What are effects of not changin water for long periods?

Dick wrote in
:

I don't understand much of what you said, but I have 3 different
filters on my 5 tanks. I don't use charcoal and I removed bio wheels,
so my filtration media is a "strainer." What do you believe is
happening to the debris on the media with the water pouring past?

I just told you what happened.

Heterotrophic bacteria are breaking down the organic particles, not the
water flow or erosion.

Removing the biowheel diminishes the biological capacity of your filter to
remove the toxic ammonia produced by the action of the heterotrophic
bacteria.

Active carbon (what you call charcoal) is not really necessary.

Dick wrote:

It is my observation that filters are actually "strainers." They hold
the larger solids, but the water passing by is eroding the solids and
letting the stuff to return to the tank. Oh, woe is me, I predict
disaster due to negligence.

Well, I just discovered why one of my external filters' flow rate
dropped to almost nothing, even though it apparently looked clean. It
was driving me nuts. I hadn't cleaned the prefilter sponge for almost 8
months, but it looked pristine. I scrunched it in a bucket full of
water, just in case I was missing something. What did I then see at the
bottom of that bucket? Masses of white snail shells. Over the months,
tiny snails had got through the strainer then bred and died, finally
choking the sponge with their insoluble remains. The flow rate after
that was incredible. I'd forgotten how much water it could shift when it
was new.

Nikki

The closest I can come is high light rockpool type biotypes.
I have one that has been below 5ppm nitrate and zero ammonia/nitirite for
over a year now.
That said it has had very very fish fish in there lately.
started as a feeder tank and went on to become a sanctuary for the coolest
bits live rock I could buy.
Myself, I think a big part of having nitrate eaters in your tank is having a
high level of nitrates in you water for a while.
Letting them breed up.
Then when you water change, nitrates may go but the bacteria populations
stay.
Anyway I don't mind water changes, they are a good chance to keep me tanks
looking good.
Unlike planted tank peoples, I like to meddle.
Trick is having enough tanks to spread your meddling out that it doesn't
stress fish.
The solution to pollution is dilution.
remember the mantra.


"Pete" wrote in message
...
Take a look at
http://www.barrreport.com/forums/

There, Tom Barr discusses low-light, non CO2 tanks where you never do
a water change...... strange but true..

I can't comment myself, as I have a high-light, CO2 flooded tank..
I follow Tom's EI dosing strategy with great success.

Best wishes
Pete

"Marco Schwarz" wrote in message
...
Hi..

I havent had time to change water in about 5-6 weeks due
to some work and family related issues. Took time to add
treated water though.

Demineralised water or treated rain water were a better
choice..

There seems to be no ill effects and
the water readings are pretty good and consistent with the
exception of the water being a little hard. The water is
becoming somewhat cloudy. What are some of the problems I
might come across with not changing water for long
periods?

Depends on stocking and organic input, too..

20 gal. tank
Clown Loaches
1 Pleco
3 Black Molly
2 Swords
4 tetras.

That tank I suppose is much too small for clowns and even
for swords and this might finally be the _main_ problem you
will get or have..


don't be silly the only thing gonna outgrow that thing in a hurry is the
pleco prob




Unfortunately nobody cares..
--
cu
Marco

"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...
Dick wrote:

It is my observation that filters are actually "strainers." They hold
the larger solids, but the water passing by is eroding the solids and
letting the stuff to return to the tank. Oh, woe is me, I predict
disaster due to negligence.

Well, I just discovered why one of my external filters' flow rate dropped
to almost nothing, even though it apparently looked clean. It was driving
me nuts. I hadn't cleaned the prefilter sponge for almost 8 months, but it
looked pristine. I scrunched it in a bucket full of water, just in case I
was missing something. What did I then see at the bottom of that bucket?
Masses of white snail shells. Over the months, tiny snails had got through
the strainer then bred and died, finally choking the sponge with their
insoluble remains. The flow rate after that was incredible. I'd forgotten
how much water it could shift when it was new.

Nikki


A common snail tactic unfortunately.
the old clogging of filter parts with their dead.
I once had an otto 450G cannister impellor jammed after a power outtage for
5hours on masses of dead floating tiny snails.
When the impellor finally worked it's way free it pumped the nastiest
ammonia filled goop into me tank.
Oh did it smell.
To it's credit, the fluidised sand bed filter on it's side (rainbow or
something) had converted most the ammonia to nitrite by morning but still
dam I lost some fish!!! 6X2X2 african display. One of several tanks but was
a few buckets of fish gone :-(
hated snails with a vengence..... but then after the ocky I find them
really quite interesting.
still lucky you had the prefilter on! clean that more often and you can
clean the actual filter much less.

Hi..

[...]

@ JeffinMS:
the only thing gonna outgrow that thing in
a hurry is the pleco prob

Don't believe in fairy-tales..
--
cu
Marco

Well I would say it would depend on the Pleco....my smallest full grown
plec is around 3-4" and is a King Arabesque....I then have a full grown
snowball Plec that is aroung 5"....I also have, in my big tank, a
Leopard Plec that will probably grow to 15" but in a 6 foot tank I'm not
sweating it too much.....

IMO Clown Loaches need a larger tank than 20 gall...that is not to say
that they won't do OK in there short term but you need to plan for
moving them soon.....My CLs are also in the 130g although I have kept
them quite happily in a 47.5 UK gall tank....

As for the water change question....sometimes these things happen....I
would suggest following a routine of small water changes more
frequently...this will lessen the stress on the fish rather than a
sudden change in their water quality.....I would go for 10% changes
every other day over a week and then adopt a policy of 10-20% changes
weekly.....make sure you clean the gravel at the same time....one of
your big problems could be trapped grunge in the gravel....again take it
nice and slowly.....do so much gravel each time you change the water....

Good Luck

Gill