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I have a 20 x 20 x 30-ish tall tank (47 galls). What amount of water should I be changing out each week?

I have just started this tank up and have 5 platy's, 11 tetras and one bottom feeder. (later I'm thinking of adding a different group of Tetras and a couple slightly larger colorful fish to balance out the small ones; not sure what just yet.) I have a Fluval 70 gall capacity canister filter and an air pump dribbling a few bubbles through the tank. I have just artificial plants. I feed once a day and tend to underfeed rather than overfeed.

Appreciate any advice!

15-20% would be a little more then 7gal. what i do is take out a measure amount and mark the side of the tank so from then on you can remove up to the line and you know how much you need to take every time.

Hi,
Welcome to FP!!!
Please be encouraged to ask questions anytime.

Regular water changes are our way of duplicating nature.
Nature replaces water with every rainfall or flood.

Generally, we replace 10-20%, and some folks as much as
50% "regularly." I say "regularly" because they are done
at the convenience of the owner in some cases (sandwiched
between work, family, and other chores) and also it
depends upon the number of fish in the tank called
"bioload."

It is a great idea to set time aside each week for
tank maintenance. That way many problems that can
occur, never get started.

Many will take an empty gallon milk jug and with a small
diameter hose drain the water out a gallon at a time
untill the 10%, 20% and 50% points have been reached.
At each "landmark" we use a felt tip pen (sharpy for
for instance) and on the back outside corner we draw a
line and label it 10%, 20% 50%. It's a kind of a pain
the first time, but with indellible ink, once it is done
you don't generally have to redo the task. That way
each week you simply drain the tank with a siphon down
to the mark, and refill it. Job done.

It would be a good idea to purchase a test kit if you
have not already, and test your water chemistries before
the maintenance. Test the pH, GH, KH, and Nitrate values.
If the nitrate values are (in your tank with no plants)
more than 10, then you should also clean the gravel at the
same time that you are doing the water change. A gravel
vacuum such as the Python brand, allows you to clean the
gravel and siphon the tank all at the same time.

To properly clean the gravel, don't do it all at once.
Nearly all the bacteria that manages the nitrogen cycle,
lives in the gravel at or near the surface of it. If you
do a wholesale cleaning then you will weaken the colonies
and the tank will have to recycle all over again. Instead,
mentally divide the tank into four sections and clean only
one secion with each water change, moving onto another
section with the next. That way, over a month's time, you
have cleaned the entire tank. Should you decide later to
add plants, clean only the unplanted sections.

Hope this helps...
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Adding to Franks commemts.

I do a weekly 30% water change in both tanks (see profile) and a monthly filter cleaning on the Eheim Pro11 monthly. The Betta tank filter is cleaned weekly.
Each time using the water taken from the tank. This is a must as it will not kill the good bacterria in the filter. I also add a measured amount of Bio Starter (Cycle) at each water change this keeps the good bacteria in its origional state.
The Betta tank I empty it to the top of a stick on temperature gauge, and on the 5ft tank I have it marked in two places at each end with a very small stick on piece of paper. I prefer this method reason being when I get to the marker this is my "top up" starting point. If you take out the same amount each time (measured containers) this will vary with the tanks evaporation and you might not have sufficient prepared water.

Prepared Water I store all my water for one week and heat it up before it goes into the tank.

Another point I never feed on the day I do any water changes, I was informed of this many years ago apprently the fish find it difficult to adjust to both at the same time. Not saying that it cannot be done, it is just another practice I have got into over the 35+ years.

I fully agree with Frank I set aside Sunday morning every week to all this and the Eheim filter 1st week in each month.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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