Do you find water changes exciting?

I do for some strange reason!

 

Indeed so. They can be fun because I use different sources of water, so I adjust the amount of each I use according to what my tank needs etc!

 

I find them relaxing. Gives me a change to "play" w/ my tank.

 

I find them relaxing. Gives me a change to "play" w/ my tank.

Me too!

 

I do too,luckily I have a lot of endler fry which means more water changes!

 

Yes, usually because I find new fry when I do them.

 

I also enjoy weeding the garden. With planted tanks it's like a 'twofer' healthier fish & plants! l

 

I like them because I rearrange my tanks every week when I do my gravel vac/water change. It gets my creative juices flowing. I have extra plants and decorations that I rotate through the tanks. It's really fun.

 

I do them every week, over 2 nights.And I don't really enjoy it, but know I have to, and don't mind it. Drained and re-filled 300 gallons tonight....

 

I like to do them sometimes. it relaxes me usually, but sometimes when I don't have time, I don't like them.

 

During my most recent tank water change on my BN tank found some booted BN eggs that were getting siphoned up-netted out 15 eggs. They hatched today-I am so excited.

 

I am always finding new babies in my tanks during water changes. Fry can be real good hiders but when you do water changes and move stuff around they come out of hiding.

 

I find it interesting usually in one of my tanks a fish will do something I never seen done before and makes me laugh.

 

I like doing water changes! it gives me such a sense of peace to know all my fish live in clean water and I get to show off my tanks to friends when they come round. It's a lot of work with the 120 gallon but it also relaxes me and my fish are healthy!!
Good exercise too.....

 

I like doing water changes! it gives me such a sense of peace to know all my fish live in clean water and I get to show off my tanks to friends when they come round. It's a lot of work with the 120 gallon but it also relaxes me and my fish are healthy!!
Good exercise too.....

Ya people don't realize it takes work to make the tank clean and not just run a filter and boom it's clean, also I just pour my water out the window onto the bushes and man they grow!

 

I only do water changes for the fish. I don't particularly like doing it, which is why I use a pump to drain the tanks. It also takes half the time, which is good. Since I change 80% of the water, I can't do them all in one shot because there's not enough hot water.

 

I don't mind doing it but there are some days when I don't really want to, so I do it for the fish. So on those days the fish motivate me. lol

 

I have heard people comment “Aquariums are too high maintenance for me” or “Don’t they take up a lot of your time?” Well in my opinion tanks are only high maintenance if you let them become that way by not doing daily, weekly and monthly maintenance and as far as they only take up as much time as I comment to them and not a minute more.

I have three main hobbies and they all work together very well. Playing with my grandkids and teaching them about nature is one of my hobbies, riding my Harley is another and playing with my fish and tanks is my last. I can fit them all in at once if I work at it. I have road my Harley to visit some of my grandkids and can swing by the pet store to pick up supplies on the way. All of my grandkids love the tanks and they name their favorite fish in each tank. My oldest grandson even has a goldfish pond near his front door that I help him with, like right now I am housing his three goldfish over winter because he didn’t want them to get cold.

I am not saying that I jump for joy when I do water changes but when I see what enjoyment it gives others I do smile inside. Nothing gives me more enjoyment than watching my grandchildren peer into the tanks and ask questions about what kind of fish is that or what is that fish doing? So yes I get excited when I know my tanks are clean, my fish are healthy and my grandchildren are happy.

 

“Don’t they take up a lot of your time?”

I hear that a lot too. I spend about 2 hours a week.

What takes up time is watching the fish

 

I don't mind doing it but there are some days when I don't really want to, so I do it for the fish. So on those days the fish motivate me. lol

I'm the same. I do not enjoy the water changes; however, I do enjoy my fish. And, the fresh water is the way to keep them happy and healthy. Honestly, I equate water changes to doing the dishes. It is a necessary evil. I hate the dishes!

What takes up time is watching the fish

Hah, I spend more time simply watching my fish than it takes to manage my 7 tanks.

My average week consists of:
Care and Maintenance - 5 hours
Fish gazing - 10 hours, if not more! I easily lose track of time.

