water change methods

[Vivid-Dawn]

I wasn’t so concerned about the chemicals, so much as the schedule of water changes. Maybe I should pay more attention to the chemistry, though, since I’m breeding guppies and I want them to be nice and healthy.
This is exactly what I do (I dunno how hoses got into this, so I’m gonna give a lot of detail!)

I have about 5 jugs that are the plastic milk containers. All cleaned out and rinsed with hot water.
I fill these with water from the kitchen sink tap.
Let them sit out at least 24 hours, no aeration.
Then I put 1/8 teaspoon (should be 1/10, but I don’t have a spoon that small... and the bottle says you can use extra “if needed”...oh well) of AmQuel & Novaqua.
I shake up the water (with the lid on), and let it sit for another hour uncapped.

If anybody read my old post about my thermometer breaking, that’s just when I’m in a hurry for changing water, and did it right from tap to bottle to tank... then I would put in the AmQuel and Novaqua - the whole teaspoon, for the ten gallon tank (which actually only holds about 8.5 gallons).

But for my guppies, I’m gonna be a little more careful. For my other fish, since I’m already gonna have water prepared like this, they’ll probably start getting “unrushed” stuff, too, from now on.

So anyway... I got two opinions. Little changes every day is good, but then a big change all at once removes more toxins? What if I did a gallon change every day, then...oh, 4 or 5 gallons on Saturday. I hope that’d be enough to keep my fishies healthy!

[buddah101]

Get a python....Agreed...I fourth that one!!

[TheOldSalt]

No Dawn, that's not enough. That's not even close to enough. You should be changing 5 gallons every day and 20 on saturday.

Guppies are heavy exuders of GIH, growth inhibitor hormone, and they are also heavy exuders of testosterone. This will ruin your fish.
Oh, sure, you can keep them alive with the schedule you propose, but that's not the goal, is it? If you want good guppies, you have to work for them.

The GIH in the water will retard their growth, and it has to be removed fast enough to keep it from being a problem. Only big regular water changes can accomplish this.

The testosterone buildup will likewise need to be removed before it makes ugly mutants out of your fish. Females exposed to testosterone buildup will start getting more color than they should, but they are ugly colors, and they will become sterile as they become androgenous.

A 1-gallon per day water change in a 70 gallon tank is utterly ineffective, and 5 gallons a week is no better. The math is complicated, but each water change actually results in less and less water actually being replaced with each water change. You will get a stabilizing effect at best with things not as good as you need them, but not getting worse. That won't do for a serious guppy breeder. If you want fish that you can sell instead of those ugly things you usually see, then get a Python and do the job right.

[Vivid-Dawn]

I’m not against getting a Python. However, I suppose I have some misconceptions about it. What I understand, is that you hook it up to your sink - as I’ve said, the water is so full of chemicals, that I won’t even drink it... let alone give it to my fish to live in!
So if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to aerate/age the water before putting it in, right? Would just the regular dose of AmQuel & Novaqua right after I change the water, be as effective as also letting it air out first?

I’m more than willing to buy a couple of huge buckets and let 5 gallons get treated, and do that every day (and 3x on Saturday). Or do the Python... whichever’s better for the fish, as I don’t mind making an effort to keep ‘em thriving.

[garfieldnfish]

Best is to get a water purification system on your tap and then you neither have to leave the water sitting out or use de-clorinator. Was worth well the investment in my case with 11 fish tanks. I also have phython but the hose over time has gotten some black built up inside of it that looks unsafe to me so I have reverted back to buckets. You can also get the temps closer to the one in the tank with the buckets then with the python. My experience anyway.
I would also recommend the weekly water changes over the daily ones. Mainly because fo the stress factor on the fish. The more often you mess with them the more likely they are to stress out and die.

[TheOldSalt]

STOP right there. We've been over this.
Daily water changes are not stressful, and give better results than weekly one.

Look at the Discus fish. I think we'd all agree that the Discus is one of the most high-strubg, stress-filled fish in the hobby, right? Well, guess what? Discus breeders change the water every day, and I'm talking about 50% or more every day.

The stress from water changes comes from things getting too stable in the tank and yet too different from the makeup water. Daily water changes prevent this altogether, and have much less impact on total tank water chemistry than weekly changes.

That said, the water purifier idea is a very good one, and one so obvious it's no wonder I missed it.

Buckets ARE better, if feasible, but if they aren't, a Python and a purifier would make an excellent replacement.

Vivid-Dawn, are you starting to figure out why it's so hard to find good guppies for sale?

[Vivid-Dawn]

Oiy... the only tap I could put a purifier on, is halfway across the house. I hope Python has long hoses!

As I said, I'm willing to do work - I just want to know the best method. I really want to try having those Blue Diamond guppies on Aquabid... but I don't want to pay up to $75 for fish, only to have them die in a couple weeks.

Maybe the python would be best. I just calculated weights, and I can't lift more than a full 3 gallon bucket! I was just worried about the chemicles in the water. The website for my city says it's all nice and clean according to health regulations... but it tastes so icky!