Fish tank water changing

[Rexer reigns]

Hi guys,

I'm new to here and i don't have much experience in fish management. I installed my 6 gallon tank 2 day's ago. In my tank i have 4 guppy's and 2 platy's. unlike other tanks my tank is buried in soil, cemented on it's sides and bottom.

Now i wan't your precious suggestion's and opinions in my new hobby.

How often i need to change the water in my 6 gallon fish tank? My fish tank have neither good surface agitation nor an air pump. If i continues to change the water, will it affect the fishes - like pregnancy.

Hoping u guys will help me.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

You do a water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0ppm.
You do a water change any day you have a nitrate reading above 20ppm.

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I recommend doing a 75% water change once a week or any time there is an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0 or a nitrate reading above 20ppm. You should also do a 75% water change if you lose a fish or if the fish get sick.
*NB* Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the aquarium.

You do water changes for 2 main reasons.
1) to reduce nutrients like ammonia, nitrite & nitrate.
2) to dilute disease organisms in the water.

Fish live in a soup of microscopic organisms including bacteria, fungus, viruses, protozoans, worms, flukes and various other things that make your skin crawl. Doing a big water change and gravel cleaning the substrate on a regular basis will dilute these organisms and reduce their numbers in the water, thus making it a safer and healthier environment for the fish.

If you do a 25% water change each week you leave behind 75% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 50% water change each week you leave behind 50% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 75% water change each week you leave behind 25% of the bad stuff in the water.

Fish live in their own waste. Their tank and filter is full of fish poop. The water they breath is filtered through fish poop. Cleaning filters, gravel and doing big regular water changes, removes a lot of this poop and makes the environment cleaner and healthier for the fish.

-------------------------
Doing big regular water changes will not harm the fish (including developing babies), as long as the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank. And as long as the new water has a similar chemistry (pH, GH & KH), and temperature to the tank water.

Low oxygen levels and poor water quality will harm and even kill fish so try to aerate the water and make sure it has a good filter on it.

-------------------------
If the tank is new then only feed the fish a couple of times a week and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding them.
You should also monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels and do a 75% water change any day you have a reading above 0.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

Do you have any pictures of this tank? I'm intrigued by your description of it as buried in soil!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!


I change my water once a week, in my 1.5 gal. And my 2.5 gal.

It is a good idea to Change out your water every week, unless your fish has a illness, then change it out very 3 days.

(Please go enter the July TOTM contest, by clicking the banner at the top of the screen! Thank you!)

 

[Rexer reigns]

Hi and welcome to the forum

You do a water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0ppm.
You do a water change any day you have a nitrate reading above 20ppm.

-------------------------
I recommend doing a 75% water change once a week or any time there is an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0 or a nitrate reading above 20ppm. You should also do a 75% water change if you lose a fish or if the fish get sick.
*NB* Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the aquarium.

You do water changes for 2 main reasons.
1) to reduce nutrients like ammonia, nitrite & nitrate.
2) to dilute disease organisms in the water.

Fish live in a soup of microscopic organisms including bacteria, fungus, viruses, protozoans, worms, flukes and various other things that make your skin crawl. Doing a big water change and gravel cleaning the substrate on a regular basis will dilute these organisms and reduce their numbers in the water, thus making it a safer and healthier environment for the fish.

If you do a 25% water change each week you leave behind 75% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 50% water change each week you leave behind 50% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 75% water change each week you leave behind 25% of the bad stuff in the water.

Fish live in their own waste. Their tank and filter is full of fish poop. The water they breath is filtered through fish poop. Cleaning filters, gravel and doing big regular water changes, removes a lot of this poop and makes the environment cleaner and healthier for the fish.

-------------------------
Doing big regular water changes will not harm the fish (including developing babies), as long as the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank. And as long as the new water has a similar chemistry (pH, GH & KH), and temperature to the tank water.

Low oxygen levels and poor water quality will harm and even kill fish so try to aerate the water and make sure it has a good filter on it.

-------------------------
If the tank is new then only feed the fish a couple of times a week and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding them.
You should also monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels and do a 75% water change any day you have a reading above 0.

Thank you so much for ur reply Colin_T. I think this will do the trick.

But i think the filter does not work for me - like i said, my tank is a bit different.

Anyway thank you.

 

[Rexer reigns]

Do you have any pictures of this tank? I'm intrigued by your description of it as buried in soil!

Hi Lunar Jetman,

It's just a rectangular tank. I just made that with the help of my friends. It's not so cool, but its okay for me now. I will definitely post the picture of my tank for you.

 

[Rexer reigns]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!


I change my water once a week, in my 1.5 gal. And my 2.5 gal.

It is a good idea to Change out your water every week, unless your fish has a illness, then change it out very 3 days.

(Please go enter the July TOTM contest, by clicking the banner at the top of the screen! Thank you!)

Thank you PheonixKingZ
That helps a lot.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Please post pics. I’d love to see it too.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Hi guys,

I'm new to here and i don't have much experience in fish management. I installed my 6 gallon tank 2 day's ago. In my tank i have 4 guppy's and 2 platy's. unlike other tanks my tank is buried in soil, cemented on it's sides and bottom.

Now i wan't your precious suggestion's and opinions in my new hobby.

How often i need to change the water in my 6 gallon fish tank? My fish tank have neither good surface agitation nor an air pump. If i continues to change the water, will it affect the fishes - like pregnancy.

Hoping u guys will help me.

Is your tank filtered?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Will you please give us the exact dementions of the tank?

 

[Rexer reigns]

Please post pics. I’d love to see it too.

Sure Deanasue

 

[Rexer reigns]

Is your tank filtered?

Nope

 

[Rexer reigns]

Will you please give us the exact dementions of the tank?

Length =1.8 feet

Breadth= .7 feet

Height = .6 feet

 

[Rexer reigns]

Is your tank filtered?

Dear Deanasue,

The thing i doesn't use filter's is - i wan't my tank all natural. NO electronic equipments, Only natural foods etc

i'm a bit a natures man

 

[Metalhead88]

Dear Deanasue,

The thing i doesn't use filter's is - i wan't my tank all natural. NO electronic equipments, Only natural foods etc

i'm a bit a natures man

I'd love to see a picture of this tank.

You see, it doesn't quite work like that. In nature the water is indeed filtered and goes through the same cycle that a filter replicates in your tank. I think an air driven sponge filter would work great in your situation. Although I'm still a little confused as to exactly what you have going on here.

If you have no equipment, you will have nasty stagnant water and your fish will die. It's impossible to exactly replicate a pond, lake, river, or stream that fish naturally live in with a 6 gallon tank..... or any tank for that matter.

Truth is, we use equipment like filters and heaters to do exactly as you intend and that is to mimic how they live naturally by creating proper temperature,water quality, and so on. Without this equipment, we cannot provide our fish with the environment that they live in naturally. Without any equipment it's equivalent to a puddle, not a small pond.