Feeding and cleaning my tank

Question
I have a 50 gallon tank and I have been reading about taking 20% of the water out a week I was wondering what the best way without contaminate the water. And I have 3 common Oscars and 3 albino Oscars that are 2.5 inches long I was wondering how often I should feed the feeder fish?

Answer
Hi Derek,
 The best way to get water out is using a gravel siphon because that lets you clean the gravel at the same time as doing a water change.  And yes, you should change 20% once a week, every week, particularly with oscars.

 I do not recommend feeding feeder fish.  Feeder fish often carry various parasites and every week I get multiple emails from people whose oscar is dying from an infection that it caught from feeder fish.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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