Super Easy Guide to BIG Aquarium Water Changes

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Where I get my plants - bit.ly/2JkGEWl My favourite aquariums with a lid - bit.ly/oaseaquarium My favourite filters - bit.ly/oasefilter Fritz Aquatics - fritzaquatics.com Felix Smart Aquarium - www.felixsmart.com/ Oase BiOrb Air - www.biorb.com/en-US/air/air-60/ Follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/georgefarmerstudios/ Buy merch - mosscotton.com/george

[@Alex-uu1le]

60 percent once a week

[@dennishanouwer]

I do 25% every week

[@teddygas9689]

50% once a week here and use seachem safe powder

[@microcox]

Yes please, a series would be great ! Even after 3 years in the hobby and nice looking tanks I find it reassuring to hear about how experimented aquascapers tackle the basics. And more often than not I learn new tricks. Plus it suits you (in a good way) because unlike a lot of KZbinrs you focus on how aquascaping can make us happy (instead of how to do the latest shiny performance).

[@CandyflossCottonCandy]

6:25 following on from your expertise here, I decided to do 50% water changes weekly and see significantly less algae growth and the fish seem to be healthier. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Great to hear

[@markwakefield1462]

Hey George. Please do a “back to basics” series. I loved all that info. 50% water changes weekly for me. Thanks for the high quality vids!

[@arctica7170]

Performing 75 % water change every three days and daily 15 % in between for my massive Yuan Bao orandas (150L). In addition to that I do one or two 30-50 % weekly water changes in my Dennerle nano aquascape (30 L) with pygmy corydoras and amano shrimp, plus two 30 % weekly water changes for my betta (11 L). And I enjoy every bit of it.

[@spencerbray2054]

Another amazing video George! I do 70% water changes every week! I used to use the old bucket and siphon method. Ever since i saw your bucket and pump method a while ago i have switched and never went back! My back thanks you!

[@cahillp3]

Brilliant. Thanks George. Keep on scaping

[@zjenji]

Yes, please keep the educational videos coming. Thanks George!

[@johncraft8789]

Hi Joy. I love your videos I think I told you that water changes are so important and I do mind twice a month in my three aquariums and I think you're doing great. Keep up the good work

[@bm3aquatic]

Thanks George for all you do for the hobby. Admire your work so much and would love a back to basics series.

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Thanks Beth 🙏😊

[@janinebonser9933]

Thank for the simple explanation. My daughter and I are new to the "hobbie" and we really appreciate this vlog. Thank you from South Africa.

[@jodymarty3179]

About 30% once a week on my planted tanks and 30% twice a week on my peacock grow out tanks since they are heavily stocked and I feed alot. And despite what others say I have been doing only a 20% change once a week on my 220 discus tank. The tank and fish have been healthy and breeding great for years. Love the channel keep the vids rolling.

[@Spider84-0]

Hi, first I want to say how much I love and have learnt from your channel. I am new to aquascaping (only done my first tank in January). I would like to see your "Back to Basics" videos, as I would only learn more from such videos. I know my friend who is having trouble with his tank can benefit greatly from your videos. Many Thanks

[@Spider84-0]

Plus I do about 70% a week on water changes.

[@Vlowman]

Thank you George - this works an absolute treat!

[@kamenidriss]

Cannot wait for those educational series George!

[@Aquagold.goldysingh1313]

So beautiful tip.. you r great...u always share beautiful information about this hobby..

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Great vid, easy to follow and so important for any healthy clean Aquascape 👌👍

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

🙏💚😊

[@volteface69]

Merci pour cette vidéo George !!! 👍👍👍

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Merci Guy!

[@Slymobi]

So helpful. I too have lower back issues and recently (ish) had microdiscectomy but still have troubles. My 130l tank is still quite relatively new so my water changes are around 60% per week using a medium container ( around 30l ) which I have to carry to and from a distance during the changes. I watched your video and thought yeah what an amazing idea and went to work looking for stuff in the house to replicate 🤣 I found some hose ( length cut to desired distance needs ) Along with an unused aqua one filter, so I just dismantled the pump section off of the rest of it and used it's flow connector tube to attach to the hose and it's spray bar section to the other end of the hose to spread the water flow when filling the tank. My outcome works amazingly and has already saved my back at least an hour's worth of heavy lifting. Thank you so much for this very insightful video George.

