Altum Angels and Water Changes

[Fishnut]

I'm talking about the true Altums with the pointed noses, not the Peruvian Sclares

Everything I've read says that they need water changes like discus...every day...in order to do well.  Is that always going the be the case?

What if I were to put 12 in a 180 gallon tank with driftwood, plants and a 30 gallon tank as a sump filter.  To me, that would be a small bio load in a system that large, so would water changes be able to be cut down to once a week?

[ottawa_fry22]

Plants help eat off the nitrates for sure, but plants can also be messy and dead detached leaves rot if not maintained daily.  You'd need to plant it thick because if you just spot plant a few plants, the algae may compete with them.  Need ferts to help maintain nutrients so it will also help fight algae. 

Plants don't really mean that you can water change less.  You probably want to make sure you have 2 large canister filters.  You could try keeping those free from lots of buildup, may help lessen the need to water change.

I water change my planted  high tech 75gal once per week.  But I have recently been QT a rainbowfish for bacterial infection which I guess was caused from too much nitrates or waste build up.  The one filter was dirty.  So I've done 2 water changes this week.

IF you want to go into plants, be sure to look for ones that tolerate high temps.

Hope this helps.   

[Fishnut]

Well, I've never been into high tech plants.  Basically, if fish poop and decent light can't support them, I don't use them.   I tend to grow vals very well...

As I mentioned, I'll be using a 30 gallon tank as a sump filter because I'm trying to avoid the expense of 2 canisters...which will cost me more than the tank did.

*sign* maybe Altums will have to be put on hold.  I'll wait to keep them as a retirement project...

[ciaus]

Everything I've read says that they need water changes like discus...every day...in order to do well.  Is that always going the be the case?

Fishnut, Discus do not need water changes daily, unless you are trying to grow them out quickly and doing heavy daily feedings. 
I am currently doing a regimen of 50% twice a week, I was doing 50% once a week but doubled that recently to try and combat a slight algae growth that has started since the summer started....(70 gallon tank, no sump, bare bottom, canister filter.)
What ever volume of water you are changing, if the total water changed weekly is high the greatest problem you will face is going to be the day you decide to reduce the rate of water changed....You can't (shouldn't) just reduce the percent changed weekly all in one go.....increasing the volume of water change can be anytime, but reducing it means you are allowing greater build ups to occur in the water column before they are removed and you should allow the inhabitants time to adjust to the "decreasing" volume of new water slowly(or looking at it conversely allow time to adjust to the "increasing" detritus that remains in the water column longer.)

HTH
Ciaus

[Fishnut]

Yeah...that's exactly why I want to find out for sure if I can create a set-up that will allow me to go more than a few days without water changes.  I don't want to start something that I realistically can't keep up with.

I refuse to take fish from the wild (who will suffer a lot of stress just to get to my aquarium) if I'm not able to give them a happy comfortable place to live and breed in captivity.  I figured a 180 gallon tank would be lots of space for 12 altums...darn water changes!!!