# how do you water change?



## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

Just wondering how everyone does their water changes. I want to do fairly large water changes on a 40g tank so i'm wondering how this is easiest done. just looking for ideas. 

Thanks
Julian


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

i use my powerhead and a long hose for big water changes. stick the hose to the powerhead till it gets going. then stick a 1/2 pop bottle to the hose and do a nice big water change. the water drains into the back garden. then i stop the suction by taking the end out of the tank and go get the other end from the garden, stick it on the faucet and fill the lazy way. works a lot easier than buckets. on small tanks just use the regular syphon and buckets.


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

just a quick add...if you don't have a back garden or whatever, you can drain it right to your toilet


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I have a Python and absolute love it. Vaccuums up the gunk in that gravel and I will take out the required amount of water. Then empty out the water just by pulling the suction end out the the water and let it drain. Switch the flow and fill the tank back up.


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## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

do you add your water conditioner after you finish filling it back up or before


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I add it while I am filling the tank


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

so do I. pythons are great, i'm just too cheap to buy one.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Python out!!
but I jug it back into the tank ...my python is black inside ewe ...
50 foot .. but we ALL know I can use the excersize lol 
with my more delicate fish I let water sit for 24hours with bubbler and prime....then heat and serve*wink*


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I just bought a pump because I figured that my python was wasting too much water during the draining stages. I have 9 tanks, so I do a bit of an assembly line:

1. for each tank, unhook heater.
2. drain tank.
3. fill tank. add dechlorinator as water starts going in.
4. heater plugged back in.

But I start draining tank 2 just as soon as I finish draining tank 1. Then I fill tank 1 while tank 2 is draining, and so on. On my largest tank, a 50g, when I do a 40% water change, the pump works about 5 times faster than the python did, and I think I might be using as much as 50L less tapwater.

W


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I don't think that a black coating (mold?) is going to seriously harm your fish. I have periodically bleached mine if it gets yucky inside, but I figure that the trace amounts of chlorine are more toxic than whatever will wash easily off a moldy python hose.

W


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

I have a 48 g and I use buckets!

I have 3 Canadian Tire buckets that I let cold tap water sit in for at least 24 h before adding it to the tank (so that it is a decent temperature when added, and some of the chlorine has time to gas off). To remove water from the tank, I use a siphon and empty the water into another bucket. I don't start the siphon by sucking. Instead, I dip it in the tank to fill it to get going.

1/3 of the water goes down the toilet (because I'm in an apartment on an upper floor -- no lawn)
1/3 goes to my plants right away
1/3 gets used on my plants a few days later, but before the next water change. The bucket of fish water sits on the balcony in summer and near the tank in winter. The other buckets all stow nicely under the stand.

Python users, aren't you afraid of sucking your creatures down the drain??


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I have never sucked a healthy fish down the drain. They tend to run away from wherever it is that you're draining from. Even the tiniest fry seem to have little trouble overcoming the current. Maybe you could suck up baby shrimp without noticing. You could always put a fish net over the end of the python, or leave it wedged down in your gravel. 

w


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> I have never sucked a healthy fish down the drain. They tend to run away from wherever it is that you're draining from.


My headstanders fear the siphon, but when I had dwarf puffers, they would follow the siphon around, looking for whatever treats (i.e. snails) the disturbance of the substrate would reveal. They were so eager and focused on their pursuit of snails that they would often swim right into the siphon. I had to be very careful not to suck them up.

Maybe other snail-eating fish behave the same way. Hmm.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

characinfan said:


> Python users, aren't you afraid of sucking your creatures down the drain??


The use of a Python is to vaccuum the gravel while you are doing a water change. Thus the suction end is usually in the gravel. Even when it is not I have never seen one of my fish sucked in. The suction isn't great enough to overcome them.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

