100% Water Changes?

[SlimmSnake]

This seems like sort of a dumb question, but I wanted to know:

Many of you say you do 100% water changes every day. How exactly do you do this? You cannot take 100% of the water out of the tank with the fish still in there....?

Just hypothetically, if I have a tank that's 24"Dx48"Wx24"H made of 1/2" glass, the volume of the tank will be about 110 gallons. If the discus in the tank are 5" tall, then the most you can drain at one time is 20-1/2", or 99 gallons, which = 90%?

[Second Hand Pat]

In a BB tank you drain the water and just leave one inch or so of water in the tank. The fish are laying on their sides so darn near 100%.
Pat

[SlimmSnake]

Wow! I guess it doesn't stress them out, they just get used to their water being drained like that and having to lay on their sides, eh?
Ok, thanks!

[Skip]

Don"t let your heater become exposed!! If its still on!!

[John_Nicholson]

Also some people will start putting in new water at one end while still taking out old water out the other end.

-john

[strawberryblonde]

Also some people will start putting in new water at one end while still taking out old water out the other end.

-john

+1

I've done this many times with fry tanks and super young juvies. When the water level gets so low that it tips them on their sides, I start adding water back at one end and keep draining at the other for another 10 minutes or so.

[Second Hand Pat]

Wow! I guess it doesn't stress them out, they just get used to their water being drained like that and having to lay on their sides, eh?
Ok, thanks!

Nope, they lay quietly on their sides until you fill the tank. It's a great time to measure your fish if you are tracking growth etc.
Pat

[CrazyAngels]

Nope, they lay quietly on their sides until you fill the tank. It's a great time to measure your fish if you are tracking growth etc.
Pat

I agree, great time to measure them without much handling.

[tvoydan]

if I have a tank that's 24"Dx48"Wx24"H made of 1/2" glass

This is exactly the dimension of my tank. I think it's sold as a 120gallon tank. I have a single power strip that runs the filter and heater, turn that off first thing.

I drain the water as far down as the siphon hose will allow (unless I get lazy, then I leave an inch or 2). It will start sucking air eventually and the siphon breaks. The discus are laying on their sides with maybe 1/2" water left in the tank. They initially didn't like the water changes, but seem to get use to it after about 3 weeks. I actually think they enjoy now.

Although it's probably a 90%-95% change, I still call it 100%. Some water is still left in the filters too. After I fill the tank back up, I power up the filter and heater. Takes about 30 minutes to perform the entire operation.

[Rudustin]

I do the same thing all the time. Water out same time water in as the discus lay on their sides. Rufus

[warblad79]

This is how I do my 100% water change
924609246192462924639246492465

[rickztahone]

Great pic of all those little ones!

[warblad79]

Great pic of all those little ones!



Thanks

[John_Nicholson]

Some pictures from a few years ago.

-john

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.42.36_zpszfcpaom9.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.42.36_zpszfcpaom9.jpg.html)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.42.46_zpsavfe5zi2.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.42.46_zpsavfe5zi2.jpg.html)

Tank refilling. They don't look any worse for wear to me.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.46.03_zpsj3blk0h0.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.46.03_zpsj3blk0h0.jpg.html)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.45.55_zpskfnkro8g.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.45.55_zpskfnkro8g.jpg.html)

[SlimmSnake]

Thanks for the pictures you guys. I guess it just hadn't occurred to me that the fish could lay down! Heh!

[Filip]

Some pictures from a few years ago.

-john

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.42.36_zpszfcpaom9.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.42.36_zpszfcpaom9.jpg.html)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.42.46_zpsavfe5zi2.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.42.46_zpsavfe5zi2.jpg.html)

Tank refilling. They don't look any worse for wear to me.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.46.03_zpsj3blk0h0.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.46.03_zpsj3blk0h0.jpg.html)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.45.55_zpskfnkro8g.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.45.55_zpskfnkro8g.jpg.html)

John,what are the measures on the front glass for?
BTW. Beautiful yellows.

[dghby]

those are measuring marks, I want to see that 11 inch Discus, Lol

[Second Hand Pat]

those are measuring marks, I want to see that 11 inch Discus, Lol

Me too :D

[John_Nicholson]

Just there to get an idea of the size. My way of proving a point to people that come to the fish house....LOL. Also the fish did not always line up at the end. Sometimes they would start at the 5 and end at the nine so I knew they were 4 inches...LOL.

-john

[strawberryblonde]

John's just giving them something to shoot for... after all, if you set the bar at 6", what will motivate them to reach 7"??? LOL

92495

(Couldn't resist! He's not actually 11" though, only 9.5")

[jeff12]

LOL, you guys are hilarious.


Some pictures from a few years ago.

-john

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/2012-07-31%2020.46.03_zpsj3blk0h0.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/2012-07-31%2020.46.03_zpsj3blk0h0.jpg.html)

What is the name of this strain?

[John_Nicholson]

It is not a strain but a PB deal I was working on. Almost all uncolored treated PB's will be yellow when small. These ended up having white striations but I really did not like the way they ended up so abandoned the project.

-john