# How often do you do water changes?



## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

POLL


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

once to twice a week because we are a bit overstocked


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

I did the poll. But, I usually do 10% water change how about you? Do you do anything with the tap water before pour it in every time you do your partial water change?


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## hogan (Jan 18, 2005)

usually fill the tank up about 2-3 times a week


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## icp (Jan 18, 2005)

25-40% 2 time weekly


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## Mr Aquarium (Jan 18, 2005)

I do my 75g ever week to 10 days,,,,,we added a few more fish today, so the numbers are proly going to be closerd to saterdays,,,,,,Can;t do Sunday Water Changes during summer,,,,,that is my 
Winston Cup Day,,,Unless they run Saterday Night,,,,then it would be Sunday before or after the NHRA races was on....
But I have other tanks I don;t do ever week, bi weekly is good nuff for them....


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## Ifigeneia (Jan 18, 2005)

I change about 80 gallons every week from my 240 gallon community tank, and around 20 gallons twice a week from my 58 gallon fry raising tank.


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

Unless you do multiple water changes each week, 10% water changes do not accomplish much. 

I voted, but really... it depends on the tank in mind.


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## Jess (Jan 27, 2005)

Have a 8g tank which the water is changed weekly. The day before I clean it, I let fresh clean tap water sit out for at least 24hrs. I still have not completely changed the water in my 72g tank, I've had it up & going for 3 months now. I've only done 25-50% water changes, vaccumm the gravel, and wipe down the inside glass walls all on a monthly basis. I was told if I do this every month, I could go about 6 months without having to change all the water...Does anyone know if this is true? So far, the tank is clean and fish are healthy.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

At least 1 tank or bowl everyday..........


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

Jess @ Fri Feb 11 said:


> I've only done 25-50% water changes, vaccumm the gravel, and wipe down the inside glass walls all on a monthly basis. I was told if I do this every month, I could go about 6 months without having to change all the water...Does anyone know if this is true? So far, the tank is clean and fish are healthy.


There is no reason to change all the water… in fact; this can be very stressful for both your tanks’ biological media, and your fish. I cannot think of too many situations where you would ever change all of the water.

I would, however be doing the described water changes at least 2 times per month, rather than monthly. If you do this 2 times per month, 40-50% water changes are perfectly fine.


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## duckdog2 (Jan 21, 2005)

i voted bimonthly, but now when i think about it; monthly. i change water lost to evaporation all the time but maybe 1/3 every month...


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

6 times a week on all tanks.


RC


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

thats a loooot of water changes... do you have any time for anything else? I thought I was obsessed with three times a week on the nano reef and twice a week for everything else, but even I need a night or two out on the town! Plus the job and school doesn't really help much.


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

I work full time and have a 7 month old son. It takes me less then 45 minutes to do water changes and feed 9 - 15 tanks and my Barracks system. It helps having all the water and a sink right in the fish room. All the tanks are betwen 10G and 29G and are all used to raise Bettas.


RC


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## junebugs (Feb 7, 2005)

i ususally use spring water from walmart.


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## MB75 (Jan 24, 2005)

Once every 10 days or biweekly for bigger tanks. That's 40-60 % each time.

Several times a week for smaller temporary holding tanks (3 g), 90-95%.

As often as needed for fry tanks (10 g), depends on how much there is fry.


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

junebugs @ Fri Feb 11 said:


> i ususally use spring water from walmart.


Be careful with that, many stores that have "spring water" have water that has little nutrients in them (lack of minerals, vitamins, etc.).

Is there a specific reason for not using your own tap water?


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## turtlehead (Jan 28, 2005)

50%weekly because I have plants and it resets the fert params.


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## $hiny Fish d00d (Jan 22, 2005)

whenever i get around to it....


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## fishgfish (Jan 19, 2005)

there is no option for everyday.


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

It depends on the tank and fish load. But most of them once a week. But I have one fry tank, 1 tadpole tank and a snail tank (food for puffers, gets really dirty, really fast) I change those out every 2 to 3 days. I currently have 12 tanks set up. I have a water purification system in my house so tapwater is safe to use, makes the water changes a lot easier, but it still takes about 3 hours once a week. Once a month I also check the filters and I mess with the plants every day :lol: Gardening is my hobby. Most of my fish are non aggressive and don't seem to mind the water changes. I hand feed a few, others I can pet and some suck the back of my hand, especially my CAE and my SAEs try to shave my hands. :lol: I even have one tiger barb I can catch with my hand, she attacks me all the time and I can just pick her up, really strange for a fish.


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## 1KoidialDude (Feb 14, 2005)

25% once a week always on the 7th day resulting in a 100% a month and i use well water that I do not treat in any way shape or form , However when using well water i always allow the water to drop a few feet to the water after all water from the ground has no air in it even despite my 400 C.I. air pump .

I have a black Pacu 17 pd's
a cherry belly Pacu 7 pd's
an about 7 Koi ranging from 3 to 12 inches all in an 800 gallon sump tank sunk in the ground with a foot above ground pushing water out the bottom to a bog filter of 400 gallon size that pump's water back to the bigger tank and gravity does it's job plus about 25 koi fingerlings with so much string alge i havent seen them in months.. woop's getting off topic  many other tanks to numourus to mention now but alltogether bout 300 fish mostly koi 

BTW : just enough salt to not kill the alge but still enough to fight some bacteriiia


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## 1KoidialDude (Feb 14, 2005)

darn double klikn


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## CHEE65 (Feb 17, 2005)

Once a week unless it's a really busy week then it's 10 days but mostly once a week. I do a 25-30% water change on my 80 gallon and 40-50% on my 10 gallon. I have a python and I just add the tap water directly to the tank then add the stress coat (dechorinator) and aquarium salt while the tank is filling up. I know, I know some people don't believe in adding salt but I weighed the pros and cons and just elected to use it. I did try one tank without it and I seemed to have problems with parasites. 

80 gallon:
6 silver dollars
2 balloon mollies
2 silver tip sharks
1 male beta

10 gallon heavily planted:
1 male beta
4 balloon molly fry (all under 1 ")


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

It's hard for me to completely clean the gravel without removing too much water, so i have a water pump in a breeders net/box in the bucket, i siphon all the "crap" out of the gravel into the bucket, then the pump recirculates into the tank under my filter intake tube, leaving the crap in the bucket because it gets screened by the net.

question, is that disturbing the bacteria levels in the tank?


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

... I see no reason why it should harm the bacteria. Sounds no different than vacuuming the gravel. Besides, bacteria are much more durable than most people give it credit for. You can run your hands thru the gravel, stir it up a bit, and so on - and the bacteria would still be most (or all) in place. 

Most of these good bacteria are in the filter anyway.


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## turtlehead (Jan 28, 2005)

weekly 50% because I have plants


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