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Great to hear! Thanks for sharing your experience 👍

[@AquaterraZen]

Thank you for this vidéo

[@54Howie]

Good video George the back to basics idea sounds good

[@hunterhawk1982]

Great video George! Actually, I'm doing 50% water change twice a week and my aquariums are doing better. Thanks for your contribution to the commumity!

[@9446253035]

Thanks for the video.Great information for the scapers.🙏🙏

[@martinredfern9130]

Hi George, main tank is 300 litre so i change around 150-200 litres every 2 weeks ,second tank is 200 litres and change 100-150 litres the same interval . Been using your your drain and fill ideas for a while now and it certainly makes it a lot easier. All the best mate ,Martin

[@Snoekvisser1972]

Once a week about 75% for a 300L medium stocked planted tank, running on a JBL 1902 that is cleaned monthly. I use the hose method to empty and fill the tank, easy and fast. Fish and plants are doing great. Thanks George, keep on scaping!

[@haloandgearsofwar]

Used to do a 25% water change, but I've found better results with doing at least a 50% water change. Great video as always, George!

[@aaronstephens1598]

Yes please make a video on liquid fertilizers. I’m fairly new to planted aquariums and would really benefit from your knowledge. Also a video oh GH and KH and their relation and level of importance in a planted tank. I’ve never seen anyone do a good professional video on GH & KH in a planted tank

[@SusanAnjalee]

Can i ask you a question? where is your old kessil light that you used to have in this tank?

[@davidpung851]

Your video always inspiring... Keep it going

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Thanks 🙏

[@matthewsmith22]

Nice practical advice. Early stages I test, test, test until I find a rhythm for my water changes. On my main tank I do 30% twice weekly while I'm producing fry but 50% fortnightly when I have less. I use a 3 stage carbon block filter and connect it straight to my tap in the kitchen, was a pain finding all the fittings in the UK to make this work but definitely worth it on bigger tanks

[@bobfal]

I use a hose pipe with seacem on drip, refill very slowly over the space of an hour or two works great. Good to keep asking question in any aspect of life.

[@thesteamwayguy9872]

In all of my tanks I change 50% every week. Before changing the water I do the normal maintenance (cutting plant, cleaning the glass and do on) and after the water change I fertilize my tanks. Keep going on with your very interesting videos.

[@gedheaton1415]

Love it George,super informative as usual,your vids are helping me no end and the missus as I cant have a tank till the house is decorated so I'm well at it !.(shame in my rush I put the wrong paint on the wrong wall but hayho sht happens)A back to basics series would be awesome and its there for years to come that will possibly help 00's of "nobs" like me. Again tnx George for taking the time to help others,top man. Peace out GF.

[@stateniland]

what a BEAUTIFUL tank!!

[@johnstarkey4959]

Just memory jogging video I needed George .

[@夏夜-v9e]

I love your video and your tank.

[@teaforthree1]

Excellent

[@mlargnet5150]

The power head and bucket idea is my next method for water changes! I remember seeing you do this a while back... and thinking... "YEP, OK.. THAT'S THE REAL WAY TO DO IT!" I just need to get the power head. I practice an average 40%-45% change on a 18Gal. cube every week. Low demanding plants, light livestock load, no CO2 (yet), quality substrate (have not dosed yet), a 35W led (for 6hrs) (generic brand) and a massive (canister) filter. Live stock happy/well; new plant growth. We are in week 3 (new scape: re-used plants, water, filter media and subtrate). No algae "yet". Sticking with my methods and yours! Thanks as always for the content!

