will keep changing water affect your plants growth?

[argonmt]

I am asking this because I'm intended to change water frequently (50% every 3 days) at the beginning of my planted tank to avoid the build up of NH3 and let the bacteria population increase.

[davescube]

I would not advise you to change the water so frequently, it might kill off your beneficial bacteria(BB) in your filter system..
at the same time might affect your livestock health.
BB hates tapwater


doing water change of course will lower down ammonia but it definitely doesnt work in a long term.
It may be good in such a way to replenish certain element for plant, but not not good for livestock when their pH value keeps changing.


stability is the main key to success.
I think you might want to read the article about tank cycle first


goodluck

[jacian]

Frequent water change is good as long as it is done correctly.

[acc]

I just finished cycling my 4ft planted tank. I do 10-20% water change occasionally so that the fresh tap water does not have too much impact on the bb.

[leechaorui]

Every week, change about 20% of the water should be fine and good.

[Binks]

Diana Walstad recommends infrequent water changes (once every 6 months) in a planted tank. Personally I do a 25% change every 2 weeks. I have a 90 litre tank (1 foot cube).

In my opinion, a 50% change every three days seems pretty drastic.

[AquaObsession]

Diana is doing another method. Non-CO2 method. And planting so much that the plants can take up all the waste. I am sure she does not leave decayed leaves inside the tank.

Also, her tank might be big enough, maybe a 4 feet tank, etc.

And I do not think she dose fertilizers.


For me, because I dose fertilizers and feeds a lot, and to prevent excessive build up of fert and waste, I do a weekly (or even 10 days) 50-80% water change.

Cheers, Christophe

[wks]

Hi argonmt, if you keep cryptocoryne plants in your tank, making such frequent water change will cause the crypts to melt.

[Binks]

You are right Christophe. her aquariums are low light and no pressurised CO2. As for the tank size she includes 2 foot tanks in her treatise too. But using pressurised CO2 in her system is not a hassle and does not change the parameters much.

The key difference in her tank is the use of a potting soil substrate beneath a 1++ inch gravel layer.