water changes

[PhishPhreek]

Re: water changes

"old tank syndrome" is a term I have not herd before.
please explain
Thanks

[CichlidFan]

Re: water changes

I heard it used years ago, but have no clue about it's true meaning?

CF

[Zulaab]

Re: water changes

PP - I believe "old tank syndrome" is the old word for <whiny voice> "I have a tank without, or with glass balls only, as my subtract, and this is how the tank has been for the last two years...  I have never done a water change, and I am wondering why my fish are dying on me in droves... Ammonia is low, so is Nitrites, but I am running like a 400 on the Nitrates but some fish guy told this is normal in tanks to have high Nitrates.  "should I just continue to put fish in the tank or should I like do a water change ???" - old tank syndrome.. not heard of lately because most everyone knows that a water change is necessary to keep the health of your fish.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: water changes

Color me guilty  :embar:

Thanks

[eklikewhoa]

Re: water changes

Water is depleted of any beneficial nutrients or minerals, Nitrates high......basically stale so to speak.

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: water changes

For most fish, I would say 25-30% weekly, 50% bi-weekly.

Absolutely worst case is 50% once a month.

In a 55 gallon that has..
2- 3" Oscars
1- 2" Frontosa
1- 2" Green Terror
1- 2" Jack Dempsy
1- 3" Pacu

For the two months you keeping them in this tank, I would do weekly %30 if feeding pellet or flake foods, 50% if feeding live or frozen foods.

Whisper 60 = 330 gph
Emporoer 400 = 400 gph

This is 730 gph that makes 13 X filtration turnover just with HOB's. You got two powerheads running a undergravel filter. What size of powerheads are they?  You got alot of filtration here, which is going to keep the tank really clean.

The problem is you got some big duded in there that are going to be eating a lot of high protein foods.  The higher the prtotein the more ammonia there is.  The more ammonia there is, the more Nitrite and Nitrate will be made.

This is why you need to perform weekly 30%-50% waterchanges.

When you do the waterchanges, gravel vaccum only.  Then about every 4-6 weeks, clean one of the Powerfilters but do not clean the other one.  Alternate the cleanings.

Sounds like they're going to be crwoded for a couple months, but in that 240 they'll turn into BEASTS...

Post some pics when they get there.

[spanky]

Re: water changes

I have a 110 gallon(more tall than long) tank that I cannot seem to get cleared up. I have an Eheim 2217 and I just recently did a water change and cleaned the gravel as well. My tank seems very cloudy and not clear at all. Do I have enough filtration? Do i need to add anything else? Please help.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: water changes

Might wanna start a new thread for your problem but lets see.


How old is the tank? Or how long has it been set up?
What kind of fish or stocking?
Feeding?
The filtration is lacking IMO

[Mzungu]

Re: water changes

What he said, but also:

What kind of substrate? Just plain ol' gravel?
How much water did you change out?

[rrocket2002]

Re: water changes

If your tank hasn't been running very long, it is suppose to cloud up as part of the cycling process.

Raul

[Hanson77]

Re: water changes

100 gallon probably doesn't have enough filtration in my mind.  One 2217 probably wouldn't circulate the water quite enough in my opinion depending bioload from fish.  I would add a pretty powerful powerhead to create some movement in the water, or another filter.

55 gallon set up above probably some serious filtration.  I ran a 400 only on my 55 with about 20 2" cichlids and had no problems.  That's not that many fish at two inches ea. to create too much waste for that amount of filtration.  I would say keep up with the weekly water changes....regardless of what the brain trusts at your major chain stores say.