When you change half of your water, do I need to net my fish out including my baby guppies?

Answer 1

I never take my fish out when I do a water change and every time I do a water change I do a gravel vac. No need to stress your fish out by chasing them and putting them into completely different surroundings and water, just try not to disturb the decor too much and watch out for the fish.

Answer 2

I disagree with the "50% is too much" comment. A 50% water change every week is the best way to keep your nitrate levels down. I have done this on both of my aquariums for a year and a half now, and my fish are very healthy. I very, very rarely lose a fish. Your beneficial bacteria lives mostly in the filter, not in the water. Therefore, you could change 90% of the water and your fish would be just fine--that bacteria they need is still there. The more dirty water in the tank, the higher the nitrate levels...and that can be toxic. 50% water change with gravel vac is best. Freshwater fish love fresh water!

To answer the question, no you do not need to net out your fish--this causes undue stress. Just be cautious of the babies when you do the water change.

Answer 3

First off, Fish should NEVER leave your tank unless moving them to a new one.

Secondly, half of the water is way too much. You should never remove more than 25% of your tanks water for any reason. Turn the filters off, scrape the sides of your tank, let it settle and use your gravel siphone to clean out the gunk. Clean your filter and replace the new water. Depending on the size of your tank and how many fish, once every two weeks is fine. Test your water every 3 days to ensure your water quality is up to par.

Removing your fish for cleaning will place undue stress on them allowing nasty parasites like ich to infest your tank. Not to mention this could cause spikes in ammonia and nitrates.

Answer 4

No. Just make sure you add enough dechlorinator to your water. The fish will be less stressed if you leave them in the tank rather than net them out.

Answer 5

when i change the water in my 55 gallon tank i leave the fish in. if you aren't stirring the gravel around when changing it the fish will be just fine. if you are vacuuming out the water while cleaning the gravel then yes you may want to take the fish out and put them in another tank.

Answer 6

Leave the fish in the tank as you siphone out the water. It is less stressful on them and the vaccum will not suck them out. Neting them and putting them back into the tank may send them into shock.