However, we are differnt in one very significant attribute; I'm not bald.
Tom we all can't have perfect heads.
I think this is kind of a silly thread as there is no answer. I am fully aware that you can go forever without a water change. Forever is an ambiguous number because forever for some people means 4 years while forever for me means a lifetime which may be 78 years depending on if you smoke, exercize or listen to rap music. Forever for a rat is maybe 4 years and for a pod it may be a month. I love it when people say they never do water changes, and their tank was started last tuesday.
I am not a teacher and am not here to teach, I just post what I do and then show pictures of the result. If I were a teacher, who would listen to me? I change about 100 gallons of water a year, use no test kits, GAC, Rowaphas (don't even know what it is supposed to do) phosphate pellets, commercial foods, reactors, dosers, controllers, medications, quarantine tank, hospital tank or anything else and run a UG filter.
The only money I spend on my tank is for that 100 gallons of ASW along with some drive way ice melter and baking soda. So without food maybe I spend
$100.00 a year. The only food I use are live blackworms, clams and I hatch brine shrimp. I find this a very cheap hobby with very little maintenance.
I do realize many people spend half of the national dept on their tank while spending every waking moment tweeking something and maybe after all that, it looks exactly like mine does. It's your tank and hopefully your money, spend whatever you like. But I have other things to do, like look at Supermodels, go out in my boat with friends, cut my toe nails and shine my bald head. :dance:
But the fact is, all my paired fish are spawning and dying of old age or senility so I don't think they even pay attention to the fact that I don't do all of that stuff many people seem to think they have to do. "But" my fish get fed what they are supposed to eat so all that other stuff doesn't matter and I never have to post on a disease forum.
Some people said that their tank looks better after a water change. If that is so, my miniscule brain tells me that their tank is about to crash as you should not see an improvement after a change, and if you do, your water quality is degrading to such an extent that if it were to continue, the tank would crash. A healthy tank should be able to go for many years with no new water. It shouldn't have to, but it should be able to.
If not, what are all your bacteria doing? Aren't they supposed to be converting wastes or are they all outside doing the macarana?
Bacteria do that stuff for us for free, and if they don,t. You have a problem and better go out and buy all that stuff I mentioned that I have no need for.:bum:
A lot of people tell me they don't like the look of my tank. Well, to that, I say, my pods can beat up your pods. :debi:
