@@voidwalker3008 I would certainly add clean water to that to top it off, I have had the same issue I just top off or depending on your water levels PH, Nitrate, Ammonia you could do a water change hope this helps!
This video is a great example of why this channel is growing so rapidly. Great information no product placements. Straight info. Great job man. Have a blessed weekend.
This is the only aquarium RUclips channel I feel I am constantly learning things from. Even the most experienced aquarist can take things from Cory’s videos. Thanks for all the information it has really helped me have a greater passion for the hobby and be a better fish keeper
When I was younger, I was big into fishkeeping. I had four tanks set up and kept cichlids. This was before I had steady access to knowledge and the "correct way" of doing things. Im older now and have a 3 year old that I want to get into fish. I have been doing a ton of research on the "proper" way of keeping fish and I realize how lucky I was when younger. I never tested my water and I only added water when evaporated or when I gravel vac once a monthish. My fish mostly did very well so Im guessing I was lucky and had good water and a self-sustaining set up. Near the end, I had a 200 gal tank with an Oscar that was 16". I was so sad when I lost him. Hopefully now, I will be armed with the skills needed to not only take care of my tank better, but to save my fish when they have issues. Thank you for all this help you are constantly providing the community!!! Def going to pick some stuff up at the store to show my support!!!
What I love about you Cory is that you always take a scientific approach to thought, even without going deep into water chemistry the way you act is that of "try and learn", you are willing to experiment and understand that nothing is set in stone! I've been studying in order to enter this hobby for the last 1 or 2 months and your approach has opened my eyes quite a lot, it's insane how many "experienced people" have set numbers they are not willing to change, like X amount of this every X amount of time. You always go over that, and for this I sincerely THANK YOU!
This is one of the best pieces of advice in the hobby. Learning the ebb and flow of your tank, how much waste is produced, counting for evaporation etc. learn your tanks. As a whole we waste so much fresh water changing "just cause". You will be surprised how little you actually need to change the water in your tanks. thanks Cory!
Great information. For the longest time I tried to do everything "the one right way" but I noticed over time that for my planted tank for instance, fewer, smaller water changes were what worked. It was confusing. It's wonderful to hear someone knowledgeable basically say: "Yeah. That's how it works. Trust your gut. Watch your tanks. There's basic guidelines, but the application is extremely varied." Thanks for sharing your wisdom on these subjects - it's a great help.
Just setting up my first tropical freshwater tank, I kept cold water tanks as a kid (20 years ago). Thanks so much for your informative videos, in a sea of often conflicting information you are really helping me see the wood through the trees. Very excited to pick up this hobby again, keep up the good work. Big thumbs up from the UK!
I've started trying this 6-week cycle on my established heavily planted low-tech tank. 2 weeks in and nitrates are at 10ppm. Looks like my weekly water change is no longer needed! Interesting to chart this out.
excellent discussion...thank you Cory. I am also striving for as close to an 'ecosystem' as I can in a contained environment....with nature being my primary guide, teacher and mentor...and people like you and many others.
People want definitive answers to questions that don't have them. Thank you for continuing to educate people by teaching them how to answer their own questions by learning all the variables that apply to their situation. As for "that old guy who has really old fish and doesn't do very much," who you calling old, you young whippersnapper? :P
I've been keeping fish off and on for the better part of a decade and this video answered some questions I didn't even know to ask. Pretty educational.
Thanks for the great video! I used to change the water in my planted community tank once a week because I thought that's just what you had to do no question. Then I started testing the water regularly and found I only need to do a water change every 2-3 weeks to keep the parameters in check. The plants and fish are thriving!
I really like that you said about testing the water before conducting a water change. I love that because I have a heavy plant load and my nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia levels are always normal.
Regarding Ca/Ma mineralization,you can have high amounts of GH but little available ions of Ca and Ma because over time the calcium and magnesium atoms loose electrons via oxidation that occurs naturally anytime you have living things in water. I've seen people that breed guppies and other liverbearers that are confused when the fish have crooked spines and all the rest,they can't understand that just because their source water is hard and has high GH that over time the active and bio-available mineral ions become neutralized due to oxidation. So this where water changes become more important for harder water fish than soft water fish in many instances. Just my two cents! Great job Cory as usual!!!
I love where you’re going with this. When you become familiar enough with water chemistry, you can get away with a lot more and waste a lot less. Sometimes it isn’t necessary to change water as much as is recommended.
That was great. Really made me think. I'm trying to get an ecosystem going, yet I'm still changing 50% every Sunday and maybe I no longer need to with all these plants. I'm going to test my water today and see how it has done this week before changing tomorrow. Thanks for ALL that you do!!! ❤
Having watched numerous channels over the years; Corey-- you're a wealth of information. Sometimes it's really beneficial to hear 'facts' you've been aware of previously. It's only beneficial to be reminded of helpful ideas/information :)
also big thing to drive home the point here, collect as many data points that you can, i.e PH, tds, GH, KH, nitrate, nitrate, etc... anything you can budget efficiently without going overboard and get the same data points at each phase of the process, and don't get complacent. Get it at the tap, in the new water after conditioning, in the tank before removing the water, in tank before adding the water & after adding the water, then daily again in tank. the more points collected the better a chance you have to spot trends and swings, I was having an issue in my shrimp tanks at one point where i was using the same water source across 7 tanks and water change cycle was on one tank rack a day, so one water change a week at 10% turnover per tank. for years no issues using straight tap water and i got used to not testing, then 1 of the tanks started experiencing high die off, the other 6 were flourishing, thinking contaminated tanks like bacteria or parasites I broke it down and build out new tank the same rack died off again, broke it down and removed it from the mix for the time being, and this changed my water change schedule and a new tank fell on Tuesday and had die off immediately, so water parameter gathering started at a single data point I could see every Tuesday the tap saw a huge spike in chlorine at the tap because of something the water company was doing, so on those days of the week i had to add conditioner to balance it out, But still had die off so moved on to the master test kit and several other data-points, i could not find anything in standard aquarium test kits other than PH, but on my TDS meter the TDS count was hitting around 1450 on those days and slightly yellowed, where every other day of the week it was sitting between 210 -220, so stopped doing Tuesday water changes (and stopped filling my drinking water filters on those days to be safe because as an exe for drinking water, the maximum concentration level set by EPA is 500 TDS to be considered safe to consume) then the pattern continued for a couple months until I saw the TDS normalize on Tuesdays and the parameter variation stopped as the WC stopped doing whatever it was that caused this and problem solved. But still no clue what the extra TDS content was coming from the tap like clock work on Tuesdays and I checked every parameter in the kit and PH and TDS spikes were the only changes i could record, so this was probably some contaminant flush on the water mains pulling crud off the pipe walls or hormones, or arsenic or minerals of some kind that standard kit tests could not find. Moral of the story is... the water you add today may not be the same water you add tomorrow, even when it comes from the same source unless you verify the parameters
Great as always! Since finding you I have been learning so much and putting to practice your knowledge. More and more each week I learn something new and keep making my fish's ecosystem more natural which in turn make my fish much healthier and happier. Also, in the long run, it will be saving me money. Overall, from my beginning in the hobby a little over two years ago until now I've learned a lot of the time, "Less is More" (less changing of filter media, less heat, less water changes). I admit, to do that, I've added better quality filtration, live plants, better lighting and most of all continued learning. Thank you again for all you do! By the way, waiting on my first order from your store!!! More fish goodies!
