W/C's ... the forgotten do-it-your-self-project

[red dawg]

We do a w/c of 25% once a week. Have been doing this for 25 plus years. Never have a problem with new fish dying or my old ones.

[Malibu]

Every week, either Saturday or Sunday (unless I'm out of town) I do a 20-30% water change. I check my levels about once every two weeks, unless I've noticed something odd with the fish, or I've added new fish - then I want to check that the levels maintain themselves.

I rarely have issues, and the last problem I had was after I used ferts in my planted tank. (a problem I am still trying to diagnose, as it hasn't happened since - I had an ammonia and nitrite spike in a year and a half old tank with no new additions either plant or fish-wise)

The way I look at tank maintenance is - I shower regularly, and wash my hands after using the washroom, make sure my house is clean - why shouldn't my fish have a healthy home as well?

[Smokey]

Yes,water changes do make for a happy aqarium! :welcome:

[SpateD]

I would also be very interested in this excel format people are using. Can someone PM me a save file?

[Smokey]

I would also be very interested in this excel format people are using. Can someone PM me a save file?

G'day SpateD

Excel is a very flexiable program. I use excel as the recording sheet for my auarium(s) information.

The colums are for the indivdual specfic topics - e.g. pH, KH, GH, temp, wc%, plus anything I think may be usefull (breeding infor, etc...).

I can average a coloums numbers to give me an idea as to when or how often a w/c is necessary/ or the percentage amount. The average fry success rate - food/fry //w/xc/no3's ppm/time

The rows are the date lines.

The nicety of excel; one can add "hidden" notes/information for any given topic.

I find it neat, concise versitile program.

Have a great day

Smokey

[Kronosdelsol]

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Edited October 2, 2010 by Kronosdelsol

[Smokey]

You can use this as a template to start your own excel spreadsheet.

Or if you prefer, spend $25 and buy Aquarium Lab. That's a good program which provides charts too. You can try their demo for 30 days.

All I can say I did mine first!lol 1992/93 I believe. Although Aquarium Lab looks more complex & detailed (i did my own claculations/ finger by finger).

Smokey

[marko]

Lots of great info here guys. I do 50% weekly on my more established tank. I just started a new tank with ada aquasoil, so the frequency of WC's would scare some (every day for 1 week, every 2nd day for next week, then 2x a week for the next 2 weeks).

[jamesbarr]

I dont do w/c anymore, but i have focused on low maintenance plants and fish. I have worked out a system in my tank where I watch what things are doing. Plants are languishing, too many fish/ over feeding. Plants not growing, not enough fish/not enough food.

I dont use chemical ferts tho either mind you. My tank is a constant experiment of balancing out waste production and waste up take. Just my take on the W/C

Edited December 24, 2012 by jamesbarr

[ckmullin]

I would also be very interested in this excel format people are using. Can someone PM me a save file?

I would also be very interested in this excel format people are using. Can someone PM me a save file?

G'day SpateD

Excel is a very flexiable program. I use excel as the recording sheet for my auarium(s) information.

The colums are for the indivdual specfic topics - e.g. pH, KH, GH, temp, wc%, plus anything I think may be usefull (breeding infor, etc...).

I can average a coloums numbers to give me an idea as to when or how often a w/c is necessary/ or the percentage amount. The average fry success rate - food/fry //w/xc/no3's ppm/time

The rows are the date lines.

The nicety of excel; one can add "hidden" notes/information for any given topic.

I find it neat, concise versitile program.

Have a great day

Smokey

A standalone program just for this purpose.

http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=36299

[Banshee]

Hey everyone. I have a monster 900gal and a 240 gal both set up on auto water change systems and let me tell u. It's the best thing since sliced bred!!!! Lol I was changing a total of 600 gall every 4 days now I haven't done any tank work for months except change my filter floss. The water is 100% perfect all the time. Fish grow faster larger and much better coulers.

[cullymoto]

As a discus keeper I can tell you that Water changes are THE THING towards keeping any fish happy.

I do 95% once a week in a 125gal tank. Full r/o water remineralized carefully. Boosted KH, modified ph to 6.0 in a heated, airated storage tank that i pump into my tank.

Since i over filter (rated for 160 canister, rated for 50 sponge) and have a fairly light stocking level my nitrates never get to 5ppm. anything higher and I would water change immediately.

my fish ALWAYS have breeding tubes extended, but are a bit young to actually be parents yet. Tells me they are plenty happy.

[PistolPete]

long live the large and frequent waterchange

[Mirage]

I'm still new to the game, but seeing as I have a juvi goldfish I've been doing a bare minimum of 1 50% a week, but prefer 2. This week I did a 50% on Sunday and 80% on Wednsday since the little poop monster's growth spurt trickled down the cycle. My little bucket routine isn't bad exercise.

I get a touch obsessive with testing NO2 and No3, ammonia and ph before and after w\cs. Admitidly I should probably be testing hardness and calcium to.

[WickedOdie]

WC's are the best thing to keeping healthy fish. I do an 80% on Sunday's and a 50% on Wednesday's. I wouldn't bother testing your harness. If you're just using tap water there is nothing in your tank that's going to make astronomical PH swings. PH is so widely concerned about and it needs not be. As long as your PH is consistent you need not worry.

However I don't know much about goldfish so I'm not sure how important calcium is. But under normal circumstances I wouldn't test for it.

You've got a cute goldfish, keep up the good work!