# Water changes...



## mihaelb (Feb 11, 2009)

Ok, so I just got back from Big Al's. I was admonished for doing a 20% change twice a week for my tank.
On the internet, I read I should be doing as much as 30% water change 2-3 times a week....

I have a 16gal eclipse (with biowheel), several plants.
Inhabitants:
4 small clown loaches, 3 small platies, 1 siamese algae eater and a few cherry/crystal shrimp.

I do have an ongoing PH problem in my tank (6.0), but I'm slowly adding seashells to hopefully get a long-term higher PH, I did lose a beta and a platy recently, but not sure why (loaches, being the most-sensitive seem quite happy).

So how often to do a water change? and how much of it at once?

thanks!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Keep your pH where it is. It's tough on your tank when you try to change it as most people don't do a good job maintaining the pH.

As for water changes, really it's up to your system - some will require large, frequent water changes. Others will just require top up, with a change once a month or so. But once a week is a good habit to keep with most community type tanks.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Sometimes I change my Oscars tank3 times a week ,because they are messy I change 50% of their water at a time. There is very little good bacteria in the water its mostly in your filter media and gravel.


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## ka NUK (Dec 19, 2008)

Planted tank with 3 watts/gal of light, CO2 injection and _over fertilization_ gets a 50% change every week. Otherwise levels of fertilizers could build up over time. My cichlid tank with no added fertilizer gets changed about 30 to 50% every couple of weeks (at least once a month). The koi and goldfish which are overwintering in our unheated basement are probably overdue for a change. I think it's been two months  On the other hand they are in suspended animation. Water temperature is below 5 degrees and they haven't been fed since I pulled them out of the pond in the fall.

A you can see every setup has different requirements (and every aquarist will tell you something different!?) If you are not sure about water change intervals I'd recommend testing your water parameters weekly, and going by the nitrate level.

ka NUK


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

ka NUK said:


> Planted tank with 3 watts/gal of light, CO2 injection and _over fertilization_ gets a 50% change every week. Otherwise levels of fertilizers could build up over time. My cichlid tank with no added fertilizer gets changed about 30 to 50% every couple of weeks (at least once a month). The koi and goldfish which are overwintering in our unheated basement are probably overdue for a change. I think it's been two months  On the other hand they are in suspended animation. Water temperature is below 5 degrees and they haven't been fed since I pulled them out of the pond in the fall.
> 
> A you can see every setup has different requirements (and every aquarist will tell you something different!?) If you are not sure about water change intervals I'd recommend testing your water parameters weekly, and going by the nitrate level.
> 
> ka NUK


Yes everyone is different my reg tanks I change once a week. ps dont believe anything from lfs till you research it half the time they know next to nothing.There are a few good shops around though . 
I dont know where you are from but Iam sure some of the guys in here can recommend shops.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

mihaelb said:


> Ok, so I just got back from Big Al's. I was admonished for doing a 20% change twice a week for my tank.
> On the internet, I read I should be doing as much as 30% water change 2-3 times a week....
> 
> I have a 16gal eclipse (with biowheel), several plants.
> ...


The Clown Loaches are happy because they like the PH like that. I keep mine in about 6-7 PH changes here and there. It also depends on how long I go with no water change. The longer I go the lower the PH will be. This is because of all the wood in the tank.


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## mihaelb (Feb 11, 2009)

No wood in my tank. PH seems to stabilize at 6 pretty quickly, and stays that way for days (until I do a water change).

Since there are no clear answers, I guess I'll just start testing the water parameters a few times a week and set the schedule according to when Nitrate levels reach about 40 or if I start seeing Amonia/Nitrite.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

wow there, No3 of 40 is when toxicity begins to set in for some species, and past the point of no return for others. Don't let it get beyond 20 ppm unless you're dosing it specifically.

You're probably overfeeding or not cleaning the tank/filter of detrius often enough. A dirty tank will make your fish unhappier than a tank with low pH.


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## mihaelb (Feb 11, 2009)

Ok, 20 it is...I was going by what the instructions in the Nitrate test manual said 



ameekplec. said:


> wow there, No3 of 40 is when toxicity begins to set in for some species, and past the point of no return for others. Don't let it get beyond 20 ppm unless you're dosing it specifically.
> 
> You're probably overfeeding or not cleaning the tank/filter of detrius often enough. A dirty tank will make your fish unhappier than a tank with low pH.


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

25% weekly is a good rule for keeping the fish happy and healthy. Some systems, as mentioned will need less some more but 25% a week keeps most fish ok as long as the tank isnt super-populated. 

On a side note, your clown loaches are going to outgrow that tank by quite a bit. A single clown loach might not even fit physically in the tank you've got them in now when full grown so you'll have to think about finding them a new home or getting a nice 200 or so gal tank for them when they're full grown .


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## mihaelb (Feb 11, 2009)

I know 
the guy at Big Al's told me "yeah, your tank is plenty for the loaches"...I only learned otherwise later. When they get to 3" or so, I'll find them a new home. "a nice 200 gal tank" would mean that the fish stay in my apartment, and I have to move out 



Cory said:


> 25% weekly is a good rule for keeping the fish happy and healthy. Some systems, as mentioned will need less some more but 25% a week keeps most fish ok as long as the tank isnt super-populated.
> 
> On a side note, your clown loaches are going to outgrow that tank by quite a bit. A single clown loach might not even fit physically in the tank you've got them in now when full grown so you'll have to think about finding them a new home or getting a nice 200 or so gal tank for them when they're full grown .


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

mihaelb said:


> "a nice 200 gal tank" would mean that the fish stay in my apartment, and I have to move out


I'm sure the loaches would appreciate your sacrifice ! *nod*


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