Critiques welcome (Re: Why water changes? (was Re: [APD] pH shock))

[Robert Zink <bonsai at hrcreditunion_net>]

Thanks to Russ, Scott, & Wright!

Thanks to you and the rest of the helpful folks on this list, I keep
learning all the time.

We're currently running 2 small tanks, a 20H and a 10 for the kids. [And mom
has a Betta vase.] We still have a 20L and another 10 in the attic for
back-up; but I already have my eye on a 55 for next Christmas...  :-)

Our well water is quite hard. Both GH and KH are 14+ out of the tap.
Tap water pH is 7.7.

When we set up the 20H during the winter, we brought the hardness down with
melted snow. The tank has been running now about 6 weeks.

The tests I have for today are:

Nitrates  0
GH  4,   KH  9
pH  7.7

The KH appears to be coming down on its own now.

Last week I upgraded the lighting and now it appears I am becoming an algae
farmer. Not out of hand yet. I bought a med.-small plecostomus to help the
small Otocinclus we had. The handful of red ramshorn snails seem to do a
valiant job for their size. I was seriously bummed while I watched my small
angel fish gobble up a clutch of the little snails that were about to hatch!
That explains why I haven't seen any tiny ones yet.

Plants currently include:
Crypt. Wendtii
Dwarf hair grass
Banana plants
Rotala
Anacharis

Temporary non-aquatics:
Large Spathyphyllum
Variegated Acorus
Very small Ophiopogon

13 smallish fish:
1 Angel
1 Dwf Gourami
6 Neons
1 Corydoras
1 "Shark" catfish
1 Otocinclus
1 Red-fin Shark (Epalzeorhincus)
I Pleco

2 Ghost Shrimp
1 Apple snail (P. Bridgesii) [1 clutch of 2-week old eggs!]
10 Red Ramshorn
10 + babies Malaysian trumpet

3/16 - 1/8" natural gravel, Magnum canister filter.

Any advice or comments are welcome!
-- 
Cheers,
Bob

  
and pH, Thus spake Robert Zink on 4/4/2004 1:11 PM:

> Thus spake revance at indiana_edu on 4/1/2004 1:37 PM:
> 
>> IMHO drastic changes of any kind are not healthy for the fish.
> 
> That seems to make a lot of sense from a common-sense point of view.
> 
> So if this is true, I ask: why all this talk about 20% water changes, 50%
> water changes, 80% water changes...  ? And why so regularly?
> 
> If your water tests are OK, why do so much water changing?

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