Would A More Powerful Heater Be Safe?

[arobinson1984]

For my water changes, I fill 3 buckets of cold water, each containing 15 litres, then I put a 100w heater in each to heat it up to the required temperature before performing a water change.

I'm abit wary of using warm water from the tap as I've read of problems that can occur from doing this, even though our house is only 10 years old and prob wouldn't be a problem???

What I wanted to know was.......... currently it takes about 3 hours for the 100w heaters to heat the buckets up. If I got some 200w or 300w heaters to use instead, would they be safe? would they overheat in the buckets? or would they just do what I want them to do, heat the water up quicker

Andy

 

[ellena]

I think most people use hot water from the taps. Heating it in buckets sounds a right faff! What had you heard about warm tap water?

 

[three-fingers]

I just use whatever is more convenient at the time.

Cold tap water is fine as long as the temp of the tank doesn't drop drastically, a few *C is no big deal whatsoever and if you ever go swimming in a river/lake/sea you will notice pockets of different temperatures that fish swim through without noticing.

Usually I just use the electric shower to fill the bucket of water and roughly try to match tank temperature, but only because its the closest water source.

When someone's in the shower I use cold tap water (if I'm doing a water change >50% I'll heat it up slightly with the kettle).

There's not much point in wasting time with heaters - get that water change done as efficiently as possible and the time spared can be spent watching the fish for problems or maintaining any equipment (like filter impellers) - even if it's not needed.

 

[TheBigEasy]

well, the biggest problem with hot water from the tap isnt the age of your house, since you hot water is the same as your cold water, except that your hot water has been heated through your hot water heater and in this process it creates reactions in the water that are not as safe as cold water. This is the reason why you are not supposed to cook with hot water also, or use it for coffee and such. No need to use full out hot water though from the tap, just warm water. go half and half on the hot and cold. Hot water comes out at 115-120F.

 

[arobinson1984]

Thanks for the replies.

I had read somewhere (cant remember where) about the hot water pipes containing certain bacteria and particles that can be dangerous. If everybody thinks it will be ok then I'll use the mixer tap to temp match the water.

Andy

 

[three-fingers]

well, the biggest problem with hot water from the tap isnt the age of your house, since you hot water is the same as your cold water, except that your hot water has been heated through your hot water heater and in this process it creates reactions in the water that are not as safe as cold water. This is the reason why you are not supposed to cook with hot water also, or use it for coffee and such. No need to use full out hot water though from the tap, just warm water. go half and half on the hot and cold. Hot water comes out at 115-120F.

As I understand it.

Hot water is only really a problem if its been heated up in a boiler for a while.

Things can get in there and grow, like bacteria, which would make it more risky (so not recommended for drinking). For fish there's not really enough risk to consider.

If the water has been in copper tanks/pipes for a while, it could be risky for inverts like shrimp. Copper is toxic to fish at a higher level to fish than it is to most aquarium inverts.

But IMO it's not worth the time spent getting the temperature right anyway.

Just make sure it's not way too cold by sticking your hand in it and making a guesstimate based on how much water you are changing.

If you don't feel confident enough to do this, just use cold and hot water from the tap to get it roughly feeling the same - or add boiled water from the kettle if you keep inverts (one kettle to a 15L bucket will be fine).

 

[karigupi]

I always use boiled water using the kettle, I thought the problem with hot water from taps was that the water can be sitting around in copper pipes for a long time.

 

[TheBigEasy]

well, the biggest problem with hot water from the tap isnt the age of your house, since you hot water is the same as your cold water, except that your hot water has been heated through your hot water heater and in this process it creates reactions in the water that are not as safe as cold water. This is the reason why you are not supposed to cook with hot water also, or use it for coffee and such. No need to use full out hot water though from the tap, just warm water. go half and half on the hot and cold. Hot water comes out at 115-120F.

As I understand it.

Hot water is only really a problem if its been heated up in a boiler for a while.

Things can get in there and grow, like bacteria, which would make it more risky (so not recommended for drinking).

If the water has been in copper tanks/pipes for a while, it could be risky for inverts like shrimp. Copper is toxic to fish at a higher level to fish than it is to most aquarium inverts.

But IMO it's not worth the time spent getting the temperature right anyway.

Just make sure it's not way too cold by sticking your hand in it and making a guesstimate based on how much water you are changing.

If you don't feel confident enough to do this, just use cold and hot water from the tap to get it roughly feeling the same - or add boiled water from the kettle if you keep inverts (one kettle to a 15L bucket will be fine).

lets start by me letting you know im a plumber and have seen the inside of a hot water heater(Gas and Electric) More grows in there than you want to know, trust me. When we replace an anode rod, or a drip tube in a water heater, you wouldnt believe how nasty it is. Im just saying. Im not a germaphobe at all being a plumber and touching more than a I like, but hot water heaters are pools of bacteria.

But on the same note I use warm water from the tap for the fish, a little cold and hot, its so deluted when it mixes with the tank water, its not a big deal.

I always use boiled water using the kettle, I thought the problem with hot water from taps was that the water can be sitting around in copper pipes for a long time.

no, its the reaction that occurs in the hot water heater.

 

[three-fingers]

lets start by me letting you know im a plumber and have seen the inside of a hot water heater(Gas and Electric) More grows in there than you want to know, trust me. When we replace an anode rod, or a drip tube in a water heater, you wouldnt believe how nasty it is. Im just saying. Im not a germaphobe at all being a plumber and touching more than a I like, but hot water heaters are pools of bacteria.

But on the same note I use warm water from the tap for the fish, a little cold and hot, its so deluted when it mixes with the tank water, its not a big deal.

Is that not kinda what I said?

Not a problem for fish at all, it doesn't matter that there's lots of bacteria in there, it's whether the species of bacteria are harmful for fish. There's LOADS of bacteria in aquariums too (probably lots more).

no, its the reaction that occurs in the hot water heater.

You mean more bacteria growing because you have water sitting relatively still and warming up so bacteria grow faster?
Or is there some specific chemical reaction you are referring to?

Copper pipes can be bad news for shrimp keepers from the anecdotes I've read, so you may as well just boil one kettles worth and add it to a bucket of cold water if you keep shrimp.

If you do small water changes, you don't need to worry about adding any hot water though.

 

[TheBigEasy]

no, its the reaction that occurs in the hot water heater.

You mean more bacteria growing because you have water sitting relatively still and warming up so bacteria grow faster?
Or is there some specific chemical reaction you are referring to?

Copper pipes can be bad news for shrimp keepers from the anecdotes I've read, so you may as well just boil one kettles worth and add it to a bucket of cold water if you keep shrimp.

If you do small water changes, you don't need to worry about adding any hot water though.

yeah, there are different types of metals in the tank that cause reactions in the water that are designed to pull different chemicals out of the water as it passes through the tank, but at the same time it creates some new bacteria, and yes, hot water does produce bacteria just from being hot and sitting in the tank.