[@terrywilliams5810]

Hi George, another very interesting video tonight, I must admit to the bucket system, leads to spillages, and trying to refill in the same way was a nightmare, trying to balance the bucket above the aquarium, well let's not go there. With advancing years , I now use a similar system, so much easier. Great info on why we should do them too, thanks for sharing . I now do up to 50% once a week depending on the type of tank .

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Cheers mate!

[@DeanR3]

Brilliant very very helpful video best seen in a long time and i also would love a back to basics sort or series 😁 very informative. Currently do 50 percent a week but may start upping it 😉 easy to start and get lazy 🙄

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Thanks Dean - glad you liked it!

[@fishysnowman9082]

Love it. Great video 👍

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Thanks 😊

[@PSNeXisTenZ]

Great as always! Looking to purchase the acquascaper 1200 soon so excited. Going for some twinstar lighting, oase thermo 600 and possibly try my first Co2 injection. My 94ltr planted tank is doing quite well with just ferts but I’m intrigued to try Co2 with a nice scape

[@bboycyphur]

50% weekly or every other week for a heavily planted 30L. If I wait longer than that I notice a difference in water quality for sure. Thanks for the tips!

[@AquascapingGreatness]

I do about 50% every sunday

[@zombeer8340]

Same, but on Fridays :P

[@alipetuniashow]

Same Saturdays with all my pets that need maintenance

[@vitamincalmasmr]

The back to basics would be fantastic. I've had my tank a year and a half now and still trying to figure things out. Your tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated 😊

[@caman801]

Awesome video thanks George. 🌿☘️🌱🐠🐠🐠

[@aquariumplantman]

Great vid as always George, you da man! 💚🌱

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Cheers Pete!

[@johnVidBozo]

I was following along and in complete agreement till 7:30. Plants produce organic pollution? Only if you consider plant growth and oxygen pollution. Converting CO2, nitrates, phosphates and other minerals into plant tissue is not pollution. Oxygen robbing bacteria? Is this in the water column? If it isn't a WC won't effect this at all. Surface agitation would easily promote oxygen exchange to counter any bacteria actions. It seems you use some version of Tom Barr's EI system for fertilization. Now that is a good and valid reason for the WC. If you edited out the 'plant pollution, section, I'd be in complete agreement with this vid. Now after trashing you, I must say I really love your videos. You create some really beautiful tanks. Keep up the good work!!

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Thanks! I’m pretty sure the organic waste production from plants was knowledge I learned from Tom Barr. The theory was that the water changes are actually more necessary to dilute these rather than the inorganic nutrients from ferts. I will ask him for clarification and confirm in a forthcoming video on fertilisers.

[@veedebee]

Immediately orders pump and long length of hose. Thanks George, would love more back to basics.

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

😊👍

[@dcholloway]

Hi George, Thanks very much for the video. Do you recommendations and links to any external filter inlets, hoses and submersible pumps please? thanks

[@XOR-Ale]

Ty so mutch

[@billiarddaddy3]

What is that drain pipe at 2:11?? I need that so badly

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

JBL external filter inlet

[@cbalmos]

Would love to see a series on back to basics!! You do great work and it would be nice to have a series lay it out

[@stuartgreen7203]

On my heavily planted with quite a large head of fish I’m doing 50-70% twice a week. Tank seems to really benefit from this regime and the fish and my Amano’s love the change. Tend to add the water a degree or two down from the normal tank temperature. I’m doing my water change in almost the same manner, except I pump the water out and connect the hose straight onto the kitchen tap. For years did the bucket method, why it took me so long to convert I have no idea. But so much quicker now 😀

[@bigmoncrief6071]

75% weekly water change including gravel siphoning and full filter clean. It's a 450litre aquarium with big Indian barbs and Barilius. They are quite messy fish and need super clean high oxygenated water, hence the need to get out all the organic matter and soluble nitrogenous waste so often. I do it the old fashioned way with buckets on a Sunday morning. Quite enjoy it tbh, get some tunes on, take my time, lifting the buckets gives me some exercise. Been doing it for years and the back's still going strong!!