I use a generic water syphon like this: 
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp17959/si1318803/cl0/bigalsprocleangravelwasherlarge
with an attachment that fits it to a garden hose. 
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/OutdoorLiving/Watering/HoseConnectors/PRDOVR~0597483P/Alloy%2BFemale%2BEnd%252C%2B5%252B8-in.jsp
I fill the syphon tube full with water and hold it up in the air. That starts the water suction down into the garden hose down to either outside or the basement shower drain. Quickly place the syphon tube back under water or you will loose the prime.
I have a plastic garbage can in which I store water: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/StorageOrganization/GarageOrganization/PRD~0429703P/Rubbermaid%2BWheeled%2BGarbage%2BCan%252C%2B121%2BL.jsp
The lid comes with a hole in it that a hose comes out of to a pump. The water is pumped out from the pump to the aquarium using the same garden hose. Just break the syphoning and switch the ends from the drain to the pump. 
Filling the garbage can with cold water uses the same hose and an on/off attachment at the laundry water faucet. 
I let the water sit for a minimum of a day or more until the chlorine gases off. Usually it is around a week or two. The water temperature is always at 68F year round and warms up quickly in the aquariums.
The only drawback is it takes up a little room in the basement.
I have found that by making water changes easier I am apt to change the water more frequently. 
If you want to do a quick water change and not worry about gravel cleaning or sucking up fish/shrimp then pull a pantyhose sock over the end of the syphon piece.
Also I like bluekrissyspikes's idea of using a 1/2 pop bottle as a syphon tube attached to a hose. I used the garden hose female attachment shown above in the second website link and it connects tightly to a pop bottle top with only half a turn by hand.


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## sunsunsun (May 18, 2009)

Wouldn't directly filling the tank with water from the tap kill the beneficial bacteria even if you're adding dechlorinator while adding water? If it doesnt i think id want to hop on that lol. Ive been draining water from the tanks then sending water back through a python into buckets where i dechlorinate then pour into the tanks. ITS a real big hassle to do that for a 90G 75G where i do 50% water changes every 3 or 4 days.

I had a tank where i have sand, so i had to take off the thing that you use to clean gravel. I was getting around the corners and under things when it felt like i hit something, when i looked i saw one of my socolofi sucked into the tube half body in. Rushed to the tap shut it down and it shot back out. Good thing it made a full recovery, although that was the only time it has ever happened and it was my mistake for not checking the hole lol.


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## overleaf (Feb 1, 2009)

sunsunsun said:


> Wouldn't directly filling the tank with water from the tap kill the beneficial bacteria even if you're adding dechlorinator while adding water? If it doesnt i think id want to hop on that lol. Ive been draining water from the tanks then sending water back through a python into buckets where i dechlorinate then pour into the tanks. ITS a real big hassle to do that for a 90G 75G where i do 50% water changes every 3 or 4 days.


It does for sure. Chlorine (worse: Chloramine) will immediately start killing off bacteria, that's it's job.

That said... the rate of dechlorination of the tap water is unknown to me, and I can't find any reputable researchers filling tanks from taps. I do know that even when I put 55G in my rain barrel with dechlorinator I still smell chlorine for over 2 hours. Performing a water change of over 30% from the tap would scare the crap out of me.

For all of you filling tanks from the tap: What is your location and water source (city, well, ro, etc...)? How much do you change? Have you ever checked for ammonia and nitrites several hours later and the following 2 days?

This is how I perform water changes: I have a 55G rain barrell that I fill up. I drop in some canning salt, epsom salt, and dechlorinator. In the barrel I have:

- 300W Water Heater.
- A maxijet powerhead (for pumping the water out *and* circulating it during aging).
- An airstone from my ep-30 to keep air in the system and prevent bad bacteria from developing during aging.

After the water ages for several hours I drain the tank into a small 10G city of Toronto compost green bin. That goes down the toilet and 1 load is sufficient for the majority of my tanks (changes ~50%). For my larger tanks I perform several trips to the toilet with the 10G bin.

Once I've drained/vacuumed a sufficient amount of water I simply put the hose from my rain barrel into the tank and the maxijet pumps the water into them.

Here's a shot of some of my tanks during setup and the barrel:


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

I do something pretty much identical to what khuliloachfan does. I have 25 or so tanks mostly in the 30-35 gal range but as large as 115 gal and I have 8 tanks over 50 gallons so water changes are a big chore. Being able to drain and fill at the same time saves me a lot of man hours although on occaision I've forgotten about one hose or another and caused a big spill or two .