Another video presenting good ideas. I am finding most Modern Aquarium thought is to change the water too often, and too large a water change. The Aquarium Bible that I grew up on in the '60's to '70's was, "Exotic Aquarium Fishes," by Dr. William Innes." The book was published from 1938-1966 with 19 editions. Back in those days, they kept more fish per tank, more plants per tank, and did very few water changes. Personally, I am doing a 15%-25% weekly water change, and will get a test kit, and cut back.
Love the channel. Started watching a few months ago and have seen almost all your content. Loved this topic. I am an operations supervisor at a large water treatment plant in Colorado. I’d love to assist/chat with you about incoming water parameters and changing water quality in tap water. You’re right on topic and I think we could enhance our hobby taking about these changing water quality issues.
My water is METERED and expensive as heck. Water changes are at a minimum in my fishroom. I rely heavily on nitrifrying bacteria and aquarium plants to make the water change schedule stretch as much as possible. Maine has the cleanest water in America.
It's pretty cool to hear someone talk about this. This year, I went 9 months without any water changes as an experiment with a heterandria formosa colony in a moderately planted 29 gallon. It had been running for 2 years and the fish were breeding like crazy for a total of 50+ fish and counting. Given the fairly light bioload, the fact that I only feed every 2-3 days, high plant mass-to-fish-mass ratio, and very light fertilization schedule, I decided to see how long I could go without any water changes whatsoever. I just topped off the water with a bit of Prime whenever the HOB filter started getting too splashy-sounding. For what it's worth, this tank is unheated and runs at about 72 degrees Fahrenheit. At the end of 9 months, my liquid rock water remained at approximately its original KH and GH, Ammonia was at 0, Nitrite was at 0, and Nitrate was at 0. The pH was .6 higher than when I started, but the fish were all still active and breeding well and fry were clearly making it to adulthood at similar rates to when I started. I only water changed at the 9 month mark because I wanted to rescape the tank and bring the pH back down a bit, but I probably could have gone even longer if I had wanted to. The only casualties were my staurogyne repens, which seemed to dislike the lack of water changes, and the rest of my plant growth slowed down as well (I did get some algae issues though). I suspect my tap water contains some trace elements the plants like, but it certainly didn't bother the fish any. That said, heterandria formosa are sturdy little critters. I'm not sure I'd try this on, say, a crystal shrimp colony. Just my experience with dabbling in water change schedule sin.
I change minimal amounts of water, about 10% a week and then only because the fish seem to like it. So they are normally quite happy but if they get a little fresh water in there once in awhile it is okay. I am a fly fisherman and I have noticed that fish in a stream or river will become more active after a moderate rainfall. I just do my water changes to emulate that.
Cory, I really enjoy your view, and approach to fish keeping. I feel you've helped me grow as an aquarist. I've been in the hobby for 20 years now and feel I've learned a lot from your videos and you've helped me look at things in a different way. Keep it up!
Thanks Cory!Great topic. I'm guilty of being a 30% guy once a week with no data. I recently purchased some Sphaerichthys acrostoma that made me nervous with their liking soft acidic water. I've added Catappa leaves,wood, etc and have slowly brought my ph down to 6.3 ish. My tap water here in Portland is 7.8 or so. I 've had to relax my water change schedule to 10% once a week to try to not get a ph swing. I'll be watching my levels closely for the next couple months. Very timely advice!
I just have one question...how the heck did you get so smart?! LOL SERIOUSLY...LEARNING SO MUCH FROM YOU!!!!! Thanks for all your knowledge and for sharing it with us!
What a great presentation. My biggest issue is, I got a 45 gallon community tank, (not overstocked) so I find myself feeding different types of food on the same feeding day because not all of them like the same thing, and in addition I need to ensure the ones that hang on the bottom get a fair chance at getting it. This causes uneaten food here and there, so I'm doing a gravel vacuum every other day of 5 gallons to keep it in check. After watching this, this may be water change overkill. UGH!!!!
Good talk especially about nitrates in the extreme ranges.. most fish keepers freak out at 30-40-50-60ppm nitrates not realizing that realistically other then a few very sensitive fish it’s not horrible. A water change should definitely be on you list of things to do at those levels but it’s not a drop everything emergency. I’ve actually stopped testing for nitrate on my cichlid tanks.. when my fish become a little more aggressive I know nitrates are creeping up. When they start flashing I know they are over 100ppm likely pushing closer to 200ppm. I then do 75% or better water changes at my next convenience. My fish don’t die.. they still spawn, they are still active and colorful and my tanks still look great and I don’t have algae or bacterial blooms unless I purposefully induce a minor one. Many many species of fish like Big water changes and it actually triggers spawning. There are sooo many misconceptions about nitrate levels and what is considered high as well as how much water change is too much or too little. On a side note I do monitor ammonia and nitrite still daily as well as PH. Even though my tanks are well established and mostly remain at 0-0 with steady ph.. ammonia does spike even in well established tanks daily for many reasons most are not aware. Most think they always run 0 ammonia in an established tank and this is so wrong. If you never have testable ammonia then you’ll have no nitrogen cycle ever. You should see .25 and sometimes even .5 ammonia spikes in any tank. The levels should not stay there long and you should never see any nitrite ever. But I monitor ammo is cause if one can reduce ammonia then you can reduce nitrates. Everyone is always trying to work in reverse and trying to eliminate nitrates.. the way to do this is first eliminate ammonia. If you cut off the head the snake dies.. Best example and false info plants are consuming nitrates.. they don’t consume them they store them safely and are removed during trimming of those plants.. they do consume ammonia.. planted tanks see less nitrates because there is less ammonia being processed by bacteria which results is less nitrates. The plants use ammonia and store nitrates till storage is full. This is true of aquatic plants.. a hydroponics setup is opposite.. soiled plants mostly consume nitrates and store ammonia. So a tank hooked to a hydroponics setup is technically actually removing nitrates from the tank. I’m actually in the process of testing household filtration systems for ammonia removal. If one can master the removal of ammonia before notification occurs you can get rid of your filtration run a few wave makers for circulation and never have nitrates and have to do water changes for anything more then replenishing nutrients..the biggest issue I’m running into with this is rate of flow.. the easiest and cheapest way is using refrigerator filters hooked to a pump but they are not designed for high enough flow for most tanks. Commercial whole house systems are expensive to initially setup. I’m currently playing with individual facet systems with cleared micron filters that need replacing monthly or more depending on amount they are filtering. I’m still struggling to get enough turnover through the system to effectively remove all ammonia before bacterial nitrification however I’m getting very close. Researching how biokinesis filtration works has lead me down this path. Many debate its effectiveness but it does work. It works not as advertised by eliminating nitrates, but by actually eliminating ammonia. Everyone knows there are Ammonia reducing filter pads sold at every store right? They are essentially biokinesis pads relying on ion polarity exchange for the removal. This got me to thinking what if we just used an ammonia filtration device only and removed all ammonia before hand. The end result would be a self sustaining no water change freshwater tank similar to what some saltwater guys achieve. One of the reasons they can do this with freshwater is the difference in ion and electrical charges of the salt density. Hence why protein skimmers are very effective on saltwater systems but only marginally work on very hard water high ph freshwater systems.. we are all following the big companies naysay trusting their products. The answer is so simple when you step back and think about it logically. I’m willing to bet their research and development has already produced hundreds of similar systems that they won’t produce or sell simply cause it would eliminate the need to $400 fluval fx filters, and high dollar media to put in them. Same reason why your basic hob filters come with crap replaceable cartridges. It’s all about the money
Awesome video - Excellent info....... very thorough explanation of how to keep things balanced. You have great skill at explaining a subject which can include so much diversity on how you tackle it. Thank you for sharing this from so many different angles! Wow, just wow!
