What Is "pristine" Water? Re: Fin Rot/fin Regrowth

In regards to dealing with fin rot and fin regrowth, I often hear the advice of keeping the water "pristine", but I don't know what exactly that means. Does that mean good water params (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, <20 nitrate) or daily water changes regardless of good params?

Currently have my betta with fin issues in a 2 gallon quarantine, doing 50% daily water changes. With meds I got his fins to start regrowing but he has now decided to bite his tail off. To try and stop the biting I was thinking of moving him back to the 10 gallon. Would I still need to do 50% water changes daily in the 10? Water bills are high where I live so I would like to minimize the amount of water used.

 

Daily 50% woukd make your water pristine in my eyes as long as it is a cycled tank. To heal the biting fins I would say you cut the water changes to every other day or every third day just to prevent any fin rot in those areas and promote regrowth.

 

Daily 50% woukd make your water pristine in my eyes as long as it is a cycled tank. To heal the biting fins I would say you cut the water changes to every other day or every third day just to prevent any fin rot in those areas and promote regrowth.

So, pristine water is good params and low amount of organics in the water?
My 2 gallon QT is not cycled but daily 50% water changes keeps the ammonia at 0.
Oops pressed Post by accident. Edit: My 10 gallon has good params but there is a ton of mulm in the gravel and hard to clean out because I have tons of plants. Better to keep him in the 2 gallon?

 

When I say "pristine" I am personally not referring to water quality in particular. My tank can be 0/0/5 but if I have a fish with fin damage, I will still do daily water changes. Or every other day. The fins will regrow faster and healthier that way. And less chance for rotting.

I don't know the science behind it...why daily water changes make a difference even when the parameters are perfect. But it does.

Same for the growth of fish fry. Water parameters can be perfect. But the fry will still grow SIGNIFICANTLY faster with daily water changes.

 

When I say "pristine" I am personally not referring to water quality in particular. My tank can be 0/0/5 but if I have a fish with fin damage, I will still do daily water changes. Or every other day. The fins will regrow faster and healthier that way. And less chance for rotting.

I don't know the science behind it...why daily water changes make a difference even when the parameters are perfect. But it does.

Same for the growth of fish fry. Water parameters can be perfect. But the fry will still grow SIGNIFICANTLY faster with daily water changes.

Think the point is that "perfect parameters" only counts for the parameters we are able to test. There is much more in the relation of water and fish or other inhabitants.
Fish don't only secrete stuff that will end up as ammonia, nitrites, nitrates (what we test) but also all kind of other minerals, hormones, etc...... Especially fry can be quite sensitive to disturbance of this order.


Also : what are the endproducts of conditioners. Will Chlorine, chloramine, metals disappear without a trace? No they are mostly set over in salts / chemical stuff that is less poisoness but are stille there.

Waterchanges will also get rid of other "pollution".

So our tested parameters Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates Ph, Kh, Gh (and possible phosfates) don't tell the complete story.

Imaging a testkid now with 300 testtubes and tests now hahaha

 

Thanks guys, I'm getting a better understanding now!

What about the amount of water changed? In the 2 gal QT I'm doing 50% water changes daily which is 1 gallon of water. If I move him to the 10 gallon and change out 1 gal daily, is it less effective since it's a smaller %?

Sorry for all the questions--I just don't want to start moving him around and stress him out needlessly if being back in the 10 gal isn't going to help.

 

Thanks guys, I'm getting a better understanding now!

What about the amount of water changed? In the 2 gal QT I'm doing 50% water changes daily which is 1 gallon of water. If I move him to the 10 gallon and change out 1 gal daily, is it less effective since it's a smaller %?

Sorry for all the questions--I just don't want to start moving him around and stress him out needlessly if being back in the 10 gal isn't going to help.

Yes going from 50% water changes to 10% water changes would be less effective.