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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.....​
 
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#326 · (Edited)
Thanks Kithy and Hallyx! Although I'm not looking to cycle the tank (as I understand it can only be done on larger tanks?). Are the parameters still the same (>0.50ppm)?

EDIT: I had a look at the API test kit, and unfortunately it doesn't ship outside the US, and it costs 80AUD here!! Looks like I need to save up :/
 
#327 ·
Yes, but only if you're using Prime or Stresscoat (or other ammonia-locking conditioner) to detoxify ammonia. If not, keep the ammonia <0.25ppm.

Sorry about the boilerplate about cycling. While it is possibkle to cycle a tank that size, it's very finicky and probably should not be done with a fish in the tank.

Prime and such will lock ammonia for a day or so. If I were running a 1.5g (6L) tank, I'd dose Prime @1-drop/gal every day and perform two very large changes a week dosing Prime @ 2-drops gal.

Check the Seachem site and look up their ammonia testing device. A small stick-on badge that reads ammonia. Maybe you can get that in Oz.
 
#329 ·
In cycling it's the ammonia that spikes then regulates first, when cycling. Testing ammonia solely should be sufficient in determining how "dirty" the tank gets and change it based on that.

If you ever notice your fish doing anything weird though, like hanging at the bottom or being lethargic, do a 50%+ water change and dose twice the amount of prime before beginning any antibiotics or other extensive measures. Water changes and conditioners go a long way on fishies.
 
#338 ·
Right.

It's also important in a small tank to reduce your fish's exposure to ammonia, which can build rapidly. To do this, most of us use Prime water conditioer by Seachem. This product locks ammonia into a molecule harmless to your livestock. This molecule decays after a day or two, so it's recommended that you dose Prime @ 2-drops/gal of tank size with water changes, and 1-drop/gal daily.

It's also a good idea to regularly test your water for ammonia. Most hobbyists use this: Amazon.com : API Freshwater Master Test Kit : Aquarium Test Kits : Pet Supplies
(or, at least the ammonia test part of this kit.)

If you run a filter, test the water and use this water change schedule, you can cycle your tank auromatically with the fish safely in the tank.
 
#339 ·


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.

I currently have 2.7 gallon tank with anubias and hairgrass and given above recomendations I just don't see a point of having a filter. You still gotta do water changes twice a week. Might as well turn off the filter and save the fish some stress from current.
 
#341 ·
the point of having a filter is to achieve a nitrogen cycle, to "eat the ammonia" and other bad stuff. thats why it said to do a 100%WC with no filer, but with a filter it sais to only do 50% Wc, because if your tank was cycled doing a 100% water change could crash your cycle. take a look at this thread http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?p=1047231#post1047231

That's true, you will build up a cycle but it doesn't change how often you have to do water changes so whether your tank is cycled or not you still gotta do twice a week water changes. And to me makes no difference whether I do 50% or 90% changes, it's 2.7 gallons...
 
#343 · (Edited)
Good job explaining, kjg.

Convenience for the keeper is less important than water quality for the livestock. Even using Prime to detoxify ammonia from a water change does not keep ammonia at 0.0ppm all the time. Even daily dosing of Prime allows some ammonia as it gets released back into the tank by the decaying "locking" molecule to join the ammonia produced by the stock --fish, snails, shrimp. Only a cycled tank provides 0.0ppm ammonia all the time.

Most municipal water suppliers treat their water with chloramine. Chloramine is composed of chlorine and ammonia (it's a little more complicated, but...). Prime breaks up chloramine, removes the chlorine and safely 'locks' the ammonia, but only f0or a day or two.

Some keepers, myself included, feel that a weekly 50% wc and vacuuming is sufficient to remove nitrate and dissolved waste and to replace minerals in a 2.5g tank.
 
#345 ·
Interesting point that OFL brought up is that Ammonia/Nitrates and Nitrites are not the only toxins that accumulate in the tank. So more frequent water changes clean up more than the 3 compounds above.

Anyways, In my tap water I already got ~15ppm of ammonia. So Im sticking with 20% water changes every 2 days, after the prime looses its potency and 100% water changes on the weekends.

Sure fish can get stressed with 100% water change but this is natural acute stress that they experience in nature. Chronic stress is really what makes animals including humans sick.
 
#346 ·
~15ppm ammonia? I know that's a typo, because you're here typing instead of dead and buried. That's why I always include at least one zero (0) in my parameter expression __ vis: 0.50ppm or 1.50ppm. It also matches the readinm m ,xg on the API test reference card. And ammonia reading os 1.50ppm is still pretty high for a municipal water supply.