Recently, I've started using a utility pump like the one I use to drain ponds to take water out of my larger tanks. Unlike the smaller pump, I can't connect it to a hose and siphon off detritus, however, I can drain my 115 gal by 50% in a flash and since it is bare bottom I can just run the pump over the fish waste to suck it up. In tanks with substrate I use the small pump to siphon waste and then the large one to drain more water. Sometimes they run in tandem in the same tank lol. It's a heck of a lot faster than the python ever was and uses no water to drain the tank.

I always siphon the substrate thoroughly when I change the water unless Im just doing a quickee water change with the utility pump which I sometimes do when Im feeling particularly magnanimous and decide to give my fish a water change when one is not called for . I've never had problems with fish getting sucked up with either pump except for very small fry and most of the time they fight the suction long enough to give me plenty of time to let them out of the tube before they go into the hose. I tailor the water changes to the needs of the tank in question so for example fry tanks get water changes of smaller volumes more frequently, whilst large tanks with adult fish usually receive one or two large water changes a week.

Filling the tanks is done using my python direct from the tap. I add dechlorinator to the tanks just prior to adding the tap water (Source: City of Vaughan) which is usually roughly the same temperature as the tank water unless I want to raise/lower temperatures drastically for some reason. Never had any problems doing this the past two years in either London or the GTA. I've even done extremely large water changes in this fashion with no ill effects.



> That said... the rate of dechlorination of the tap water is unknown to me, and I can't find any reputable researchers filling tanks from taps.


I suspect, in answer to your query, overleaf, that the dechlorination is instantaneous. It is a chemical reaction which breaks apart the structure of the chlorine making it harmless. I think for that reason, it is safe to say that the water is fully dechlorinated at the rate which water in your tank is turned over through filtration, aeration etc and the circulation caused by the addition of the water. That would suggest that the water will be pretty thoroughly be dechlorinated in a matter of minutes. Smelling chlorine isn't necessarily evidence of chlorine in the water. It could be a residual smell or could be caused by the release of vapors into the atmosphere as the chlorine is dissipated. At any rate, there are far, far too many people doing things this way with success for it to be a bad practice and most of the columnists I read in TFH seem to use this method or some variant of it, so I'd guess it's pretty safe.


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

i use tap water and add declor as i fill. in my 150 i add it in 3 shots in the beginning, middle and end. i do 90% water changes in that tank. the rest of my tanks get 30 to 60% changes. just as long as the filters off it doesn't matter


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## xbacala (Jan 9, 2009)

I have 2 of 120g tanks fresh water. Each tank uses 2 of Eheim 2215 filters.
Change about 30% water weekly.
I use Python No Spill
Add Prime Seachem while adding water back (use only 1 teaspoon). Use this method for 5 years no problem.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

sunsunsun said:


> Wouldn't directly filling the tank with water from the tap kill the beneficial bacteria even if you're adding dechlorinator while adding water? If it doesnt i think id want to hop on that lol. Ive been draining water from the tanks then sending water back through a python into buckets where i dechlorinate then pour into the tanks. ITS a real big hassle to do that for a 90G 75G where i do 50% water changes every 3 or 4 days.
> 
> I had a tank where i have sand, so i had to take off the thing that you use to clean gravel. I was getting around the corners and under things when it felt like i hit something, when i looked i saw one of my socolofi sucked into the tube half body in. Rushed to the tap shut it down and it shot back out. Good thing it made a full recovery, although that was the only time it has ever happened and it was my mistake for not checking the hole lol.


I have been doing the fill directly from the tap method since I got my tanks over 2 years ago. During the first while of doing this I would do water tests the day of the change and for the following 3 days and never got a spike in any of the reading to show a mini-cycle, plus my usual weekly tests.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

With my two large tanks I just fill them up from the hose and add cloramx as the fill. The smaller ones i mix the cloramx in a bucket with the new water let it sit for a bit and then fill the tanks.


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## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

kind of surprised this thread grew so quickly. Anyway i think i'm going to look at picking up a python soon. Its hard for me to lug all that water around and i think this will work much better. Glad to hear people are cleaning the gravel with it too as i will need to do that for sure.


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

If you can get a small pump to use with the python I would do it. It's more environmentally friendly and it will save you on your water bills in the long run making up for the cost of the pump itself. All ya need is about 1/2 hp to get plenty of suction for gravel vacuuming. Connect the python to one end and a garden hose to the other and run the garden hose into the toilet. When you're ready to fill, attach the python to the sink and away you go.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

I think by far the most easiest water change system I've seen and will ever see is the dripping system straight from the tap. You never have to do a water change because water is always changing at 7/24.

