Water changes -- how do you do this???

[sef]

Okay, I know this seems dumb, but I still am not sure I understand how to PROPERLY do a partial water change on my 5 gallon tank that houses a single male Betta. I keep getting the water temps screwed up!

I have a 50-watt heater in the tank, and I TRY to keep the water temp at a steady 80 degrees. At night, the temp dips a tiny bit lower. During the day - especially if the aquarium light is on, it might rise to 81 or 82F. Definitely Horatio has more energy and seems to do better when it is right at 80F.

Anyway.........I have seen instructions that say, when doing any work (cleaning, etc.) on an aquarium, to always unplug the heater. My question is:
HOW DO I KEEP THE TANK TEMP CONSISTENT if I have to unplug the heater to do a partial clean (either gallon or half gallon)??? Wont' that lower my tank temp too much?

sef

 

[pondfreak4365]

sef,
The main reason to turn off the heater when doing a water change is to avoid breakage. I must have forgotten and given myself and the fishies a couple of different shocks before learning this the hard way. To keep the water temp up, run your tap until you have warm water...use your thermometer to check the temp, when it's just right, put the de-chlor in. You're all set!

 

[Dragonslair]

Most fish, including Bettas can tolerate minor temp. changes to their environment. When you do a water change or a clean, you obviously don't take hours over it. To equate the water temp. from the tap to the tank, I have a normal thermometer that I dip into the treated tapwater. When I top up the tank, the main tank temp. remains vitually unchanged. Other aquarists will probably have their own methods. There is no right way or vastly wrong way to change the tankwater. Just don't go to extremes.

 

[teknikz]

u could always fill a bucket with water the day b4 the water change so that its at room temp when u actually change the water

when im pouring new water into my 10 gal my fishes love to swim thru the water thats going in.....i think they like a dash thru the cooler water

a couple of degrees farenheit isnt a lot of a temp drop....this would probably happen all day long because the heater turns itself off after the acquired temp is reached and then back on when the temp drops a degree or 2 so dont worry about it

Tek

 

[kevin007]

tek, that is what i do too and my water teperature is always 80 and what i do is to get the water temperature be the same as my room by putting the water in a bucket b4 the day i change the water which was what i did this morning (filling the bucket)so i would say that what tek said would work, i hope.

Okay i know this might sound wierd but i don't have a heater! but the water tep is always 80 so i guess that is my room tep. the rason i din't buy a heater was becos i wasn't fully prepared when i started to own fish and i forgot to buy the heater! but then i noticed tht my water tep is always the same so i dint buy it....

Kevin007.............