If i have a good filter do i still have to change out the water in my 20 gallon tank?

Question

Hmmm

Answer 1

The filter only removes large pieces of debris that are floating in the tank.  The bacteria will eat some of the ammonia but you still need to do at least 20% water changes weekly to keep toxic levels down.

**

Answer 2

yup...very important..no matter how good your filter is water changes every week are a must..

Answer 3

The main reason for water changes is to get rid of nitrates. No filter will remove them. Change about 25% of the water every week or two, and test for nitrates weekly (and ammonia and nitrites too). If nitrates are above 40 parts per million it will harm the fish.

Answer 4

You should still change the water regardless of if you have a filter or not. Change 25% of the water weekly at the same time as siphoning your gravel: http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/...

http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/...

E-mail me for any questions!

Answer 5

Yes. In your tank, a substance called nitrates build up. Nitrates levels that exceed 40ppm weaken your fish and make them prone to disease.

The only way to reduce the level of nitrates is to change the water. Weekly water changes of 20-30% of your water will dilute the nitrates and keep your fish healthy.

Answer 6

you should still do a 10-25% water change every week even if you have a good filter.

Answer 7

You will develop a routine that works for you.  No one else can tell you what or when.  If you change the water too often, it's pure..... but the fish get stressed as you chase them around to remove them.  Sometimes you can have  a well-balanced tank that needs to be cleaned only 1/3 the time of the average tank.  And are you vacuuming out the fish p**p on the bottom and scraping the algae off the sides?

Answer 8

yes you do. the kind of fish you have really depends on how often. the filter doesnt take out all the bad stuff in the water that will kill a fish. i have 3 tanks and i do weekly 20-35% water changes every week and i've never had any sort of problems with my fish. it takes about a half an hour to do all 3 of mine so it shouldnt be a big deal

Answer 9

Unless you have massive amounts of plants or anaerobic area for denitrifying bacteria to grow, nitrates will quickly build up, stressing the fish and making them more susceptible to infection.  Also, the minerals in the water will constantly be depleted, leaving you with fish struggling to maintain their osmotic pressure (calcium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, and others are essential for this).  Water changes are essential regardless of your filtration, though you may be able to be a bit more lax about your maintenance.