How often and how much water do I need to change in my fish tank? In this article, we will discuss a little about this very important topic in Fishkeeping.
In order to have a successful maintenance in creation of ornamental fish the ideal is to follow a very famous rule known as “keep the water clean and the filter dirty”.
Regardless if the water is crystal clear and your filter is working properly. It’s important to remember that the water in your fish tank can be full of accumulated nitrates, phosphates, pheromones and many other by-products generated by the fish that live there.
How Often And How Much Water Do I Need To Change In My Fish Tank?
Your fish will thrive if you follow a regular 25% weekly water change regime in your fish tank. Old water is great for stimulating algae growth and making your tank look dirty. As well as damaging the fish’s immune system.
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Partial water changes can be adapted. Take into account the amount of fish you have in the fish tank. As well as the amount of food provided to them. Many messy fish, like cichlids, thrive better with more frequent partial water changes.
Aquarium Filter
The biological media filter, such as foams and ceramics in your fish tank, must be washed with aquarium water itself. As already mentioned, the filter must be dirty for it to work properly. However, these regular maintenance must be carried out.
In addition, the media usually come in small bags, try to separate them, taking a new bag and placing 50% on each side. This improves maintenance, as during water changes, you can wash 50% of the media, instead of washing everything in one go.
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On the other hand, on chemical filtration, where charcoal is generally used, it can be removed from the fish tank and changed every 15 days, as the bacteria literally “seal” them and prevent their functioning.
Mechanical filtration, will work best when kept clean and changed at regular intervals.
How To Know When To Make Water Changes In The Fish Tank?
A Nitrate test can show if you are doing enough Partial Water Changes in your fish tank. When testing the level of nitrate in the aquarium, compare it to the water level in your tap.
If they are practically the same, it means that you are making enough water changes. If the difference is greater than 40 ppm, it means that you need to do more Partial Water Changes.
Can I Add Tap Water Directly To The Fish Tank?
Your fish need good water, not just water. If you add tap water to the tank, it can cause an increase in ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
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The ideal is that you treat the water with a good water conditioner, commonly sold in pet stores. These conditioners have the power to remove chlorine, chloramine and ammonia. As well as converting nitrite to nitrate, which is less harmful to fish.
Some conditioners sold in pet stores help to protect your fish. They eliminate heavy metals, adding vitamin to the water, restoring the mucosal and working as an anti-stress for animals.
As we can see, how often and how much water you need to change in the fish tank will depend on many factors. This includes the species you breed, as well as the feed and the size of the fish tank.
Following a regular weekly changes of 25% water in your aquarium, with certainty in the world, your fish will thrive in the fish tank and live for many years.
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