Water Change Procedure

[aymenz]

Hey guys,

I though of requesting this from all of the users on this forum if you can spare a couple of minutes which can be beneficial for all of us in the long run...

a quick questionaire:

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

3- How often are water changes made?

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

5- How often are filters cleaned

6- How much water is taken out of the tank?

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

These are only guide questions, you know the rest..

So if everybody can list the process of performing a water change from the start to the end with all the details if possible, we can learn from our mistakes and improve them from this thread....

We all know that some ppl may kill the fish from a simple water change, and some may cause parasite in the water....

Will start with my own:

Aquarium: Jebo ER 930 : 270 LTR

Filters: Eheim Canister, with a power head trickle filter and an internal Resun bio filter...

Substrate: Coral sand mixed with Play sand

Rocks: assorted beach rocks (Boiled and cleaned before added)

Fish: Malawis, vic and tangs

- trio of Electric Blues about 11 cm m and 8 and 9cm f

- Colony of Red Rubins: 2 m and 4 f between 6 to 9 cm

- Trio of Crimson Tides: 1 m and 2 f about 7cm

- Electric Yellow: 1 m and 1 f about 7cm

- Red Empress: 1 m about 8cm

- Princess brichardi: 1 m and 1 f about 5cm

- Bristlenose Catfish: 1 m and 1 f

The water change procedure:

Using a long hose that extends to my backyard, Moving the hose inside the water to get the debris flowing off the substrate and get it sucked through the hose opening...

Continue with this until no signs of fish crap is showing without moving any rocks around, and normally this will need about 25 to 30% of the water to be sucked out.

With a sponge clean the glass thoroughly from the inside.

Connect the garden hose and pump warm water straight into the tank, calculate how much water ager is needed and add it while the water is filling the tank.

Leave about 10% of the water to allow the hot water to be added from the tap, wait for the water to cool down then add some Melafix.

Feed the fish afterwards.

Fish reaction, some fish start twitching and itching a bit but after feeding everything goes back to normal...

This is normally done at night aroung 10:00 pm every week or fortnight.

Cheers

[kasm]

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

2 of 5ft Tanks

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

Tangs, mostly Tropheus

3- How often are water changes made?

Weekly or fortnightly

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

Yes, as best as I can

5- How often are filters cleaned

Cannister - 3 months, Sump - 6 months

6- How much water is taking out of the tank?

Weekly (30%) or fornightly (50%)

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

Before filling up tanks with new water, straight to the tank

Aquarium: standard 5ft

Filters: Eheim 2217 with Eheim filter media. Sump with matrix, O ring noodles, bioball

Substrate: 2mm coral sand

Rocks: Texas holey rock and river rocks

Buffer: John's African Rift Lake Salt (1.5 teaspoon for 20L)

Can't wait to try his Tangs recipe, hopefully coming soon

Fish: All Tangs

Tropheus M. Ilangi, Tropheus B. Ikola, Tropheus Red Moliro, Tropheus Duboisi Maswa

Cuckoo cat, Goby, Kissi Bemba, Leleupi Longior, Alto. Firefin, Black Calvus.

Cheers,

Kevin

[malawi sand diver]

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

7 tanks in total:

1 x 10 foot

2 x 4 foot

3 x 2 foot

1 x 3 foot

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

Malawi cichlids - Lichnochromis Acuticeps, Chilotilapia Rhoadesii, Fosorochromis Rostratus, Lethrinops Red Cap, Hemitilapia Oxyrynchus, Taiwan Reef, Blue Dolphin, Astatilapia Calliptera, Placidochromis Phenochilus Tanzania

3- How often are water changes made?

Once per week or more depending on the tank size

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

Yes

5- How often are filters cleaned

For mechanical filters in the smaller tanks, when the water change is done. For the sump in my 10 foot tank, I usually change the white filter wool regularly and with the filter media, just take this out every 6 months and rinse in a bucket of aquarium water.

6- How much water is taking out of the tank?

For the smaller tanks about 30%. For the 10 foot tank, probably around 10% but it also has a 6 foot sump so must include that in the total water volume.

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

I have a large bucket and I add the water ager to this as I refill the tank.

Regards, Rob

[aymenz]

Thanks for the starters..

We are waiting for the rest to put up their experiences with water changes.

