Are 50 percent water changes too much?

One of my tanks is 10 gallon planted tank. It's very low tech with just clay in the substrate. The plants cabomba, crypts, and some sagittaria. My livestocks consists of 5 cherry barbs and 3 platies. I do water changes 50 percent weekly because I feel like my tank is a little overstocked. My nitrates are like 35 ppm before a water change and 15-20 ppm after it. I've been reading up and many sources say that a fifty percent water change is too much and a 20 percent should be done every two weeks. I asked my local fish dealer and he said that what I do(50% weekly) is fine. I just really want good water quality for my fish and no algae. Please any suggestions would help.

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Permalink Reply by Shane Church - Churchhealzimpact on October 20, 2011 at 11:15am

Yea, I'm with D on this one. I do twice weekly 50% water changes. If i were you, with those kind of nitrates, i would too. It would keep the under 20 all the time, which is ideal. Also, put some fast growing cheap plants in the tank (water sprite, java moss, anarcharis, etc.) to help soak up some of the nitrates and you might not have to do quite as many. Or, the smarter route... get another tank and split the stock.

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Permalink Reply by Martin Seel on October 20, 2011 at 8:34pm

I do 50% every week on my 55 gallon, I make sure the waters near enough the same temp ,it gets alot of trace elements into your tank that the fish and plants need I don't do much more than a 70% ever because the anglefish fins will stick out the water lol

you should defo start doing 50% if your nitrates are that high don't leave it 2 weeks either

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Permalink Reply by Tito An on October 23, 2011 at 2:49pm

no its not to much that actually pretty good

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Permalink Reply by Nick (RhinoTanks) on October 28, 2011 at 5:28pm

sounds good to me... i usually do 30-50% once a week.

-N

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Permalink Reply by Danny1107 on October 28, 2011 at 6:12pm

I do 50% once a week on my 2 tanks unless I've added new fish, then I'll do 20% every other day for a week or so, plants and fish are doing great

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Permalink Reply by 1987 on November 5, 2011 at 5:57am

I do 50% every Saturday, and everything just seems to perk up after it.

I have never had a loss from it.

What I do is I make sure I always drain slowly.

Toss in dechlor.

Match temp to what the tank is at within 2-3 degrees, and fill it back up slowly.

The only loss I did have was a tower that got soaked, when I forgot to shut the water off......blaaaaah ;( Still hear about it from the wife 7 years later whenever I am doing water changes haha.

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Permalink Reply by Mr.Styx Tropical Tanks on November 6, 2011 at 2:37am

Imo 25% is good,thats what i was told anyways...my tank is planted pretty good and after i set it up i went through a spike,but after that i just stuck to 2 25% water changes a week,because im very close to being overstocked.More than 25% can be bad in cases but all tanks are different,but hours of lighting and a clean up crew should help with algea,i usualy run my lights 6 to 8 hours a day,but its all on the tank,do what works for you.