# water changes to reduce stress?



## t.karkoulis (Aug 21, 2008)

Hello all,

First of all, by reading around this forum, i understand that there are LOTS of issues related to stress, and stress can be caused by water quality etc.

Also, there are a lot of things that water changes can cure (agression, stress etc)

But whats the best way to reduce that stress? For instance, somethings wrong with my mbuna, so i have to do water changes, sometimes daily. But the way i perform these water changes, i can guarantee that causes more stress. In a 55 gallon aquarium, if i do a 20% change daily, that means around 10 gallons or something. I dont have a big enough bucket for that sort of volume, even if i did, the weight of this (40-50 pounds) water would make me clumsy spillling water here and there, messing up the sand, and moving rocks etc around.

And that can cause more stress, correct?

So whats the best way to do water changes? and how often should we do water changes, to keep the fish healthy? I found out that changing water every second day (i did this to reduce ammonia, had no other option) i stressed the fish more. But when i change water every week, from day 2-3 till the day i need to change water again, the fish -seem- to be doing better.

That, of course, may just be totally wrong. Is it?

Thanks in advance.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

If this is an established cycled tank and you're having to do water changes daily to keep the ammonia down, something is wrong. Either your filtration isn't adequate, or you're overfeeding.

You need to look at why you're having to the water changes that often and take care of the problem.

And just to clarify, water changes aren't going to decrease aggression...Stocking the tank properly will do that for you. :thumb:

How long has the tank been set up?

What are the water parameters on the tank right now?

Are you using a good dechlorinator with your water changes - one that removes both chlorine and chloramine?


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## t.karkoulis (Aug 21, 2008)

yes yes, the tank had a bit of a problem that i solved and all is good now..

My question is a bit general, how do we do proper water changes without making a mess and stress fish?

As in, whats the best possible procedure ?

(sorry i didnt clarify that its a general health&safety question  )


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Have you ever tried using a python?

I love mine, I can do 7 tanks in less than an hour with zero back breaking, full sand vacuuming and very little mess (just some drips between the tanks).


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

t.karkoulis said:


> ...how do we do proper water changes without making a mess and stress fish? As in, whats the best possible procedure ?


 1) be consistent with both schedule and volumes, and if you change one for any reason, try to keep the other consistent. 2) call your water supply company for treatment details, and neutralize accordingly. don't trust bottle directions to be exactly what your water needs, and 3) if you alter/customize the parameters of your source water (eg. ph, gh, kh), prepare it prior to use. HTH.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Also, you don't have to move decor/rocks every time you do a water change! I usually manage to churn the substrate every 4-6 weeks, but I do water changes weekly.

The python is the answer!


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

t.karkoulis said:


> I found out that changing water every second day (i did this to reduce ammonia, had no other option) i stressed the fish more. But when i change water every week, from day 2-3 till the day i need to change water again, the fish -seem- to be doing better.


 the presence of 'the bucket' into a tank surely stresses out any fish. use a siphon to remove and add water with less havoc. they must all be thinking 'attack of the giant gulper'.... :lol:


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

cichlidaholic said:


> The python is the answer!


 that is...until your city installs a water meter to your residence for their 'fair billing vs. use' program.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

lloyd said:


> cichlidaholic said:
> 
> 
> > The python is the answer!
> ...


Ouch...


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

t.karkoulis said:


> My question is a bit general, how do we do proper water changes without making a mess and stress fish?
> 
> As in, whats the best possible procedure ?


As an alternative to the python, a plain old siphon-driven gravel vac (a $5 purchase) works just fine. I just plug the end of the gravel vac into a looong length of tubing, and all of the fish poop goes out the back door.

To fill, a cheap ($15) submersible 160gph aquarium pump goes in a bucket, which goes in the kitchen sink with the above length of long tubing from the pump to the tank. Fill the bucket, leave the water on, fire up the pump and wait. Don't forget the dechlorinator!

Makes life really easy.... also really easy to rack up big water bills. :lol:

-Ryan


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## t.karkoulis (Aug 21, 2008)

but...

if you use the siphon (python) to put water in the tank, how do you dechlorinate it ? i have a siphon like this, but if i connect it to the water outlet directly, all **** will break loose. i need to treat the water before i put it into the tank.


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## t.karkoulis (Aug 21, 2008)

RyanR said:


> As an alternative to the python, a plain old siphon-driven gravel vac (a $5 purchase) works just fine. I just plug the end of the gravel vac into a looong length of tubing, and all of the fish poop goes out the back door.
> 
> To fill, a cheap ($15) submersible 160gph aquarium pump goes in a bucket, which goes in the kitchen sink with the above length of long tubing from the pump to the tank. Fill the bucket, leave the water on, fire up the pump and wait. Don't forget the dechlorinator!
> 
> Makes life really easy.... also really easy to rack up big water bills. :lol:


hmm that could work !!!


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I don't treat the water before it gets to the tank, I just mix up the declorinator in a bucket with some water and pour it in the tank as the python is filling it. I also disconect the python from the sink as soon as a syphon is started and stick the end down the floor drain to save on water, this takes longer to drain though. I reccently picked up an inline pump (waterbed pump) and I'm going to try watering my lawn with the dirty water.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

t.karkoulis said:


> yes yes, the tank had a bit of a problem that i solved and all is good now..
> 
> My question is a bit general, how do we do proper water changes without making a mess and stress fish?
> 
> ...


I think the answer to that depends on what's in your water. In some areas the water is heavily treated with chlorine or chloramines and for those tanks you *don't* want to go with the method of adding the water first and then the declorinator. Just that small amount of time swimming in the heavily treated water is going to stress out, possibly injure your fish. I know some on this forum have an elaborate system with huge containers that they treat first so that all water added to the tank is completely declorinated prior to going into the tank.

I think a possible alternative to this method is what noddy suggested. Have a fairly large bucket with the entire dose of declorinator, buffer and whatever mixed in and then add it as the tank is re-filling. But even then, if your sourse water is heavily treated you might be taking a chance. . .

My water is treated with chloramines so I make sure to use a declorinator that can handle chloramines, (not all of them do, see article linked below). I add the declorinator as the tank is filling-- a little bit at a time along with the (dissolved) baking soda I add to buffer the PH.

*MalawiLover wrote:* 


> I love mine, I can do 7 tanks in less than an hour with zero back breaking, full sand vacuuming and very little mess (just some drips between the tanks).


Really?  That fast? My python syphons the water out of the tanks really, really slowly. If I keep the faucet water running it syphons faster but I don't because I don't want to waste the water. I don't believe there's anything wrong with my Python as this is the second one I've owned and they both perform the same. Still love it but I can't match your speed!

Robin


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

I just throw the dechlorinator directly in the tank before filling. No problems so far.

-Ryan


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

RyanR said:


> I just throw the dechlorinator directly in the tank before filling. No problems so far.
> 
> -Ryan


Agreed...

if you are doing a water change and it stresses your fish, then you're doing it wrong. 
Fix your behavior, and keep changing out the dirty polluted water for clean fresh water.


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