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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

A number of the systems that have been discussed here are great... IF you have the space to accomodate them i.e. house

For those of us that live in apartments such options that are listed are unfeasable.


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## Doctor T (Apr 23, 2009)

Interesting stuff. I would've thought that dechlorinator would've had to be mixed into the water before adding to the tank - but I guess not everyone does that.



Zebrapl3co said:


> I think by far the most easiest water change system I've seen and will ever see is the dripping system straight from the tap. You never have to do a water change because water is always changing at 7/24.


What is the dripping system?

For the record, I'm still using siphon and buckets for my 20 and 10g FW tanks. I have a used python set aside for my 46g SW tank.


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## xbacala (Jan 9, 2009)

I have sent email to ask Seachem support about adding Prime Seachem water conditioner. They said that we can add the water conditioner at the same time with adding water into the tank as long as we don't change too much water at a time. They recommended not more than 30% at a time.



Doctor T said:


> Interesting stuff. I would've thought that dechlorinator would've had to be mixed into the water before adding to the tank - but I guess not everyone does that.
> 
> What is the dripping system?
> 
> For the record, I'm still using siphon and buckets for my 20 and 10g FW tanks. I have a used python set aside for my 46g SW tank.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Doctor T said:


> ... What is the dripping system?...


I've seem some people's entire fish room set up with slow dripping water straight from a modified pipe that comes directly from the tab. There is no water changes require because it's constantly changing water with an overflow that dumps the extra water down the drain. The amounts of tab water are small enought that there is zero impact to the bacteria colony. You have to understand that the amount of chloramine in the tab water should be just enough to keep the water clean. It's not an anti-bacteria agent. So if you slowly drip them into your fish tank in small amount. There should be no risk of causing a cycle or killing off your beneficial bacteria.
The concept makes sense, but I'd have to wonder if it's that small an amount, is it enough to keep the water in the tank clean? At any rate, you'd still have to make a major water change eventually, although the idea of make a water change ever 4 months or 6 months is very appealing. But this only works in a fish room as you will have to run your water pipe from the house.
I though about running a whole house filter and from there drip them down into the fish tanks. That should solve my water change problem. But right now, I have to put up with the Python and pump method. I dechlor my water in a 20G bucket for about 5 mins before I add them to my tank. One reason being that Toronto usually flush their water system with a huge amount of chlorine every so often to clean their pipes. You don't want to be at the receiving end of that flush, pumping high chlorine water straight into your tank. I can usually smell the chlorine from my 20G bucket when that happens and I just don't change water on that day.



xbacala said:


> I have sent email to ask Seachem support about adding Prime Seachem water conditioner. They said that we can add the water conditioner at the same time with adding water into the tank as long as we don't change too much water at a time. They recommended not more than 30% at a time.


Ah, that makes sense. But I don't trust the Toronto water supply as I mentioned above.

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## Doctor T (Apr 23, 2009)

Zebrapl3co said:


> I've seem some people's entire fish room set up with slow dripping water straight from a modified pipe that comes directly from the tab. There is no water changes require because it's constantly changing water with an overflow that dumps the extra water down the drain. The amounts of tab water are small enought that there is zero impact to the bacteria colony. You have to understand that the amount of chloramine in the tab water should be just enough to keep the water clean. It's not an anti-bacteria agent. So if you slowly drip them into your fish tank in small amount. There should be no risk of causing a cycle or killing off your beneficial bacteria.
> The concept makes sense, but I'd have to wonder if it's that small an amount, is it enough to keep the water in the tank clean? At any rate, you'd still have to make a major water change eventually, although the idea of make a water change ever 4 months or 6 months is very appealing. But this only works in a fish room as you will have to run your water pipe from the house.
> I though about running a whole house filter and from there drip them down into the fish tanks. That should solve my water change problem. But right now, I have to put up with the Python and pump method. I dechlor my water in a 20G bucket for about 5 mins before I add them to my tank. One reason being that Toronto usually flush their water system with a huge amount of chlorine every so often to clean their pipes. You don't want to be at the receiving end of that flush, pumping high chlorine water straight into your tank. I can usually smell the chlorine from my 20G bucket when that happens and I just don't change water on that day.


