[Cichlid_beast123]

What temperature would you consider as safe to the fish if you were topping up 20% of water into the current temperature of around 25.5 degrees I used to just put in cold water but I do not want to do that

 

[nodima]

I go by touch. If the water I'm adding seems reasonably close to touch, I use it. Adding only 20% of water allows some leeway with temperature, as it takes a lot of difference to make a significant change in that other 80%.

I'll add that I'm not keeping discus or other fish with extra sensitive needs.

 

[DJRansome]

I use a thermometer under the faucet but within a degree or two is fine. I do large water changes.

You don't want to top up (just add water). You want to actually remove almost as much as you add.

 

[Cichlid_beast123]

Thanks for the responses i made this to stop making posts all over the place as ill keep asking little easy questions from time to time.

can i just clarify a few things tho all these questions r to maintain regular breeding of Dolphins

Q1)Why do some people have a static water storage system and don't go by the tap direct this seems popular with the people who use a HMA they also prefer it to sit to obtain room temperature before pumping it in and some of you just tap direct with the python and treat the water i guess both ways work and its what you like? but wouldnt mind to hear an answer from one of you lot

Q2)is using water from the hot tap totally fine to mix with the cold tap so in the hma warm into the transfer tank then right into the main tank? if this is the case i can just use 1 water butt and use warm water to take the edge of the cold water as i dont want to risk shocking some of the fish i want them to enjoy the water change not get even slightly stressed really want them to breed and i want to water change as much as weekly 20%.

Q3) how often do you clean out your fx6,5 or similar filter and whats recommended to encourage breeding

Q4) The Bio lasts for years but how long do you change the sponges in the Canister the pink and the flat black ones someone told me once a month for 1 of them the flat one?? when you change that media its recommended you do 50% at a time

Q5 will it hurt to activate my old fx5? at the moment i have fx6 its over kill but it will only breakdown everything alot faster right its a 450 rio 400 tank

Q6) i have 1 large heater set at DjRansomes recomended 25.5c for Dolphin breeding why do people have 2 heaters and is there a benefit of me having 2 running as well?

if there's anything else you want to add let me know maybe you feel weekly water changes are bad and i should focus on 2 weekly

 

[fish_gazer]

Regarding water changes, I use the touch method as well. I monitor the temperature gauge in the aquarium and it usually changes + or - 1 degree, and sometimes less.

 

[Old Newbie]

Concerning part of question 2- "really want them to breed and i want to water change as much as weekly 20%."

If you really want them to do well and possibly breed you will need to change more than 20% of your water weekly or your Nitrates will continue to increase to the point your fish will suffer. If your Nitrates are at say 20ppm and you change 20% it will drop the Nitrates to 16ppm; if they then go up by 20ppm the next week you will be at 36 ppm and a 20% change will drop them to about 29ppm, and so on to the point where the Nitrates become intolerable to the fish. At least 50% water change is recommended.

 

[DJRansome]

Q1)Why do some people have a static water storage system and don't go by the tap direct this seems popular with the people who use a HMA

IDK what HMA is. Some want to let cold water come to room temp. It was more popular before the days of chloramines in tap water...you could also agitate to remove chlorine back then. I don't see the advantage of having a tank to fill and take up space.

Q2) i can just use 1 water butt

Why use any?

Q3) how often do you clean out your fx6,5 or similar filter and whats recommended to encourage breeding

I clean my canister when the flow decreases or every 3 months, whichever comes sooner

Q4) how long do you change the sponges in the Canister

Never. Sponges are bio too, as well as mechanical.

the flat black ones someone told me once a month for 1 of them the flat one?? when you change that media its recommended you do 50% at a time

For a hang-on-back filter, you can rinse a couple times, but the cartridges can wear out pretty quickly. I buy hang-on-back with sponges and media...no cartridge.

Q5 wil it will only breakdown everything alot faster right its a 450 rio 400 tank

More filtration does not break down anything faster. It just sucks up more debris from your substrate and sweeps it into the filter. Dirt is still there, just not visible.

Q6) why do people have 2 heaters and is there a benefit of me having 2 running as well?

Heaters fail and cook the fish. Two heaters with smaller wattage minimizes this risk.

 

[Cichlid_beast123]

Q1)Why do some people have a static water storage system and don't go by the tap direct this seems popular with the people who use a HMA

IDK what HMA is. Some want to let cold water come to room temp. It was more popular before the days of chloramines in tap water...you could also agitate to remove chlorine back then. I don't see the advantage of having a tank to fill and take up space.

Q2) i can just use 1 water butt

Why use any?

Q3) how often do you clean out your fx6,5 or similar filter and whats recommended to encourage breeding

I clean my canister when the flow decreases or every 3 months, whichever comes sooner

Q4) how long do you change the sponges in the Canister

Never. Sponges are bio too, as well as mechanical.

the flat black ones someone told me once a month for 1 of them the flat one?? when you change that media its recommended you do 50% at a time

For a hang-on-back filter, you can rinse a couple times, but the cartridges can wear out pretty quickly. I buy hang-on-back with sponges and media...no cartridge.

Q5 wil it will only breakdown everything alot faster right its a 450 rio 400 tank

More filtration does not break down anything faster. It just sucks up more debris from your substrate and sweeps it into the filter. Dirt is still there, just not visible.

Q6) why do people have 2 heaters and is there a benefit of me having 2 running as well?

Heaters fail and cook the fish. Two heaters with smaller wattage minimizes this risk.

