Best Way To Change Water Without Harming Fish

[CFC]

I'm embarrassed to say that I have also lost a few small fish (neons, guppies) by not being careful enough with my water changes. At least that's what I think was the reason.

I went through a phase of losing a fish more or less every time I did a water change. I just couldn't figure it out. I was mixing warm tap water with cold into my bucket, and adding dechlor at the same time. Then I'd simply pour the water into the tank, at a reasonable speed so it didn't take several minutes but also so that my plants and gravel didn't get thrown around.

I found the smaller fish certainly liked to play in the water stream. This is the problem I think, because I simply did a "temperature feels right to me" test with my fingers. I think some of the smaller fish were getting chilled too much, and couldn't recover from the shock of even a degree or two difference.

What I do now is I use a floating thermometer in my bucket, and add small amounts of boiling water to the cold tap water. I add the dechlor as before. I add the water to the tank in the same way as before also.

Now I don't kill any fish. The only things I have changed are:

1. measuring the temperature properly
2. I used boiled water (instead of warm tap water) to warm up the cold

So to my simple mind, the lack of fish deaths must be something to do with one of those. The measures I'm taking now have added just 30 seconds to each bucket processing, so not too bad. My water changes are around 6 buckets, so that's roughly 3 minutes longer...... not too high a price to pay for the sake of the fish I think!

That's what I do, anyway.

Irf.

Its more likely that you were poisoning your fish with dissolved copper from the hot water system rather than chilling them to death, ive had a tank go down to 16c when i left the hose running and forgot about it which overflowed the tank for an hour or so and none of the fish had anything more than a loss of appetite for the next few days. Copper however is a very potent aquatic poison and in hot water systems where hot water is stored in a copper boiler tank dangerous ammounts can leach into the water.

 

[Irf]

Yeah, that could be it I guess. Whatever the cause, it has now been removed and both me and my fish are happy.....

Irf.

 

[eschaton]

Thanks everyone. I'll use tap with declorinator from now on.

I'm a bit curious why so many people use water straight froma hose though. It seems to be the brits. Is water not chorinated there? I know you weirdos don't add floride.

 

[CFC]

The water is chlorinated in the UK, even chloraminated in many areas. Fortunately dechlorinators react instantly so by adding some before you add the water, a little more while the tank is filling and the last bit at the end you are neutralising the chlorine as you go.

and thank christ it does work like that as i really wouldnt fancy changing 200 gallons of water every week with buckets.

 

[my fat fish]

okay well i ahve a spare tank 2 heat my water up to the right temp but i acidently essed the water up in it a few times by either dropping some crap init or some other stupid way.

the way i change water if i cannot use my spare tank is get a bucket of water from the cold tap and put itin my bath and stary filling the bath with hot water to just under the leve of the bucket so i am not contaminating the water as hot water will be worse for the fish as it is directly from the water stations then lays stagnent in out heating tanks for hours getiing limscale buildups whitch can cause the fish 2 fall ill
ne ways i leave the cold water untill it gwet to the right temp as my tank water it does not take long. as for adding the water try and add it to one side slowly or pour it down your filter this will not affect ur fish at all then

also if ne one wants 2 do a spell cheak and make it so this acually makes sence feel free to i cannot b assed lol

 

[andywg]

All that needs to happen is a few more people to keep large tanks (100 gallons+) and you will soon see a stop to people using buckets, and changing to hoses and pumps.

 

[CFC]

Either that or there will be a lot of really muscley fishkeepers with massive heating bills around.

 

[xJake]

I use a 35-gallon garbage bin and keep the water in there with a heater and mix in the dechlorinator before adding it to my tank using a sump that I got off of ebay for $20.

 

[my fat fish]

when i get my 80gal tank im gonna use my 20galmtank for water changes means i can change 25% a time with it being heated

 

[pica_nuttalli]

heh, i use a hose attached to my kitchen sink to fill my tanks nowadays. why? because no bath tub in the new apartment, that's why!

its much easier this way. but i still empty out with buckets, b/c i'm afraid of sending a fish down the loo.

 

[DoyouWantsum]

The water is chlorinated in the UK, even chloraminated in many areas. Fortunately dechlorinators react instantly so by adding some before you add the water, a little more while the tank is filling and the last bit at the end you are neutralising the chlorine as you go.

and thank christ it does work like that as i really wouldnt fancy changing 200 gallons of water every week with buckets.

Why not? its only 100 buckets.

I do 1/3 water changes every week which at the moment is only about 180 litres a week. So im still using buckets, i just put the bucket under the cold tap add declorinater, and then turn the tap on full blast. then i just poor it into my tank.

 

[FishySarah]

My tank is only 29 gallons, but I ordered a python (didn't know what a python was until someone on a forum told me about it) and plan to use that from now on. I never had a problem with adding lukewarm water to the tank.

 

[sparklefuzz]

I won't worry so much about the temperature then. LOL Hubby and I argue about how close to the tank water it is - every bucket. LOL I learnt something new today.