Cool, thanks for the 411.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I use the good old bucket and hose. Even for wcs on a 75g tank.


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

ameekplec. said:


> I use the good old bucket and hose. Even for wcs on a 75g tank.


We are old skool!!


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I would do it old school, but my back would disown me


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## paradigmseeker (Apr 29, 2009)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> I just bought a pump because I figured that my python was wasting too much water during the draining stages.


I use a python as well. Love it! Once the syphon has been started by the tap and is draining the tank, I turn the tap off. The tank drains slower, but I save running the tap. I also like to keep the old fish water for watering the plants in the house. The plants love it.

On my 100g tank, I do 20% water change once a week.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

characinfan said:


> We are old skool!!


Ill join the old school club. though doing it old school is not too hard for a 30 gal and smallers.


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## sunsunsun (May 18, 2009)

The good old bucket definitely strains the back, before i got my python i had to drain water into the buckets then walk all the way to the washroom and pour it into the toilet. After all that was done had to fill the bucket up, carry it back over to the tank, dechlorinate and pour it in. Boy did that hurt my back lol.


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

i was doing mine old school too, until i had my newest son. four kids and 7 tanks makes for no time for me, especially with the 150g. water changing that baby with buckets takes all night.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

sunsunsun said:


> The good old bucket definitely strains the back, before i got my python i had to drain water into the buckets then walk all the way to the washroom and pour it into the toilet. After all that was done had to fill the bucket up, carry it back over to the tank, dechlorinate and pour it in. Boy did that hurt my back lol.


Just did that one - 20L. Tank lip sits bout 5.5' off the ground. Good workout


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

When you start having to do a pair of 65gal, a 50gal, a 40gal, and a 30gal you won't want old school anymore  

Bad enough I have to do the salt old school on the refils... I could use the python to remove the water and lightly vaccuum the substrate... but refill has to be buckets


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Calmer said:


> I have a plastic garbage can in which I store water:
> The lid comes with a hole in it that a hose comes out of to a pump.


Wow...you're braver than I am. I looked at that kind of can, chickened out and spent about $80 on a Brute and 6 wheel dolly. Do you have any flexing or strain issues at the bottom/axle area wheeling it around when it's full of 250+ lbs of water?



Calmer said:


> I have found that by making water changes easier I am apt to change the water more frequently


Amen, very true! I think more than anything lugging 10-15 5G buckets of water a week kind of drove me out of fishkeeping 15 years ago.

Last house, I had a 50G and 10G tank in locations where carrying buckets of water both directions across a carpeted living room floor would have been crazy and I didn't like the pythons "pump" use of water. The money spent on my Brute and a pump are some of the best "investments" I made in this hobby.

@Julian, I didn't see if you have the room (house/apt), but a can is a great way to have 20+ gal of water at room temp and ready to go at a moment's notice.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Mr Fishies said:


> Wow...you're braver than I am. I looked at that kind of can, chickened out and spent about $80 on a Brute and 6 wheel dolly. Do you have any flexing or strain issues at the bottom/axle area wheeling it around when it's full of 250+ lbs of water?


Well it has been well over a year now and so far so good. If worse comes to worse there is a floor drain in the basement.  I bought that garbage can as it was larger than the others and a bit nicer looking. I drag hoses around to do water changes as the garbage can filled with water is too heavy for those wheels. I looked up the Brute cans and dolly and they look to be safer for the job of handling large amounts of water. Good idea if the one I have ever explodes. Thanks 
http://www.trashcandepot.com/rubbermaid-round-brute-trash-cans-21_23.html



Mr Fishies said:


> Amen, very true! I think more than anything lugging 10-15 5G buckets of water a week kind of drove me out of fishkeeping 15 years ago.


I use to do that for many years and after a while I thought that there has to be a better way than breaking my back each time so slowly the water change system evolved piece by piece.


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## Marowana (Jul 28, 2009)

i used to use python to drain and fill. but now i hook up a powerhead to a hose to drain because i do 25%-30% of 120g weekly and it took too damn long with the tap off. i also use the powerhead to prime my filters by pushing water into the intake. i still use my python to fill directly into my tank, and i pump aqua plus before and during the fill up.


