Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fishtank Filtration and Cycling => Topic started by: ColinB on March 19, 2014, 10:23:39 AM

Title: Water chage water....
Post by: ColinB on March 19, 2014, 10:23:39 AM
OK folks and folkesses

This is in my 25litre tank which has Crumble the Platy, and Mustard, Bayleaf and Fennel the guppies as residents, as well as a rapidly expanding population of smails. It has a vine-wood branch with Anubias and Java Fern on, and about the surface covered with Frogbit. I throw a handful of Frogbit in the compost bin every other week.

On the left... the nitrate reading of my water change water as kindly supplied by Thames Water Authority.

On the right... the nitrate reading of the water that I take out of the tank.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lQJwmcoCkWo/UylsdWyn6zI/AAAAAAAADgs/62ozPeUCcrk/s640/20140314_094210.jpg)

I was so surprised that I did it again to make sure I hadn't mixed them up!! I kept all parameters the same, temp, shakes etc etc.... so I think I'll reduce my water changes in that tank - I seem to be making it worse!
Title: Re: Water chage water....
Post by: SteveS on March 19, 2014, 11:01:58 AM
Some points to note: I know you are probably aware of this but our other reader may not be.

Title: Re: Water chage water....
Post by: ColinB on March 19, 2014, 11:15:52 AM
I agree on all counts. So I'm still doind ~20% a week as it takes that to clear up all the platy poo, and this will keep some nitrates in there for the plants.

As you say... the water I put in is 16 GH and 12 KH so I'm not going to run out of buffering capacity. ;D
Title: Re: Water chage water....
Post by: Sue on March 19, 2014, 11:16:12 AM
Yes, all those plants seem to be doing the trick.

And there are other things that get removed or topped up by water changes as well. It's only when your tanks look like Richard's that plants can reduce the need for water changes.

My tanks are lightly planted and I have low KH, which is why I do 30% weekly water changes. But then my tap nitrate is about 5 so these water changes do reduce my nitrate as well  :D