Betta Fish Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Oldfishlady water change recommendations

121K views 361 replies 117 participants last post by  cfaye3char 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Lots of different ways to successfully keep this species-

Based on the experiments I have conducted over the years-I have found that water quality can be maintained by these water change schedules. This is based on feeding quality foods and not overfeeding-since most water quality problems are due to poor quality foods and overfeeding more than byproducts produced by the Betta.

You don't want to base water change needs on water test ALONE-The test result can be helpful too, however, we don't test for the DOC's (dissolved organic compounds) that also build up that can be problematic.

All tanks need at least weekly-to-twice weekly water changes and water changes based on water prams of-Ammonia, nitrite 0.25ppm or greater and Nitrate of 40ppm or greater-It is best to keep nitrate under 20ppm.

If using plants fert-make water change-then add the ferts so you will remove any unused ferts so the algae can't to help prevent algae problems. With that said, some species of algae can be good and a sign of a healthy system, however, the aquarium is still a closed system and manual removal will still be needed on occasion.

Remember-some products/additives used in the tank can cause skewed test results. Have a base line with your source water with and without these products so you don't make unneeded water changes based on skewed results.

Tanks:
1-4gal without a filter or live plants
Twice weekly-1-50% water only and 1-100%

1-4gal with a filter
Twice weekly-1-50% water only and 1-50% with substrate cleaning by vacuum or stir and dip method.
Filter media needs a swish/rinse in old tank water a couple of times a month.

1-4gal with/without filter and with live plants-
This can vary based on number, specie and growth state of the plants. Generally with live plants even without a filter you don't want to make 100% water changes.

5-9gal without a filter
Once weekly 50% with vacuum-with 90-100% monthly

5-9gal with a filter
Weekly 50% with vacuum
Filter media needs a swish/rinse in old tank water a couple of times a month.

5-9gal with/without filter and with live plants
This can vary based on number, specie and growth state of the plants. Generally with live plants even without a filter you don't want to make 100% water changes.

10+gal without a filter
Once weekly 50% with vacuum and 90-100% as needed based on stocking

10+gal with a filter
Weekly 50% with vacuum
Filter media needs a swish/rinse in old tank water a couple of times a month.


10+gal with/without filter and with live plants
This can vary based on number, specie and growth state of the plants. Generally with live plants even without a filter you don't want to make 100% water changes.

You want to vacuum in all areas you can reach without moving anything or disruption of plant roots. It is best not to move decorations around-but if you need to or you want to change things around-Be sure and vacuum well under items-you may or may not need to make 2 back to back water changes in order to get the excess mulm/debris buildup under items.
If you do-don't clean the filter media or clean the non-viewing walls-especially in cycled tanks to prevent min-cycle/spikes.

When you vacuum-Unplug both the filter and heater-Then plunge the vacuum deep into the substrate and as the mulm/debris clear in a second or two-move and repeat.
You will not get all the mulm/debris and this is okay-Once you refill with like temp dechlorinated water and turn the filter back on the water should clear within the hour-even without a filter the water should clear. If not, you either missed a water change, over feeding or overstocked.

It is best to leave the Betta in the tank with partial water changes.
When making 100% water changes and you cup the Betta-be sure and properly acclimate back to the new chemistry like you do with a new Betta-By adding small amounts of the new tank water to the holding container over 10-15min or to tolerance-Net and add to the tank without adding the holding containers water.
Be sure and have some extra dechlorinated water on hand to use for top offs if needed.

Too clean can sometimes be as bad as too dirty-We all know what too dirty can do-but too clean and too many water changes especially 100% water changes can be stressful, disrupt the balance of the good and bad bacteria/pathogens and antibody development. Its hard for life to be maintained in too clean and sterile conditions.

I am not saying to not make water changes-what I am saying is that this species doesn't produce the amount of byproduct that you think and removal of all the organics in the tank too often can disrupt the balance and by removing all the bad you are removing the good that helps to keep the bad controlled.....Balance.....

Remember-to always wash hand well before and after working on your tank/Betta. And to unplug both the heater and filter...Safety for both you and your wet-pet.....​
 
See less See more
#163 ·
Betta Bonnie

This was very good info for me a new Betta owner. :) I set up my 2 2.5 gallon tanks last Thursday on Friday after work I bought 2 Bettas at Petco. My tanks each have a filter Tetra Whisper 3i, each have a slim heater some decor and a masamo moss ball. I have two larger cycled aquariums so I used 2 cups of small smooth river rocks from my 18 gallon Community tank. I have the API master test kits and on Sunday and again today my amonia was 1, I did 50% water changes on Sun and today. Is this normal to acumulate this much Amonia in 2 days?
 
