Garden Hose

[waterdrop]

So (or "Right" as you UKers say!), I've got the situation where an outdoor garden hose would be much more convenient for filling a new tank before beginning a fishless cycle. I anticipate a bit of controversey asking this but won't this be ok to use?

1) outside spigot gets same water as inside taps
2) I'll flush water through the garden hose for a bit to get out any particles

Maybe rubber/vinyl hose would not be as good as nice clear approved aquarium hose, but the water won't be exposed to it except while rushing past, right?

So I'm going to do this unless you guys scream and tell me why not to....
(at least please say yea or nay!)

 

[backtotropical]

I don't see a problem so long as it's clean.

 

[Colin_T]

The main thing with garden hoses is they put a softening agent in the hose. When the hose gets hot it releases the softening agent into the water in the hose. This agent is poisonous to anything that ingests it. If you live in a cool climate and run water through the hose for a minute or two to flush out the old water, there shouldn't be any problems.
Cheap quality hoses have less softening agent, whereas the more expensive unkinkable hoses have lots of the softening agent in them. Black poly pipe doesn't have any in it. However some of the polypipe from China has lead in it.

 

[waterdrop]

Thanks BTT, I can always count on you, now I can chalk one in that column...

(I suppose in East Loth its getting to be time for dinner, whereas I want to leave for lunch!)

Wow Colin, I -was- going to use my more expensive reddish rubbery hose but its winter here and will be quite cold plus I'll run enough to completely flush it out. Gee, quite interesting...

 

[andywg]

I've been using my garden hose for about 3 years or so now with absolutely no ill effects noted. Never bothered flushing it no matter the temperature.

 

[T1KARMANN]

every single water change i do is with a hozlock garden hose never had any problems and i do water changes twice per week

 

[waterdrop]

OK, that's it, you guys can picture me freezing my hands tonight turning the old outdoor spigot on and off over here in north carolina while you have a peaceful sleep. (assuming I get these last 11 programs written and get to go home from work, sigh)

 

[Tolak]

I used a plain old water hose for years, never had a problem. I found a potable water rv hose some time ago, so I started using that. There was no difference at all.

 

[rdd1952]

Before I got my python, I used a garden hose to fill both my 29 gallon and 75 gallon for the first time. You will get a lot of air bubbles though but that will happen even with the python.

 

[Rooster]

ALWAYS use the hosepipe to fill a new tank... NEVER had a problem ! (just run some water through it to flush out the spiders etc ! LOL)

 

[Kevstir]

been using a cheap homebase garden hose for emptying and filling the tank for about 2 years now, never had a problem yet

 

[smithrc]

well I put did this for a different forum earlier today - odd that there is a similar topic here too

Anyway - we use a hose from the cold tap to do our water changes... in the UK (and other cold places) its cold at the moment so large water changes could be an issue - so just bung the number into this xls and it'll tell you the temp drop the tank will go through using cold water

It doesn't care what units of measurements you use (as long as you use the same for each type)
so you can enter your tank size and amount changed in gallons or litres it doesn't matter
Same with the temperature - use the same units and it will give you the results in the same units.

right click the link and choose "save target as"
[URL="http/www.smithrc.f2s.com/assorted/tanktemp/tanktemp.xls"]http/www.smithrc.f2s.com/assorted/tanktemp/tanktemp.xls[/URL]

 

[andywg]

Although that spreadsheet only calculates the maximum temperature drop, failing to take into account the constant sources of heat to the tank through pumps, lights and heaters and that the water will not all appear at once in the tank.

I often do 30-40% changes on a tank with no heaters in it (they are in the sump) iin the middle of winter and see less than 2 degrees fall off.

 

[Colin_T]

If your concerned about temperature drop then why not hold the water in a large plastic container, rubbish bin or similar. Then you can dechlorinate it and get it up to temperature.

 

[Kevstir]

if you have a mixing tap just get the appropriate hose lock connector and fill the tank up at the right temp, i marked the hot and cold tap positions to where they should be to get 25c and its pretty much bang on every time