[@ebs28]

this solves my problem for my new big tank! i was just wondering though with the dechlorinator in the bucket idea. would you need to keep adding dechlorinator every now n then with the constant freshwater?

[@jeffledford9877]

My tank is 120cm x 45cm x60 cm, around 85 gallons and heavily planted. I change around 80% of the water every four to five days in a smiliar fashion to the video using a garden hose and a DIY PVC siphon. In the summer I drain it into the flower beds near the house and in the winter drain it into the bathtub drain in the nearest bathroom. To refill I attach the hose to the bathroom sink faucet and add Prime directly to the tank. I agree that frequent large water changes help keep the tank fresh and clean.

[@monicam9280]

Omg I love that shirt 💚💚

[@HeRo-qd6tk]

Hello George! I do about 50% every week with the exact same method you use. I stay around to monitor everything and i love this system. When you say large water changes...what % is it? Just to give me an idea. Do you re-add BB? Thank you for this video and have a wonderful day.

[@aquamate]

Hey George love the video, would really like your opinion on liquid c02

[@yenyaoming]

This was great!

[@dan27govier]

Really useful video, I do 30-50% weekly and use seachem prime which I’m not sure if I like it doesn’t half smell?

[@deantruebody1522]

60% once a week. . Another great video George.👌🏼

[@thetghost2761]

No lie this pump idea was outstanding!!!! I just setup my new 125 using this method!!

[@markgriffin5537]

I have a 150gallon that’s heavily planted running co2 and do a 50 percent change every week. I too have it heavily filtered running a fluval fx6 and Marineland magniflow 360. No issues with algae as of yet.

[@joannecummins5265]

20 to 30 percent every week then 4th week 50 percent. That’s on all my tanks, 25ltr, 34ltr, 55ltr, 90ltr x2 and finally 105ltr. All by bucket at moment. But thinking of doing the same as what u do, 😊👍🏻

[@Mrtom40]

blood hell so many

[@benhancock8143]

Ouch my back hurts just reading that!

[@shaloon64]

And I thought doing 1 water change per week on 2 tanks was bad

[@gedheaton1415]

Wow,Joanne this method would well help you mate,save time and pain,whats not to like.

[@dan27govier]

Really useful video, I do 30-50% weekly and use seachem prime which I’m not sure if I like it doesn’t half smell?q

[@clifforddruce4672]

Would love to see a proper review on the inline dechlorinator as I have one and a 500ltr an hour pump does not have the muscle to pump the water through it and up to my tanks. I end up having to connect straight to my cold water tap to have the pressure behind it.

[@dlealchicago]

Great series. Looking fwd to the next back to basics. Hope you make one about surface scum/oil. Not sure WHY I keep getting it. Also, why not use that same pump inside the tank to quickly remove dirty tank water to the garden vs slow syphon. Might cut your time in half. That's how I do mine👍

[@barryhannah187]

Hi George, where abouts do you get the Fritz AACR from?

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

I got mine from a UK wholesaler but if you Google “Fritz accr uk” you’ll find online stockists.

[@mikeinca3762]

Great Video! I love the setup for the water change, especially the water return. I do 50% water changes on my 60 and 50 once a week. My family knows it as "Fish Tank Mondays!" lol! When siphoning I have a python tube on the end in the tank, so as I remove water I also siphon the gravel/sand. A question I do have is on the Cichlid tank, do you add anything else besides the dechlorinator? Like Cichlid Chemistry, Buffer and Essential Elements? I add those to mine every week for the water quality. Was just curious. THANKS AGAIN for the great content you put out! Always a pleasure to watch and learn.

[@MilosStevanovic1]

I was wondering if any of you had similar experiences. Change the water during the winter months🥶 I 10:24 have to mix the hot and cold water to get the temperature I need. I have been doing that during the year (not during the cold months) for the last 15 years adding the chlorinator and no problems, but during the cold month’s the water gets misty or something so I put into the bucket, then wait for the mist to go away and so on. Doing that on 120 gallons is not fun. And I am to afraid to treat it as if it is summer and the water is already at it’s temperature. Is that mist the extra chlorine or something else.

