Partial water change ~ new tank

Newbie Number of posts : 61 Registration date : 2010-03-13

How often should I do a partial water change in the first few weeks before the fishes go in?

Also, what temp should I aim for?

Oh, and how do I prepare the water that I top-up?

help

I can't remember doing this with Goldfish. scratch

Subject: Re: Partial water change ~ new tank Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:40 pm

OK, first of all, are you going to do the fishless cycle? If you are (and it is the best thing to do for the safety of your fish) then you dont do any water changes at all until that has completed.

Fill the tank with dechlorinated water, add enough ammonia to bring the reading up to 4-5 (you will need an API water test kit) and then check it every day to see f there is any change.

II think there is info on the fishless cycle and how to do it elsewhere on the forum, so have a bit of a mooch round and see if you can find that - articles section I think. Smile

Newbie Number of posts : 61 Registration date : 2010-03-13

Yes, I'll be doing the fishless cycle. Can you put fish in already?

The bloke in the aqua shop said to bring in a sample of water when I'm ready for the fish in about a week to 10 days. They said they would test it. So, if I got one of those kits, I could just do that myself?

Subject: Re: Partial water change ~ new tank Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:57 pm

No. I think you misunderstand what the fishless cycle is.

When there are fish in your tank, they all wee and poo, so basically they are swimming round in a little warm toilet! The wee and poo changes into something called ammonia - this is poisonous to your fish, burns theur skin and will kill them.

To make the water safe for the fiish, bacteria grown in your filter that changes the ammonia to something slightly less harmful (nitrite) and then different bacteria develops which changes that to nitrate.

You keep the nitrate at a safe level by doijg weekly water changes.

In the old days people who kept fish used to just get a tank, fill it with water and then put in fish and let then suffr in unsafe water while these levels of bacteria grew enough to do theiir job. The fish died, and were just replaced as needed.

Nowadays though, fortunately, there is a better way to get the filter up and running and that is called the fishless cycle.

Instead of putting fish in the tank so that their wee and poo produces the ammonia needed to stimulate the development of bacteria, you add to the tank water some liquid pure ammonia.

As mentiioned there are instructions on how to do the fishless cycle in the articles bit of this forum.

You dont add any fish at all until the fishless cycle is complete and your fiilter is fully ready to deal with the job it has to do - after all, as pet/fish lovers, we dont want to get them just to cause them harm do we?

Finally, a word of advice, please, please, please ignore the advoce give to you by the lfs. Your tank will not be ready in a week to 10 days, and the only reason they say this is so you buy your fish from them and then go and buy more from them when the first lot diie.

Just ask on here and we will see you through it all ok.