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Water change vs top-off question for a 5G planted tank

CheckeredRust

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4 Jun 2021
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Asia
To give a bit of info, I have a 5G medium planted tank, with 2 Nerites and about 8 neos and 40+ baby/juvenile neos in the tank. I live in a tropical climate, so I run a cooler fan for my tank, which also means evaporation is fast. What I've been doing so far for this tank's water change routine would be:

20% water change > water evaporates > top off with dechlorinated water > water evaporates > top off > water change

Because the evaporation is so fast, I have top off about 10% twice a week (excl. of water change itself). Is true that because I top off with dechlorinated water, the TDS and mineral will build up significantly right?

In order to prevent the build up of minerals and TDS, and to counter the evaporation, is it safer for me to do 2x 20% water change weekly? Instead of topping off, I do a small water change to avoid the build up of the minerals.

P.S. Could the minerals build up or TDS be the reason why my neos aren't breeding? The babies were from a berried one that I bought that gave birth in this tank. The babies are growing up fine, I feed them shrimp cuisine, recently dosing bacterAE, but just don't have luck with any berries, it's been about 3 months :(
 
To give a bit of info, I have a 5G medium planted tank, with 2 Nerites and about 8 neos and 40+ baby/juvenile neos in the tank. I live in a tropical climate, so I run a cooler fan for my tank, which also means evaporation is fast. What I've been doing so far for this tank's water change routine would be:

20% water change > water evaporates > top off with dechlorinated water > water evaporates > top off > water change

Because the evaporation is so fast, I have top off about 10% twice a week (excl. of water change itself). Is true that because I top off with dechlorinated water, the TDS and mineral will build up significantly right?

In order to prevent the build up of minerals and TDS, and to counter the evaporation, is it safer for me to do 2x 20% water change weekly? Instead of topping off, I do a small water change to avoid the build up of the minerals.
Hi @CheckeredRust, the topping off won't get rid of the waste and TDS build up from the minerals in your tap water as all that is left in the tank when water evaporates. When you do the 2 x 20% water changes you could mix in some distilled water to counter the mineral buildup or get a small RO unit to make the water yourself and remineralize based on your needs. In any event, you should consider getting a TDS meter to monitor the situation.

P.S. Could the minerals build up or TDS be the reason why my neos aren't breeding?
That is not unlikely. Neocaridina can be sensitive to "TDS stress", but they are fairly adaptable. I keep my TDS at around 275 ppm with a GH at around 7, temperature at 24C and my shrimps are breeding just fine.

Cheers,
Michael
 
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CheckeredRust get yourself a decent TDS meter, MichaelJ from the above post put me onto a Hanna H-198301 and its brilliant. Cost a bit more than the usual ebay cheapies $100 here in Au but worth every dollar. I persevered with several cheap meters on ebay and the difference in readings was unbelievable. Even the ones that were claimed to have been tested in their wharehouse prior to despatch were well and truly right off the mark.
 
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