tank water change

[ruffmeister]

i will be going on my hols for a month later in the year and am worried for my fish, i am getting someone to feed them, but was wondering , if i did a large water change and new filter before i go will it be ok to leave for a month, or should i train the feeder how to do the water change

what ya think?

 

[snowyangel]

Um waiting a month with no water changes could be risky, but depending how stocked your tank is and how much and how often this person will be feeding your fish it could happen . But truthfully I'd advise a water change atleast every two weeks. It's not hard to learn, bring that person over to watch you clean your tank and show them how much de-chlor to put in, etc and you shouldn't have a problem.
You should clean your filter, but why do you want to change the filter media? That contains all your beneficial bacteria. Often brands will say you have to change your filter every month for profits but seriously I've been using mine for over 5 months no problems. Just rub off some of the debris(Not in un-dechlorinated water or you'll kill all your bacteria) and put it back into the filter conatiner/holder. By replacing your filter sponge with a new one you'll lose all your bacteria and have to start the cycling process all over. If your filter is falling apart, then add the new one and leave it with the old for a week so all the bacteria can convert over.

 

[ruffmeister]

the biorb filter says you need to change the whole thing to keep it up, and never needed to re -cycle the tank and havent had probs so thats why i do the filter chnage every month as the ceramic media thats in the tanks holds the bacteria and not really trhe filter

 

[guppymonkey]

If the filter is old I would change it but if its just been replaced in the last couple weeks there wouldn't be a point. It would just have to cycle again. As for the water changes, I would do a little bigger water change before you left. The person who is feeding them will probably feed them too much and having fresher water might help. In all, I don't think there should be major problems as long as the tank has been established for awhile and the person who is taking care of the fish doesn't mess things up.

 

[ruffmeister]

cool so a 60% water change be ok for a month