It has been quite a while since I post something serious so I’m back with my old self again touching on some raw nerves topic. Today let me post an ironical question to all who has sweared by this practice all this while……Water Change .But can a water change be a bad or worse thing you ever committed in your fish keeping? Think about it.

Let me first touch on what we have been taught and preached ie water change is like life line in an enclosed system of ours.It is economical, simple procedure and the most rapid execution to return all water parameters to original values. Through its dilution DOC are brought down to acceptable level and all other metabolites ,buffers ,nutrients exhausted will be restored by the untouched fresh water source. But hang on there, this is only as good as the water source .
Ironically water change can be more toxic, more polluted if a bad source of water is encountered.So knowing your water source is an important . Chloramines, heavy metals, low pH, high nitrogen gas, high carbon dioxide, low oxygen, low temperature, bacteria count, pesticides and toxic gas can all make what seems a good thing a really bad thing! Thank god most of us here live in the city so properties of water from the municipal supply can be obtained and monitored.However those that utilized under ground water and storage reservoir in the outdoor setting better beware. You can never know what’s lurking within.

Secondly I’ll touch on frequencies of water change. When is a water change, even of ‘good’ water too much? Some people seem to be able to do 100% water changes and suffer no ill effects. Others come to learn if they do a water change of more than 40%, their water quality, filter and fish all seem to experience a set back? Cloudy water, flashing ,listlessness, loss of appetite instead of increase of appetite are some the symptoms encountered. Another factor to consider is the interval between water changes the spread of its execution. In simple term: the longer the time interval between water changes, the greater the difference between old water and tap water.So the greater your fish is going to experience the imbalance.

Finally we come to your opinion. Is water change a true panacea to reduce any biochemical imbalance in your system or just another disruption of balance in your system.Try thinking about it.

Goldrush