Cheers

[Josh]

When I had my room running.

-13 tanks

-Drain them, around 1/3rd.

-clean glass

-fill them.....

I had a DIY air powered vacuum, that I used when the tanks looked dirty

Pretty simple NO Substrate. Change filter wool when it looked putrid.

Josh

[zigzagfish]

For fish room 1

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

25 x 2 foot

3 x 3 foot

14 x 4 foot

4 x 2 x2x2

1 x 5x2x2

1x 6x2x2

1 x 6 foot std

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

Malawis , blues , yellows , phenos , gissels , placido mbamba , flavus , prot similis , red top b/b and a few more...

Tangs , cypr malasa , kitumba , mpimwe , leulupi , mobas , 7 bars , trets , cuckoo cats and a few more

Vics , Flame backs

3- How often are water changes made?

Once a week

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

no i let the my snails do the work for me

5- How often are filters cleaned

when they are dirty

6- How much water is taking out of the tank?

25% semi auto system for taking water out and putting back in . takes me 4 hours to do the 2 rooms .

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

I use age water plus i add safe as well before putting water in and salts if need it from John (Great stuff)

for Fish room 2 i do the same

thats another 60 tanks

Cheers

Lionel.

[killiguy]

1 110 tanks

2 Alot:

Killifish list

N Rachovii Biera 98

N guentheri TAN 97/2

N guentheri blue

N orthonotus Nhangau MT03-4,

Fp deltanense

Native/New Guinea list

Ps furcatus *

Ps ivantsoffi *

Ps conniae *

Ps signifer Behana Ck

R.ornatus Seary’s Ck

M lacustrus *

M.kamaka *

M parva *

M misoolensis*

M.monticola ***

M.sexlineata *

M praecox *

M parkinsoni (orange)

M affinis Pagwi *

M mccullochi Moa Island (Torres Straites) *

M mccullochi Bulls crossing (Cooktown) *

M eachamensis Dirran Ck *

M eachamensis Thaiki Ck Rd

M.pygmae *

M papuae *

M.synergos

M.goldiei Laloki Rv*

Cairnsichtys rhombosomoides Etty Bay

G wannamensis *

G Incisus *

G maculosus *

G multisquamatus *

G ramuensis

C.bleheri

C.campsi *

C fasciata --Lake Wanam *

C axelrodi ***

Tateuredina ocellicauda

Bettas.

B albimarginata

Cichlids

Altolamprologus compressiceps

Neolamprologus brevis

Lamprologus ornatapinnis

Lamprologus beuscheri

Lamprologus similis

Lamprologus speciosus

Julidichromis regain Zambia gold

Cyprichromis leptosoma Mpulungu

Cyprichromis leptosoma Jumbo Kekese

Enantiopus sp.Kilesa

Enantiopus melanogenys

Cyathopharynx furcifer Ndole

Paracyprichromis nigripinis

Nannochromis parilus

Nannachromis transvestitus

Apistogramma panduro

Apistogramma Viejita (macmasteri)

Apistogramma “steel blue” (all male)

Apistogramma steindactneri

Apistogramma barlowi (all male)

Apistogramma irinidae(all male)

Apistogramma baenschi

Apistogramma borellii

Satanoperca leucosticta

Paratilapia polleni

Pseudocrenilabrus multicolour

Steatocranus tinanti

Hemichromis guttatus

Electric blue jack dempsies

Catfish

Hoplo catfish (Megalechis thoracata)

C barbatus

3 Once weekly

4 no not every time

5 every 3 months or so

6 50-70%

7 Just before I put the water in,directly into the wayer tanks except the rainwater tanks that dont need it

[Noddy65]

You have Ps conniae? Bloody hell...I thought they were all gone from Aus

and now that I look at the list a few others that I always thought were extinct as well

Mike

[krellious]

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

1 5ft

6 4ft

1 3ft

5<2ft

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)aurora, crimson tide,Maingano, barlowi, dimi comp, flavus, perspicax,aceii,lombardoi.e Xmas fulu, fire fin comps, 7 bar and various catfish

3- How often are water changes made

each week if not fortnightly 30-50% each time

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

Bare bottom tanks

5- How often are filters cleaned

All spongesso squeezed out each water change

6- How much water is taken out of the tank? 30-50%

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

Add before i put the garden hose into the tank

[debgrafish]

1. How many tanks are you currently housing

1@ 8x2

2@ 7x 2

5@ 6x2

1@ 5@2

4@ 4x2

18@ 3x1.5

8@ 2x1.5

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

Tropheus,... Ilangi, Katoto, Lufubu, Moliro, Ikola, Chaitika, Kasanga

Frontosa....Moba, Kitumba, Burundi

Cyprichromis....Livua, Utinta, Kiriza

Calvus...Black, White

Compressiceps....Kigoma, Mbita

Nigripinnis

Kilesa

Limnochromis

3- How often are water changes made?

