General Care Discussion :: Can you change water too frequently?

[bradmeisel]

I like my water a certain tint (like no tint). My new filter keeps it crystal clear but I don't have a back. I can see through the tank to the wall.

Anyway, (take a breath), I can see a tint after two weeks or so. I just changed the water and it looks really nice again.

Can this only be good other than for me?

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question (which I have a felling it is).

Thanks in advance.

[Daniel3507]

every 2 weeks is fine. just avoid a 100% water change

[BullDog]

It is possible to change it too much, if you're doing 100% changes as Daniel said. If you keep doing 100% changes, then the beneficial bacteria doesn't get a chance to build up.

25-50% every two weeks, even 75% on occations is fine though.

[mikee]

If you keep tabs on the water you may not have to change it to often. Fifty % changes every week or so is good until you get your bacteria doing thier job. After I get my bacteria going I don't have to change it for several months at a time. My filter water exchange is over 5 times per hour and I keep it at that. Good Luck!! m.

[blackforces get you]

usually. i had a 100 water change very week and i used waste degrader and the blue stuff i dont know what its called but i used that. so far ive stopped and i havnt changed the water in a while now

[untsmurf]

If your water is getting dirty that quickly, your filter might be too weak, your tank might be too small, or you may have too many turtles in there.

When Mikey was in his 29 and 55 gallon tanks, he didn't have any backgrounds and I used two different filters to keep it clear. I only had to do water changes every six weeks.

[joeybsmooth]

About 25-50 % every 3 weeks. I don't live on city water so I can not just fill up my tank with out having to pay bottled water. And that gets costly .

[bradmeisel]

It doesn't need a change as much as I like them to be in really clean water. What does the beneficial bacteria do? I did a 99% change and the water looks nice.

I put the blue stuff and 13 caps of white bottle stuff. I like to do a 100% change cause I feel like then it gets all the dirty water out.

I have a stong filter and put two others just to have a fountain type and something to stir the floor. the turtles seem to like when they get new water. I was just wondering if the bacteria that builds up is essential to the turtles or just the conversion of ammonia?

[joeybsmooth]

Blue Stuff ???

[bradmeisel]

Water usage is not a concern for me. The blue stuff is some conditioner that adds this or that and does that or this.

[Kemul]

The beneficial bacteria is to keep the tank cycle running. The bacteria regulate the level of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the tank. Too much of one of those chemicals will make turtles sick (and fish die).

If you do 100% water change, the bacteria has to recolonize and that takes time, about 2 weeks.

Also, too much water conditioner is not good for turtles.

To make water clear and odorless, I think activated carbon can help.

I think that's the layman's explanation. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[joeybsmooth]

How do you use activated carbon. Do you mean like use a filter that can handle it .

[bradmeisel]

I have a canister filter and I thought the bacteria mostly lived in there. There are 3 trays stacked on each other with foam at their perimeters.

In the middle of each of the three trays, I use a pre filter granules stuff on top then carbon for the second level and I finsh with the polishing pads on bottom. The tanks is crystal clear. I can just pick up a slight tint after about two weeks.

Maybe i should just test my water and see. How do you check?

[joeybsmooth]

You can buy a test , or you can take to Petsmart and I think Pet Co and they will do it for you.

[PcBuilder14]

Normally, when my tank isn't cycling like it is now, I would do about a 30% water change every, week. Right now I'm having to do a 50% water change just about every 2-3 days! It is getting annoying having to do it that often!