Water Preparation & Water Changes

[Gazanimal]

Basic newbie questions really but what is a good rule of thumb when it comes to adding water to a new tank, pre-cycle. Plus,what's the easiest way to do water changes during the cycling phase & also during with fish in tank.

Tool/Liquid recommendations welcome.

 

[raptorrex]

Basic newbie questions really but what is a good rule of thumb when it comes to adding water to a new tank, pre-cycle. Plus,what's the easiest way to do water changes during the cycling phase & also during with fish in tank.

Tool/Liquid recommendations welcome.

i can only say how i do it.

i use two 20l tubs. one for the removed water and one for the fresh water. a dash of Prime, in the tank. then i slowly empty the fresh water into the tank.

 

[weezawoo]

I use a syphon which is my gravel vac. I empty the water from the tank into a bucket, then have the new water prepared and just add it back in. I prefer using the syphon with fish in the tank as it doesn't disturb them as much!
When adding water to an empty tank just use a hosepipe and then add whatever chemical product you are using to treat the water. Remember to let the heater adjust to the temp if you are using cold cold water before turning it on or it could break!

 

[Aqua Tom]

I use a ten meter length of clear foodsafe pipe & syphon straight into my outside drain using the syphon to clean my sand.
Then i fill up a 3 gallon bucket with tempreture matched water from my shower. add declorinator, i use seachem prime, Then reverse syphon it into the tank. I top up that bucket with a smaller 2 gallon bucket that i keep filling from the shower.
If it is a massive water change I take the shower head off & gaffer tape my hose to the output hose & fill the tank directly.

The two golden rules are. Match the temprature & Treat the water.

 

[raptorrex]

Match the temprature .

maybe, during a cycle. but after that? there is no need to match temp, well if you change 20-36% at a time. its, simply, unnecessary. true its personal choice. but don't feel compelled to, as it is not a rule.

 

[Gazanimal]

I've only got a Fluval Edge so there's not going to be masses of water volume when changing it, but is it an idea to change 20-25% per week?

Any recommendations for a Vac/Syphon for a Fluval as they don't seem to be the most accessibly of tanks due to their design.

 

[raptorrex]

I've only got a Fluval Edge so there's not going to be masses of water volume when changing it, but is it an idea to change 20-25% per week?

Any recommendations for a Vac/Syphon for a Fluval as they don't seem to be the most accessibly of tanks due to their design.

people change water as they wish. but yes, 25-30% is the average recommended. it truth, any vac will do. but i use one that can also be used for removing water at water change time. even the electric ones, do no more than a simple syphon will.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with Raptor, 25-30% is probably the average habit that people fall in to after the tank is cycled and they have fish. There are though various individual reasons one might want to think about or tweek that. For instance, in my own case I have water that is extremely low in carbonate hardness (KH=0) and quite low in GH, so I get some benefit from putting some mineral content back in to my tank from the fresh tap water. As such I prefer to up my weekly water changes to 50% (the downside of this is that since I use tap water directly, rather than letting it stand, I cause higher changes in CO2, which encourages a few types of algae!) So my message is only that yes, 25% or so is a good starting point for beginners but its good to realize it can be tweeked if needed when more knowledge is gained about one's particular situation.

As a newbie asking questions, I'll also mention a few more things about water changes during cycling: Like raptor I often recommend Seachem Prime as a good conditioner choice because not only is it highly concentrated (making it a better value costwise) but it also has an excellent reputation for some of the "extras" that can help when one is having temporary water problems (ie. it's temporary neutralization of various problem substances is top-notch.) Also, I recommend that beginners dose their conditioner at 1.5x to 2x whatever the manufacturer recommends (including Seachem) during the "young filter" period (the first six months or so) as further insurance against the rare occurance of chlorine product overdoses by the water authorities! But not more than 2x since the N-Bacs are still young.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Newbie_87]

I'd advise the gravel vac for the Fluval Edge (by the amount of recommendations you'd think I had commission lol!). I use it for water changes and maintenance, comes with 2x attachments, not to pricey and the angled head makes it really easy to use considering the design of the tank.

http/www.amazon.co.uk/Fluval-11059-Edge-Gravel-Cleaner/dp/B002LL8BWU

 

[Gazanimal]

The list of gear is growing but that's not a bad thing & I appreciate the advice from everyone.

Learning, learning, learning