#167 ·
Welcome to the world of betta keeping!!! When cleaning out gravel, the most used item is a gravel syphon. PetSmart calls it a gravel vacuum. It uses a combination of air pressure and gravity to clean out the nasty poop and left over food from your fish. My favorite type includes a hand-pump to increase this. PetSmart sells a store-brand syphon that I use.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11123493&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No
 
#170 ·
I need some advice. I have a male beta in a 2.5 gallon heated and filtered tank. There aren't any live plants in it. How often and what percentage of his water should I change. Every time I test the water, 4 readings are safe, but the water is hard. I live in a rural area. PLEASE, CAN ANYONE OFFER THEIR OPINION?
 
#171 · (Edited)
I do a 50% water change with almost the exact same conditions. 2.5 gallon, filtered, 4 readings are safe, and my water is hard, I don't have live plants, but I live in a suburban area. 50% once a week is what I do. Good luck with your fishy friend!

Edit: in the guide, it tells you to do a 50% twice a week and clean the gravel in one of the two with a siphon, but I just do 1 50% and clean the gravel then. You could take out the extra change, or you could do what the guide says... I kind of went the rebel way. LOL.
 
#175 ·
Hi,

I am a new Betta owner. Or I should say that I was a new Betta owner. I bought my son a new female Betta, Hailey, and we did everything right as far as acclimating her and what not. Sadly she had a tiny speck of fish fungus when we bought her. I did not know what to look for as far as a healthy fish.

I used the medications and did water changes, and poor Hailey girl did not make it. :( I bought my son a new 10 gallon tank today, but we have not picked out the new Betta yet. I have been reading that it is better to cycle the tank for 3-4 days.

I have learned how to establish the tank, but I am confused about the water changes. It says that I should do this:

10+gal with a filter
Weekly 50% with vacuum
Filter media needs a swish/rinse in old tank water a couple of times a month.

My question is how so I do a 50% water change each week. I know that I just cannot take half of the water out and dump new water in. How do I treat the new water? I am sorry if this is a stupid question. I am a beginner, so I would appreciate any and all help.

I am also confused as to what this means, "Filter media needs a swish/rinse in old tank water a couple of times a month." Does this mean I simply take the filter out and swish it around in the tank once a month? Do I remove the filter cartridge and swish that around? I seriously doubt that this means I simply swish the entire filter, body and all, as I could be shocked.

I feel stupid asking these simple questions, but I want to be the best fish Mommy I can be.
 
#176 ·
Hey!!! Welcome to betta-keeping! Sorry that poor Hailey didn't make it! Sometimes they're too far gone by the time we get to them. :(

I hope that I can answer as many questions for you as absolutely possible:
1.) Tanks take longer than 3-4 days to cycle. It is actually 3-4 weeks.
2.) You can take the fish out and take out half of the water using a gravel siphon. Then, since the fish is already out, you can simply fill the tank back up. Just treat the water once this is done (before putting the fish back in).
If you have multiple fish, or find this to be a hassle, you can always get a bucket (or a 5 gallon water jug) and fill and treat that water before pouring it in.
3.) When giving filter media a swish/rinse, I always swish it in the water that I have just taken out of the tank.

Please let me know if I can be of any more help! :)
 
#177 ·
A 10g tank will cycle by itself eventually, if you just make weekly 50% water changes
---siphon half the water out with a siphon made for that purpose, available at your fish store, the small one. Replace with treated water of the same temperature.

The media is the sponge or cartridge that does the filtering. Remove it; swish it around in the old tank water you just removed; then put it back in. Do NOT replace or change it; that's where the bacteria live that cycle your tank.

Read the stickie, Betta specific nitrogen cycle in this section.

Get a water test kit. The best cheapest is the API freshwater master test kit available from Amazon for ~$20. Prime is the most-used water conditioner around here. Temperature around 80*. Cover the tank to keep in the warm, moist air that they breath. Get plants and something for him to hide in.
 
#178 ·
I have a stupid question about rinsing filter media. I just switched the filter media in both my tanks to the fluval biomax rings (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753126)

When I rinse them, should I just dump them out into my hand, rinse the crud off in the old water and put them back in the filter cartridge? And this won't disturb the bacteria? I just don't want to disrupt the cycle again, I had a nitrite spike, then I was starting to see nitrites in the one tank, and I did something...over cleaned it maybe, and my cycle started over again.
 
#179 ·
Hi JamieL let me see if I can help you. If I am understanding your question correctly yes you should just rinse them off in old water from your tank and put them back in the filter cartridge. I am not sure what could have caused your spike unless when you switched out the filter media you lost some bacteria or like you said over cleaned them. Good luck in getting the new cycle going again.
 
#182 ·
Just read through this whole thread- I learned a lot! Also kept me from making some mistakes. I saw somewhere else for a filtered 5gal (no plants) to do a 100% WC every month (on top of 50% WC every week), but reading through this I see that would be bad for the bacteria.

So if I wanted to give my tank a good cleaning- mainly take out and rinse down all the gravel to get all the crap out- would it be okay if I siphoned out all of the water, poured 50% of old tank water back in once it's cleaned, then put in the new 50% as usual? I'm thinking by reading OFL's words of wisdom that I could do that and clean the gravel one month, then the next month clean the decor and/or walls of the tank. But not both the gravel and decor or walls to preserve the bacteria balance. Does that sound alright, or am I off?

