Heating Fresh Water For Water Changes

[pixelpefekt]

Hi all.

When I do a water change, is it okay to mix hot and cold water from the tap to get the correct temperature for the tank? My house has a combination boiler which means the hot water is in theory as clean as the cold (no hot water tank in the attic etc).

 

[ALEXF]

Hi all.

When I do a water change, is it okay to mix hot and cold water from the tap to get the correct temperature for the tank? My house has a combination boiler which means the hot water is in theory as clean as the cold (no hot water tank in the attic etc).

Hello,

Yes it is so long as make sure to dechlorinate the water before adding it. I personally use a floating thermometer in the bucket while i fill it up to try to get it as exact to my tank as i can. The shock from a temperature change could kill your fish.


-Alex

 

[waterdrop]

Its really perfectly fine to roughly match temperature simply by testing with your skin. You'd be surprised that by touch you can match within 2 degrees, which is considered quite acceptable by many, many aquarists here.

(As an aside, if you read a lot here you will find that in point of fact there are plenty of long arguments about water temp for water changes. Esp. for large tanks, many will argue that there is nothing wrong with sending cold water into the tank and that the fish enjoy it. Others however will argue they've lost fish that way. For the rest of us, it seems to me it couldn't hurt to at least roughly match temperature!)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[emmsy]

Hi all.

When I do a water change, is it okay to mix hot and cold water from the tap to get the correct temperature for the tank? My house has a combination boiler which means the hot water is in theory as clean as the cold (no hot water tank in the attic etc).

Hello,

Yes it is so long as make sure to dechlorinate the water before adding it. I personally use a floating thermometer in the bucket while i fill it up to try to get it as exact to my tank as i can. The shock from a temperature change could kill your fish.


-Alex

Alex, I also use a thermometer. It is the only way to make sure the water is the correct temerature. Yes, okay, water changes this way can take much longer, but at least you know the actual temperature

Emma

 

[Tolak]

I'll use a thermometer to get it within a degree or two. Cheap aquarium thermometers are usually off by a degree or more, use the same thermometer for measuring tank & tap temperature. If you are off by 10 degrees, and do a 25% water change the maximum temperature change would be 2.5 degrees if you unplug your heater. If you have a submersible heater & leave it running the temperature change is even less.

Cooler water changes are used to induce spawning in many species, and it is generally accepted that a spawning fish is one that is happy with its environment.