Another great vid Cory. Made me get off my ass and do some water tests after about a year of not testing. Results were surprising. API test kits Tap water: Nitrate 0 Ammonia 0 Community Tank 90 litre/23 gallon AquaOne Aquis 550 canister filter 11 tetras 7 Rosy barbs 6 leopard danios 5 corys 6 emerald eyed rasboras 1 half inch bristle nose pleco Bunch of Anubias & java moss Nitrate 20 mg/L Ammonia 0 Last water change 50% yesterday Betta tank 13 litres/ 3 gallon 1 female betta Bunch of java fern No filter Nitrate 0 Ammonia 0 Last water change 50% last week So I can probably get away with less water changes in the betta tank and need more on the community tank realising it's a wee bit over stocked
Thanks Cory, where I am in Melbourne Australia we have quite good water with very little Chlorine and the rest of the levels are at a suitable range which helps me to only do fortnightly changes on both of my tanks 1 x 4ft tank and 1 x 2 ft tank both heavily planted. I really enjoyed this post and learnt something new. I always enjoy your posts and usually learn something new each time.
Great topic choice. I keep a log of when I do water changes so I can extend the time period between the next one and check parameters and how the fish are doing.
good vid for those not familiar with water change schedule. The most important tip you gave was make sure to test your water. There is a huge different water schedule for someone that has a bunch of plants and a larger filtration system, a water change schedule would be different than someone with plastic plants and smaller filtration system or throw a newer tank into the equation....etc...
Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink! This topic is extremely important to me as I have been wrestling with water quality post Hurricane Irma. You are quite right! The water company is not going to notify us when they have to make changes. Honestly, I never even thought about it. I am now! Additionally, in regard to water changes, no one seems to address evaporation and how that effects aquarium water. I live in SW Florida and experience at least a gallon (or more) of evaporation per week. So now you can go from a concentration of a parameter, do a water change, add back for evaporation and swing to far the other way. Apologies for the rambling, but I have learned there is much more to it than just "do a water change"! 😉
this is what I figured out many years ago but always felt weird about it because everyone I knew water changed ALL the time but I always love a medium bio load and have a big plant load and it seamed besides adding fertilizer I would do a 50% water change every 6 month and that was just because I felt like I needed to tank always tested good and never had fish loss. I have always felt the less "work" you have to do the more you enjoy it. Love the fish talk video !
Cory you are awesome with these kind of video conversations. It makes a whole lot of sense after watching your videos. I have been following your channel for quite some time. You do a fantastic job to this hobby. Wish you all the best in the New year, and hope to see more of these kind of videos.
I had to deal with a large amount of fish loss in a 55 gallon aquarium while living in Toledo, OH during a routine water change in 2011. After the water change, the water had become cloudy and many of the fish had died immediately.... a few others died within a few days and there was nothing I could do to help them. Apparently the city had added alum to the water, which caused the deaths.... to my knowledge, water conditioners don’t neutralize alum. I have a video on RUclips of that tank from that time.
Heck got lazy on my south American cichlids tank 220 a few years ago did nothing but top off sump for 6 months at a time, tank did better then ever. When I started in hobby 30 years ago store would tell you change water every week and I fell into that trap overtime I learned leave it alone and see what happens got some 12 year old happy cichlids
I know this video is old but I have to say, it's great! I've watched a lot of your videos but this one really gave me what I was looking for. With a high PH, plants, and well water, I was confused about water changes. Totally get it now.
I'm currently changing water weekly on each tank, between 15-50%, depending on the tank. However, I'm planning to change that in the future. I keep plants in/above each tank, which keeps my nitrates down, just not enough yet. Still dialing the parameters in, but hoping I'll balance things soon. Thanks, Cory!
Cory you rock! My aquarium game is much stronger because you take the time the break it down and share with us. Thank you and as they say, "I am smellin' what you're steppin' in!"
I used to change all my tanks water once to twice a week. Now I'm finally testing and spacing it out as 10 tanks (including 125 and two 60's) gets very costly for water in California. Great Video Cory 👍Very informative as always
I really dislike the rude, belittling comments here. If you don't like what's being said, move on. If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it and move on. Thank you Cory for your time, knowledge, and caring about the hobby. I love your dedication, and passion.
I had a planted 10 gallon tank with about 20 fish in it. I didn't start with 20 but they kept breeding & I wasn't even try to breed them. Most of them were breeds that I was informed only lived 3 yrs. I had them for 5 yrs. I almost never changed their water just added to it. I think I only remember changing it about 50% every 4-6 months or so & my fish never got any kind of illness, no fin rot, no ich, nothing. My goldfish were always getting sick because I was still learning about them. Goldfish are not beginner fish, & neither are bettas. They require a lot of work. If I was going to recommend a fish for some one new to the hobby, I'd recommend a Rosy minnow as they do great in small groups, are the cheapest, & are as hardy as a goldfish but less mess.
I've been growing my Pothos fully underwater for about two years. The roots are looking good and I'm getting alot of new growth so I'm experimenting with potting it under water. Its been a week and I'm still getting good growth.
Definitely appreciate your approach to giving advice thanks making things clear about how to come to a conclusion rather than blurting out bull shit with out having reason to back it up.
Really really good video! Having studied my water for the last couple of months (3 tanks) I've been thinking this is a water condition I can keep, 'what kind of fish should I have in it'. I've also been trying to match my fish together more appropriately. Two different kinds of fish may coexist okay at an in-between condition, but perhaps two different tanks, two different conditions could see both thrive.
Podcast? I didn't know you had podcasts Cory! Thanks for taking the time to get all this info out on social media. I love listening to aquarium podcasts on the way to work.
