Basically every week you use a hose-like device called a python to suck fish poop out of your tank along with 1/4 of your water. This is what is meant by a 25% water change. You de-chlorinate your new water if you're using tap or just use bottled water. That's it! Enjoy your fish for another week.
Why do a 25% water change?
1. It keeps your water clean.
2. It removes some of the toxic amonia from your tank.
3. It replenishes any evaporated water.
A 25% water change every week is the single most important thing you can do to keep your fish healthy.
What happens if you don't change the water?
About a month after you set up your aquarium the fish produce more amonia than what the bacteria can convert into nitrates. The amonia levels reach deadly levels at this point and kill all of the fish.
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-Water becomes acidic over time due to an increase in the amonium ion (NH3+). You can monitor amonia (NH4) and amonium levels with test kits. The most common test kits have ph test strips. Oftentimes people kill their fish by doing a complete water change, changing the ph as well. Many fish don't tolerate a sudden change in ph or temperature. Which is why only a 25% water change should be done. Most fish like the water at a neutral ph of 7.
-Some fish like gold fantails actually become depressed and hide in a corner when they suddenly find themselves alone. Yes, fish have feelings.
- Although optional, a bit of aquarium salt keeps certain diseases at bay and helps with reducing any gill inflamation. In freshwater aquariums only a tablespoon of salt should be used per every 5 gallons.
- Chemicals and medication can sometimes have a negative effect on the biological filtration because they also kill nitrifying bacteria, allowing amonia to build up.
-Separate any young fry (babies) from bigger fish since bigger fish will eat smaller ones. This includes the mother-yes she'll eat her young.
-Fishkeeping is an art. The best thing that you can do is watch your fish for changes in behavior. For instance, if they start gasping for air at the surface the temperature may be too high. Or if they excessively rub or scratch up on stuff they may have an irritant or disease on their skin.
-If any of your fish do have ick then you will have to add quickcure(one drop per gallon), salt(1 tablespoon per 5 gallons), and increase the water temperature to 86 F. Treatment should be done for at least 2 weeks. This combination of treatments will produce the best results. Continually keeping the temperature in the mid 80s will prevent future outbreaks.
-Fungus and fin rot can be treated externally with melafix if the disease has not progressed too much. For advanced infections antibiotics like penicillin can be mixed with food to trick the fish into eating it.
-Swimbladder is where an air bubble ends up in the fish's gastrointestinal track causing the fish to float to the surface. This dries out the fish's skin causing it to crack and to be susceptible to infection. One treatment is to starve the fish for a few days in order to shrink its stomach and then feed it a pea. In theory the pea should force out any air. Other treatments are more radical and involve a hyperdermic needle to remove the air. If I were the fish, i'd be scared :O
-Avid fish keepers have quarantine tanks to watch and treat new fish for diseases before introducing them with the other fish.
-Some fish like gold fantails actually become depressed and hide in a corner when they suddenly find themselves alone. Yes, fish have feelings.
- Although optional, a bit of aquarium salt keeps certain diseases at bay and helps with reducing any gill inflamation. In freshwater aquariums only a tablespoon of salt should be used per every 5 gallons.
- Chemicals and medication can sometimes have a negative effect on the biological filtration because they also kill nitrifying bacteria, allowing amonia to build up.
-Separate any young fry (babies) from bigger fish since bigger fish will eat smaller ones. This includes the mother-yes she'll eat her young.
-Fishkeeping is an art. The best thing that you can do is watch your fish for changes in behavior. For instance, if they start gasping for air at the surface the temperature may be too high. Or if they excessively rub or scratch up on stuff they may have an irritant or disease on their skin.
-If any of your fish do have ick then you will have to add quickcure(one drop per gallon), salt(1 tablespoon per 5 gallons), and increase the water temperature to 86 F. Treatment should be done for at least 2 weeks. This combination of treatments will produce the best results. Continually keeping the temperature in the mid 80s will prevent future outbreaks.
-Fungus and fin rot can be treated externally with melafix if the disease has not progressed too much. For advanced infections antibiotics like penicillin can be mixed with food to trick the fish into eating it.
-Swimbladder is where an air bubble ends up in the fish's gastrointestinal track causing the fish to float to the surface. This dries out the fish's skin causing it to crack and to be susceptible to infection. One treatment is to starve the fish for a few days in order to shrink its stomach and then feed it a pea. In theory the pea should force out any air. Other treatments are more radical and involve a hyperdermic needle to remove the air. If I were the fish, i'd be scared :O
-Avid fish keepers have quarantine tanks to watch and treat new fish for diseases before introducing them with the other fish.
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