Razloga

Hi... so I have been testing my water for a while now, and it has been about 2 weeks since I last changed my water and the levels seem fine, the fish aren't dying, everything seems normal...

what exactly do water changes do?...

(I DID change the water today though... just playing it safe...)

tb19

Water Changes reduces the nitrates in the tank that are harmful to your fish. High nitrate readings can be toxic to your fish. What are your test results?

Chief_waterchanger

You should change the water on a weekly basis.

Not only do they remove the harmful nitrates but they also remove growth inhibiting hormones that all fish excrete.. so increased waterchanges = healthier and faster growing fish. Make sure the water going back in is same temp (within 2-3 degrees farenheit) of water in tank already.

MelyBu

I told my husband this morning, I was going to do a water change and he replied, "Aren't you suppose to do that twice a month?" LOL. Not with 2 Goldfish!

ninilie

My husband always gives me a hard time when i do a w/c too. Thinks weekly is excessive compulsive or something. Also my co-worker has a 30g overstocked and only changes every 6weeks eek. She also says weekly is too much. But i think they the crazy ones and just continue my weekly changes.

Gunnie

There are other nasties that build up in your tank besides nitrates that need to be removed with water changes. Some fish also emit what are called pheronomes (not sure of the spelling) which can restrict growth in other fish in the tank if the water isn't changed regularly. Just think of it this way, if your fish were out there in the lake or stream, they would always be in fresh water, but since they are confined, we have to try and keep that water as fresh as possible. As your water builds up a concentration of these nasties that are not normally tested for, your fish will adjust to the conditions, and you will not notice any change in their behavior. However, 6 months down the road, you could run into problems, and by the time you realize there is a problem your fish cannot be saved. It's called old tank syndrome, and it's pretty much a silent killer:

http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html

The reason it is usually recommended to do weekly water changes is so your water conditions generally stay the same all the time. Longer time between water changes can result in the conditions in the tank changing quite drastically, and making the fish sick in the process as they try to adjust to the new conditions.

29 gallon

water changes keep the water from getting ammonia increases and remove poop and leftovers