FishProfiles.com Message Forums

	water changes
spyder Enthusiast Posts: 155 Kudos: 47 Votes: 1 Registered: 08-Mar-2003	How often do you do water changes on a well planted tank and how much water do you change? Should it depend on Nitrates? Also, how much gravel vacuuming do you do on a planted tank? Thanks, Michael Last edited by spyder at 19-Feb-2005 07:48
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
FRANK Moderator Posts: 5108 Kudos: 5263 Votes: 1690 Registered: 28-Dec-2002	Hi, Your water changes would depend upon a variety of things. How your tank is set up? Is it over stocked, normally stocked, or lightly stocked? If it is over stocked I'd say weekly and 20%. Is it normally stocked I'd suggest weekly at 10%. Is it under or lightly stocked, I'd suggest every other week at 10%. What is your substrate? If you have a "capped system" (a layer of a clay capped by sand or aquarium gravel) I'd change the water every other week at 10 to 20% depending on stocking level. If high, change more. You cannot "deep clean" the gravel in a heavily planted tank. It damages the root systems. You can, and should deep clean the open, non planted, areas. For the planted areas, simply swirl your hand over the plants to raise any detritus up into the water column where your filter and/or syphon can catch and remove it. Do the "swirl method" with each water change. To do the deep cleaning, divide the open areas into quarters and once every 3 months deep clean a different section so that at the end of a year the entire open area has been cleaned. Frank -->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
keithgh Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 6371 Kudos: 6918 Votes: 1542 Registered: 26-Apr-2003	Spyder Have a look at this thread it has a photo of my tank also Have a look in [link=My Profile]http:// www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Photo%20Booth/54984.html?200502200005 I do about a 15% water change weekly. I only deep clean in the front area as it is impossible to do it elsewhere in the tank. As Frank stated there are many variations and reasons for tank maintainence. Keith Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do. I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT? VOTE NOW VOTE NOW
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
Babelfish Administrator Small Fry with Ketchup Posts: 6833 Kudos: 8324 Votes: 1570 Registered: 17-Apr-2003	As was said I only lightly gravel vac, and don't go all the way to the bottom near the plants. My water changes arent based on nitrAtes as I'm understocked and so am often adding nitrAtes back in during water changes. Even though I add nitrAtes it's important to still do water changes since that's not the sole reason for doing a change. ^_^ [hr width='40%']"Somewhere beyond happiness and sadness I need to calculate,what creates my own madness... and I am waiting for disaster"
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
whetu Mega Fish Posts: 900 Votes: 63 Registered: 31-Jan-2003	Yep, I have a heavily planted tank that never shows any nitrate readings, but I still do regular water changes. I have to maintain my tank weekly to keep the plant growth under control anyway, so I do 20% weekly changes as part of the maintenance routine. Gravel vacs, as mentioned above, are confined to the open gravel area or a gentle sweep over planted areas. Last edited by whetu at 20-Feb-2005 06:07
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44


	Jump to:

The views expressed on this page are the implied opinions of their respective authors.
Under no circumstances do the comments on this page represent the opinions of the staff of FishProfiles.com.

FishProfiles.com Forums, version 11.0
Mazeguy Smilies