𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗦:

water changes: where do i start?

The answer may seem obvious: water in, water out. right?

well, actually, there's a little more to it. 

we highly suggest you read our blog post on "the nitrogen cycle" in order to gain a better understanding of how waste breakdown works. that being said, let's dive in to the world that is water changes.

what is a water change?

a water change is a commonly adapted hobbyist term for nitrogen (waste) dilution and removal.

as discussed in the nitrogen cycle breakdown, we go over what nitrogen compounds our bacteria breaks down. 

to put it basically. our bacteria can only break down these nitrogen compounds so far, converting ammonia (NH3/NH4), & nitrite (NO2) into nitrate (NO3).

eventually, these compounds in high concentrations can be toxic to our fish, burning their gills and skin. although the least toxic of the three, nitrate (NO3) is still toxic to fish at levels 30ppm and above. in order to bring these back down we need to remove a percentage of the nitrate filled water and replace it with clean water. (such as conditioned tap water or clean rain water.) 

how much should i remove?

That depends on your particular situation, stocking and feeding habits. but the hobby-wide excepted standard is 30% weekly or 50% every two weeks. this should NEVER exceed 50% at any given time or you risk causing more damage then good to your beloved aquatic pet. replacing too much of their ecosystem can have adverse affects on your aquatic pet because you are changing more then 50% of what they are adapted and comfortable too. this can cause shock and in some cases lead to death of those affected. 100% water changes should NEVER be performed for any reason.

what is gravel vacuuming?

gravel vacuuming is the act of using a siphon to dig into the substrate of your aquarium in order to remove waste build up that has accumulated over time. as a good place to start. although not necessary every water change, we suggest a good regime of once every few water changes is ideal. copy this link into your browser for an in-depth tutorial on to gravel vacuum your tank properly:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjNTUbUnwfY