# too many water changes



## bkay1 (Sep 13, 2003)

my p's eat beef heart every other day, and they make a huge mess. when i gravel vac i loose water. i would like to vac more than once a week, is that okay or dose it mess up good bacteria level?
bk


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## 808homegrown (Sep 4, 2003)

it's OK







i sweep my gravel almost every week or 2 & no it won't harm any good bacteria at all. just remember not to lose more than 30% of ur water at any time & to add a biological additive each time like stress zyme, etc.


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## Makoa84 (Aug 27, 2003)

Well one reason that you cut your water changes is getting a better filtration going. What kind of filtration do you have on your tank now??


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## bkay1 (Sep 13, 2003)

2 ehiem 2026 in a 33g i think is good..no?
bk


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Moved to water chemistry


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2003)

bkay1 said:


> when i gravel vac i loose water. i would like to vac more than once a week, is that okay or dose it mess up good bacteria level?


 No, it shouldn't mess up your biofilter. The bacteria that form your biofilter are on the surface of your filter media, glass, gravel, ornaments, etc. Doing water changes and turning the gravel over won't adversely affect the colonies of bacteria.

Some people believe that the bacteria is only located on the very top of the gravel bed. I'm not sure that's true because water can circulate (albeit slowly) through the gravel, therefore it's probably growing on all the pieces of gravel.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Bullsnake said:


> Some people believe that the bacteria is only located on the very top of the gravel bed. I'm not sure that's true because water can circulate (albeit slowly) through the gravel, therefore it's probably growing on all the pieces of gravel.


 Bacteria will grow in gravel at all depths, but it depends on what type of bacteria we are talking about. Very deep gravel beds will encourage anaerobic bacteria growth which can lead to the formation of hydrogen sulfide. Water circulation is needed to carry dissolved oxygen to aerobic nitrifiers. Unless you have an undergravel filter that draws current through the entire gravel bed, oxygen will not get to the deeper layer. Have you ever taken a whiff of an aquarium, with a deep gravel bed, that hasn't had a gravel vac in a long time and all of a sudden the gravel is stirred? It smells like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide). The release of such gas can sometimes kill fish stock.

In answer to the original question, you can do as many water changes as you want so long as you pay attention to the incoming water parameters to make sure it's close to the tank parameters. Nitrifiers colonize on the gravel and form a biofilm to protect them. Doing normal gravel vacs will not significantly affect them. Finally, since nitrifiers are not free-swimming bacteria, you do not have to worry about removing them along with the water.


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## str8up (Sep 20, 2003)

Keep it simple...
If your tank is smelly from the beef heart... take out the leftovers after they eat number one.
Do 2-3 syphons of the gravel per week if necessary...but don't take out any more than you have to... make a quick syphon.. hitting trouble spots...
your water changes will be less...but the same amount as doing a 25-30% per week or 2. 
Add carbon in your filteration system and be sure to have enough filteration.
Later.....Str8


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## smithgrind_who (Mar 26, 2004)

DonH said:


> Bacteria will grow in gravel at all depths, but it depends on what type of bacteria we are talking about. Very deep gravel beds will encourage anaerobic bacteria growth which can lead to the formation of hydrogen sulfide. Water circulation is needed to carry dissolved oxygen to aerobic nitrifiers. Unless you have an undergravel filter that draws current through the entire gravel bed, oxygen will not get to the deeper layer. Have you ever taken a whiff of an aquarium, with a deep gravel bed, that hasn't had a gravel vac in a long time and all of a sudden the gravel is stirred? It smells like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide). The release of such gas can sometimes kill fish stock.


I was curious to know what are the effects of the gas released from anaerobic bacteria? Will the gas make changes to the water chemistry?


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

808homegrown said:


> it's OK :nod: i sweep my gravel almost every week or 2 & no it won't harm any good bacteria at all. just remember not to lose more than 30% of ur water at any time & to add a biological additive each time like stress zyme, etc.


 more then 30% wont harm the bacteria..

what WILL harm the bacteria is doing a large water change and adding water what does not have the same parameters as the old water.


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

Makoa84 said:


> Well one reason that you cut your water changes is getting a better filtration going. What kind of filtration do you have on your tank now??


 the soul purpose of water changes are do remove Nitrate, DOCs and replenish KH..

having a good filtration will not help any of these things.. accept converting Amonia to Nitrite to Nitrate faster.


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

Bullsnake said:


> bkay1 said:
> 
> 
> > when i gravel vac i loose water. i would like to vac more than once a week, is that okay or dose it mess up good bacteria level?
> ...


 there is no doubt that the highest concentration of Nitrifyers is located on the top layers of the gravel.. but when you get deep down there is limited O2..


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