Water Changes

[flyhawk]

did someone say water changes....
personally, if i werent keeping a low tech planted tank
i would want to do water changes every other day
this is a bit extreme i wont lie
just felt like putting in my thoughts

 

[fluvial]

Once a week - 30% water change.
I test once a month and generally run with 0 ammonia / nitrites
and between 20 - 40 nitrates.
I would not want to leave a w/c for more than a week 'cos of the build up in nitrates.

 

[Truck]

do not worry about nitrates, they're harmless unless you get into the 250-400 region. The things you should be doing water changes for, are removing insoluble fish waste, Biofilms and replenishing minerals.

Also, do not rely on nitrates to tell you when to do a water change, they should be done weekly/bi weekly unless your running a walstad system.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with truck's comment. Well put.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[erk628]

do not worry about nitrates, they're harmless unless you get into the 250-400 region. The things you should be doing water changes for, are removing insoluble fish waste, Biofilms and replenishing minerals.

Also, do not rely on nitrates to tell you when to do a water change, they should be done weekly/bi weekly unless your running a walstad system.

Good points truck I've heard anything under a 100 is safe. I think a lot of it depends on the type of fish though some are probaly more tolarent to higher nitrates then others.

 

[waterdrop]

Oh yes, I believe this is true, wildly different! Isn't it true that some river bottom catfish can live in horribly polluted situations with 1000ppm nitrate and whatever else whereas there are plenty of trops that are only used to their pristine super-pure environments where even small amounts NO3 will stress them? Seems like some say that GBRs like low NO3 levels?

~~waterdrop~~