Am I harming or stressing my fish by doing large water changes? I have two tanks that are moderately planted and not overstocked. Right now I'm changing about 75% of the water weekly. I guess I'm operating under the assumption that as long as I'm still seeing particles being removed by my vac then why stop at 30% etc.
Ok so do you think 50% is pretty safe or should it be even less? I just remove the water, add dechlor per label into drained tank, and fill with tap water that is close to same temp.
you can change that much if you want, and it's probably safe, but why do that much work and rack up your water bill? with a heavy planted and not overstocked tank you could probably get away with 25% per week.
Also, if you have plants in the substrate you really don't need to worry about getting all the particles out of your substrate as mulm is good for the plants.
If you are changing out that much water every week primarily because you can see particles, have you considered increasing your filtration? It might end up visibly clearer and cleaner, and require less significant water changes. I put a 2213 on a 10 gallon. It looks dirtiest immediately after I replace the water because everything is stirred up. Within minutes it looks as good as it does a week later. I still do weekly water changes because I think it is best for the fish, not because it looks or tests like it needs it.
i said that some people may prfer to do more there is no right and wrong here it is down to personal preference to be honest changing large amount of water in the correct manner is not exactly going to harm the fish
I've changed upwards of 90% on tanks repeatedly. Never any stress. Usually promoted breeding in both fish and shrimp.
If you've never done it, I wouldn't say not to do it. I've never seen a loss due to large water changes. The only time I've ever seen someone kill fish with large water changes was due to HUGE temp changes(usually too HOT, not too cold, as I only use cold tap water) or due to source water with no dissolved oxygen.
Water in the wild is constantly changing and flowing so I don't see why it would hurt
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
The Planted Tank Forum
3.5M posts
130.6K members
Since 2002
A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about flora, fauna, health, housing, filters, care, classifieds, and more!