Water Changes?

[DiscusKeeper403]

I have one of those drain/fill kits (like Python) and never experienced any problems. Even out the temperature as best you can. Fill the bucket (if you use that mode) a little warmer then the tank temperature, put in your chemicals and bring it up to the tank. This way, you can wait a few minutes get a good feel for both temperatures. A slight difference in water temperature isn't going to do much. It is only 25% anyways.


With my fill kit, water comes straight out of the siphon and into the tank. As it is filling up I pour the dechlor around the tank. I haven't had any problems so far.

If you want to be totally crazy about this, you can heat it perfectly. Either way, it shouldn't really matter...

 

[Colin_T]

The time I am referring to is the time it takes for the dechlorinator to come in contact with all the free chlorine molecules. Not the time it takes for the dechlorinator to break the chlorine bond.

 

[geo7x]

The time I am referring to is the time it takes for the dechlorinator to come in contact with all the free chlorine molecules. Not the time it takes for the dechlorinator to break the chlorine bond.

Even so it just needs a stir at the most.

Practically everyone else just stirs it and puts it in and we don't have any problems.

 

[dthoffsett]

I know dechlorinator works "instantly" but it takes time and water movement for it to come in contact with all the chlorine molecules in the water. Filling a bucket with water and adding a couple of drops of dechlorinating agent doesn't necessarily mean it will remove all the chlorine before it goes in the tank. There must be some water movement to circulate the dechlorinator through the water and it must come in contact with all of the chlorine. If this doesn't happen you end up with free chlorine molecules in the tank and these can harm the fish if the fish comes in contact with them.
The idea of leaving the bucket of water overnight with an airstone and heater in, allows the water to warm up and the dechlorinator to mix thoroughly thru the water. The end result being water that is at normal atmospheric pressure without any weird gases in and is the same temp as the tank.
You don't have to leave it overnight, you can leave it for as long as it takes to get the temperature correct. I personally leave overnight so I don't have to sit around watching the temperature rise. I can set up the new water and go shopping, watch Tv or whatever I want. Then the next day I know the water is fine and can do the water changes whenever I get around to it. Just more convenient for me.

Whatever works for you is great. Personally I don't have enough buckets (or time) to let 55 gallons sit overnight every week for water changes on three tanks. I use a Python system and have never had a problem with adding my dechlorinator into the water stream as I'm filling the tank.