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## wiggle (Aug 7, 2009)

i'm puzzled by the problem of water temperature. the water from the tap (downtown toronto municipal water) is often very cold (maybe 10 degrees perhaps). how can you add that directly into the tank which is at 26 degrees without stressing the fish?

from what I've read, fish are very sensitive to temperature changes which is why you're supposed to float new fish from the store for 20 minutes.


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## paradigmseeker (Apr 29, 2009)

when i'm rushed and do it straight from the tap, I mix the temperature with the hot water. it's probably not the greatest, but it keeps the temperature fairly consistent with the tank.


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

It's pretty easy to make the water from the tap the same temp as that from the tank. Once you're really familiar with your aquariums you can tell by touch, or at least I can, when water is roughly 75 - 79 degrees which is where I keep all of my tanks. Until you're familiar with that though another way to figure it out is to immerse your hand in a tank for a minute or so and then run the tap water over that same hand immediately after. Water that feels relatively normal to you as in, not cold or warm will be the same temp as what is in the tank. Your other hand which was not immersed will feel the temperature quite differently as well which is another option. Stick a hand in the tank and feel the temperature briefly then try to replicate that temperature on the other hand. The last method is to simply use a thermometer under the tap water but I prefer the other method because in the long run it's easier and quicker. Either way, no reason to freeze or fry your fish.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Slight variations in temperature are normal. Water in rivers and the like can change based upon rain fall and decrease a few degrees relatively quickly. Massive fluctuations in temperature are detrimental, but slight changes are standard and normal.


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

^ what he said lol. I forgot about that part but also very true. Rain is colder than tropical bodies of water and it can alter the temperature when it rains a lot especially surface temperatures.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

For those of us with South American breeds, think rainy season and figure out how much the temperature could fluctuate. What also would fluctuate is pH, TDS and G/KH.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I could be full of mulm, but I remember reading about river temperature measurements after rainfall in the Amazon, and the local temperature can drop as much as 10F (~4.5 C) depending on duration and intensity of rain. This change can act as a breeding stimulus for many species.

As for changing water - like Cory, I can just tell. It's magikk.

But if you're finding a disparity of tap vs tank too gret, you can always use hot water to get to the right temp (I always do this for FW water changes) or use a heater to warm the water to a desired temp (I always do this for SW water changes).

If you don't want to do either of these methods, you can always fill your container, then let it sit out overnight to come to room temperature, which is most likely closer to tank temp.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

characinfan said:


> My headstanders fear the siphon, but when I had dwarf puffers, they would follow the siphon around, looking for whatever treats (i.e. snails) the disturbance of the substrate would reveal. They were so eager and focused on their pursuit of snails that they would often swim right into the siphon. I had to be very careful not to suck them up.
> 
> Maybe other snail-eating fish behave the same way. Hmm.


Funny you mention that, my dwarf puffers did the same thing. Except, one was too curious and swam right in. I was able to stop right away and get curious george back into the tank.


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## wiggle (Aug 7, 2009)

so all of you use cold *and* hot water from the tap!

I was under the impression that hot water had a different (as in bad) water chemistry, and that you shouldn't drink it.

I did a quick google and came up with:
http://everything2.com/title/Never+drink+or+cook+with+hot+tap+water
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/health/29real.html

am I being too paranoid here? sorry... I'm just starting out with my first aquarium so I want to give my fishies the best home. if it's water I won't drink, then going one step further, it's water I shouldn't put in my tanks, right?


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Never use hot water from the tap for your tank....If you need to increase temp fast...do what ameekplec and others said...boil the water and add it to your cold tap.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Now normally I'd say not to use tap water that has been heated, as it has the potential to harm inverts, etc.

But, I use it to bring up the temp of the tap water I use for WCs for FW tanks. And my shrimps are fine an snails growing. But I also use a tap water filter or prime (water conditioner) in conjunction to remove metals/chlorine, etc.

But just because I do it, you might not want to do the same


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## wiggle (Aug 7, 2009)

I think I get it now... using hot water from the tap is probably bad, but not so bad.

