Please help me find the final say on how to change you're water normally based on these facts, my aquarium description, and you're experience.
Facts:
1. If you don't have a under gravel filter, never gravel vacuum except when REALLY bad! Instead, stir up the gravel and let you're filter clean the water for you, this wont upset the important bacteria in the gravel.
2. Take out less then 50% of water at one time.
3. 25% per month is not enough
4. The more frequent the better?
Thanks for the help. The internet has so many different opinions on this topic that I couldn't find the right answer for my tank.What is the ideal water change schedule for a 29G aquarium with at least 3 plants and low-moderate fish?Here's what 20 years of fishkeeping has shown me:
As far as I'm concerned, anybody's fish should be worth a 20 minute cleaning (vacuuming and partial water change) once each week - it's really not that much. By doing this your tank will stay clean for longer and the fish will always have fresh, healthy water. Water quite simply can't be too clean for fish.
1. Vacuuming does not harm the bacteria in the gravel, this is just a myth - it's no different then stirring it up - the vacuum will not suck up the bacteria. Better to vacuum the crud right out of the tank once and for all then have stir it up and have it end up in the filter, or back into the gravel, instead. Comparing the closed system of the aquarium to the wild simply can't be done.
2. Less water, more frequently is always the best and safest method.
3. No, for most tanks it's not, though since the decline is gradual many people think so because they don't notice their tanks getting dirtier as time passes, much like the way you don't really notice the flourescent light getting dimmer.
4. Yes, to a certain point - more then once per week is usually overkill, though certain heavily stocked or improperly filtered tanks may need more.
*15% weekly is absolutely fine! Just don't overstock the tank.
That's exactly right. Vacuum what you can while changing the water, and next time continue where you left off. I find with a thinner hose the vacuum takes longer, but I'm able to cover more ground before the bucket is full. Cheers.What is the ideal water change schedule for a 29G aquarium with at least 3 plants and low-moderate fish?i don't have a under gravel filter but do a water change weekly with a gravel vacuum i do 25 percent weekly.
you should gravel vac any way to remove the debris from the tank weekly if not fortnightly.
i would do a 25 percent weekly water change with gravel vac
i have a 200 gallon tropical tank and 100 gallon marine tank if your water levels are OK then you could get away with a 25 percent gravel vac and water change every fortnightWhat is the ideal water change schedule for a 29G aquarium with at least 3 plants and low-moderate fish?A 25% to 30% monthly would be fine. You can clean the glass weekly. It sounds like you have a very well balanced tank going. But do water tests weekly so that you can keep an eye on the conditions. vaccuming the gravel has its pro's and con's. It really depends on how many fish you have and how much food you feed them. If your tank cycles the waste properly and the gravel looks fine then doen't worry about it. Water tests weekly will alert you to any problems. I'm sure alot of folks will disagree with this but if think about it, in the wild nobody is vaccuming the gravel other then the critters that are living in it. Besides when you vaccume you stir up alot of waste which stresses out the fish. I've had healthy fish and decided to clean the gravel only to kill one of them. I guess the bottom line here is that if your going to clean the gravel do it often so that you avoid stiring up too much harmful waste. It is best to use a gravel siphon so that you are able to get rid of more waste. Do it along side a water change. Or manage a balanced tanks and let the gravel do its thing. I would advise against just stirring up the gravel and allowing the filter to take care of it for the reason listed above.
Good luckWhat is the ideal water change schedule for a 29G aquarium with at least 3 plants and low-moderate fish?Do you have a water test kit? It's really your water chemistry, and not any pre-set window of time, which will determine whether you need a water change. Even in heavily planted tanks, nitrates will still build up because an aquarium is a closed system. Your nitrifying bacteria (in a cycled tank) will process ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates, but the nitrates need to be removed through water changes. Also, keep in mind that changing the water keeps your oxygen saturation high, which the fish need to breathe.
In nature, nitrates are usually below 5ppm. In an aquarium, nitrates should ideally be kept at 20ppm or below. How long it takes your nitrates to climb to that level can depend on all sorts of things, so at first you really need to test your water daily and when it goes above 20ppm, change enough water to bring it below that level. Then keep testing until it goes above 20 and change the water again. After awhile (assuming you don't make any changes to the tank like adding more fish, etc.) you should have a good indication of how often and in what percentage the water needs to be changed.
I know that's not as easy an answer as %26quot;Change 25% weekly%26quot; but it really does vary so much from one tank to another. Malawi mbuna need to be overstocked because of aggression, so in my tank, even though I have a canister filter (XP3) and a Penguin 200, I still change 25% of the water twice a week. However, I also have smaller community tanks which only need 10% water changes once a week.
You can change the water less frequently, but the more the nitrates build up, the more those toxins build up in the internal systems of your fish. This shortens their lifespan and makes them more susceptible to infections.
