I drain down to fin level and do them whenever I get around to it. It was nearly 3 months in between water changes which is atypical. They'll probably become more frequent as my infrastructure improves.
Water Changes...Unnecessary?
- Thread starter nishikigoi21
- Start date
I drain down to fin level and do them whenever I get around to it. It was nearly 3 months in between water changes which is atypical. They'll probably become more frequent as my infrastructure improves.
Well, I think whether one cares for nitrate levels or not doesn't matter in the end. People come to odd conclusions...I doubt it your fish will live long with 4 water changes a year....
You've concluded nitrates are not toxic, but you have failed to research all the other issues? Or am I reading your comment the wrong way?
The majority of folks have "fish issues" due to not doing water changes big enough and regular enough...and overstocking their tanks, also using their filters as siphons......That's the entire issue, which also applies to studies of high nitrates in RAS systems for example which are basically a fish tank that is rarely water changed. and a whole range of equiment and chemicals are used to maintain it.........Hence the increasing awareness about high nitrate levels in those same systems......They're reporting a paradox in their studies as well, in terms of high flow tanks not being affected by nitrate levels where low flow tanks don't tolerate anything above 10ppm nitrate nitrogen...Think oxygen here
You've concluded nitrates are not toxic, but you have failed to research all the other issues? Or am I reading your comment the wrong way?
The majority of folks have "fish issues" due to not doing water changes big enough and regular enough...and overstocking their tanks, also using their filters as siphons......That's the entire issue, which also applies to studies of high nitrates in RAS systems for example which are basically a fish tank that is rarely water changed. and a whole range of equiment and chemicals are used to maintain it.........Hence the increasing awareness about high nitrate levels in those same systems......They're reporting a paradox in their studies as well, in terms of high flow tanks not being affected by nitrate levels where low flow tanks don't tolerate anything above 10ppm nitrate nitrogen...Think oxygen here
Well, I think whether one cares for nitrate levels or not doesn't matter in the end. People come to odd conclusions...I doubt it your fish will live long with 4 water changes a year....
You've concluded nitrates are not toxic, but you have failed to research all the other issues? Or am I reading your comment the wrong way?
The majority of folks have "fish issues" due to not doing water changes big enough and regular enough...and overstocking their tanks, also using their filters as siphons......That's the entire issue, which also applies to studies of high nitrates in RAS systems for example which are basically a fish tank that is rarely water changed. and a whole range of equiment and chemicals are used to maintain it.........Hence the increasing awareness about high nitrate levels in those same systems......They're reporting a paradox in their studies as well, in terms of high flow tanks not being affected by nitrate levels where low flow tanks don't tolerate anything above 10ppm nitrate nitrogen...Think oxygen here
What studies are you referring to?
My fish are 15 years old already. I have a dissolved oxygen meter and levels are 6.2 mg/L despite being well above sea level.
This one latest. It's a bit long so I'll quote the part I am referring to as well. Then read my other quoted studies I posted initially on this thread, with the stuff highlighted in red.
http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/85116/1/85116.pdf
Nitrate, the byproduct of the conversion of NH3 and NO2 within the system biofilter (nitrification) is not an issue in high flow systems, however, in those with low water flow rates it has become an increasingly important parameter and concentrations no higher than 10 mg L-1 should be maintained (Molleda, 2007).
My fish are fine, therefore I am right. <insert photo of adult red devil in a 30 gallon>
This is a fair achievement but I doubt it you've done this with 4 water changes a year
Water changes over a long period can vary, but we all get back on track sooner or later. At least I do. And using a dissolved oxygen meter is a decent approach. I personally think its all about oxygen and if that is maintained at decent levels, one can get away with anything. All aquatic life is oxygen dependent.....Ha, ha RD. I had to laugh at that. But then again, if fish are fine, that's all it matters...
That paper references Molleda 2007 "WATER QUALITY IN RECIRCULATING AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS (RAS) FOR ARCTIC CHARR" which in turn references Pillay and Kutty 2005 "Aquaculture, Principles and Practices."
Doing a search of the text of Aquaculture, Principles and Practices for "NO3" and "nitrate" I can't find any reference that supports 10 mg/L NO3-N. There's one that suggests 20 mg/L NO3-N for a larval tank which I think is high for eggs/fry/larva. I did find a mention of nitrate levels:
"Ammonia can be removed by nitrifying bacteria. Ammonia is first converted primarily by Nitrosomonas to nitrous acid, then by Nitrobacter to nitric acid. The acid combines with an available base to form nitrites and then nitrates. Nitrates are harmless in the recirculating system. Even in prolonged exposures in culture systems, no toxic effects have been reported below 100 mg/l nitrate nitrogen (Wickins, 1981)."
You are getting my message wrong. I didn't post that to argue about nitrate levels being toxic. That study is only brushing/stating exact numbers. What I posted it for is for it actually reporting that nitrate levels in high flow systems are not an issue. It is in the low flow systems that it becomes an issue, i.e. systems in which the flow rate through the filter is reduced....e.g. denitrification going on....
Keep reading, and eventually you will find that toxicity varies with species, and life stages. Trout, whitefish, striped bass, what else wonders I?
It seems awfully cavalier to boldly state nitrate toxicity is a complete non issue in the home aquarium, unless one has data to support that is precisely the case.
It seems awfully cavalier to boldly state nitrate toxicity is a complete non issue in the home aquarium, unless one has data to support that is precisely the case.