 

Good morning,

I look forward to water change days

Ken

 

It depends on my mood, I guess.

Sometimes I really enjoy it, and rearrange things in the tanks. Other times I do it just because it needs to be done. On days like that, I think it takes longer to talk myself into it, than it does to actually clean them.

 

I used to dislike changing the water when I got my first aquarium. But now that I know about the nitrogen cycle and the benefits of water changes, it's a lot more fun for me. There's just something about trying to maintain the ideal settings in my own minI ecosystem that I really enjoy.

 

Its not that I hate water changes, but they aren't fun. The bigger the tank, the more I don't want to do it. The smaller the tank, the faster it can go, so I put it off, and think "I'll do it real quick tomorrow." But once I make my self do it, I don't mind so much lol

I do like doing water changes on my planted tanks, though. As the plants grow in, I need to rearrange them, to even them out. Can't have taller plants in front, and shorter ones in the back. So doing a water change lets me put everything how I like it.

Maybe that's the key for me to not put off water changes... Planted tanks! LOL

 

Yes it's very relaxing. I love my fish and plants.

 

I love how fish like to swim against the incoming water. I also like how they buzz around the tank enjoying the fresh water right after a change...I figure it must be like that first really warm spring day when you can get out of the house and take in the fresh air.

 

I dislike it because it's never 'just' a water change. It ends up being a plant pruning, reshaping, rearranging, fiddling thing that takes twice as long as it ought. And I have dermatitis on my arms which is aggravated by fish water.

 

Wait a second. The poll shows Yes: 52.94% and the No: 50%. Uhh how's that possible?

I don't exactly find water changes exhilarating.

 

Wait a second. The poll shows Yes: 52.94% and the No: 50%. Uhh how's that possible?

I don't exactly find water changes exhilarating.

Its a multi-choice survey

 

Start involving yourself in advanced water chemistry and believe me it gets really fun!

 

It was fun for the first few months. Now it's kind of a chore. Good thing it doesn't take too long.

 

water change is easy - not necessarily fun.
cleaning the catridge filters is a chore - although it is only once a month.
cleaning subtrate - easier since I change to sand.

 

I don't really like them. especially the ones I have to do with a bucket...grrr. though, I like the 3 small tanks I top off. they are npt's .

-j

 

It's when I enjoy my fish most and afterwards is when they look their best (clean glass, improved decor etc.).

 

I love cleaning the filter tube
becuase afterwards I look at it and is having great suction looks brand new
I love it
and water changes too
I should of put I love doing them' as a choice!

 

I agree that the ones with a bucket can be a bit too much... But ever since I got a small pump that's changed!

 

I agree that the ones with a bucket can be a bit too much... But ever since I got a small pump that's changed!

I ALWAYS tell people to get a pump to drain the tank. When used in conjunction with a python, you can be filling one tank while draining the next. It's a beautiful system, and you can still use a vac with the pump.

 

I use one to drain the tank and another to transfer my water from a 29 gallon into whatever tank it needs to go into ...

I'm personally not familiar with python but i've heard a lot of great things about it. . Every Sunday is my change day. My pumping method takes just half an hour to do all water changes on all 4 major tanks, and I only spend about another hour collecting the water from across my farm, treating and filling the pre-preparation tank where it filters for 3 days.

6 Months ago it would've been a waste to get a pump but with a 55 gallon and a 110 gallon it starts to make plain sense, I don't know how people still manage to use a bucket at that point... A whole day can be spent if your doing the bucket and gravity thing... BLEG!!

 

Is it something that I look forward to all week long? No. But I do enjoy taking care of my fish and knowing that they have clean water to live in. I drain my bigger tanks with a small pump and a garden hose. Then I fill with the python. It makes life so much easier.

For smaller tanks, I add a gravel vac to the end of the garden hose and fill with the python. For fry tanks (2.5 gallons) I usually clean out the waste with a turkey baster and empty the water with a small piece of airline tubing that has an airstone on the end. Keeps all the fry safe.

 

Clever trick with the airstone