Thank you very much!! somebody told me to replace the round circle ones with the JBL below once every 3 months for example because they collect a lot of particles what do you think about that
JBL SYMEC EXTERNAL FISH TANK FINE FILTER WOOL FLOSS PAD

 

[Cichlid_beast123]

Concerning part of question 2- "really want them to breed and i want to water change as much as weekly 20%."

If you really want them to do well and possibly breed you will need to change more than 20% of your water weekly or your Nitrates will continue to increase to the point your fish will suffer. If your Nitrates are at say 20ppm and you change 20% it will drop the Nitrates to 16ppm; if they then go up by 20ppm the next week you will be at 36 ppm and a 20% change will drop them to about 29ppm, and so on to the point where the Nitrates become intolerable to the fish. At least 50% water change is recommended.

Ok this is a very important piece of information can we talk about this so you actually saying 50% of water which is in my case about 212.5 l of water it appears that the nitrates are the key
I'm rather confused as some people are saying 25% 20% every two weeks however I'm prepared to do 50% a week if I need to encourage breeding and keep the optimum conditions I'm also confused as some people say don't do 50% as you will get rid of the valuable bacteria I think the answer that you gave me or 50% has opened up a can of worms let's discuss this a bit more please tell me what everyone thinks about 50% water changes for what I'm trying to achieve

 

[nodima]

Concerning part of question 2- "really want them to breed and i want to water change as much as weekly 20%."

If you really want them to do well and possibly breed you will need to change more than 20% of your water weekly or your Nitrates will continue to increase to the point your fish will suffer. If your Nitrates are at say 20ppm and you change 20% it will drop the Nitrates to 16ppm; if they then go up by 20ppm the next week you will be at 36 ppm and a 20% change will drop them to about 29ppm, and so on to the point where the Nitrates become intolerable to the fish. At least 50% water change is recommended.

Ok this is a very important piece of information can we talk about this so you actually saying 50% of water which is in my case about 212.5 l of water it appears that the nitrates are the key
I'm rather confused as some people are saying 25% 20% every two weeks however I'm prepared to do 50% a week if I need to encourage breeding and keep the optimum conditions I'm also confused as some people say don't do 50% as you will get rid of the valuable bacteria I think the answer that you gave me or 50% has opened up a can of worms let's discuss this a bit more please tell me what everyone thinks about 50% water changes for what I'm trying to achieve

The bacteria are not in the water, they are in and on everything else in the tank, including the glass of the tank, decorations, inside of hoses, filter media etc. Many discus breeders will change 100% of water multiple times a week, sometimes daily. I change 50% of the water in all 3 of my tanks weekly, using the pythons it takes about 70 minutes to complete the changes in the 125 and 180 (60 gals and 90 gals respectively - or for you approx 220 and 330l. I drain both tanks concurrently, then when the 125 is at 50%, start filling. When the 125 is filled, then the 180 has sufficiently drained, and the hose is connected to that tank.

Think of measuring Nitrates as a proxy for all the other dissolved solids that occur in a tank. Many of these are not measurable, or are only measurable with scientific grade equipment. Keeping a good water change routine and managing the nitrates in the tank, will serve the fish (and you) well.

I almost never replace filter foam, simply rinse it out regularly, and replace it.

 

[Cichlid_beast123]

Concerning part of question 2- "really want them to breed and i want to water change as much as weekly 20%."

If you really want them to do well and possibly breed you will need to change more than 20% of your water weekly or your Nitrates will continue to increase to the point your fish will suffer. If your Nitrates are at say 20ppm and you change 20% it will drop the Nitrates to 16ppm; if they then go up by 20ppm the next week you will be at 36 ppm and a 20% change will drop them to about 29ppm, and so on to the point where the Nitrates become intolerable to the fish. At least 50% water change is recommended.

Ok this is a very important piece of information can we talk about this so you actually saying 50% of water which is in my case about 212.5 l of water it appears that the nitrates are the key
I'm rather confused as some people are saying 25% 20% every two weeks however I'm prepared to do 50% a week if I need to encourage breeding and keep the optimum conditions I'm also confused as some people say don't do 50% as you will get rid of the valuable bacteria I think the answer that you gave me or 50% has opened up a can of worms let's discuss this a bit more please tell me what everyone thinks about 50% water changes for what I'm trying to achieve

The bacteria are not in the water, they are in and on everything else in the tank, including the glass of the tank, decorations, inside of hoses, filter media etc. Many discus breeders will change 100% of water multiple times a week, sometimes daily. I change 50% of the water in all 3 of my tanks weekly, using the pythons it takes about 70 minutes to complete the changes in the 125 and 180 (60 gals and 90 gals respectively - or for you approx 220 and 330l. I drain both tanks concurrently, then when the 125 is at 50%, start filling. When the 125 is filled, then the 180 has sufficiently drained, and the hose is connected to that tank.

Think of measuring Nitrates as a proxy for all the other dissolved solids that occur in a tank. Many of these are not measurable, or are only measurable with scientific grade equipment. Keeping a good water change routine and managing the nitrates in the tank, will serve the fish (and you) well.

I almost never replace filter foam, simply rinse it out regularly, and replace it.

Thank you very informative so 50% of water change is absolutely fine
I was told a 100% water change is really too much would you agree with that and also for me with my current system I only have a 100 litre water butt which is about 25% so what if I done to water changes two times a week but that essentially be almost as effective as a 50% water change it will be better than once a week surely wouldn't it

 

[noddy]

I do min. 50% water changes, and 75% every now and then.
When I kept Tropheus and Petrochromis I would do around 95% water changes each week.
I would leave just enough water in the tank that they could stay wet. ; )