# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Frequent Water change and Algae



## cjloong (Mar 5, 2005)

I would like to pose a question regarding water change. Will frequent water change cause algae or reduce it. Say, 50% every other day with fertilizer added back each time.


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## imported_russell (Sep 14, 2004)

i think that 50% change every other day would be for extreme cases only. i have herd of people doing 50% twice a week with good results. 

i guess the question is, how bad is your algae problem? if it's just a little then i would say it's not necessary. i personally wc 1 time a week.


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

I can't think of many reason's why daily 50% water changes would do anything to algae. I can think of a few reason's why it might make the problems worse. You can always try it and see what happens. Everyone's situation is a little different.

Stability is an important factor in reducing and controlling algae problems. You normally want to set up favorable conditions and then keep them as regular as possible. Big swings in nutrient concentrations, changes in light levels, irregular variations in CO2 levels, changes in animal populations among others are destabilizing factors that tend to prolong algae problems.


Roger Miller


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## imported_russell (Sep 14, 2004)

good advice roger. by the way, how often do you do water changes?


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

I do 15% (1/6th) water changes every week. Sometimes they're a little bigger than that, but not smaller.


Roger Miller


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

I do about 20% wc once a week.


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## aviel (Sep 12, 2004)

I do 50% WC per week normally.

The reason is to avoid accumulation of micros, macros, algae spores, whatever.

I do see the logic behind replacing 50% of the water every other day when algae starts to take over. U shake the plants, you move your net quickly from side to side, you take out algae or infested plants and then you throw 50% of the spores out of the tank through WC. The rest of the stuff gets burned by the UV... If you keep doing this several times while still providing good conditions to the plants then you eventually reduce the population of the bad guys.

Aviel.


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## cjloong (Mar 5, 2005)

I don't know if this logic applies or not. Say you are fighting algae. When it dies, it produces NH4. If not breakdown fast enough, more algae will appear. Also, the spores as highlighted by Aviel

I did have a problem last time where I battled BGA with antibiotics. The BGA dies however, BBA came out (not recommended now I think). That time (1998), not much information about algae compared with now.

I am also trying to learn more about EI method by Tom Barr. If everyday change water and dosing new fert is not an issue, I am thinking about automating this process. Therefore, I pose this question.


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## imported_shalu (Feb 13, 2004)

I have done 60% wc every other day before, on my 100gallon with extremely high bioload(too many discus), not for combating algae. It did the best with frequent water change, fish and plants. I like the results, just not the labor. I currently still do 2X 60% wc weekly.


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## cjloong (Mar 5, 2005)

Just want to share a link in another forum that I just saw. Someone was doing it.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=6181

I think I might try it out when I have time. ;-)


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## imported_russell (Sep 14, 2004)

i have spoken to freemann and niko on this subject many times. i actually believe it does work. we were first turned on to this method by luis nevarro, who does 2 50% changes per weeks in all of his 17+ or - a couple tanks. 

now, my question was, if only good aquascapers like niko, freemann and lewis do this method, is it only working because they already know what they are doing?

could a newbie who has an algae break out switch over to this method to cure it? would it work every time?

i say no, but niko and freemann stand by it, and really, i hope they ARE right, because it would be a great thing for this hobby.

so, i pose this to someone who has algae troubles and is new, please try the EI method, except with 2x 50% wc a week!


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

EI twice a week? What an incredible expenditure of time and fertilizer! An unnecessary expenditure as well. Setting aside the question of whether it really works or not, it is not the only way to get the job done and probably not the best way to do anything. Most of us have *way* better things to do than draining refilling and redosing aquariums two times a week.

If you take this as far as cjloong's original idea of doing it every other day... Well, maybe with a 2-liter tank.


Roger Miller


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## Ben C (Apr 16, 2006)

Yeah, i don't see the point of doing EI twice a week. From personal experience, it works fine once a week with a 50% WC. My tank has only a light dusting of algae on the glass, which i remove with a toothbrush and a tissue, during the water change, when water is lowest.
EI twice a week? that seems excessively wasteful to me. You're throwing away a LOT of ferts that way.


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## cjloong (Mar 5, 2005)

I see the point of not wasting effort, fertilizer and perhaps water if it is not needed, as once a week is enough.

Would there be a situation in which it would be necessary? Perhaps higher than normal fish load or perhaps higher than normal light?


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

It is fairly common to do frequent water changes in overloaded Discus growout tanks. Those are generally not planted tanks.

I don't think there's any case with planted tanks where it is necessary. There is always an easier approach that has worked for someone. The opposite approach (very infrequent water changes) is probably more common than water changes more than once/week.


Roger Miller


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## Avalon (Mar 7, 2005)

Many moons ago, I had a massive outbreak of BBA. It was covering everything. I pruned till there was almost nothing left and began 60% water changes every other day, adding only TMG at half dose. Miraculously, the tank came back in a big way, with zero algae.

Case in point, I can't see why changing water that frequently wouldn't help. If I could, I surely would. But as mentioned, I do have better things to do than do water changes all the time. However, when algae does come along and get nasty, that's what I do while I figure out what went wrong and a plan of action. Works every time.

When doing water changes that frequently, I don't even think you need to dose anything at all. A little might not hurt, but definitely not at EI levels. That's a total waste. Maybe a little nitrogen or phosphorous if you know one or both is heavily used, or a dash of traces. My tanks are always nitrate heavy from EI, but almost always PO4 deficient, so in my case, I might add a little PO4, but skip the KNO3 on a semi-daily WC routine.


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## cjloong (Mar 5, 2005)

Thanks for all the replies.

I am toying with the idea of automating the water change, therefore the thread. I am fighting algae right now, someone advice me not to change water too frequently, therefore trigger me to discuss this topic.

I guess the points from this discussion is the waste of effort, the waste of water and the waste of fertilizer. I guess if I am going automatic water change, the effort is one time. If I am redirecting the water to my lawn/garden, the waste of water/fertilizer would also be dealt with (assuming terrestial plants love the extra fertilizer)

The issue remaining is the comment on water changes (large ones) affect stability of the environment, which leads to algae.

So far, I have heard the contrary (from this thread). Anyone out there have more algae due to more water change?


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## aviel (Sep 12, 2004)

Hi,

As for stability,

If you change 50% water then you your CO2 concentration drops. Adding CO2 to my 175 gal tank takes time. So if you do it when the lights are on then you have this situation of high light and low CO2 for a couple of hours maybe a day. That's bad. I avoid it by doing those water changes right before the plants are going to sleep.

Aviel.


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## imported_shalu (Feb 13, 2004)

Even the waste of fert is a non-issue, when I buy ferts this cheap


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## cjloong (Mar 5, 2005)

Thanks for the tip. Another point about stability is temperature. Over here in Malaysia, afternoon water is quite hot. I guess it make sense to change early morning before plants wakes or like what Aviel point out, at night.

I guess for most members (up north), the problem might be water too cold??

Shalu, you can really buy cheap fertilizer. Over here in Malaysia, it is more expensive due to the exchange rate. Not to mention that the chemicals are not easily obtainable here.

One more thing I observe is that everytime I change water, the fish becomes very active and seems to like it very much. Plants also bubbles like crazy.


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