Where should the Puffers be during a water change

[dvwang]

Hello,

I have 2 GSPs, and I do 2 15% WC weekly. I've been leaving the puffers in the tank while I clean it and take/put water out of/into the tank. They always seem to stress out a bit during this process. Is it better to take them out? When I tried herding them into my small scooper thing they seemed to stress out even more.

[bertie 83]

Waterchange with them in the tank they will get used to you, my fahaka started out scared now he thinks my hand is food,,, ouch

[puffykid]

+1 to Bertie, leave them in the tank it would be much more stressful for the puffs to take them out of their home.

[RVS]

+1 to above comments, i also think it will be better to do a single 30-40% WC per week instead of two 15%.

[bertie 83]

I do 3 x 30% min on all my tanks, 3 x 50% is
More realistic

[Pufferpunk]

How big is your tank & how big are the puffers?

[RTR]

Insufficient information is given to give provide a valid answer. But in general, no fish ever needs to be removed from the water for a simple water partial change, and most especially no puffer should ever be removed from the tank for a water partial.

What size is the tank?

What size are the fish?

Is the water fresh, brackish (specific gravity?), or marine (specific gravity?)?

But in general, two 15% partials done serially are less than one 30% partial in the same period.

Unless the fish are quite small and the tank is quite large with no other fish present, 30% partials weeky are insufficient. A 50% partial is considered best if the tank is properly sized for the fish.

What water parameter tests do you have and use? (pH? Ammonia?, Nitrite? Nitrate? KH?, GH? Specific gravity or salinity?)

[JRC3]

My fish always swim in the current of the new water coming in to the tank.

I always think of it like a person standing in the breeze of an open window on that first warm spring day breathing in some fresh air.

[dvwang]

Thanks everyone for your advice!

I have 2 juvenile GSPs in my 57g tank. They are approximately 1.5 in.

I had a typo and actually meant that I do two 25% WC weekly haha.

My only concern is that I do a little tank maintenance too when I do my WC, such as moving the decor and scooping the waste. They tend to stress out whenever I'd do that.


The following are my water parameters

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
Temp: 78
S.G.: 1.008
pH: 7.6

[Nuclear_Glitter]

I would like to add you should never expose your puffers to air. by this I mean, never scoop them up in a net and bring them into the air. Leaving them in the tank for water changes is fine.

You should be moving things about at least once a week. The fish will eventually learn to relax. It's much better to temporarily stress them out than to cause the water to be of bad quality in the long run.

Also, doing 25% twice a week isn't the same as doing a 50% once a week. 25+25 does equal 50, but when it comes to tanks, it doesn't work that way. You'd be better off doing a 50% once a week. You could still do a second change once a week if you'd like, though.

[bertie 83]

Or two times 35-40% would be great ,

[RTR]

On my multi-tank systems, I can only rarely do a single 50% change. It "wastes" bit more water to do several serial smaller changes, but does accomplish an effective 50% weekly. The math is a bit of a PITA.

[dvwang]

Okay I will increase my weekly WC and percentage. What would be the most efficient way of doing WC that saves more time?


I currently mix my water the night before in my 5g buckets and then scooping water out and pouring in. I've read about attaching a hose to the sink, but how can this be done when the water needs to be mixed prior to the WC?

[Pufferpunk]

Can't be done that way for BW. I have a loooooong hose that drains into the basement & then pump the mixed water back up. It can also be pumped back from buckets near the tank, too, so no lifting is involved.

[JRC3]

I currently mix my water the night before in my 5g buckets and then scooping water out and pouring in. I've read about attaching a hose to the sink, but how can this be done when the water needs to be mixed prior to the WC?

Here's what a lot of us do...

Rubbermaid Big Brute trash can.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_46994-1097-FG86 ... cription|0

I use a cheap pond pump from Harbor Freight.
http://www.harborfreight.com/264-gph-su ... 68395.html

And then an aquarium heater when needed.

You can also make a filler end out of 1/2" pvc fittings attached to the hose to hook on the rim of the tank for filling and draining.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk16 ... filler.jpg