# water changes?



## smellsfishy (Aug 12, 2003)

I have a 55g tank with 2 204 fluval. i have 3 black diamonds, how often should i change the water and how much? how often should i use a siphon to clean the gravel?


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## fluidnyc (Oct 15, 2003)

Hi:

When I had my P's in the 55G, I would do a 30% Water Change 3times a month,
would siphon to clean the gravel everytime I did a water change.

It also depends on how much your feeding these fish etc.

1st id syphon the gravel, the do my water change.

Good Luck~
FLUID


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Water changes are the least of your worries. Just do 25-30% a week, with gravel vac, and your water will be fine...cant speak for the fish though.


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## FohDatAss (Oct 7, 2003)

If you have like ALOT of filtration, i mean alot, could you avoid water changes??


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## mpdt (Jul 16, 2003)

Water changes are needed. They help removed impurities from the water that filtration can't. It gives your fish fresh water with fresh oxygen in it. As for the 3 black diamonds, good luck with that.


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## Makoa84 (Aug 27, 2003)

Eventhough you may have great filteration you still need to do you weekly changes and especially vac your gravel


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## mahoney (Sep 22, 2003)

I am not totally convinced that you need to do water changes. I have only done 3 water changes in about 6 months. I have zero nitrites and ammonia. My nitrates are less than 10. I have live plants, and I trim the dead parts off before they can deteriorate too much in the water. My filtration consistes only of two powerheads, basically for circulation. I have about 3.5-4 inches of sand and large pieces of lace rock that provide the majority of my filtration. My tank is a 55 gal. with about 6 red claw crabs and only 1 gold spilo, who is about 5.5 inches.


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## MR HARLEY (Aug 12, 2003)

mahoney said:


> I am not totally convinced that you need to do water changes. I have only done 3 water changes in about 6 months. I have zero nitrites and ammonia. My nitrates are less than 10. I have live plants, and I trim the dead parts off before they can deteriorate too much in the water. My filtration consistes only of two powerheads, basically for circulation. I have about 3.5-4 inches of sand and large pieces of lace rock that provide the majority of my filtration. My tank is a 55 gal. with about 6 red claw crabs and only 1 gold spilo, who is about 5.5 inches.


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## mahoney (Sep 22, 2003)

I forgot to say that I usually replace evaporated water with what the tank lost...distilled water.

I have wondered about how big of a system would be needed to need no maintenance, besides filter and actual tank maintenance. It would have to be closed so that you wouldn't lose any water. Food that reproduces fast enough to feed a piranha(s). Sort of like a little bio-sphere. Any ideas or thought on this?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Your bio load is really small for your tank...that is why water changes are not needed as often. Many community tank people do one water change a month. Live plants will help reduce the nitrates but you would need a lot to totally keep them under control. Nitrate control is not the only reason to do water changes, they replace many of the trace elements that your fish will use, but once again, one 5.5" fish in a 55 gallon will not use that much, and will not create that much ammonia.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

There's more to water chemistry than just ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Like gross gurke stated, there are essential trace minerals that the fish need for proper growth and health that needs to be replenished. More importantly, the nitrogen cycles uses up carbonates. Without carbonates, your pH will fluctuate and ultimately crash. Topping off evaporated water with distilled water will not replace these trace minerals nor carbonates. You have been lucky... check your KH and tell me what you see.



> I have wondered about how big of a system would be needed to need no maintenance, besides filter and actual tank maintenance. It would have to be closed so that you wouldn't lose any water. Food that reproduces fast enough to feed a piranha(s). Sort of like a little bio-sphere. Any ideas or thought on this?


The smallest closed systems without the use of filtration that I can think of are the mud ponds used to grow out koi or breed arowanas. They are usually incredibly understocked (about 1 fish/tens of thousands of gallons) and the fish feed on crustaceans that live in the pond (but also supplemented by feed).


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