Water Changes When Nitrates consistently read zero?

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by christyf5

I like to think that waterchanges are like a breath of fresh air for the fish.

+1 - this is in fact a really good analogy!! Even with zero nitrates there is still benefit to water changes - I find no matter how well I might think a tank is looking - I find the day after a water change it always looks better. Always. Even smallish water changes seem to give a tank a lift. One could probably explain it away with things like there is still stuff taken out that should be taken out, that isn't as easily measurable as say nitrate or phosphate - and there is stuff replenished that should be replenished, that isn't as easily measurable as say Ca, Alk, Mg, or K .. some people call it "trace elements" but I think it actually goes beyond that.

Heard this rule of thumb recently called the "two times five equals success" - basically meaning 5% water changes twice per week. Something I might give a try at some point myself (right now I'm on the "10% per week" plan).