@@AquariumCoop Thanks, being new to your channel, great to know about your app! You did a great job on this video with detail explanation of how to diagnose problems while at the same time teaching the basics withou shaming a person's for lack of knowledge or understanding, especially when one hears conflicting advice. You are gifted with great teaching abilities at the same time running what looks like an honest business! Bless you...👍
Corey is a self proclaimed fish nerd, who tests his products before he sells them. And that is why I am confident, his advice will steer me in the right direction.. Because, It just so happens, like you, I love my fish and snails and only want the best for them.
There can be a big difference between tanks depending on your stock, substrate, decorations, plants, food ect. I have 10 tanks of different sizes on stock. My second largest a 4ft 60 gallon with an almost fully grown Blue Acara, a juvenile Electric Blue Acara and a not quite fully grown lutino Oscar, bare bottom, with very little to no plants (they only go in there for the acaras to eat them). I have a fluval 306, an 100 litter/25 gallon submergible filter and a small sponge filter. My tap water is 7.4 ph but goes down to 6.7 with the stock level I have, ammonia and nitrites stay at 0 and nitrates build up but don't reach 20pm for 4-6 weeks. I have a 50-60 litre tank with one pygmy perch, 8 white cloud mountain minnows and a golden mystery snail, bare bottom, with a built in "water fall" type filter. I have some many plants in there I can not see through one side to the other. This is the tank I just let go and watched what happened. It never requires water changes and only requires small water top ups every few weeks. It's basically and enclosed system and has a small inbuilt led light, yet the plants, including algae thrive. I have other tanks that require weekly water changes and some that only need monthly changes. One tank's ph drops down to 6 and another stays at 7.4 or goes up to 7.8. They all get them same water with the same treatment (prime) but since they are some different they all require different water changing schedules. I've learnt one thing through keeping different types of fish and that is they will show you when something's wrong with the tank but it's up to you to find out what it is and learn how to deal with it.
This has really made me think. I have four tanks but my dwarf puffer tank, I change religiously every week. I do test water parameters, usually no ammonia, no nitrites, less than 5 nitrates. Theres 104l of water in the tank which is heavily planted, 5 Dwarf Puffers and 3 Amano Shrimp. Maybe I don’t need to change water quite so much ... . Although I do have some minor algae growth, and I feed every day, live food or frozen.
That was a great talk Cory. Do you think we have gone too far with a technical approach? Back in the ‘70s we only very occasionally tested pH. 10% water change occasionally and all the fish were well. Only water treatment was blackwater extract. Now with all this stuff these days I get stressed out and I am sure my fish empathise.
Robert Fletcher I personally feel like more data should relieve stress, the more you know about what is going on the easier it is to make the right choices. I used to do 30% water changes every week before I learned how aquariums work, then I started to measure and now I have one tank that has only a few guppies and a huge pothos plant that I only top up due to evaporation. One other tank with multi's also has Pothos and gets 10% every week with cups to keep the stress levels down and my main tank gets 20% every first weekend of the month and I removed the pothos from that one to make sure the aquarium plants get a little bit of nitrates. All made possible with my test strips and what Cory had learned me in the last couple of months. I even listen to some podcasts 2 or 3 times to really understand this stuff and it is working out great.
I feel like this needs to be in a newsletter along with Podcast. Some people don't understand the difference between Alaskan well water vs Oklahoma, for instance. Thank you for sharing.
YES, water change whenever you need but based on data, not a schedule. I like a 20% weekly because I use it to water my plants lol. But I have definitely been able to control frequency by turning the knobs...stock level, plants (pothos), lighting, algae scrubbing etc. It's part of the fun, it's especially easy to do if you sump.
Thanks again, you have made me way more comfortable with keeping fish. I'm testing my water a-lot more now because I use test strips... I dreaded the API master kit. Thank you. Sometimes I do water changes because it makes me feel better.... mmm... gona have to re-think that.
your ideas are clear and well spoken. There are a couple of channels that emphasize what they call The Walstad Method, or ecosystem tanks, without offering any details such as you cover. They don't cover any information that shows they've a real understanding, just enough to sound like they do in their videos. This plus no in depth information to make sure fish don't die or suffer. It seems for some people it's mostly all about aesthetics and the responsibility of caring for living creatures is secondary. These are the more entertainment, vloggy types of videos that run up their subscribers, views and comments. They are like "reality tv" channels...and of course, reality tv generates huge revenue. Reality TV is like entering "the void" for me. It's mind numbing and really doesn't really benefit anyone (or cultural values) except those who produce the shows.
Funny that this topic just came up. I'm in the process of doing this currently for the past 2 weeks with a 55 gallon and a 10 gallon. I usually test about 2 a week and for the most part. My nitrates for the 55 have been at 5ppm!! The 10 tops out around 30 - 40ppm. Ammonia and nitrites have been at 0ppm. Ph for the 55 is at 6.4 and planted. Ph for the 10 is at 6 and nonplanted. I usually just feed both tanks once a day every other day or 2.
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Get our FREE guide to water changes here: geni.us/WaterChanges
Aquarium Co-Op betta bowl near a window everyday sunny lot of water is lost is that good to add water daily cuz of water loss from the heat of the sun
distilled or mineral water which should i pick
@@voidwalker3008 I would certainly add clean water to that to top it off, I have had the same issue I just top off or depending on your water levels PH, Nitrate, Ammonia you could do a water change hope this helps!
This video is a great example of why this channel is growing so rapidly. Great information no product placements. Straight info. Great job man. Have a blessed weekend.
+johnny cruz thanks, I try to be as unbiased as possible while still running a business.
No product placement that aged well
@@Agent_OB Cory is still unbiased
This is the only aquarium RUclips channel I feel I am constantly learning things from. Even the most experienced aquarist can take things from Cory’s videos. Thanks for all the information it has really helped me have a greater passion for the hobby and be a better fish keeper
Nice job on the video! I like seeing how the hobby may be shifting from keeping fish to building ecosystems.
five years ago prime time aquatics predicted the future!
When I was younger, I was big into fishkeeping. I had four tanks set up and kept cichlids. This was before I had steady access to knowledge and the "correct way" of doing things. Im older now and have a 3 year old that I want to get into fish. I have been doing a ton of research on the "proper" way of keeping fish and I realize how lucky I was when younger. I never tested my water and I only added water when evaporated or when I gravel vac once a monthish. My fish mostly did very well so Im guessing I was lucky and had good water and a self-sustaining set up. Near the end, I had a 200 gal tank with an Oscar that was 16". I was so sad when I lost him. Hopefully now, I will be armed with the skills needed to not only take care of my tank better, but to save my fish when they have issues. Thank you for all this help you are constantly providing the community!!! Def going to pick some stuff up at the store to show my support!!!
What I love about you Cory is that you always take a scientific approach to thought, even without going deep into water chemistry the way you act is that of "try and learn", you are willing to experiment and understand that nothing is set in stone!
I've been studying in order to enter this hobby for the last 1 or 2 months and your approach has opened my eyes quite a lot, it's insane how many "experienced people" have set numbers they are not willing to change, like X amount of this every X amount of time. You always go over that, and for this I sincerely THANK YOU!
