Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Hello everyone. I have a 55g with 6 goldfish (yes, slightly overstocked I know), which I have been doing at least once weekly 50% WCs. The tank has been cycled since August, and with the exception of a week where I had a slight nitrite spike (<1ppm), everything is fine. I've been away from home for the last week and a half, and will be away for at least another week and a half. So far, I've managed to be able to go home at least once a week to do upkeep for my tank, including the water change. However, in anticipation of my absolutely not being able to make it home for my weekly WC, what do you recommend? I have prime, Nutrafin cycle, etc at home and could ask my cousin, whom I trust to do these sorts of things, if it is appropriate. Thanks for your suggestions, although I hope not to have to use them 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Hello everyone. I have a 55g with 6 goldfish (yes, slightly overstocked I know), which I have been doing at least once weekly 50% WCs. The tank has been cycled since August, and with the exception of a week where I had a slight nitrite spike (<1ppm), everything is fine. I've been away from home for the last week and a half, and will be away for at least another week and a half. So far, I've managed to be able to go home at least once a week to do upkeep for my tank, including the water change. However, in anticipation of my absolutely not being able to make it home for my weekly WC, what do you recommend? I have prime, Nutrafin cycle, etc at home and could ask my cousin, whom I trust to do these sorts of things, if it is appropriate. Thanks for your suggestions, although I hope not to have to use them 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Cynders Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 I would ask your cousin to do a large 75% water change if possible and do a good dose of prime. That should help. It'd be much better if you could get someone to do a water change. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted December 12, 2010 Supporter Share Posted December 12, 2010 can you advise what your nitrAtes were at before you did the water change? i am slightly overstocked aswell and if i leave my fishtank alone for 1 week, the nitrates hit 20 and more.. the only way to get them down is to do back to back water changes sometimes 3 in order to get them around 10ppm again. i will be sure that if your tank is not planted and you left for a week and a half that you will have nitrAte issues. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member blackteles Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 It wouldn't hurt to add some Prime to your tank using their recommended dosages. I don't recommend doing it constantly but I don't think you'll have any issues to get you through for a week if you haven't been experiencing any major problems with ammonia in the past. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Thank you! I'm not sure what happened, but I double posted. I was thinking of adding Prime also, and will resort to that if I cannot make it home. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 My nitrates after a week is about 15-20ppm. As for asking my cousin to do a WC, I don't think that will be possible. She is a very smallish person, and I couldn't possibly ask her to lug bucket after bucket of tank water and refill. For some reason, I double posted. Sorry about that everyone. Blackteles suggested in my double post to use Prime, which was what I also thinking. I may resort to that. However, I'm hoping that I will be able to make a short trip home and do a WC. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted December 12, 2010 Supporter Share Posted December 12, 2010 if you can manage to do a back to back water change before you leave so they're as low as possible before you leave and have your cousin feed them every 2-3 days instead of every day, that should work well for you. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member number20121 Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Yes, prime is a good idea. Also a HUGE water change before you leave. As close to 100% as you can, that way the water starts out with absolute 0/0/0 and it will take a little bit longer until the water params become too bad. If you can't take your fish out for the big water change, then do two water changes of about 75%, this will bring you very close too. Having your cousin put in an extra dose of prime should be very beneficial. Keep the food low, I suppose he is feeding them? Feeding them only every other day or maybe even every third day will cut the produced waste in half, so less bad stuff in the water and cleaner water longer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Yes, prime is a good idea. Also a HUGE water change before you leave. As close to 100% as you can, that way the water starts out with absolute 0/0/0 and it will take a little bit longer until the water params become too bad. If you can't take your fish out for the big water change, then do two water changes of about 75%, this will bring you very close too. Having your cousin put in an extra dose of prime should be very beneficial. Keep the food low, I suppose he is feeding them? Feeding them only every other day or maybe even every third day will cut the produced waste in half, so less bad stuff in the water and cleaner water longer. All excellent suggestions! Thank you. I actually just did a 50% WC on Wednesday, and left promptly after that. I am hoping to be home this coming Wednesday to do a WC, but if I am unable to do so, I will add prime. I will also ask my cousin to reduce the feeding as you suggested. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 if you can manage to do a back to back water change before you leave so they're as low as possible before you leave and have your cousin feed them every 2-3 days instead of every day, that should work well for you. I will have my cousin reduce the feedings, as you suggest. As for WCs, I've already left home. I did a 50% WC this past Wednesday. If I can make it home this coming Wednesday, then I will be OK. If not, I will ask my cousin to dose with prime. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted December 12, 2010 Supporter Share Posted December 12, 2010 sounds like a plan 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hidr Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 What I do is stop feeding the fish till I can do the water change. I did that for two weeks last year when we didn't have any water. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member number20121 Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 What I do is stop feeding the fish till I can do the water change. I did that for two weeks last year when we didn't have any water. You didn't have any water for two weeks??? O.O 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hidr Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Oh ya we had some really bad cold days and nights pipes froze and got busted all over town. No water and then we couldn't drink it without boiling it so went two weeks with no water changes. Would of been longer but hubby went to my Dad's and brought me some water to do partial water changes with. It was 3 weeks before I got to do a real water change. They were fine not eating all that time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member number20121 Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Wow. I probably would have went crazy and would have spent half my pay check to get bottled spring water from the grocery store LOL 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Wow. I probably would have went crazy and would have spent half my pay check to get bottled spring water from the grocery store LOL Lol. I agree. Not having water would drive me crazy. Not feeding is a really good idea, but I have a question. During an extended fast, will the bb in the media get killed off or reduced? If that were to happen, will there be a mini-cycle once feeding resumes? Please pardon my very novice questions. I love goldfish keeping, and would like to learn as much as I can. Thanks! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 Wow. I probably would have went crazy and would have spent half my pay check to get bottled spring water from the grocery store LOL Lol. I agree. Not having water would drive me crazy. Not feeding is a really good idea, but I have a question. During an extended fast, will the bb in the media get killed off or reduced? If that were to happen, will there be a mini-cycle once feeding resumes? Please pardon my very novice questions. I love goldfish keeping, and would like to learn as much as I can. Thanks! P.S. Thank you also to the admin for merging the two inadvertent double posts :-) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hidr Posted December 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 It should not hurt your cycle. And once you do your large water change go back to normal feedings. I never had a problem. I did keep an extra eye on things for a couple weeks with extra test but never had any problems. Not feeding is less likely to cause a cycle problem then to keep feeding and not do water changes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2010 I will put them on a fast then, if it turns out I cannot make it home to do a WC. Thank you! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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