope with. Keep doing those water changes until your ammonia and nitrite levels are zero and remain zero.

 

[Shelly_Otterkin]

I would go ahead with the water change. BTW great stats for a cycling tank! You are doing a great job.

 

[bgormley]

Ooooh thanks! Glad i was doing the right thing. The fish are doing really well and look healthy and happy. I lost one the day after i bought them but she looked very eggbound. Does this happen often??