I love how all of your explanations have a “why” incorporated. Great job!
This is one of the best pieces of advice in the hobby. Learning the ebb and flow of your tank, how much waste is produced, counting for evaporation etc. learn your tanks. As a whole we waste so much fresh water changing "just cause". You will be surprised how little you actually need to change the water in your tanks. thanks Cory!
Great information. For the longest time I tried to do everything "the one right way" but I noticed over time that for my planted tank for instance, fewer, smaller water changes were what worked. It was confusing. It's wonderful to hear someone knowledgeable basically say: "Yeah. That's how it works. Trust your gut. Watch your tanks. There's basic guidelines, but the application is extremely varied." Thanks for sharing your wisdom on these subjects - it's a great help.
Just setting up my first tropical freshwater tank, I kept cold water tanks as a kid (20 years ago). Thanks so much for your informative videos, in a sea of often conflicting information you are really helping me see the wood through the trees. Very excited to pick up this hobby again, keep up the good work. Big thumbs up from the UK!
I've started trying this 6-week cycle on my established heavily planted low-tech tank. 2 weeks in and nitrates are at 10ppm. Looks like my weekly water change is no longer needed! Interesting to chart this out.
excellent discussion...thank you Cory. I am also striving for as close to an 'ecosystem' as I can in a contained environment....with nature being my primary guide, teacher and mentor...and people like you and many others.
People want definitive answers to questions that don't have them. Thank you for continuing to educate people by teaching them how to answer their own questions by learning all the variables that apply to their situation.
As for "that old guy who has really old fish and doesn't do very much," who you calling old, you young whippersnapper? :P
I've been keeping fish off and on for the better part of a decade and this video answered some questions I didn't even know to ask. Pretty educational.
One of the best water lectures I've ever heard... thank you!
Thanks for the great video! I used to change the water in my planted community tank once a week because I thought that's just what you had to do no question. Then I started testing the water regularly and found I only need to do a water change every 2-3 weeks to keep the parameters in check. The plants and fish are thriving!
I really like that you said about testing the water before conducting a water change. I love that because I have a heavy plant load and my nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia levels are always normal.
Regarding Ca/Ma mineralization,you can have high amounts of GH but little available ions of Ca and Ma because over time the calcium and magnesium atoms loose electrons via oxidation that occurs naturally anytime you have living things in water. I've seen people that breed guppies and other liverbearers that are confused when the fish have crooked spines and all the rest,they can't understand that just because their source water is hard and has high GH that over time the active and bio-available mineral ions become neutralized due to oxidation. So this where water changes become more important for harder water fish than soft water fish in many instances. Just my two cents! Great job Cory as usual!!!
Would you say that a water change of 30/40% per month would be enough to avoid this? Do you have some links where I can read about this?
Had me confused for a minute... the abbreviation for magnesium is Mg, not Ma. Got it from context but just an FYI.
I love where you’re going with this. When you become familiar enough with water chemistry, you can get away with a lot more and waste a lot less. Sometimes it isn’t necessary to change water as much as is recommended.
Brad Czernik wise words
One of the best videos on the subject I've ever seen. This addresses all of the big problems I've had in my time in the hobby.
This is probably one of my fav educational videos on planted tanks. A must see for any new planted tank keeper.
That was great. Really made me think. I'm trying to get an ecosystem going, yet I'm still changing 50% every Sunday and maybe I no longer need to with all these plants. I'm going to test my water today and see how it has done this week before changing tomorrow. Thanks for ALL that you do!!! ❤
Yay! It's like real fish talk again. Can't wait for this to be in podcast form :D
That was great, thank you.
Some more Cory and Lamont would be awesome!!!
Having watched numerous channels over the years; Corey-- you're a wealth of information. Sometimes it's really beneficial to hear 'facts' you've been aware of previously. It's only beneficial to be reminded of helpful ideas/information :)
The wealth of information on this channel is just awesome! Thanks Aquarium Co-Op!
also big thing to drive home the point here, collect as many data points that you can, i.e PH, tds, GH, KH, nitrate, nitrate, etc... anything you can budget efficiently without going overboard and get the same data points at each phase of the process, and don't get complacent. Get it at the tap, in the new water after conditioning, in the tank before removing the water, in tank before adding the water & after adding the water, then daily again in tank. the more points collected the better a chance you have to spot trends and swings, I was having an issue in my shrimp tanks at one point where i was using the same water source across 7 tanks and water change cycle was on one tank rack a day, so one water change a week at 10% turnover per tank. for years no issues using straight tap water and i got used to not testing, then 1 of the tanks started experiencing high die off, the other 6 were flourishing, thinking contaminated tanks like bacteria or parasites I broke it down and build out new tank the same rack died off again, broke it down and removed it from the mix for the time being, and this changed my water change schedule and a new tank fell on Tuesday and had die off immediately, so water parameter gathering started at a single data point I could see every Tuesday the tap saw a huge spike in chlorine at the tap because of something the water company was doing, so on those days of the week i had to add conditioner to balance it out, But still had die off so moved on to the master test kit and several other data-points, i could not find anything in standard aquarium test kits other than PH, but on my TDS meter the TDS count was hitting around 1450 on those days and slightly yellowed, where every other day of the week it was sitting between 210 -220, so stopped doing Tuesday water changes (and stopped filling my drinking water filters on those days to be safe because as an exe for drinking water, the maximum concentration level set by EPA is 500 TDS to be considered safe to consume) then the pattern continued for a couple months until I saw the TDS normalize on Tuesdays and the parameter variation stopped as the WC stopped doing whatever it was that caused this and problem solved. But still no clue what the extra TDS content was coming from the tap like clock work on Tuesdays and I checked every parameter in the kit and PH and TDS spikes were the only changes i could record, so this was probably some contaminant flush on the water mains pulling crud off the pipe walls or hormones, or arsenic or minerals of some kind that standard kit tests could not find.
Moral of the story is... the water you add today may not be the same water you add tomorrow, even when it comes from the same source unless you verify the parameters
Great as always! Since finding you I have been learning so much and putting to practice your knowledge. More and more each week I learn something new and keep making my fish's ecosystem more natural which in turn make my fish much healthier and happier. Also, in the long run, it will be saving me money. Overall, from my beginning in the hobby a little over two years ago until now I've learned a lot of the time, "Less is More" (less changing of filter media, less heat, less water changes). I admit, to do that, I've added better quality filtration, live plants, better lighting and most of all continued learning. Thank you again for all you do! By the way, waiting on my first order from your store!!! More fish goodies!
Another video presenting good ideas. I am finding most Modern Aquarium thought is to change the water too often, and too large a water change. The Aquarium Bible that I grew up on in the '60's to '70's was, "Exotic Aquarium Fishes," by Dr. William Innes." The book was published from 1938-1966 with 19 editions. Back in those days, they kept more fish per tank, more plants per tank, and did very few water changes. Personally, I am doing a 15%-25% weekly water change, and will get a test kit, and cut back.
