Hi! I have a 10 gallon with a betta fish in it. All of my water parameters are in good condition. My question is: If my parameters are stable, is it ok just to top off the water or should I do a water change, too? Will that mess up some of my parameters if they're already good??? Thank you so much for any help that you can give to this rookie.
Question about water changes
- Thread starter Falaria
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fish48
Fish Gatherer
40 _ 50% water change weekly
Water changes do more than remove nitrate (there shouldn't be any ammonia or nitrite). They remove all the other things we cannot test for; all the other things that are excreted by fish and things like hormones secreted by the fish. Unless they are removed they will build up in the water. I once worked in a hospital lab and we tested urine for all sorts of things. Fish excrete similar, if not the same, waste products - and there were many more things in urine that we didn't test for.
As for topping off due to evaporation, if this is done, a form of pure water such as RO water should be used. Tap water has minerals dissolved in it and these do not evaporate. When topping up is done with tap water more minerals are added. Over time the tank water gets harder and harder if tap water is used. With RO, the pure water which has evaporated is replaced with more pure water.
As for topping off due to evaporation, if this is done, a form of pure water such as RO water should be used. Tap water has minerals dissolved in it and these do not evaporate. When topping up is done with tap water more minerals are added. Over time the tank water gets harder and harder if tap water is used. With RO, the pure water which has evaporated is replaced with more pure water.
Oh! And so tap water conditioner is insufficient for making tap water safe, then. It makes since that the water would get harder. And I already have somewhat hard water... If I use RO water is it still ok to add Stress Zyme to the water for my Betta? I'm also considering getting some Amano Shrimp. I would love to have Cherry Shrimp but I don't know if my Betta would try to eat them...
RO is reverse osmosis water, which has had everything dissolved in it removed.
Tap water conditioner removes chlorine (and where tap water has chloramine, it splits that and removes the chlorine) and most bind metals. It doesn't affect the hardness of the water.
If you use RO, you only need to add water conditioner to treat the amount of tap water in the mix. RO doesn't have chlorine or chloramine in it.
Stress Zyme is bottled bacteria. if the tank is cycled (grown enough bacteria to remove ammonia and nitrite) you don't need to use it.
Bettas and cherry shrimps are very variable. I've had bettas which ignored all shrimps; bettas which ignored adults but ate babies; and bettas which killed every shrimp in the tank. It depends on the personality of the betta.
Tap water conditioner removes chlorine (and where tap water has chloramine, it splits that and removes the chlorine) and most bind metals. It doesn't affect the hardness of the water.
If you use RO, you only need to add water conditioner to treat the amount of tap water in the mix. RO doesn't have chlorine or chloramine in it.
Stress Zyme is bottled bacteria. if the tank is cycled (grown enough bacteria to remove ammonia and nitrite) you don't need to use it.
Bettas and cherry shrimps are very variable. I've had bettas which ignored all shrimps; bettas which ignored adults but ate babies; and bettas which killed every shrimp in the tank. It depends on the personality of the betta.
well if you've going to fill your tank with tap water (treated of course) then why is RO required for topping off the tank? I get it about the mineral build up - but unless they are topping off the tank all the time and not doing water changes then it's not going to be that much of a mineral increase assuming they are still doing regular water changes.
. I have to top off a couple of my tanks about once a week. We also do 70% water changes WEEKLY. So the mineral content isn't allowed to get very high. I know their are a segment of fish keepers that will use nothing but RO water but I think for one small tank or even several that is really overkill - you waste a ton of water and a lot of time trying to get 50 gallons of RO water - unless you have a commercial system. I have no where to put mine plus I rent so if I modify the plumbing or anything like that it stays here when I leave. But a little RO system under my sink isn't going to come close to meeting my needs and the commercial systems are look too big and complex for most houses.
But I do appreciate the reminder about being careful when you top off water - I am really bad about doing that to my betta tank and not doing a full water change weekly - so off I go to do a water change. (thanks for the good reminder)
. I have to top off a couple of my tanks about once a week. We also do 70% water changes WEEKLY. So the mineral content isn't allowed to get very high. I know their are a segment of fish keepers that will use nothing but RO water but I think for one small tank or even several that is really overkill - you waste a ton of water and a lot of time trying to get 50 gallons of RO water - unless you have a commercial system. I have no where to put mine plus I rent so if I modify the plumbing or anything like that it stays here when I leave. But a little RO system under my sink isn't going to come close to meeting my needs and the commercial systems are look too big and complex for most houses.
But I do appreciate the reminder about being careful when you top off water - I am really bad about doing that to my betta tank and not doing a full water change weekly - so off I go to do a water change. (thanks for the good reminder)
The danger is when fish keepers don't do water changes and just top up. That is what I wanted to warn against.
I agree, I will top off my tanks with dechlorinated water, especially if the filter is compromised. But I still keep up with water changes using dechlorinated water as topping off does not replace this maintenance.
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