On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 17:57:35 GMT, "Rick"
wrote:


"Dick" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 04:36:45 GMT, Karen Garza
wrote:


mid posted



I make weekly 20% water changes. I have 5 tanks: 75,29 and 3 10s.
Rather than rely on test kits, I keep watch on my fish. I can always
make extra water changes or run tests, but when the water quality is
getting iffy, my fish seem less active, tend to stay on the bottom or
top, color is off, plants wilt. I rarely have had a problem.

that sounds like a problem to me. Regular water changes although not
excessively so will prevent your water quality from getting "iffy", your
fish will remain active and not stay on the bottom, and plants will benefit.
However like everything else in this hobby, what ever works for you, may not
work for someone else. As long as your sucessful that is all that matter.
But 20% weekly water changes should be more than sufficient to prevent the
type of things you describe.


I know newbies read these newsgroups. I like to let them know one
does not have to have all the available gadgets or be a chemist. The
hobby can be fun. Plants will grow without CO2, the right plants, and
light does not have to be 2 or more watts per gallon. Ph is not an
exact dimension that must be so and so.

I have also noticed that people report various methods that work for
them. I think that is an important thing for newbies to know. Of
course, some newbies would prefer a formula for success. It would be
less stressful, that is for sure. I had to battle 5 tanks into their
comfort zone. I tried the chemical route, but then started looking at
plant characteristics, fish variety, water changes, light schedule,
etc. and was much happier with the results.


Mostly
early on in setting up the tanks and then due to over feeding or too
much light.

Now I control my light with a timer and have become stingy with the
food. I only feed flake food to my fish. My tanks are heavilly
populated with a wide variety of fish.

overfeeding kills more fish and contributes to poor water quality and it is
a common mistake many including me are making or have made.



I know there are a lot of folks that run a chemistry lab and more
power to you all. I don't enjoy nor trust the results and am a bit
lazy. I like to pop in to remind those less endowed that life can
continue without chemistry or excessive water changes.


no need to run a chemistry lab. Depends on what your trying to accomplish
with your tank. I have a variety of test kits for Ph, hardness, ammonia etc.
Can't remember when I last used my ammonia kit. I now own a digital PH meter
however I breed fish and without proper PH , gh and Kh levels I would not be
able to breed many fish, particularly those that require soft acidic low PH
values. If your not into that stuff than there really is no need for many of
the kits.

Rick