Love the channel. Started watching a few months ago and have seen almost all your content. Loved this topic. I am an operations supervisor at a large water treatment plant in Colorado. I’d love to assist/chat with you about incoming water parameters and changing water quality in tap water. You’re right on topic and I think we could enhance our hobby taking about these changing water quality issues.
Exactly! Learn your system and take notes! Measure anything you feel like.
My water is METERED and expensive as heck. Water changes are at a minimum in my fishroom. I rely heavily on nitrifrying bacteria and aquarium plants to make the water change schedule stretch as much as possible. Maine has the cleanest water in America.
It's pretty cool to hear someone talk about this. This year, I went 9 months without any water changes as an experiment with a heterandria formosa colony in a moderately planted 29 gallon. It had been running for 2 years and the fish were breeding like crazy for a total of 50+ fish and counting. Given the fairly light bioload, the fact that I only feed every 2-3 days, high plant mass-to-fish-mass ratio, and very light fertilization schedule, I decided to see how long I could go without any water changes whatsoever. I just topped off the water with a bit of Prime whenever the HOB filter started getting too splashy-sounding. For what it's worth, this tank is unheated and runs at about 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
At the end of 9 months, my liquid rock water remained at approximately its original KH and GH, Ammonia was at 0, Nitrite was at 0, and Nitrate was at 0. The pH was .6 higher than when I started, but the fish were all still active and breeding well and fry were clearly making it to adulthood at similar rates to when I started. I only water changed at the 9 month mark because I wanted to rescape the tank and bring the pH back down a bit, but I probably could have gone even longer if I had wanted to. The only casualties were my staurogyne repens, which seemed to dislike the lack of water changes, and the rest of my plant growth slowed down as well (I did get some algae issues though). I suspect my tap water contains some trace elements the plants like, but it certainly didn't bother the fish any. That said, heterandria formosa are sturdy little critters. I'm not sure I'd try this on, say, a crystal shrimp colony.
Just my experience with dabbling in water change schedule sin.
Nice
I change minimal amounts of water, about 10% a week and then only because the fish seem to like it. So they are normally quite happy but if they get a little fresh water in there once in awhile it is okay.
I am a fly fisherman and I have noticed that fish in a stream or river will become more active after a moderate rainfall. I just do my water changes to emulate that.
@@kerrypitt9789 makes sense
Cory, I really enjoy your view, and approach to fish keeping. I feel you've helped me grow as an aquarist. I've been in the hobby for 20 years now and feel I've learned a lot from your videos and you've helped me look at things in a different way. Keep it up!
I'm a new subscriber and I totally agree with your statement!
Thanks!!
Very logical and reasonable approach to water quality and water changes.
Thanks Cory!Great topic. I'm guilty of being a 30% guy once a week with no data. I recently purchased some Sphaerichthys acrostoma that made me nervous with their liking soft acidic water. I've added Catappa leaves,wood, etc and have slowly brought my ph down to 6.3 ish. My tap water here in Portland is 7.8 or so. I 've had to relax my water change schedule to 10% once a week to try to not get a ph swing. I'll be watching my levels closely for the next couple months. Very timely advice!
Gee thanx Cory, had to pause and do water changes 5:54 AM. I would have done them today anyways. Great info and TY for sharing.
Thanks Cory, I love that you clearly explain that we all start with different source water, and that is key to how we maintain aquariums.
I just have one question...how the heck did you get so smart?! LOL SERIOUSLY...LEARNING SO MUCH FROM YOU!!!!! Thanks for all your knowledge and for sharing it with us!
What a great presentation. My biggest issue is, I got a 45 gallon community tank, (not overstocked) so I find myself feeding different types of food on the same feeding day because not all of them like the same thing, and in addition I need to ensure the ones that hang on the bottom get a fair chance at getting it. This causes uneaten food here and there, so I'm doing a gravel vacuum every other day of 5 gallons to keep it in check. After watching this, this may be water change overkill. UGH!!!!
Good talk especially about nitrates in the extreme ranges.. most fish keepers freak out at 30-40-50-60ppm nitrates not realizing that realistically other then a few very sensitive fish it’s not horrible. A water change should definitely be on you list of things to do at those levels but it’s not a drop everything emergency. I’ve actually stopped testing for nitrate on my cichlid tanks.. when my fish become a little more aggressive I know nitrates are creeping up. When they start flashing I know they are over 100ppm likely pushing closer to 200ppm. I then do 75% or better water changes at my next convenience. My fish don’t die.. they still spawn, they are still active and colorful and my tanks still look great and I don’t have algae or bacterial blooms unless I purposefully induce a minor one. Many many species of fish like Big water changes and it actually triggers spawning. There are sooo many misconceptions about nitrate levels and what is considered high as well as how much water change is too much or too little. On a side note I do monitor ammonia and nitrite still daily as well as PH. Even though my tanks are well established and mostly remain at 0-0 with steady ph.. ammonia does spike even in well established tanks daily for many reasons most are not aware. Most think they always run 0 ammonia in an established tank and this is so wrong. If you never have testable ammonia then you’ll have no nitrogen cycle ever. You should see .25 and sometimes even .5 ammonia spikes in any tank. The levels should not stay there long and you should never see any nitrite ever. But I monitor ammo is cause if one can reduce ammonia then you can reduce nitrates. Everyone is always trying to work in reverse and trying to eliminate nitrates.. the way to do this is first eliminate ammonia. If you cut off the head the snake dies.. Best example and false info plants are consuming nitrates.. they don’t consume them they store them safely and are removed during trimming of those plants.. they do consume ammonia.. planted tanks see less nitrates because there is less ammonia being processed by bacteria which results is less nitrates. The plants use ammonia and store nitrates till storage is full. This is true of aquatic plants.. a hydroponics setup is opposite.. soiled plants mostly consume nitrates and store ammonia. So a tank hooked to a hydroponics setup is technically actually removing nitrates from the tank.
I’m actually in the process of testing household filtration systems for ammonia removal. If one can master the removal of ammonia before notification occurs you can get rid of your filtration run a few wave makers for circulation and never have nitrates and have to do water changes for anything more then replenishing nutrients..the biggest issue I’m running into with this is rate of flow.. the easiest and cheapest way is using refrigerator filters hooked to a pump but they are not designed for high enough flow for most tanks. Commercial whole house systems are expensive to initially setup. I’m currently playing with individual facet systems with cleared micron filters that need replacing monthly or more depending on amount they are filtering. I’m still struggling to get enough turnover through the system to effectively remove all ammonia before bacterial nitrification however I’m getting very close.
