Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Tanks for your reply. Now with this being said how often do I need to do a water change in my 6.5 gallon tank, with the fish and, the cory fish. Can I use tap water, or spring water? Tanks for your reply.
I checked my ammonia today in the tank and it reads 0. It's been 3 days without a wc. I still i have to get my fish on the 30th of this month.
You're going to get answers from everybody that differ between NEED to change water and SHOULD change water. Some people only use nitrate levels to determine when to change water. Some people will tell you that you SHOULD change water only when the fish do not look good. I don't like to push my fish into getting sick or not feeling well. Here's what I know to be true: when you get into the habit of changing water on a routine, regardless of what the water tests say, your fish benefit from it. New water has things in it that the fish use. When you get into a routine and stay with the routine, the fish know it's coming and do not freak out when it happens because they get used to the routine. Me, I routinely change water, once a week, EVERY week ( unless I'm away) because I like to keep my fish well fed. Fish just look and act better when they are properly fed. I generally change 25%-30% of the water volume. I also feed at approximately the same time daily and they know it's coming and are waiting. I've even had fish stop spawning because it was feeding time, eat, then go right back to spawning because they are used to the time. In my grow out tanks, I have water automatically being changed 4 times a day. Small amounts at each change equaling roughly 30% of volume by the end of the day. My fish grow faster in the tanks with the auto water change than the ones without it. Proof that changing water helps the fish.
For the time being, I would stick with spring water for at least the next month or so while your biological filter increases in size from the new fish. After that, you can try mixing 1/2 spring water with your tap water for the water change and see if you get an ammonia reading. If you do, that's your clue you need to stick with Spring water or water that has no chloramine in it. If you don't get an ammonia reading, try all tap water next time and see if you get an ammonia reading. If you do, that tells you that you need to not use your tap water in your betta tanks.
That's how I would do things.