# Water Changes for Peacocks / Haps - How Often?



## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

I'm fairly new to the hobby, and I was wondering if you could give me some insight into how often Malawi Peacocks and Haps need water changes. My LFS told me that I should do a 25% water change every two weeks to once a month, depending on who you're talking to. I've been following that, and my nitrates are staying below 20 all the time.

On this forum, however, I've seen people who change as much as 75% of their water every week, and I've also seen people who do fairly large water changes more than once a week.

Assuming a typical bio load of 1-1.5 inches of fish per gallon of water, how often should you change the water?

Also, how much water should you change each time?


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## natalie559 (Dec 6, 2007)

You will find that there is no one or right answer to your question.

I think the most important goal in doing water changes is to keep your nitrates to an acceptable level. Below 20ppm like you have been doing is great.

How often you have to change the water to keep nitrates acceptable will depend on several things like fish load, fish size, whether you have live plants and how much water you change at each sitting.

My 75G has 22 young fish and I change the 50% of the water every two weeks. This takes my nitrates from 20ppm down to 10ppm- both of these levels are acceptable. Could you change the water every week- sure! And many people do. I found weekly became too much of a chore for me and with nitrates being okay I chose to stretch them out a bit.

My 29G is stuffed with live plants so I hardly ever get a nitrate reading, but change 50% of the water biweekly also.

I find that fresh water fish love nothing better than fresh water- regardless of nitrate readings.

Welcome to the hobby by the way


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## F8LBITEva (Nov 9, 2007)

Haps and Peacocks here, I do about 40% weekly water changes. Its so easy with a Python I dont see why I wouldnt change it weekly. Of course if you skip a week its no big deal, but some argue water changes are most crucial to fish growth and development.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I'm a bit of a weirdo in that I have a python and don't use it. I prefer to do small, frequent water changes with a bucket and a gravel vac. For my 60 gallon, I do 10 gallon changes three (sometimes four) times a week. I like giving them fresh water frequently and the smaller changes means I'm not affecting the water chemistry, pH, etc., very much. It takes me about 10 minutes. My nitrates are always below 20, usually below 10.


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

While many people use nitrates and the trigger of when to do water changes, even if your tank is planted and your nitrates never get above 20 ppm, you should do water changes every couple of weeks at least because certain other chemicals and elements do build up that we don't test for that cause problems for the wish.

I do anywhere from 50-75% water changes every 7-10 days. Occassionaly a bit longer, but with 10 tanks I get a bit overburdened.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

50% weekly even for tank with zero Nitrates and zero Phosphates. My Nitrates on non-planted tanks are 20ppm before PWC and 10ppm after PWC. I stock my tanks so that works...with a more heavily stocked tank the Nitrates would rise faster and you might have to change water more than 1X weekly.

Oh, don't use inches per gallon to determine anything. If you don't change 50% weekly and your Nitrates stay under 20ppm then maybe you can add more fish!


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

I do 75% every 3-4 days - but I love freshwater like my mbuna/peacocks/utaka. This amount and frequency isn't necessary, just what I like to do for my fish.


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## rsuarez1982 (Sep 2, 2006)

I do 25%, give or take, every week with a python, vacuuming the gravel every other. It's kind of weird; when vacuuming I get more waste out of my 25g growout... :?


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## igetbombed1977 (Feb 5, 2007)

I pack my tanks. I like a lot of fish in a tank. With that said more fish = more waste. I do my fry tanks every other day (ideally) 50%. I do all my other tanks once a week and I do big WC. 50-75%.

Also I know you said you are new, but one could never take things for granted. Make sure you are vacumming the gravel too. You want to gett all the fish waste and uneaten food from the substrate! Find a formula that works for you as all fish keepers do it a little differently. As stated above, with a python, you have no excuse - LOL. Best $40 I ever spent in this hobby!


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

I just did a 40% change last night, in lieu of my normal 25% biweekly change. I may start upping it a bit more, but I'm using a gravel vac and 5 gallon buckets, so it's pretty tedious, even for my 50 gallon.

What's the best way to do the water changes? I've been using a gravel vac and a 5 gallon buckets, and that's pretty time consuming. I'm probably going to buy a python and start draining out the window to cut down on that side. For re-filling though, I've been mixing in my Malawi buffer, aquarium salt (do you guys use this?), and my chlorine / chloramine drops into 5 gallon buckets and lugging them across the house to fill the tank. That is also a bit tedious.

Is it safe to mix all of my buffer / chlorine drops / etc in a single bucket and then pour those in while topping the tank off with a hose? I worry about not giving the chlorine / chloramine drops time to mix in.

How do you all handle the refills?

PS - Thanks for the great responses so far. I've never asked a question on here that didn't kick off a string of extremely helpful tips.


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## cichlids _killer (Apr 13, 2008)

F8LBITEva said:


> Haps and Peacocks here, I do about 40% weekly water changes. Its so easy with a Python I dont see why I wouldnt change it weekly. Of course if you skip a week its no big deal, but some argue water changes are most crucial to fish growth and development.


 :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

Here is how I do my water changes:

I use a python. I have a drain in my basement. I let gravity empty the tank through the hose into the drain. Then, when it appears to be about half way down the tank, I hook the hose up to the utility sink. I take a 32 oz cup and get water from that tank. I mix in enough Chloram X for the entire tank volume. I dump it into the tank. Then I run the water until it feels slightly cooler than the tank. Fill up the tank.

I don't have to vacuum as there is never any poop on the sand. My pool filter sand doesn't compact so I don't have to worry about pockets. Anyways, my cichlids dig it up so much and so often, I don't think I have to worry about it anyways. It's pretty simple and painless.


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## F8LBITEva (Nov 9, 2007)

MHenrichs48 said:


> How do you all handle the refills?


I drain the water using my python like normal then I use the python to fill my aquarium use only plastic tote. I add dechlor and PH buffer in the platic tote. Then I use my general purpose sumersible pump ( like a return pump for a wet/dry filter) with a 3 FT section of plain clear hose and use it to pump the treated water back up to my aquarium. I do this for three reasons: 1) filling up this way allows the water and dechlor/buffer to mix properly. 2) it doesnt stir up the sand like dumping a bucket would. 3) allows the temp and ph to mix gradually in my Tang tank with Calvus' and shellies that can be sensitive to changes in the water. Heres a pic:


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

I do 50%-60% weekly on main tanks, fry get 50% twice a week.

I use the python to vac sand and drain the tanks (have to use the faucet as the fish room is below grade). For each tank I have a 32oz cup (saved from 7-11). I mix in the appropriate amount of Prime and buffer (I use the buffer recipe in the Library section, slightly adjusted for my tap water chemistry). Start the refill with the python and pour the buffer/Prime solution in so it mixes into the stream of water from the python. 7 tanks take just under an hour (including cleaning canisters -while tanks drain)


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## Malawi Hawk (Dec 3, 2007)

People might say holy smokes but I do a monthly water change at 30% on my 75 gal. I have Haps. and peacocks. I have 22 fish and I have never had problems and the water is clear. I have 2 HOB emperor 400 filters. Everything seems to work,less work for me, and a good end result.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Scollie said:


> I have 22 fish and I have never had problems and the water is clear.


But what are the nitrate readings?

Do you have live plants?


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