Researching how biokinesis filtration works has lead me down this path. Many debate its effectiveness but it does work. It works not as advertised by eliminating nitrates, but by actually eliminating ammonia. Everyone knows there are Ammonia reducing filter pads sold at every store right? They are essentially biokinesis pads relying on ion polarity exchange for the removal. This got me to thinking what if we just used an ammonia filtration device only and removed all ammonia before hand. The end result would be a self sustaining no water change freshwater tank similar to what some saltwater guys achieve. One of the reasons they can do this with freshwater is the difference in ion and electrical charges of the salt density. Hence why protein skimmers are very effective on saltwater systems but only marginally work on very hard water high ph freshwater systems.. we are all following the big companies naysay trusting their products. The answer is so simple when you step back and think about it logically. I’m willing to bet their research and development has already produced hundreds of similar systems that they won’t produce or sell simply cause it would eliminate the need to $400 fluval fx filters, and high dollar media to put in them. Same reason why your basic hob filters come with crap replaceable cartridges. It’s all about the money
Awesome video - Excellent info....... very thorough explanation of how to keep things balanced. You have great skill at explaining a subject which can include so much diversity on how you tackle it. Thank you for sharing this from so many different angles! Wow, just wow!
Another great vid Cory.
Made me get off my ass and do some water tests after about a year of not testing.
Results were surprising.
API test kits
Tap water:
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Community Tank
90 litre/23 gallon
AquaOne Aquis 550 canister filter
11 tetras
7 Rosy barbs
6 leopard danios
5 corys
6 emerald eyed rasboras
1 half inch bristle nose pleco
Bunch of Anubias & java moss
Nitrate 20 mg/L
Ammonia 0
Last water change 50% yesterday
Betta tank
13 litres/ 3 gallon
1 female betta
Bunch of java fern
No filter
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Last water change 50% last week
So I can probably get away with less water changes in the betta tank and need more on the community tank realising it's a wee bit over stocked
Thanks Cory, where I am in Melbourne Australia we have quite good water with very little Chlorine and the rest of the levels are at a suitable range which helps me to only do fortnightly changes on both of my tanks 1 x 4ft tank and 1 x 2 ft tank both heavily planted. I really enjoyed this post and learnt something new. I always enjoy your posts and usually learn something new each time.
Great topic choice. I keep a log of when I do water changes so I can extend the time period between the next one and check parameters and how the fish are doing.
Awesome, thank you so much Cory! Gonna monitor my water parameters better!
I wish I could give this post 100 thumbs up! Very helpful and relevant information. Thank you !!!
good vid for those not familiar with water change schedule. The most important tip you gave was make sure to test your water. There is a huge different water schedule for someone that has a bunch of plants and a larger filtration system, a water change schedule would be different than someone with plastic plants and smaller filtration system or throw a newer tank into the equation....etc...
Great information Cory. You guys pretty much have me convinced to get back into the hobby after fifty five years away!
great video some really intresting info there that i will put in to practice in my heavily planted tank..thanks
Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink! This topic is extremely important to me as I have been wrestling with water quality post Hurricane Irma. You are quite right! The water company is not going to notify us when they have to make changes. Honestly, I never even thought about it. I am now! Additionally, in regard to water changes, no one seems to address evaporation and how that effects aquarium water. I live in SW Florida and experience at least a gallon (or more) of evaporation per week. So now you can go from a concentration of a parameter, do a water change, add back for evaporation and swing to far the other way. Apologies for the rambling, but I have learned there is much more to it than just "do a water change"! 😉
Yes! Brilliant A site with some truthful advice at last, I hope people are listening! Keep the good work up.
Thanks Corey. I've been trying to dial in my parameters for the last month in my 29 gallon. This helped tremendously. ❤
This was one of the best videos on water changes ever.
this is what I figured out many years ago but always felt weird about it because everyone I knew water changed ALL the time but I always love a medium bio load and have a big plant load and it seamed besides adding fertilizer I would do a 50% water change every 6 month and that was just because I felt like I needed to tank always tested good and never had fish loss. I have always felt the less "work" you have to do the more you enjoy it. Love the fish talk video !
Love the way you lay out your reasoning! Very quick way of helping others learn and teaching them to do their own critical thinking! :)
Cory you are awesome with these kind of video conversations. It makes a whole lot of sense after watching your videos. I have been following your channel for quite some time. You do a fantastic job to this hobby. Wish you all the best in the New year, and hope to see more of these kind of videos.
Love the channel and love the new BIG tank buddy.
I had to deal with a large amount of fish loss in a 55 gallon aquarium while living in Toledo, OH during a routine water change in 2011. After the water change, the water had become cloudy and many of the fish had died immediately.... a few others died within a few days and there was nothing I could do to help them. Apparently the city had added alum to the water, which caused the deaths.... to my knowledge, water conditioners don’t neutralize alum. I have a video on RUclips of that tank from that time.
Heck got lazy on my south American cichlids tank 220 a few years ago did nothing but top off sump for 6 months at a time, tank did better then ever. When I started in hobby 30 years ago store would tell you change water every week and I fell into that trap overtime I learned leave it alone and see what happens got some 12 year old happy cichlids
I have enjoyed and come away thinking differently about water and ecosystems. Thanks!
I am sooo glad I found your channel. Thank you for affirming my thoughts on water changes.
Fantastic discussion on water changes. I found it very helpful. Thank you so very much.
I know this video is old but I have to say, it's great! I've watched a lot of your videos but this one really gave me what I was looking for. With a high PH, plants, and well water, I was confused about water changes. Totally get it now.
Great and informative video Cory. The things and aspects you talk about in this video took me years to understand.
You're videos are so enjoyable and so fact filled. Has made starting this hobby so enjoyable. Love learning all this!
Cory I truly understand the depth of the concept... really love your videos .. my ❤️for Aquatic life ..😁
2:14 something flashes on the screen. What is it?
It was another picture of Cory!!!! I think!
Cut your test strips in half , double the tests half the cost. Hmmmm, oh yea the Cory man already told us that. Great vid man!
Whaaaat, wow. Thanks for your great tips
Thanks. Good explanation of the issue.
I'm currently changing water weekly on each tank, between 15-50%, depending on the tank. However, I'm planning to change that in the future. I keep plants in/above each tank, which keeps my nitrates down, just not enough yet. Still dialing the parameters in, but hoping I'll balance things soon. Thanks, Cory!
Cory you rock! My aquarium game is much stronger because you take the time the break it down and share with us. Thank you and as they say, "I am smellin' what you're steppin' in!"
I used to change all my tanks water once to twice a week. Now I'm finally testing and spacing it out as 10 tanks (including 125 and two 60's) gets very costly for water in California. Great Video Cory 👍Very informative as always
Very informative, thanks Cory.
GREAT information!
I’ve saved many of your videos as an educational archive.
I really dislike the rude, belittling comments here.
If you don't like what's being said, move on.
If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it and move on.
Thank you Cory for your time, knowledge, and caring about the hobby. I love your dedication, and passion.
I've watched a lot of your videos, this one earned you another subscriber. Keep up the excellent information.
That tiger barb tank is so awesome. One of my favorite aquarium fish. :)
I had a planted 10 gallon tank with about 20 fish in it. I didn't start with 20 but they kept breeding & I wasn't even try to breed them. Most of them were breeds that I was informed only lived 3 yrs. I had them for 5 yrs. I almost never changed their water just added to it. I think I only remember changing it about 50% every 4-6 months or so & my fish never got any kind of illness, no fin rot, no ich, nothing. My goldfish were always getting sick because I was still learning about them. Goldfish are not beginner fish, & neither are bettas. They require a lot of work. If I was going to recommend a fish for some one new to the hobby, I'd recommend a Rosy minnow as they do great in small groups, are the cheapest, & are as hardy as a goldfish but less mess.