Weekly

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

Yes, and rocks are moved every second or third change

5- How often are filters cleaned

Cannisters, fluff rinsed every water change, deep clean every 6-8 weeks

Sumps, fluff rinsed every water change, waste buildup syponed every month or so

Internal powerhead filters, fluff rinsed every water change

6- How much water is taking out of the tank?

Weekly 30-40 %

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

Water is aged in barrels, tang salts and buffers are added into the barrels,

[johns]

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

162 + 4 IBC tubs

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

Malawi's mainly and too many to list can check my breeders register for list.

3- How often are water changes made?

Weekly

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

as best can be

5- How often are filters cleaned

3 weekly am using sponge filters on most tanks

6- How much water is taken out of the tank?

25-30%

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

just before adding water from garden hose and then go around and add my Rift Lake Salt mix.

Cheers Johns

[killiguy]

You have Ps conniae? Bloody hell...I thought they were all gone from Aus

and now that I look at the list a few others that I always thought were extinct as well

Mike

Ive been very interested in rainbowfish conservation(in the hobby that is)and have recently become heavily involved in the "rainbowfish group"the species maintenance group of ANGFA.Also with John Cousins out of the hobby temporarily down here Ive taken over quite a few of his species.

If want a species let me know before you come down

[GundamCichlid]

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

more than 1 tank

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

Tangs:

-Tropheus : Chaitika, Kaasanga, Chilambo, Lufubu, Ilangi, Kazumba, Chipimbi, Moliro, Duboisi, Ikola, Kriza, Bemba and Cherry Spot

- Frontosa Kitumba and Kigoma

- Leptosoma Malasa and Utinta

- Black Calvus, White Calvus, Gold Head Comp, Gold Comp and Mbita Comp

- Gombie

- Multis and Julidochromis

- Dwarf frontosa

Malawis: Blue Dolphin, Mdoka, Giselle, lleupi, Red Empress, E Yellow and E Blue

American and Trops : Clown loaches, Yoyo loaches, Red tail black and Albino Shark, Severum and Blue Acara

Catfish : Albino, Commmon and Peps plus 1 Gibby and 1 gold Spot pleco

3- How often are water changes made?

Weekly and Fortnite with hose to the drain

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

No as mostly bare bottoms and maximum half cm gravel only in the 6 footers

5- How often are filters cleaned

Mostly sidedrop set up so wool change every 3 months and canister and hangon every 8 weeks

6- How much water is taken out of the tank?

estimately 30% with cumulatively in 20L mark minimum for easy bufferring.

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

Water not aged with safe or prime as water conditioner.

Buffer use are 3 tsp rift lake and 1 tsp KH hardness for every 20L water change

Cheers,

Ren

[Aquaholic]

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

18

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

various

3- How often are water changes made?

weekly

4- Is the substrate siphoned when the water change is done?

yes

5- How often are filters cleaned

when they need it or 3 monthly

6- How much water is taken out of the tank?

20-25%

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

Water is aged in a 500 litre barrel. Prime is added, hot and cold water and ph down.

[joller]

1- How many tanks are you currently running?

7

2- What are they housing (Malawis, tangs, vics etc...)

american cichlids

3- How often are water changes made?

usually weekly

4- Is the susbtrate siphoned when the water change is done?

for internal filters nearly never, tanks with overflows weekly or bi-weekly

5- How often are filters cleaned

sump - rinse wool every week

mechanical every 2 or 3 months (when the flow slows down)

6- How much water is taken out of the tank?

50%

7- when do you add the water ager and how?

summer - pretty much at the same time i put the hose in

winter - water prepared in a 60L bin, 20-25 degrees and water ager before it goes into tanks