Prime begins to lose it's protection right away. It takes a couple of days *or less) to wear off. Although Seachen recommends 2-drops/gal every two days, I believe a dose of 1-drop/gal daily protects better because it smooths out the peaks.

I agree with your assessment of stress, Matt. But it is better to avoid it as much as possible.
 
#347 · (Edited)
~15ppm ammonia? I know that's a typo, because you're here typing instead of dead and buried.
It's 0.15ppm. The color is slight less green than 0.25ppm but not quite yellow at Zero.
That's the ammonia level straight from my tap water.

I decided to go against filter for the following reason:
1) My tanks is really small and cycling it doesn't really change the amount of water changes one needs as per OFL guide.
2) I had a filter for 2 weeks and after I took it out my fish seems so much more lively and happy with water without any current.
3) Filter produces constant humming noise and tiny glass vibrations which can chronically stress the fish, mine was quiet to my ears but in the water it can be quite noticeable.
4) My small tank remains cleaner without the filter. There is nothing decomposing in the sponge. I had a spike of 1ppm. I took it out the sponge only to find a bunch of decaying matter.

And my water change schedule:

2.7 gallon tank, no filter, no plants yet/slow growing plants
- 1x per week 100% water change
- Daily water quality checks and water change 55% anytime ammonia reaches 0.25ppm.
 
#349 ·
i bought a new 20 gallon tank about 10 days ago. i filled it with well water, it's heated, it's filtered. the PH, temp are where they need to be, there's zero ammonia.

i haven't cycled the tank, but i broke down and bought a betta yesterday.
and i also added a live plant to the tank, an amazon sword plant.


with him being the only fish in the uncycled tank, will he ever produce enough waste to get the tank cycled? since he's in a 20 gal tank and it's just him, is once a week 50% water changes going to be "too much" cleaning for the tank to ever cycle?

should i just check the ammonia levels daily and at the first hint of ammonia, do water change?

if say....a week from now there's still no ammonia, do i *still do* the water change? or do i wait until ammonia tests are positive?

and also.....if i got some gravel or filter media from a friends mature tank and put in in my filter or tank, from what i understand that actually introduces the good bacteria (that you are trying to create by cycling) into your tank. does this mean you are able to skip the dangerous spikes in ammonia?

but that bacteria you add from friends tank will need food (ammonia) so how does that work out if you have zero ammonia in your tank water? what does the good bacteria eat once u put it in your tank?
 
#350 ·
The tank will cycle, it will just have a smaller colony of nitrifying bacteria compared to a fully stocked tank of that size. If you do get some mature media you may not see any cycling issues, depending on the donor tank stocking as well as how much media you take. A filter supporting single betta in a 20 gallon will be processing the same amount of ammonia as a filter on a smaller tank with the same stocking, the end product, nitrate, will just be more diluted.
 
#351 · (Edited)
Excellent, Tolak.

As for the mechanics: a weekly 10% to 20% change will also help keep the dissolved waste from accumulating. And it freshens the water -- like opening a window to refresh a room.

A weekly parameter check is always a good idea.

"Seeding" live bacteria from a donor tank is a long-standing practice to promote the nitrogen cycle.

Well-water is nice because it has no ammonia. But sometimes it has a lot of heavy metals and other minerals. Prime water conditioner, among others, removes the heavy metals. In my well-water, I dose 2-drops/gal of refill water for this reason.

As single Betta in a 20g can lead to a lot of empty space. You might want to heavily plant at least one part of the tank for him to hide and feel cozy in. Include lots of floaters for shade and for hiding and sleeping in near the surface..

Let us know if you intend to expand your hobby to include other species in that 20g.
 
#353 ·
hallyx


thanks to u too :) my hood is a plastic low-profile hood that came with the set-up. it has 6 sets of little squares, and each square has four little lights in it.
they were described on the box as "daylight" lights and seem pretty bright, but having never used LED lights before, i'm not sure if my amazon sword plant will thrive in this tank or not. if it does well and looks like it's thriving i'd love to load it up with more, especially the ones you mentioned.

have u been able to have live plants with LED's?
 
#354 ·
I can't afford LEDs. I just use simple CFL curly bulbs (13W 6500K) in desk-lamp fixtures. I'm just a failure with plants. All I have left are Anubias, which I float, and a couple of potted swords in my bare-bottom tanks. Swords don't need much light if it's the right kind.

The members over in the Planted Betta Tank section know all about this stuff.
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/planted-betta-tanks/
 
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