Water Change Question

[Gunreaper]

Hello everyone! I have a question I am needing help on. I have a 200 Gallon Fresh Water tank and curious how most people with a tank that bid do water changes. I have the large Python Siphon with the faucet pump. Do I need to fill water in buckets with the dechlorine additive, or can I just fill the tank straight from the faucet and then add the dechlorine additive to the tank?

 

[tyyrlym]

Add the dechlorinator to the tank then fill.

 

[jimmyringo]

I always add the dechlorinator to the bucket as i'm filling it from the tap,then throw it in the tank.

 

[waterdrop]

I took my cue from rdd1952 and I toss half the calculated amount of dechlor directly into the tank just prior or as I start refilling with the Python hose. Then I toss in the other half of the dechlor amount near the end or just after I've finished. Usually I toss it into the flow from the spraybar or from the hose.

When one is fishless cycling, it may be wise to use only the calculated amount or a tad more, but not a lot more dechlor, as there are some indications it slows beneficial bacteria growth. In a mature tank, a reasonable excess of dechlor thrown in is reported to fine and even a good idea since there can be times when water authorities overchlorinate.

For completeness, it should also be mentioned that while the advice all of us so far have given is probably the average or most common advice given here on TFF, this is a subject that can run to never-ending controversy at times when discussed among the experienced folks. There are some very experienced members at both extremes of behaviour, either advocating "toss and hose" or on the other extreme, "bucket mix and wait", where tap water is tested each time, carefully dechlored and temperature matched in buckets or large rolling trash cans and then pumped back into the tank (my take is that usually in these cases the aquarists have very expensive fish or lots of time or perhaps unusual hot water heaters or source water situations...)

~~waterdrop~~
ps. sorry for always sounding so long-winded guys , guess its just a peculiarity that comes out in me as a "Re-Beginner", unlearning old bad habits...

 

[Gunreaper]

So does anyone know if you can over dechlorinate the water. I am using the AquaSafe dechlorinate and have used the stress coat. The pet store here told me I could pour the hole big bottle of stress coat in the tank and it would hurt a thing. Don't think I will try that, but curious if it is possible to add too much or even add too much over time?

I took my cue from rdd1952 and I toss half the calculated amount of dechlor directly into the tank just prior or as I start refilling with the Python hose. Then I toss in the other half of the dechlor amount near the end or just after I've finished. Usually I toss it into the flow from the spraybar or from the hose.

When one is fishless cycling, it may be wise to use only the calculated amount or a tad more, but not a lot more dechlor, as there are some indications it slows beneficial bacteria growth. In a mature tank, a reasonable excess of dechlor thrown in is reported to fine and even a good idea since there can be times when water authorities overchlorinate.

For completeness, it should also be mentioned that while the advice all of us so far have given is probably the average or most common advice given here on TFF, this is a subject that can run to never-ending controversy at times when discussed among the experienced folks. There are some very experienced members at both extremes of behaviour, either advocating "toss and hose" or on the other extreme, "bucket mix and wait", where tap water is tested each time, carefully dechlored and temperature matched in buckets or large rolling trash cans and then pumped back into the tank (my take is that usually in these cases the aquarists have very expensive fish or lots of time or perhaps unusual hot water heaters or source water situations...)

~~waterdrop~~
ps. sorry for always sounding so long-winded guys , guess its just a peculiarity that comes out in me as a "Re-Beginner", unlearning old bad habits...

 

[rabbut]

An API rep a member on here claims to have spoken to recons that they have tested their conditoners at 50X the recomended dose and seen no ill effects. I personally drain through a hose, add enough declorinator to treat the whole tank and then refill via the same hose direct from the cold tap. I keep discus and do about 50% waterchanges at a time without ill effects

HTH
Rabbut