[@danilomercuri5103]

You mentioned also seachem prime to declorinate the water, so using this product we can directly place the dose according the total liters that we are changing into the basket?

[@AirArtStudiosOfficial]

Nice video

[@Sherry_WaxMomma]

Thank you for this video! A back to basics series would be great. Can you add the dechlorinator directly to the tank for the amount of water that you are going to add before you start putting the water in? Or, should you put in the bucket before you put in the tank?

[@JURSWB88]

impressive how you are able to synchronize the flowrate from your tap to the rate of the pump. i always end up with wasting a lot of excess water out of the bucket into the sink, thats why i dont use this method anymore

[@miirkatx]

I just started getting into aquariums this year and it’s funny wherever I throw out the old water, the lawn grows much longer grass than the rest for the week lol

[@laurenceturner9346]

When doing a big clean I use gravel syphon connected to a hose out of the window. I have an even easier method for mid week water changes, I've fitted a T between my filter and external heater. The free end of the T connects to a small inline tap and a hozelock connector. When emptying connect a hose with the other end out of the window. The pump will speed things up. When refilling turn the tap off on the filter and connect the other end to the mixer tap (mines on a m22 thread) you can then fill back through the lily pipe. This doesn't give me any problems if only dropping to 50%. I can also see the temp on my external heater of the water entering the tank. Ps I change 50% twice a week ( rams)

[@Sahity]

Hey George, nice video. Do you use some kind of teleprompter or it is all in your mind? rs. thank you.

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

All in my head 🤓

[@spaolillo2363]

Can you recommend an external outlet and hose that can be bought together ? I’m worried if I buy them a separately, the hose might not fit. Thanks ! Very useful video

[@aleeyabrass2848]

Can the internal filter inlets be bought already made up like the one you have George?

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Yes, mine is a JBL from Amazon

[@aleeyabrass2848]

I've searched and can't find it, do you have a link please?

[@jackwelch4608]

Liquid ferts vid would be awesome!

[@peterbrinkman2444]

Hi George, First of all, I really love your channel and all of your vids! Very informative and I love your enthousiasm. I have been watching your channel the most part of the last year since I got addicted to aquascaping. My girlfriend says I have a maximum of two tanks... only after we move I can get more. Oh well, less is more right? :) So here it is. I've basically been following your schedule after setting up my 160 litre aquascape. So daily 50% water changes first week, second week every other day, and so on. Now I have a problem with staghorn algae so I decided to test my water with a test kit I bought. My main concern is my very very low phosphate (or phosphorus..?) levels. Nitrite seems okay, as does GH, KH and Fe. There is just no phosphate measurable with my kit. I've been adding it in a liquid form to get the correct ratio of nitrite and phosphate. However, even after adding a substantial amount.... testing it a day afterwards still shows basically zero phosphate. Water changing question, why would I do them at this point ? I mean... if there's no pollution in the aquarium, what's there to dilute? The real question I have is, how quickly to plants absorb/uptake added phosphates? I'm just really wondering where all my added phosphate is going... as I'm typing this, maybe the algae absorbs it immediately?? Anyways, bit of a ramble and maybe a bit vague... but do you have a suggestion? Other parameter seem fine, no ammonia, nitrite 10 ppm, GH and KH both 4 (which is low but ok?), Iron is about 0,5 and Ph 6,8. Photo period is 9 hours and Co2 comes on 2 hours before lights. Cheers, Peter from the Netherlands.

[@jenthulhu]

Is that a Hamburg Matten Filter in the rear left corner of the cichlid tank, George?

