Behind every beautifully clear aquarium with impeccable water condition...
...is the gigantic mess that got it there...
Water quality is something that you will hear about from your very first day in the hobby all the way through your last. Good quality water is also one of the most important aspects of the life of your aquarium. It is achieved through dedication, patience, and the proper tools and techniques. This thread is intended to give the beginner, as well as the novice, a good idea of what it takes to maintain your water at a level most beneficial to the tank inhabitants; in this case our beloved Oscars.
Nowhere is water quality more important than at the very beginning of your tank's existence. The infamous nitrogen cycle; the epicenter of much heartache for beginners. Ask anyone worth their salt in this hobby what's the best way for your fish to survive the initial cycle and you will hear two very important words: Water Change. A quick check of any website discussing aquariums will reveal suggestions of changing water anywhere between once or twice a month to once a week. I am a big proponent of the partial water change, or PWC, although I feel that changing water only once a week will still lead to less than optimal water quality in most aquariums, especially when it comes to an Oscar tank. Therefore, I perform water changes on both my tanks once every other day.
The most important tool in maintaining healthy water is a test kit:
Here is what a water test should reveal in an already cycled tank (pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate)...
My pH shows a little high but it remains constant at 7.5 and the fish don't seem bothered by it. You'll notice my ammonia and nitrite readings are at a steady zero. My nitrates would be considered normal in most cases, but it should be lower in my opinion. So, it's time to go to work. In anything 20 gallons or smaller(but you wouldn't have an Oscar in something like this), a standard siphon works fine for water changes and it looks like this:
Any tank larger than this and you'll need to break out the heavy artillery. I am able to perform as many water changes as I do thanks to the Python, and here it is:
If you use the Python exactly as described in the instructions, you will waste a whole lot of clean tap water. I prefer to simply activate the siphon manually and hang the drain end of the tube over the tub's edge...
Gravity will take care of the rest. It happens very quickly so stay close!
10-15 minutes later and we're halfway home...
This is about the normal level to which I drain at each water change. It's around 50% and contrary to what is widely passed around as fact, the cycle does NOT start over if you take out more than 50% of your water as I take out that and sometimes more on a regular basis. Now it's time for the refilling portion, and the adapter that facilitates this from the tap looks like this:
You simply connect the drain end to the valve on the side of this thing and twist the bottom switch shut and you are ready to refill. Another invaluable piece of the water quality puzzle looks like this:
The digital thermometer. Easy to read and very accurate, this will allow you to very closely match the temperature of the water you are putting in to that of which you have extracted. As soon as you begin refilling, you will need to add dechlorinator/conditioner to the water. Here are a couple good choices:
All that's left is to wait until your water line climbs to within about an inch of your canopy. Shut the water off and do a final check of your temperature.
And now for a second check of the nitrates...
There we go. That's what I like to see. Keep in mind that this is the schedule I keep for my fully cycled tanks. Aquariums that are in the midst of the cycle will need to do this perhaps daily depending on how high that ammonia reading creeps up. The PWC may seem boring, tedious, daunting and monotonous to the majority, but if made a habit, it will become second nature. Dedicate yourself to it and it will pay dividends in a very short time. Your Oscar will thank you with nice shiny skin, clear eyes and lots of activity, and you'll be able to enjoy it all through a crystal clear water column.
--Regards
