cheesy feet
Fish Aficionado
If ammonia and nitrite are at zero then there is no need for a water change tbh........[/quote]
name='cheesy feet' post='1746056' date='Aug 27 2007, 09:16 PM']I'd like to say weekly and biweekly water changes are basically done to prevent ammonia, nitrite or nitrate from building up.[/quote]
In a cycled tank, ammonia and nitrite should always be zero, period (or at least unmeasurable as there will always be a trace amount of each). If there ever is a measurable amount, you are doing something wrong and need to figure out what it is and solve the problem rather than use water changes to remedy the problem as it may get worse without a resolution. And the purpose of regular water changes are to remove nitrates, replenish buffering capacity and keep the minerals at a proper level (I'm sure there are other things that I didn't mention). They are not to remove ammonia or nitrite which, as I said, should already be zero.
[/quote]
Hence the basically and building up part, if you didn't do water changes for a long period ammonia and nitrite would eventually build up ...Sorry about the quote thing ^^
name='cheesy feet' post='1746056' date='Aug 27 2007, 09:16 PM']I'd like to say weekly and biweekly water changes are basically done to prevent ammonia, nitrite or nitrate from building up.[/quote]
In a cycled tank, ammonia and nitrite should always be zero, period (or at least unmeasurable as there will always be a trace amount of each). If there ever is a measurable amount, you are doing something wrong and need to figure out what it is and solve the problem rather than use water changes to remedy the problem as it may get worse without a resolution. And the purpose of regular water changes are to remove nitrates, replenish buffering capacity and keep the minerals at a proper level (I'm sure there are other things that I didn't mention). They are not to remove ammonia or nitrite which, as I said, should already be zero.
[/quote]
Hence the basically and building up part, if you didn't do water changes for a long period ammonia and nitrite would eventually build up ...Sorry about the quote thing ^^