New plan for chemical balance

[Vivid-Dawn]

Water change advice states that smaller changes more often are good (or better), rather than one big change ever so often. So after my 50 gallon tank finishes cycling, would it be alright to change a gallon of water every other day? That’d be about 2% each change, and total of 75% weekly (might end up as 100% weekly, since I plan to vacuum the gravel on Saturdays and do about 2 or 3 gallons at that time.)
Since I’m only getting into the gravel once a week, plus I have a Bio-wheel, I’m assuming that this frequent change won’t really do anything dramatic to my bacteria colony...right? I just don’t want my Nitrates sky-high like they are in my 15g tank, and I’ve tried everything from filling it with plants, to using all sorts of different chemicals (I’m surprised my fish are still alive!).
I don’t plan on breeding, or anything special like that, since it’ll just be a nice community tank...but I also don’t want my poor fishies getting too much toxins.

[flynngriff]

Originally Posted by Vivid-Dawn

Water change advice states that smaller changes more often are good (or better), rather than one big change ever so often.

I've heard some people say this, and I believe it's untrue. I haven't heard it from a reliable source, and don't believe I ever will. When you say "Water change advice states", what's your source?

Doing smaller water changes more frequently means that each water change is less effective than the previous one.

Changing out 25 gallons of your water at one time is a whole lot more effective than changing 5 gallons 5 times. Think about it... Every time you fill your tank back up, your putting "good" water in it. Then if you do another water change, you're removing some of that "good" water that you just put in, which doesn't need to be changed yet. You're better off with moderate waterchanges once every week or two.

-Flynn

[blixem]

Originally Posted by flynngriff

I've heard some people say this, and I believe it's untrue. I haven't heard it from a reliable source, and don't believe I ever will. When you say "Water change advice states", what's your source?

Doing smaller water changes more frequently means that each water change is less effective than the previous one.

Changing out 25 gallons of your water at one time is a whole lot more effective than changing 5 gallons 5 times. Think about it... Every time you fill your tank back up, your putting "good" water in it. Then if you do another water change, you're removing some of that "good" water that you just put in, which doesn't need to be changed yet. You're better off with moderate waterchanges once every week or two.

-Flynn

Flynn is correct... Changing large amounts of water at a time is more effective at removing nitrates, etc from the water. I think where you maybe confused is depending on the difference between the water in your tank, and the water that you are adding to it; It may be easier on your fish to change out many small changes instead of one large one.

[Vivid-Dawn]

Silly me, I already asked this question back in April, when I was preparing to breed guppies (which I still haven’t started).
TheOldSalt was where I’d heard smaller changes are better. In fact, he said it several times. I hope that’s a good enough source. If not, I also read it on Dr. Foster & Smith’s website... though they didn’t specify just how small or how frequent, just “small and frequent is better” in general.

So, I think that's what I'll do. Or at least try it. If it doesn't work any better than a once-a-week schedule, at least I'll know!