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  • water change

    :) Has anyone here ever heard of never doing a water change to a mature tank? Just a topoff

  • #2
    Re: water change

    Yes, thats why the Oceans are salty.

    When the water evaporates, it leaves behind all the minerals, and the Nitrates build up.  If you just top off the tank with RO water thats fine, but if you top it off with the extra hard Houston Tap water then it will accumulate until you aquarium turns into a brick.

    Stop by a plumbers shop some time at take a look at the Water Heaters that have become so full minerals that they had to be replaced.  Speaking of which how long has it been since you flushed out you water heater ??  If you remember to flush your water heator at least once a year it will last a lot longer.
    'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
    He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

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    • #3
      Re: water change

      I actually met a guy that claimed he hadn't changed his water in 9 years. I saw his tank and it didn't look too bad, although it was a 180gallon with about 90 africans, running a cannister filter. I don't know if it was true that he hadn't changed the water, but I wouldn't put it past the guy.

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      • #4
        Re: water change

        Originally posted by PhishPhreek";p="
        Yes, thats why the Oceans are salty.

        When the water evaporates, it leaves behind all the minerals, and the Nitrates build up.  If you just top off the tank with RO water thats fine, but if you top it off with the extra hard Houston Tap water then it will accumulate until you aquarium turns into a brick.

        Stop by a plumbers shop some time at take a look at the Water Heaters that have become so full minerals that they had to be replaced.  Speaking of which how long has it been since you flushed out you water heater ??  If you remember to flush your water heator at least once a year it will last a lot longer.
        I am sorry :? How is it that the oceans are salty because of this? What about the lakes like Lake Michigan,They are not salty and I'm sure that Nitrates build up as well? I am confused? Please explain.

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        • #5
          Re: water change

          Hmmm, interesting. Why are the oceans salty. I guess it could be reasoned that the lakes get a constant water change because of the rivers and creeks that replenish and runoff. thoughts?

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          • #6
            Re: water change

            Thats exactly correct. Lakes and rivers remain as fresh water do to the constant flow rates which deplete and replenish them, whereas Oceans and Seas are repositories only. the only way Oceans and Seas lose water is thru evaporation, which does nothing for the mineral content in the water. In lakes and rivers the mineral content has little opportunity to concentrate, even tho rivers and lakes experience evaporation, the influx of fresh water combined with the runoff effect dilute this to insignificant ammounts. To illustrate this you can look at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This is a closed system lake with very little runoff, as such most of the water loss is due to evaporation. This is why the salt lake is just that, a salt lake, also extremely alkaline by the way. The heavy minerals arent carried away by tributaries and are therefore concentrated. Oceans and Seas work in much the same way, water coming in, carrying the minerals, evaporation as the primary means of water loss, nowhere for the minerals to evacuate to.
            School was a long time ago, but I think I covered all the basics here.
            Consider my posts as general information based on personal experiences, and in most cases, far oversimplified. Actual mileage may vary. Don't try this at home. If symptoms persist, contact your physician.

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            • #7
              Re: water change

              Appearently there is not an easy answer to this question.  Scott's answer is very good.  I was looking at a site and cut and paste some points on this.

              (1) Sodium and chloride (the components of common table salt) constitute a little more than 85 percent of the dissolved solids in ocean water and give to the water its characteristic salty taste, but they represent less than 16 percent of the salt content of river water.

              (2) Rivers carry to the sea more calcium than chloride, but the oceans nevertheless contain about 46 times more chloride than calcium.

              (3) Silica is a significant constituent of river water but not of sea water.

              (4) Calcium and bicarbonate account for nearly 50 percent of the dissolved solids in river water yet constitute less than 2 percent of the dissolved solids in ocean water. These variations seem contrary to what one would expect.

              The ocean is salty because of the gradual concentration of dissolved chemicals eroded from the Earth's crust and washed into the sea. Solid and gaseous ejections from volcanoes, suspended particles swept to the ocean from the land by onshore winds, and materials dissolved from sediments deposited on the ocean floor have also contributed. Salinity is increased by evaporation or by freezing of sea ice and it is decreased as a result of rainfall, runoff, or the melting of ice. The average salinity of sea water is 35 o/oo, but concentrations as high as 40 o/oo are observed in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Salinities are much less than average in coastal waters, in the polar seas, and near the mouths of large rivers.
              Raul
              PokerFace

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              • #8
                Re: water change

                I think its best to change 30% of the water every two weeks. Changing the water too often removes the removes the fish's slime coat and can cause disease. Technique is important to minimize the stress caused by changing water. I usually take the water out of several tanks at once and put back a little in each until they are all full. I do not change water on cold days but I have a water hose running to the guppyhouse. I put well water through a carbon filter because organic material in my well water reduces the dissolved oxygen in the water when it is changed. I never take a tank down and clean it. I only clean the front glass. The algae on the sides and back is part of the biological "filter" and something to eat. I use two box "filters" per tank and only clean one at a time to avoid upseting biological "filtration". A dirty looking box filter is working properly unless the air won't go through it. The quotes mean I think it is really a chemical reactor to remove ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Clear water is not a priority for me. I am only concerned with the health of the fish. I think live plants help keep the water chemistry good.

                max

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                • #9
                  Re: water change

                  I agree with Max live plants are very helpfull when me and my dad tub the fish there are no filters and we cant change water often during the winter so our tanks might go 4-6 weeks without a water change.But the plants absorb the amonia and the nitrates as fertalizer cleaning the water and they also but all the O2 the fish need in there. We might have 200 fish in a 100gl tub without any filters or air pumps and all we have to do is feed the fish and every thing is fine we can even see the bottom of the tanks.There are also either moina or daphina or some other little shrimp things in there to clean the water.I like to pay attention in science class.
                  -Mark

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                  • #10
                    Re: water change

                    :)  Thank You very much, that was very informative. That has shed a lot of light on the ?? that I had about water changes of how much and how often.
                     Thanks again guys!

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                    • #11
                      Re: water change

                      Thought I would throw my 2 cents in....

                      On all my tanks, I do about a 20% water change every two weeks and vacuum about once or twice a month.  Every 2-3 weeks besides a water change I hook up my diatom filter, shake up the gravel a bit and let it run while depending on the size of the tank I have it on.  The diatom filter filters down to the micron leaving your tanks crystal clear, but does not change the chemistry of the water.  They are nice filters to supplement your existing filtration.  You can have crystal clear water in a 20g in about 20 minutes or less.

                      Rocket(Raul)
                      Raul
                      PokerFace

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                      • #12
                        Re: water change

                        While I was working at Anheauser-Bush, I discovered that they use a very large diatom filter to filter out the haze in the beer so it is crystal clear when they bottle it.

                        Excelent filters, just takes a little extra effort to clean them and set them up.    If anyone needs diatoms or parts for a diatom filter let me know, I have some.
                        'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
                        He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

                        Comment

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