Are water changes stressful??

[msb27]

Are water changes stressful to fish? I just got a yellow tang tonight and Im do a water change. Should I put it off awhile or will it be okay to do the change tommorrow? The tang seems to be doing good. Swimming around and checking out its new home and also eating. I usually do 7 gallons every two weeks. What do you think?
Thanks Scott

 

[broomer5]

If your newly mixed saltwater is the same pH, very near the same temperature, same salinity, and any other parameters you test for and adjust, then you run less of a risk of stressing out fish that have been in the tank.
I say HAVE BEEN in the tank for a reason.
If you just recently acclimated this new yellow tang to your tank water conditions - I would not do a water change for a week or two. Reason being - the fish just left one type of saltwater at LFS or where ever you got it. Now it's been introduced to your tank - and I'm sure there is some stress induced on the tang. Changing the water conditions again would only create the possiblity of adding more stress in my opinion.
It's up to you - but I'd hold off for awhile and let the tang settle in some.
Unless your water conditions are awful - then that is another case - and you should not be adding any live creature to crappy water.

 

[msb27]

Thanks for the reply broomer, sounds like good advise to follow. I think I will wait a week or two like you suggested.
Scott

 

[broomer5]

Sure thing Scott,
And by the way - after reading what I said before, I hope you didn't take that last part the wrong way.
I was not implying that YOU have crappy water - just that some people do - ya know

 

[stacy]

One thing I would like to suggest as well is as you are doing your water changes add the water slowly. When I 1st started I would just dump the whole bucket into the tank. Make sure the temp, ph, & salinity are as close as possible to your main tank. Then use a powerhead to slowly add the water to your tank. I hate to say how many fish I lost because I added the water to fast, and the temp or ph was not correct.

 

[nacl-h2o]

Another thing to do is add the new water slowly to your sump/refugium/algae scrubber if you have one of these.

 

[sinner's girl]

i say wait on water change (unless the water is very bad) and yes imo water changes can be stressfull. they were to my yellow tang, he'd get white and non-active. the clowns don't seem to mind as much.