How long to establish a new filter?
Daniel, You should need to know your water chemistry before you do your weekly PWC’s. At this same time, you should at least periodically test your tap water (preferably before doing your PWC), as Lenny suggests, to get an idea of the chemistry of the new water you’re using as a replacement (it just may be similar to the water you are removing, and/or at times there may be that possibility of it being worse). Even though most tap water is usually relatively free of by-products that can be found in the nitrogen cycle, this will get you in the habit of reverting to the source, which may someday be where a suddenly unexplained water chemistry problem might stem from after doing a PWC, and where you would then realize where to pinpoint it.
Until you get used to how much your particular bioload affects your water parameters weekly, and how much your PWC regimen corrects these elements, I would recommend that you ALSO ttest your water sfter your weekly PWC’s. This will give you an idea of whether (or not) you are changing out enough water for the waste products produced during the week, i.e., while you may feel safe with changing out 15% of the water weekly, a quick check of your parameters after doing your PWC may indicate that you need to change out 25%. By the same token, if you’re not yet experienced enough to know whether your bioload is excessive for your size tank, this will fast alert you to that fact. Like anything else, once you get a feel for the proper amount needed with your PWC’s, you’re well ahead of the game and should no longer need to retest your water after the water changes. Ray
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
