Water changing advice

[kiko]

I really wished people would stop advising newcomers to water chase.
I get it, some people like crystal clear water
but a recent thread the OP said he was advised to do 90% water changes
I've been doing this for over 20 years and I've never done a 75% water change much less a 90%
stressing out fish like that is unnecessary and water chasing should only be done by test and trial to see how much their own fish can actually handle
passing this on as advice should never happen and not sure why someone advised him to do so or the reason for it
but suggesting a person do a 90% water change when they're asking for advice means they're probably new to the hobby and they're not experienced
much less know how to properly water chase over time to check how much his fish can actually handle
I get we have 2 types of people in this hobby...the water chasers and the "naturalists" like me
but water chasing CAN kill fish and should be explained in detail especially to a newcomer
that he should only gradually do this to the point he notices something's up with his fish and reduce it from that...and use the last point as the max water change allowed by his fish
we always explain to people the effects of chlorine and the reasons for filtering it and using carbon and buckets and so on...
I really wished people be a bit more conscious of others as we've all killed fish and explain things a bit more in detail and its causalities...

 

[Back in the fold]

About time this was said !

 

[connorlindeman]

I really wished people would stop advising newcomers to water chase.
I get it, some people like crystal clear water
but a recent thread the OP said he was advised to do 90% water changes
I've been doing this for over 20 years and I've never done a 75% water change much less a 90%
stressing out fish like that is unnecessary and water chasing should only be done by test and trial to see how much their own fish can actually handle
passing this on as advice should never happen and not sure why someone advised him to do so or the reason for it
but suggesting a person do a 90% water change when they're asking for advice means they're probably new to the hobby and they're not experienced
much less know how to properly water chase over time to check how much his fish can actually handle
I get we have 2 types of people in this hobby...the water chasers and the "naturalists" like me
but water chasing CAN kill fish and should be explained in detail especially to a newcomer
that he should only gradually do this to the point he notices something's up with his fish and reduce it from that...and use the last point as the max water change allowed by his fish
we always explain to people the effects of chlorine and the reasons for filtering it and using carbon and buckets and so on...
I really wished people be a bit more conscious of others as we've all killed fish and explain things a bit more in detail and its causalities...

There are some times when a large water change is needed.

During a fish in cycle( which the majority of newbs find them selves in) large daily water changes are absolutely necessary to the life of the fish.

If you have toxins in the tank. Large water changes are necessary.

If your fish are sick, you should do a large water change before beginning treatment.

If you have ammonia or nitrite readings, you must do a large water change. Ammonia or nitrite in any amount is harmful to fish.

 

[GaryE]

Water changing above 50% at a shot is a special circumstance move to me. I stay around 30%, and if I need to change more, spread it out.

I can't comment on the thread where that was the advice though. I don't recall it.

There is a lot of bad and excellent advice offered here. You have to think critically and weigh the pros and cons of what people suggest. Experience doesn't make you more intelligent, and there is a point where taking advice involves choices. We often contradict each other, and the person wanting an answer ends up with a question to answer for themselves, but with at least a few ideas to work with.

 

[Essjay]

On this forum we recommend doing 90% water changes only when necessary to remove a contaminant. Maybe the odd person says to do 90% water changes every week but they are usually told this is not necessary.

But we do recommend weekly water changes of between 30 and 50% to remove all the invisible substances that are excreted and secreted by the fish, substances we cannot see or test for.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

In regard to chlorine, that will disperse if in buckets but as I said on the other thread, not everyone has space at home to have buckets of water sitting around for a couple days

As for chloramine, that doesn't disperse from water in buckets for upwards of a month, that needs to be dealt with by additive such as declorinators otherwise the fish get poisoned.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Water Changes and Water Quality in Aquariums – Advanced Aquarium Concepts

advancedaquariumconcepts.com

Fish in the wild don't live in glass boxes; they live in water that is constantly replenished.

 

[Colin_T]

It was probably aimed at me. I suggest doing a 75-90% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate before treating for white spot so you remove as many of the parasites from the tank as possible.

I also say make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank and not many people do.

And I've been doing this for over 20 years too, so it's not just a thing I say. I make suggestions based on experience and if the tank needs a really big water change for whatever reason, I will suggest a really big water change.

 

[GaryE]

It was probably aimed at me. I suggest doing a 75-90% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate before treating for white spot so you remove as many of the parasites from the tank as possible.

