The problem of how often you need to change the water in the aquarium is still open. Not only amateurs argue about this, but also professionals. And so far they have not come to a consensus. Let's try to figure it out together. No matter how different opinions on this issue, all agree on one thing - there should not be a sharp change in water when the composition of water completely changes and the balance of the surrounding fish is disturbed. That is, one way or another, changing or replacing water is always a stress for the inhabitants of the aquarium, so you need to try not to violate their usual conditions of detention too much.
Why completely replace the water
Before deciding how often you need to change the water in the aquarium, you need to understand why this is done. A complete water change is done in the following cases:
- The water begins to boom green algae and from this the water begins to bloom.
- Fungal mucus appears on the glass of the aquarium, on the ground, on decorative elements.
- The water is so heavily polluted that the soil begins to sour. In this case, an unpleasant odor comes from the water.
- Some kind of infection got into the aquarium either with a new fish or with algae.
Keep in mind that no matter how hard you try to “adjust” the parameters of the new water to those possessed by the former, they will still be different. When fully replaced, the aquarium ecosystem is fundamentally changing. And this can lead to great stress for all its inhabitants, including their death.
Why partially change the water
Here it will be described in more detail about another - how often you need to change the water in the aquarium partially. Such a replacement is also called a water change.
It is clear that you need to do this procedure. But right away we make a reservation that not everyone thinks that way. Some believe that an aquarium can exist for years with a once established ecosystem; it will be so balanced that it is practically no different from the natural habitat. And such aquariums really exist. But these are, as a rule, sparsely populated aquariums; accordingly, they are almost completely free of any waste products from their inhabitants. However, this is rather an exception to the rule.
In any natural body of water, there is always some kind of, even minimal, water circulation. If it is completely absent, then this one he will sooner or later begin to bloom, then turn into a swamp and die. In an artificial reservoir, no water circulation at all occurs. We are not talking now about the one that is created with the help of a compressor, namely about updating the fluid. In any water in which there is at least something living, decay products are formed in the form of toxins and nitrates - these are waste products of its inhabitants.
So why all the same and how often do you need to change the water in the aquarium? If explained on the fingers, then such a substitution is intended to imitate the circulation of water in nature. But how often do you need to do this? Various factors influence this, including the volume of the aquarium.
Aquarium 10 liters: general points
Question: how often do you need to change the water in the aquarium by 10 liters? It depends on how populated it is. If there is a filter, then the water can be replaced once or twice a week, replacing about a fifth of the total volume of water, that is, about two liters. Keep in mind that due to the small volume of the aquarium, even a minimal replacement of the liquid, the inhabitants carry it much harder than in larger aquariums. This is due to the fact that there is so little water that even a glass can significantly change an established ecosystem.
But most often, such small-sized containers are not intended for the constant keeping of fish, they usually serve as a jig for fry, and a filter is not installed in them. Then to judge how often you need to change the water in the aquarium 10 liters without a filter, you need a little different key. If you keep fry in it, you should see that the water in it is practically not polluted. Accordingly, you can safely keep them in this water, without replacing it, until the moment when they grow up and they can be transplanted into the main aquarium.
Aquarium 20 liters: general recommendations
In principle, we already answered this question in the previous paragraph, because an aquarium of 20 liters is also considered very small for constant keeping of fish.
The only thing you can pay more attention to is the problem of how often you need to change the water in an aquarium of 20 liters with a filter. Let's first decide how the internal filter is arranged, why it is needed. As a rule, small aquarium filters draw water into themselves with a small pump and pass it through the filter material - usually it is foam rubber. The liquid, passing through the foam, leaves all impurities in it and under pressure, it is thrown into the aquarium with the same pump.
Based on this, it becomes clear that the amount of water that can be filtered is limited by the size of the filter material. And in a small aquarium there is simply no way to put a large filter, respectively, the device will clog very quickly, and you will have to change the water again. From the foregoing, it becomes clear that small-volume aquariums are practically unsuitable for the constant maintenance of fish, regardless of whether the filter is in it or not.
Aquarium 50 liters: general points
How often do I need to change the water in an aquarium of 50 liters? First of all, it depends on how many inhabitants are in it and what species they are. Probably, everyone knows that from some fish there is more waste and water is polluted more often, but vice versa with others. In principle, in such containers it is possible to change the liquid once every 10-14 days, depending on the degree of contamination. The same can be said about how often you need to change the water in an aquarium of 50 liters with a filter - usually no more than once every ten days. And if you run into it a cleaner, for example, a catfish-ancistrus or, as it is also called, a catfish-sucker, then you can not change the water even for 2-3 weeks.
Aquarium 50 liters: what to look for
Focus on the color of water, its smell, the number of feces in the soil. Do not sprinkle too much food so that it does not decompose or clog the aquarium. From incorrectly selected live algae, water also begins to bloom very often. At least, it has long been noticed that in containers with live algae, water is polluted faster than with artificial ones.
Aquarium 100 liters: general recommendations
How often do you need to change the water in an aquarium of 100 liters? Such containers for keeping fish are considered the most suitable for their permanent residence. In addition, they are much easier to care for. This is due to the fact that, as a rule, up to 20% of the total volume of water changes, and with large volumes it becomes much more polluted. In principle, 100 liters is not such a large volume of the aquarium. It is considered the minimum for the comfortable keeping of fish. For the partial replacement of water, all the same principles apply as for an aquarium of 50 liters.
Aquarium 100 l with filter
If we talk about the problem of how often you need to change the water in an aquarium of 100 liters with a filter, then things change a little. The peculiarity is that a more powerful filter with more modern filtering materials, which are also equipped with water disinfectants, can be placed in a container of this volume. Typically, in such aquariums, it is sufficient to partially replace the fluid once a month, and sometimes even less. Again, focus on those factors that have already been listed above.
In fact, what does the filter give us? The ability to replace water in the aquarium less frequently. But how much less? It depends on a lot, including how good and effective the filter is. There is no single answer to this question - it cannot be said that changing the water in the aquarium without a filter is necessary strictly once a week, and with a filter - once a month. You can buy a filter for “five cents” and put it in a 500 liter aquarium, or you can, on the contrary, find a state-of-the-art filter in a 50 liter aquarium and forget about what a 2-3-month water change is.
From the foregoing, only one conclusion can be drawn: the question of how often you need to change the water in the aquarium can only be answered by its owner, based on experience in grooming.
Useful Tips
To make it easier to navigate the initial stage of caring for the aquarium, below are some recommendations:
- Defend water in a wide-necked container - this way all the bubbles come out faster.
- Settle the fluid for at least three days.
- Never pour all the liquid from the tank into the aquarium - leave some water at the bottom so as not to pour in the precipitate.
- Never fill in tap water.
- If you see that part of the liquid has evaporated, do not just add water, anyway, take part of the water from the aquarium.
Seawater aquarium
Now aquariums with marine inhabitants can be found not only among professional aquarists, but also among amateurs. Replacing the water in them is slightly different. And first of all, by the fact that distilled water is used there, but distilled water, in which special sea salt is added, which is purchased in a pet store.
Water in such aquariums also needs to be updated periodically. But with what frequency? In principle, the answers to this question will be the same as for freshwater aquariums. But it is believed that the amount of updated water can be greater and reach up to twenty-five percent of the total volume of the aquarium. By it should be understood not the entire volume of the aquarium, but the volume of water that is directly contained in it. Accordingly, in a capacity of two hundred liters you can fill in only fifty liters of water and run the fish there - then the volume to be replaced must be calculated based on fifty liters.