I dont change my water often about 40% once a month my pothos has really cut down my nitrates
Pothos are great! Love it when the roots start growing down into the water. : -)
I've been growing my Pothos fully underwater for about two years. The roots are looking good and I'm getting alot of new growth so I'm experimenting with potting it under water. Its been a week and I'm still getting good growth.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics all parts of that plant are toxic so be cautious using it in tanks with plant nibblers.
Definitely appreciate your approach to giving advice thanks making things clear about how to come to a conclusion rather than blurting out bull shit with out having reason to back it up.
Really really good video! Having studied my water for the last couple of months (3 tanks) I've been thinking this is a water condition I can keep, 'what kind of fish should I have in it'. I've also been trying to match my fish together more appropriately. Two different kinds of fish may coexist okay at an in-between condition, but perhaps two different tanks, two different conditions could see both thrive.
Podcast? I didn't know you had podcasts Cory! Thanks for taking the time to get all this info out on social media. I love listening to aquarium podcasts on the way to work.
+Eric K yep we have apps for both android and iPhone for the podcast
@@AquariumCoop Thanks, being new to your channel, great to know about your app!
You did a great job on this video with detail explanation of how to diagnose problems while at the same time teaching the basics withou shaming a person's for lack of knowledge or understanding, especially when one hears conflicting advice.
You are gifted with great teaching abilities at the same time running what looks like an honest business!
Bless you...👍
Cory that was a fantastic video. Thank you very much.
Corey is a self proclaimed fish nerd, who tests his products before he sells them. And that is why I am confident, his advice will steer me in the right direction.. Because, It just so happens, like you, I love my fish and snails and only want the best for them.
Please keep up the excellent work! inspiration to all fish keepers, love from England!
There can be a big difference between tanks depending on your stock, substrate, decorations, plants, food ect. I have 10 tanks of different sizes on stock. My second largest a 4ft 60 gallon with an almost fully grown Blue Acara, a juvenile Electric Blue Acara and a not quite fully grown lutino Oscar, bare bottom, with very little to no plants (they only go in there for the acaras to eat them). I have a fluval 306, an 100 litter/25 gallon submergible filter and a small sponge filter. My tap water is 7.4 ph but goes down to 6.7 with the stock level I have, ammonia and nitrites stay at 0 and nitrates build up but don't reach 20pm for 4-6 weeks. I have a 50-60 litre tank with one pygmy perch, 8 white cloud mountain minnows and a golden mystery snail, bare bottom, with a built in "water fall" type filter. I have some many plants in there I can not see through one side to the other. This is the tank I just let go and watched what happened. It never requires water changes and only requires small water top ups every few weeks. It's basically and enclosed system and has a small inbuilt led light, yet the plants, including algae thrive. I have other tanks that require weekly water changes and some that only need monthly changes. One tank's ph drops down to 6 and another stays at 7.4 or goes up to 7.8. They all get them same water with the same treatment (prime) but since they are some different they all require different water changing schedules. I've learnt one thing through keeping different types of fish and that is they will show you when something's wrong with the tank but it's up to you to find out what it is and learn how to deal with it.
This has really made me think. I have four tanks but my dwarf puffer tank, I change religiously every week. I do test water parameters, usually no ammonia, no nitrites, less than 5 nitrates. Theres 104l of water in the tank which is heavily planted, 5 Dwarf Puffers and 3 Amano Shrimp. Maybe I don’t need to change water quite so much ... . Although I do have some minor algae growth, and I feed every day, live food or frozen.
That was a great talk Cory. Do you think we have gone too far with a technical approach? Back in the ‘70s we only very occasionally tested pH. 10% water change occasionally and all the fish were well. Only water treatment was blackwater extract. Now with all this stuff these days I get stressed out and I am sure my fish empathise.
Robert Fletcher I personally feel like more data should relieve stress, the more you know about what is going on the easier it is to make the right choices. I used to do 30% water changes every week before I learned how aquariums work, then I started to measure and now I have one tank that has only a few guppies and a huge pothos plant that I only top up due to evaporation. One other tank with multi's also has Pothos and gets 10% every week with cups to keep the stress levels down and my main tank gets 20% every first weekend of the month and I removed the pothos from that one to make sure the aquarium plants get a little bit of nitrates. All made possible with my test strips and what Cory had learned me in the last couple of months. I even listen to some podcasts 2 or 3 times to really understand this stuff and it is working out great.
Nice, I missed these kids of videos a little, never stop educating us Cory.
Smart video Cory. Great work as always!
I Love this channel.. I learned so much. More knowledge = A better aquarium.
Fantastic video Cory, very helpful and gave me a lot to think about.
I feel like this needs to be in a newsletter along with Podcast. Some people don't understand the difference between Alaskan well water vs Oklahoma, for instance. Thank you for sharing.
Nisi The well water im on in oklahoma is perfect for african cichlids, hardness, PH etc but the nitrates from the tap is 20ppm
YES, water change whenever you need but based on data, not a schedule. I like a 20% weekly because I use it to water my plants lol. But I have definitely been able to control frequency by turning the knobs...stock level, plants (pothos), lighting, algae scrubbing etc. It's part of the fun, it's especially easy to do if you sump.
Thanks again, you have made me way more comfortable with keeping fish. I'm testing my water a-lot more now because I use test strips... I dreaded the API master kit. Thank you.
Sometimes I do water changes because it makes me feel better.... mmm... gona have to re-think that.
your ideas are clear and well spoken. There are a couple of channels that emphasize what they call The Walstad Method, or ecosystem tanks, without offering any details such as you cover. They don't cover any information that shows they've a real understanding, just enough to sound like they do in their videos. This plus no in depth information to make sure fish don't die or suffer. It seems for some people it's mostly all about aesthetics and the responsibility of caring for living creatures is secondary. These are the more entertainment, vloggy types of videos that run up their subscribers, views and comments. They are like "reality tv" channels...and of course, reality tv generates huge revenue. Reality TV is like entering "the void" for me. It's mind numbing and really doesn't really benefit anyone (or cultural values) except those who produce the shows.
Funny that this topic just came up. I'm in the process of doing this currently for the past 2 weeks with a 55 gallon and a 10 gallon. I usually test about 2 a week and for the most part. My nitrates for the 55 have been at 5ppm!! The 10 tops out around 30 - 40ppm. Ammonia and nitrites have been at 0ppm. Ph for the 55 is at 6.4 and planted. Ph for the 10 is at 6 and nonplanted. I usually just feed both tanks once a day every other day or 2.
and that is some seriously practical teaching and exactly right on!!!
Great video this should be a mandatory video for all sales associates who sell fish.
Great to see such a fundamental video :)
Fish For Thought yah man. I like your channel also.