Thanks :)
 
#183 ·
The life of the nitrifying bacteria and their spread in your tank is a little more complicated than that, Mermaid.

First o all, OFL's water change protocol is for uncycled tanks and no test kit. If you're concerned with bacteria, I assume you're cycling your tank. Good; that's best for the stock.

In that case, I highly recommend your get a liquid water test kit (API from Amazon for ~$20). Don't clean anything ---especially your filter media-- until your tank is cycled. This will happen automatically. You should test your water every other day or so to ensure your ammonia does not rise >0.25ppm. For the rest of the details of fish-in cycling, read this: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ssories/nitrogen-cycle-betta-specific-107771/

Also read the other stickies about cycling for a better understanding of the nitrogen cycle.

A cycled tank is not just for the convenience of the keeper, but for the health and safety of the fish.
 
#184 ·
The life of the nitrifying bacteria and their spread in your tank is a little more complicated than that, Mermaid.

First of all, OFL's water change protocol is for uncycled tanks and no test kit. If you're concerned with bacteria, I assume you're cycling your tank. Good; that's best for the stock.

In that case, I highly recommend your get a liquid water test kit (API from Amazon for ~$20). Don't clean anything ---especially your filter media-- until your tank is cycled. This will happen automatically. You should test your water every other day or so to ensure your ammonia does not rise >0.25ppm. For the rest of the details of fish-in cycling, read this: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ssories/nitrogen-cycle-betta-specific-107771/

Also read the other stickies about cycling for a better understanding of the nitrogen cycle.

A cycled tank is not just for the convenience of the keeper, but for the health and safety of the fish.
 
#185 ·
I have a 3.5 gallon tank, heated, filtered, with live plants and Marimo. I'll do a 50% water change once a week with water conditioner and enviro-clean. I've had the water tested at Petsmart once a week and will keep doing that. So far they've said everything is fine. I'm using a turkey baster to clean up debris, but will be investing in a siphon vacuum to clean up the mess in the rocks.
Does this sound appropriate? I last changed his water last Sunday (I'm making it a Sunday thing) and I noticed this morning, pre-water change, a little tear in his dorsal fin. He is very healthy, happy and inquisitive otherwise. I taught him to jump for bloodworms from my hand! :)
The basic question is: is a 50% water change once a week for a filtered tank with live plants sufficient?
 
#186 ·
Spadepixie-IMO/E-yes-50% weekly with or without light vacuum in a planted tank with or without a filter should maintain water quality in a 3.5gal with a single Betta-provided that the plants are actively growing.

Winged Mermaid-With filtered tanks with and without live plants IMO/E don't need 100% water changes. Unfiltered tanks with plants don't need 100% either IMO/E-Regardless of nitrogen cycle stage you don't want to make 100%-with that said-remember very little BB are in the water column itself and making water only changes generally doesn't hurt your cycle-Lots of things can vary too...

The nitrogen cycle or water changes doesn't have to be made to sound so complicated or difficult nor do you need a lot of expensive items to establish the nitrogen cycle/maintain an aquarium for a Betta IMO/E-
Lots and lots of different ways to reach the same goals and while fish keeping isn't an exact science-by understanding the science behind the nitrogen cycle can help make it less intimidating to the average Betta keeper IMO only....
 
#190 ·
Your welcome, however, it has been made very clear by some of the moderators that I am no longer welcome here. This will be my last post as I am sure I will be banned after this anyway......Too bad the new owner puts up with this type of childish behavior.....

Good luck everyone....
 
#188 ·
Thanks for the replies! I understand the nitrogen cycle. I just want to know what the best suggestion would be for giving the gravel a good cleaning every once in a while. I know that you can have things too clean, that there's a needed balance there, but we all know how dirty the gravel can get, even with a gravel vac or the stir and dip method (what I'm doing now).

I'm taking cycled and uncycled directions into account because I'm not sure if my tank is cycled yet. I've had it 3 1/2 weeks but used Tetra Safe Start, and haven't ordered my test kit (I plan on ordering that and a gravel vac this week, and am keeping a close eye on my betta for any signs of distress in the mean time). The want to clean the walls or decor is mostly just my minor OCD-ness kicking in haha ;) So I can forget that. But I would like to know thoughts on a once in a while complete gravel cleaning. Especially once I get a snail.. I hear they're poop machines! O_O It sounds like my previously posted idea isn't sufficient due to not enough bacteria being in the water column though. Thanks OFL for clearing that particular part up :) Any suggestions for the gravel issue are most welcome!
 
#189 ·
A good deal of your BB reside in the substrate (gravel in your case). The BB are sticky and adhere to the substrate, walls, décor, etc. So the vacuuming should not interfere with the cycle.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top