Presumably, the carbon filter in your tank will remove any impurities quickly enough so they don't harm the fish. (basically a "brita" for your tank).


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Actually, I have a brita tap water filter on the tap


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

wiggle said:


> I think I get it now... using hot water from the tap is probably bad, but not so bad.
> 
> Presumably, the carbon filter in your tank will remove any impurities quickly enough so they don't harm the fish. (basically a "brita" for your tank).


I wouldn't rely on carbon in your filter as a means of removing impurities. Don't forget, that the carbon has a very short lifespan. I would believe most only use it to remove meds that have been added to their tanks when treating sick fish.

I've never used hot water from the tap so I can't comment. I've always stored water in barrels and used a heater to bring to the proper temp.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

gucci17 said:


> I wouldn't rely on carbon in your filter as a means of removing impurities. Don't forget, that the carbon has a very short lifespan.


It depends on how much you use and how much you're trying to remove. But I'd be willing to say that your statement is incorrect - it lasts a fair amount of time nd is more than sufficient for impurity removal in a healthy tank.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

ameekplec. said:


> It depends on how much you use and how much you're trying to remove. But I'd be willing to say that your statement is incorrect - it lasts a fair amount of time nd is more than sufficient for impurity removal in a healthy tank.


To me, I don't see how 2-3 weeks is a _fair_ amount of time. But that's just me. I'd rather spend the effort in keeping my water quality in check than spend tons of money on activated carbon.

From what I recall, carbon chooses no sides. So it will remove the good or bad traces in water.

I'm not bashing carbon, I just don't feel that it's a necessity to have all year around.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I agree, I never have it in the tank or in my canisters - only when preparing water for water changes do I use it to absorb Chlorine and possibly any metals, and it's in a on-tap filter:


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## IMCL85 (Sep 4, 2007)

Any one having problem vacumming sand or heavily planted aqurium? I'm having some issue doing vacum in these two places.


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## wiggle (Aug 7, 2009)

just when I thought I had it figured out... so are you all saying that I don't need carbon in my filter?

I have a 20G with an Aquaclear 20 hanging filter, which I thought was pretty standard. In it I have a foam filter, activated carbon, and biomax, in that order. Is this incorrect?

Man I feel like such a newbie


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

wiggle said:


> just when I thought I had it figured out... so are you all saying that I don't need carbon in my filter?
> 
> I have a 20G with an Aquaclear 20 hanging filter, which I thought was pretty standard. In it I have a foam filter, activated carbon, and biomax, in that order. Is this incorrect?
> 
> Man I feel like such a newbie


no you dont need carbon in your filter. if you do have carbon, it lasts only about 2-3 weeks. After that, the carbon deteriorates, and all of the impurities removed by the carbon will be released back into the tank. So I find it more hassle than its worth. Plus, wth a well cycled tank, and proper maintenance of tank and filter, carbon becomes obsolete.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

it actually really depends on what the aim of the carbon is, but you should certainly have a reason to use it. It takes a bit longer than 2 -3 weeks for it to become saturated and start to release back into the water though.

If not, then just stick with floss and biomedia. or just floss.


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## Gshock (Aug 23, 2009)

Carbon just gives me more of a hassle, I just purely use floss, it's been working for the last few years, so Im good with that.

As for the water change, siphon water out, then add tap water back in, add prime, walk away. Nice and simple, unless you're doing 80 or 90% waterchanges, theres really no need to worry about temp.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

+1 No carbon here.

I use a Python to vac and drain each tank and then reverse to fill. I do try to get the temp as close to the current temp in each tank as possible or just a bit cooler (simulates rainfall temp change is the general opinion).


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

same wc procedure here...

I dont bother with the temp for anything less then a 30%.

anything more, I just throw 2 heaters (or 1 if 1 is in use) into the bucket of decholrinated water, crank on high and wait like 20 minutes. I was surprised at first about how fast the temp was raised to desired degree.


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## Gshock (Aug 23, 2009)

I used to use buckets to keep dechlored water, but after I got a couple more big tank, there is no way I could keep using buckets, so now, I just go straight from tap and then add dechlor after im done. although chlorine will kill your beneficial bacteria, it works at a fairly slow rate, thus even when i do my 50-70% W/Cs, its still perfectly as long as I add prime afterwards.


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