muddyfox wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for that.

I can easily change the water twice a week and I always give the
gravel
a good going over when I do that. I was doing it twice a week when I
first got the tank set up until a friend said I was doing it way too
much. My own feeling is that more would be better. I will try about
30 - 35% twice a week.


Frequency and amount of water changes can be a contentious issue.

I can say that I have a heavily planted overstocked 10 gallon tank that
I change 10% weekly - occasionally 20% and I've had no problems with
water quality.

For an unplanted tank, your twice a week is probably the way to go, but
even there I'd only change 20%-25% unless you preheat the new water.

But remember, that's only an opinion - of which there is no lack in this
hobby :-).

Before I get responses decrying my overstocking, my larger tanks are
almost ready :-).

--
It's turtles, all the way down