Water Changes

[SJ2K]

Right so I hear this being mentioned left right and centre, from cycling to weekly maintenance I hear about water changes. I understand that its usually required to replace around 25% of the water, right. What im unsure about is conditioning the water (ie adding the chemical to remove chlorine etc). An experienced fish keeper I know leaves his buckets of new water to 'condition' for 24 hours before putting into his aquarium, is this totally necissary or realisticly is it a process that takes minutes to complete? As im struggling to understand how people can do multiple water changes per day to remove ammonia/nitrite etc without the need for like 30 seperate buckets?! Any advice would be much appreciated

Summary: Do I have to prepare water for a water change a day in advance, or could I take out a bucket of water, chuck it down the sink, fill it up, add my conditioner and stick it straight back in

 

[backtotropical]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

The point of your friend leaving the bucket for 24hrs is to allow the chlorine to evaporate from the water. This is a very viable method. However, more water suppliers are now using chloramine which doesn't evaporate so readily.

My advice is to buy dechlorinator (also called water conditioner). All you do is fill a bucket and treat it with dechlorinator. It detoxifies the chlorine and chloramine almost instantly. This eliminates the need to let the water stand for 24hrs.

You can buy dechlorinator from your LFS. Hope this helps.

 

[SJ2K]

Simple and to the point, answerd my query beautifully, thanks

 

[rdd1952]

As mentioned, a good dechlorinator like Stress Coat or Prime, just to mention a few, is all you need. It will take care of both chlorine (which will disapate in about 24 hours as your friend does it) and chloramine (bonded chlorine and ammonia which will not disipate).

 

[backtotropical]

Always a pleasure.

 

[backtotropical]

Did anyone else notice the pun in the topic title??

 

[SJ2K]

 

[Leeza]

I'm like you wondering if one should fist increase the temperature of the water to be the same as in the tank? I understand it is necessary, and also one must apparently not change the airation (/aeration) too rapidly. Can anyone give some advice on this?

 

[rdd1952]

There isn't any need to prepare water in advance. Most of us with larger tanks fill straight from the faucet with a Python system. I just try to get the water fromm the tap within 4 or 5 degrees of the tank temperature. Some just use straight cold water. If you're changing 25% of the water, even if there is 10 degrees difference in the fill water to the tank water, that's only 2.5 degrees it will change. Not enough to matter. And I've never heard of an issue with aeration. Simply running or pouring the water in the tank creates aeration at the surface. I don't see how that would be a problem at all.

 

[iihay]

As mentioned, a good dechlorinator like Stress Coat or Prime, just to mention a few, is all you need. It will take care of both chlorine (which will disapate in about 24 hours as your friend does it) and chloramine (bonded chlorine and ammonia which will not disipate).

for prime. Works a treat but keep in mind it also detoxifies ammonia and nitrite which can be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective as most tests kits will still give you a reading and it kind of mucks that up. I used it during a fish-in cycle, still did many water changes but it was nice to know it also has this action and was helping the fish. Also it is so concentrated it is very cheap per water change.

Iain

 

[rdd1952]

I know it detoxifies ammonia (changes it to it's non-toxic form of ammonium) but don't think it has any effect on nitrite. It doesn't mention it on Seachems website.

 

[littlest]

on the bottle is says "Removes Chlorine, Chloramine, Ammonia, Detoxifies Nitrite & Nitrate, Provides Slime Coat"

On the back it says "To detoxify nitrite in a emergency use up to 5 times normal dose"

 

[rdd1952]

I wonder why their website doesn't say that. I really don't know how it's possible to detoxify nitite and nitrate. Or why you would want to detoxify nitrate. Just do a water change.

 

[littlest]

*shrug* no idea, just quoting from the bottle. Don't know much about chemistry but if it contains something that nitrite and nitrate can bind to it would make it less toxic. whether that something exits I don;t know
In terms of why you want to detoxify nitrate, I know people that use Prime specifically because they have have very high nitrate levels in their tap water (some people have it around 50).

 

[rdd1952]

I know the UK has some high nitrate levels in the tap water. Even 50ppm isn't toxic though.

Edit: From a Google search, the only thing I can find that detoxifies nitrite is salt. Hopefully, Prime doesn't contain slat as that is not good for a lot of species of fish.