do's and dont's of water changing

[Torrean]

I was told that i would not have to change the water at all if i set my tank up correctly. APARRENTLY THIS IS A HUGE LOAD OF HORSE MANURE. Any info that can be given on the proper procedure of changing the water would be greatly appreciated. I have a 29 gallon tank

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Treat the new water with dechlorinator before putting it in you tank, chlorine evil for fish.

 

[Mr Miagi]

I think that person is very mistaken, like youve put it in your first post LOL. I think you need to do water changes but depending on what types of fsh you keep and how big a bio load this creates.

For a "comfortable" bio load i would suggest 20-25% evryfortnight minimum.

For a "Large' bio load 20-25% per week.

When you do a water change, it is neccessary to clean your filter in the tank water you have just taken out. NOT freshwater from the tap. This will kill bacteria in your filter which are neccessary to maintain water quality.

When replacing the water youve just taken out, use dechlorinator, preferrably one that removes chloramine aswell, but if not, doesnt really matter in some areas. (depends whats in your water) Follow the instructions on the botle and all should be good.

I aim to get the water i am adding to the correct temperature of the tank, so as not to harm or stress the fish. But others dont bother. Its up to you, but i would strongly recomend that you do.

 

[The-Wolf]

if using buckets to do a water change, don't forget to bend your knees
I currently have a strained back muscle due to not lifting correctly.

beleive me when I say, it's not funny!

 

[Mr Miagi]

ahahahaha, thats soo funny! Oh.....sorry to here that wolf....( )

 

[wuvmybetta]

The easiest way is to have a hose long enough to drape out a window,less bucket carrying Then fill your buckets,add dechlorinator and pour in gently. It is not necessary to clean your filter everytime you do a water change. If you use carbon you should change it in a timely manner,every couple of weeks or so.

 

[OohFeeshy]

My dad doesn't see why I need to do water changes.... He laughs at me when I do them . Apparently 'he never used to change his tanks water'. Yes, but it was a 6ft tank with probably lots of live plants, a good filter (for that era anyhow) and totally rubbish choice of fish.

 

[jimw13uk]

To ease the burden of water changes I bought a small pump and attached some potable hose to it. Now i drop that in the tank and switch it on - it drains straight out of the tank and down the loo.
When i refill - I have a large wine making bucket (cant remember the gallonage but its enormous) - i fill that up and drop the pump in there and the other end in the tank - switch it on and its done. It allows me to add all the chemicals into the bucket and also to get the temperature right by dropping a small heater in the bucket as well.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

My dad doesn't see why I need to do water changes.... He laughs at me when I do them . Apparently 'he never used to change his tanks water'. Yes, but it was a 6ft tank with probably lots of live plants, a good filter (for that era anyhow) and totally rubbish choice of fish.

our parents would love each other... for a while i was looking into getting a tiny turtle and mom couldn't believe the prices on them:

• ...and they ony live for a few weeks!
  my friend jimmy's had one for years, ma. five or six.
  really? they used to die on us within the month when we had them as kids...
  yeah ma, but you probably fed them breadcrumbs and kept them in chlorinated water.
  ohhh... that's not good for them? well, then there was the one the dog ate too...

i did post how my brother starved a whole terrarium of feeder guppies, right? mom said they'd live off breadcrumbs again. mom's advice is for the birds.

back to water changes... never change more than 1/3 at a time. its a nasty shock for your fish. avoid massive water changes unless instructed on meds, by 5~6 "experts", or if you drop a whole bottle of something in the tank.

(my dad thought that water changes meant tearing down the tank every month. no wonder all our fish died all the time when i was a kid.)

 

[Torrean]

thanks guys that helps a lot
One of your mentioned that it is a good idea to even out the water temperatures before adding new water. This is what I was really wondering about. What is the best method to get the new water to the same temperature as the old. Also is this the only way to reliably control Ammonia. I heard plants work too. Is there anything else?

 

[CathyG]

A decent and well maintained filter, capable of supporting the bioload of the tank, will take care of the Ammonia and Nitrite produced by fish waste. Adding live plants will help to keep the NitrAtes down (Nitrates are the end product of the nitrogen cycle, which is less toxic to the fish than Ammonia and Nitrites, but still harmful in large quantities)

The sure way to keep Nitrates down is by partial water changes (trusting your water supply has a low Nitrate reading) The higher the bioload, the more filtration and water changes necessary.

With regards to heating the water to tank temperature, it really depends on your routine. If you have space to let buckets of tap water "age" for 24 hours or so, then this is one way of raising the tap water to room temperature. This will also allow time for chlorine in the water to evaporate, and for the pH to settle. In my opinion, it is only necessary to "age" water this way if you have a sizeable difference in Ph between your tap water and your tank and don't want to chemically alter this (you shouldn't) or you don't use RO or distilled water as a percentage of your tank volume.

Standing your water to "age" will not remove chloramines from the water; only chemicals will do this (chloramines are more "stable" than chlorine, they will not evaporate, and are equally harmful to the bacteria that supports your tank)

In short? A percentage of boiled water added to your bucket will increase the temperature, and a dechlorinator that removes chloramines as well as chlorine (such as Ammo Lock 2) will negate the necessity to let your water stand. When I used buckets, I recall 3-4 litres of boiled water in a 30 litre bucket was enough - add a thermometer to the bucket to be sure before you add it to the tank, though!

This is just my opinion Good luck!