When To Do Water Change

[fishkeeper35]

my levels are as below

ammonia~0
nitrite~.50
nitrate~5ppm

when should i do a waterchange and how much?

i am using liquid test kits

 

[Essjay25 140]

Do you have fish in the tank? If you do, you need to do a big water change as soon as possible. The nitrite reading is too high if there are fish in the tank, so you should change at least 75% to reduce it to nearly zero. Then keep on doing water changes every time you see a reading for nitrite.

Of course you may be doing a fishless cycle (you didn't say), in that case, you don't need to do a water change.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Do you have fish in the tank? If you do, you need to do a big water change as soon as possible. The nitrite reading is too high if there are fish in the tank, so you should change at least 75% to reduce it to nearly zero. Then keep on doing water changes every time you see a reading for nitrite.

Of course you may be doing a fishless cycle (you didn't say), in that case, you don't need to do a water change.

+1

more info please?

 

[fishkeeper35]

yes i have 7 zebra danios and 1 mystery snail and i will do a big water change

 

[waterdrop]

A fishkeeper with fish in the tank should never have to ask whether a water change is needed when test results show the presence of ammonia or nitrite(NO2) in the tank water. That is one of the take-away bits of confidence we want for your time passing through this beginners section. If your tap water has zero ammonia and nitrite (or less than what the tank water is showing) then the water changes can and should be large. If the tap water has ammonia and/or nitrite (though one almost never sees tapwater with nitrite) then the changes should may need to be smaller and more frequent or other measures may be needed, but in the vast majority of cases with decent tap water, the water change (with good technique) is the action to take when in doubt.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

A reading of 0.50 ppm of nitrite means a minimum of a 50% water change. As WD intimated, a larger change would be even better. I almost always use a 90% water change when I have water quality problems. It resets everything to tap water parameters with little, if any, ill effect. As is the case with WD, I would rather a question that said, "I had 0.50 ppm of nitrite and did a 75% water change, is there anything else I should" do than the question you have asked. A simple statement that easily measured nitrites calls for an immediate large water change is very appropriate.