I also say make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank and not many people do.

And I've been doing this for over 20 years too, so it's not just a thing I say. I make suggestions based on experience and if the tank needs a really big water change for whatever reason, I will suggest a really big water change.

What Colin's suggesting is a classic 'special circumstance' to me. It's a solid response to a specific problem. You wouldn't do it every day, or every week. But if it's part of the solution, get draining...

I have seen, and marvelled at, a constant water change system in action. It dechlorinated the water before putting it in the tanks, which got more than 100% changed daily, every day. Those fish weren't stressed. They grew like weeds and looked fantastic. I wish I could do this, although managing water waste is an issue there. But wow.

That was not a person with a siphon and a bucket though...

 

[Slaphppy7]

What Is Old Tank Syndrome in a Freshwater Aquarium?

Old Tank Syndrome refers to more than just the age of the tank. Learn the signs, how to prevent it, and how to fix it if it happens.

www.thesprucepets.com

See "Prevention" in the link above....

 

[Back in the fold]

This recalls to me the term used many years ago - old water. I puzzled about that one for the longest time and I finally came to an answer that made sense to me. Old water is water in an established aquarium even though it has frequent partial water changes of about 30 per cent. Old water is not stale polluted water that is never periodically refreshed. New water is water in a newly set up aquarium . It has been dechlorinated but it lacks something alive that fish like. This is just my seat of the pants guess / opinion but it has served me well. I agree with @GaryE that big huge changes of water are a special circumstance .

 

[Essjay]

I've read the term 'old water' as in the sense of using old water to do a water change. In this context it means water that has been allowed to stand for several days for chlorine to gas out. I've not read it recently though, not since chloramine became the norm in many parts of the world.

 

[Byron]

I really wished people would stop advising newcomers to water chase.
I get it, some people like crystal clear water
but a recent thread the OP said he was advised to do 90% water changes
I've been doing this for over 20 years and I've never done a 75% water change much less a 90%
stressing out fish like that is unnecessary and water chasing should only be done by test and trial to see how much their own fish can actually handle
passing this on as advice should never happen and not sure why someone advised him to do so or the reason for it
but suggesting a person do a 90% water change when they're asking for advice means they're probably new to the hobby and they're not experienced
much less know how to properly water chase over time to check how much his fish can actually handle
I get we have 2 types of people in this hobby...the water chasers and the "naturalists" like me
but water chasing CAN kill fish and should be explained in detail especially to a newcomer
that he should only gradually do this to the point he notices something's up with his fish and reduce it from that...and use the last point as the max water change allowed by his fish
we always explain to people the effects of chlorine and the reasons for filtering it and using carbon and buckets and so on...
I really wished people be a bit more conscious of others as we've all killed fish and explain things a bit more in detail and its causalities...

Aside from everything else, there are some proven falsehoods in this post. The only circumstances when fish will actually be (possibly) harmed by water changes is when the water changes are not being done sufficiently to deal with the biological system. The more water that is changed and the more often, the more stable the system and the healthier the fish. I will not argue this with anyone because the scientific evidence is clear, and one can refute it but not argue it. My article explains all this.

Many discus breeders (pro) do 90-95% water changes two and three times each day. The result is healthier fry that grow faster. Provided the parameters between tank water and source water are basically the same, there is absolutely no detriment from water changes.

Regular Partial Water Changes

Byron Hosking November, 2010 (rev April 2021) Nothing is more important when it comes to aquarium maintenance than regular partial water changes. The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. One frequently reads of products that will reduce the need for...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Back in the fold]

I've read the term 'old water' as in the sense of using old water to do a water change. In this context it means water that has been allowed to stand for several days for chlorine to gas out. I've not read it recently though, not since chloramine became the norm in many parts of the world.

Another piece of the puzzle. I didn't think of that. I am blessed in that my city water plant uses chlorine only. Also, I do age my water for six days under aeration before use. After two days I don't smell chlorine anymore . Another thing is that city water sits in underground plastic or metal pipes for awhile and never sees sunlight. Aging your water does something to fix that deficiency. Aging water was routinely done in days of yore and I "think" it is still a valid practice.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Aging water was routinely done in days of yore and I "think" it is still a valid practice.

For municipalities that use chlorine only, this is correct.