Water Change

[acemods]

First off I would like to say hi to everybody on the forums and I hope I can learn allot for other member and help others once I’m more experienced.

I have a question about weekly water change. In books that i have read they say when you are putting in dechlorinated tap water that it’s too be the same temperature as the water already in the tank. What methods do people use?

Acemods

 

[rsands]

Welcome to the forum!

if you are using buckets just mix hold and cold water together until it feels the correct temperature. Bit of practice and you will get it right. Or you could buy a spare thermometer and just keep an eye on it as you are mixing the water. The reason for getting it to the correct temp is obviously just to redcue the shock in water temp change and plus the heater wont have to work like mad

 

[acemods]

thanks for the quick replay rsands.

 

[Rooster]

I dont like to use the hot tap, instead I put the kettle on ! one big bucket of cold = 1/2 kettle of water.... comes out "about" right ! LOL About is really all you need, a couple of degrees wont matter, unless you are doing 50% or more.
Add dechlorinator to the bucket first, this way it gets mixed well and produces a nice "head" (which contains chlorine I guess !)
Although some folk swear by the "python" its horses for courses...

 

[andywg]

I just use a hose attached to the cold tap. DUmp the dechlor in to the tank and then fill up from the tap.

The maximum change theoretically possible when doing a 20% change on 24 degree water (refilling with 7 degree - the coldest water will be in the Scottish winter from the main) is only 2.4 degrees, a change any fish can handle.

I change around 40% on my tanks and refill straight from the tap. Never seen the temperature even drop 2 degrees. And none of these tanks have heaters in them.

Everyone I know with large tanks just fills from the cold tap. Using buckets or the kettle just isn't viable when you are changing more than 100 gallons at a time.

 

[kewskills]

to the forum
i think the water change has been fully covered already.

 

[scorphonic]

I go the more up market way of doing it...requires another heater just for use in your container holding the new fresh dechlorinated water..I use large household bins (45L) and that allows for a 25% water change on my large tank and 50% water change on my smaller tank!!

I just put in the heater, put in the cold tap water and dechlorinator and leave it to reach the exact temperature that my tanks are set at! Only takes about 2 hours to heat the 45L to the right temp..you have to stir the water to get an even temperature in the bin.

Its a very handy method and you are guaranteed that the temperature will not even drop by a quarter of a degree!!

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

I use the boiled water method because a) our tank isn't very large, B) our cold tap water is very cold, and c) water that comes from your water heater is more likely to contain heavy metals. That's why you aren't supposed to cook with hot water from the tap!

I really do however like the large bucket with a heater method, and would do so if it I was dealing with a larger tank.

 

[Yazan]

Same as andywg, i just put the dechlore an add water