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

It’s a dry weir. I use an Oase Biomaster filter 👍

[@keithogier8769]

Hi George, Does the Oase 1000 have the gumption to push water approx 15m and up and into the tank (top edge typical of most cabinet aquarium)? Dont want to go for the 2000 if the 1000 is adequate......been watching your vids from today and learnt a great deal. love the collander idea....! i may go back to pressurised CO2 as i think my past failings have been highlighted by your subject video... Keith

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

That's the hard way George! What I do is have one very long garden hose- rubber,made by firestone tire co,not those cheap vinyl crap that kinks. Ok,the long black hose I run into the house for the 240 gallon,put a threaded pond strainer at the end and submerge the hose. I put a flat rock to hold it in place. I then turn on the outdoor faucet to push all the air in the hose out (count to 5)then turn the faucet off, I quick as I can disconnect the hose..and voila!..it starts to siphon and no need for me to choke on back swallowed water. To refill,I use a second much shorter hose that runs to the bathroom sink where I use an adapter fitting that mates the faucet to the second short garden hose..filling the tank with warm water and dosing the dechlor and de-chloramine into the tank as it fills. I could make it even easier with something like you have that keeps the hose in place over the rim of the aquarium,and a quick disconnect on the garden hose also could make it a little easier than thread/unthread.

[@matt79hz]

Thanks. If adding tap water, and using prime, should I add the complete amount of prime before filling, after filling, or in portions. I'd rather do all prime before, or after, than the current way I do it is a tiny tiny amount per 15l bucket. Yes I'm still on buckets on my 35gallon. About 5 buckets is plenty and manageable.

[@jlmossjr]

I have about 10 tanks that are 15 gallon to 40 gallons each, and i try to give them attention atleast every two weeks. I use a rain barrel with a hma water purifier setup + float valve to keep the barrel filled up, and a pump/hose system to drain/fill the tanks. I generally do 15-20% changes sometimes larger.. and I break it up do half the tanks one day and wait a few days and do the other tanks as i run low on aged water that gives the barrel a chance to refill, age and degas. I use seachem safe and I keep shrimp so i also remineralise the water to about 250tds before filling the tanks.

[@laragaelen5325]

Would you do these large changes in cherry shrimp tanks? Great vid!

[@threeone6012]

I test my water each week with test strips. It has a lot of plants and not too many fish and it always tests perfect. So I never change my water.

[@TsinghuaWu]

can you touch more on the subject of what waste organics do plants create? you're the second person I've heard mention this. is it just the oxygen consuming bacteria?

[@MarcoCattani]

Where do you find the aquarium inlet and hose?

[@rickyabdullah4758]

Nice easy super big tank water change

[@ericschneider2188]

on my 150 gallon planted I change 70 gallons every Monday night. I have two storage tanks in the basement that I pump to the aquarium after draining. 20 mins is enough time to trim plants, clean glass, and fill! Easy as pie1

[@robertfischer1895]

I do ~40% water changes about 3 times per month on a ~60 gallon heavily planted low-tech tank moderately stocked with schools of tiny fish. My plants have been doing progressively less well lately, so I've just started paying attention to micro- vs macro-nutrients, and I've just started dosing with Seachem NPK. At the low point of plant health, I started getting BBA.

[@AffiliateMarketingWithDK]

Hi George, my tap water is hard water. Is it safe to use that in my heavily planted aquarium. I have been using RO water but it is a pain to change the water in my 20 gallon tank from an RO. Any advice would be really helpful.

[@damienc6132]

Hi George, I know this is an old video, but I wanted to enquire if you use this same method for large tank water changes? I'm moving from a 125L planted tank to a 400L (ill need a lot more plants) and my biggest concern is water changes. Do you use this same technique on the planted tank? I'm assuming you would mess around too much with the sub straight due to both the plants roots and good bacteria? Apologies for a post on an old video, i have just found your page for the first time (subscribed of course) and watching your vids. Thanks Damien (Australia)

[@dg6948]

Hello! Thanks for this amazing video on a revolutionary game changer for water changes! I’ve been changing water in my 250 l aquarium using buckets and it’s hard-work! Could you please send me the details on where to find the inlet and tube and the motorised product ? Many thanks !

[@davidb7684]

30% once a week. Great video George

[@weloveyou1234]

Very informative video!! Do you happen to know any Tropica dealers in Essex? Ive tried to find a dealet but i cant... And dont trust ebay to biy from...