WATER CHANGE

[clowntrigga]

I AM DOING MY FIRST WATER CHANGE EVER CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME THE BEST WAY TO DO ONE? I HAVE A 55 GALLON TANK. HOW MDO U KNOW HOW MUCH SALT TO ADD , WILL THE NITRATES SHOOT UP IF I USE TAP WATER AND IF SO WHAT TYPE OF WATER DO I USE?THANX FOR THE ADVICE!!!!

 

[thespook]

Well first off why are u doing a water change? I will only change my water if I get high ammonia or Nitrite / Nitrate levels. I just add water when I get enough evaporated to allow me to add about 1 gal.
But the best way to change water is to shut off any power heads. This will allow ammonia to rise to the top. Then remove 10% witch is about 5 gal. Then make new water either from the tap or RO water from the store. I use tap water with a good chlorine remover. It takes about 1 cup of salt to every 2 gal of water use mostly cold water with just a touch of hot to get the temp to about 78.
Take your water tester with you to the kitchen and a thermometer.

 

[dgs174]

I personally would use RO/DI water which is the purest. You can even get it pre-mixed at an lfs. This takes out some hassle, and insures excellent water quality for your fish. BTW if you have a clown trigger in a 55 gal. you may want to think about investing in a larger tank soon, IMHO.
Dan

 

[lionfish]

LionFish says.....
Well, my personal thoughts are that I do a water change every 2 weeks as to make sure that my nitrates or ammonia don't go up. It really isn't good when you wait for them to raise because it can hurt some of the animals in the tank. Avoid waiting for ammonia to rise do one periodically judging by the size of the tank and the inhabitants of the tank. I would suggest you use RO water as it is pure of bacteria which can be found in other water. It does pay off in the long run because it reduces or eliminates the diatoms that cause Cyanobacteria. Try RO it is the best. What size tank do you have?

 

[pufferlover]

My personal preference is weekly water changes in all my big tanks and bi-weekly on my smaller 20's and the one 15. I may overdue it but I actually enjoy the maintenance end of this and my fish don't seem to care and I think they enjoy it.

 

[clowntrigga]

Well i have a 55 gallon tank lion fish. Do u know where i can find some ro water?Would they sell it at a local supermarket or do i have to go 2 the lfs and how much does it usually go for? Also lets say i change 15 gallons of water how much salt should i add?And do u suggest adding any water conditioners or anything else to the water? Thanx alot guys i really appreciate the advice so far on this message board,it is really useful!

 

[dgs174]

RO water is normally available almost anywhere. Try your lfs. A good price would be 50 cents a gallon. As for salt, I personally don't like having to mix, but the boxes to come with instructions as to how much salt with how much water.
Do you have a siphon? These can help stir up your substrate and help you get the tank as clean as possible by removing uneaten food.
I know others will tell you this, but you will need to start planning on getting a larger tank to keep your trigger happy. So good luck!