# Is this a good thing?



## TobiasRieper (Mar 14, 2008)

I havnt done a water change for about 4 months, and Iv had a peice of raw shrimp in my tank for 24 hours and this is my water chemistry:

Amonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: oppm
Nitrate: 10ppm

If I did a water change now would it hurt my fish becuase of the high Nitrate?

This was a little experiment I did to see how good my bio sh*t was. Any thoughts?


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## robert69 (Jul 16, 2005)

I have friends who have done the same thing with similiar results to yours. Except they have gone even longer than 4 months. I have a friend who hasn't cleaned his tank in years and his fish are super healthy and water params are all in check. I wonder if it has something to do with all the real(not plastic) plants he has in his tank???? I also have other friends who go up to a year without changing their water. All of these guys have P's and they are messy as hell....


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I don't mess around with not doing water changes anymore.

Everything in my tank seems to do much better when they are done on time.
Even with low nitrates present, I just don't like going without them anymore.

I'm sold on the frequent water change.

It would never hurt your fish to do a water change, no matter how long it has been. -Unless you accidentally put water that has a much different temperature, or is loaded with chlorine.

If you have very high nitrates, (80+) it won't go down with 1 water change. You will have to do daily smaller water changes, like 20% a day until back to normal (around 20)

NM, your nitrates are 10ppm..--no need to be any lower than that.


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## TobiasRieper (Mar 14, 2008)

robert69 said:


> I don't mess around with not doing water changes anymore.
> 
> Everything in my tank seems to do much better when they are done on time.
> Even with low nitrates present, I just don't like going without them anymore.
> ...


I see, so doing one now wont hurt my fish? I thought 10ppm was high, maybe not so?


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Your water onions and a small amazon sword must be doing their job.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Any plant at all raises water quality.

My tank is full of plants, but I do weekly large water changes anyway. They really help my fish to stay active, plants grow better, seems like the fish grows quicker etc etc.

Things get nasty in there when they are not done, IMO

quick edit:: 10ppm is low for nitrates, especially with plants.. If you do not have nitrates present and you have plants, the plants can starve to death.
and before they starve to death, they will get infested with algea


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## TobiasRieper (Mar 14, 2008)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> Any plant at all raises water quality.
> 
> My tank is full of plants, but I do weekly large water changes anyway. They really help my fish to stay active, plants grow better, seems like the fish grows quicker etc etc.
> 
> ...


Interesting, I learn something new everyday on this site...so things must be pretty balanced out in my tank?


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## Malawi- (Oct 21, 2008)

I would do a small water change, like 20%. If its been that long, wouldnt wanna take a chance on changing the water chemistry to much.


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## maddyfish (Sep 16, 2006)

TobiasRieper said:


> Interesting, I learn something new everyday on this site...so things must be pretty balanced out in my tank?


More likely your test is inaccurate.


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## JustJoshinYa (Mar 25, 2006)

IMO water changes are good you are taking stale water out and putting fresh water in, water becomes stale as it sits in a tank in an enclossed system at degrees of about 80degrees constant, IMO i would at least do a once a week water change just to get some fresh water into the mix its always better than letting your fish sit constantly in the same water he poos and eats in, in nature this wouldnt really happen.

just my 3cents
-Josh


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