easy water change???

[billy_69]

i have asked this question before and recieved a few good opinions just looking for a few more.

I was wondering if anyone has tried to do a water change with a hose while adding De-chlorinator and or buffer directly to the tank as water is being added. I have a good idea on how to regulate the temp. Just worried about stressin my fish. Any opinions will be greatly appreciated. My current method of 5 gal buckets is gettin well lets just say my back will thank you.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Whats your idea on regulating the temp? If the water is too hot or cold when added to the tank it will greatly stress your fish out via temperature shock and could kill them- its also best to add dechlorinator to water before you put it in the tank to make sure its properly stirred up.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I use a python for my water changes, which for the filling portion of the gig, is essientially the same as filling the tank with a hose from your kitchen sink. I add all the dechlorinator I am going to use before I start filling my tank, turn the water on, then sit back and watch my fish play as I fill the tnak. I have never seen them act stressed from this. Just make sure you remember the dechlorinator.

 

[CFC]

I do all my water changes straight from the hose to the tank and just add dechlorinater as I go. All the hype about matching temperature is mostly rubbish, I happily change up to 30% of a tanks volume just adding cold water straight from the hose in the summer months and none of my fish mind at all. In the winter I add a few kettle fulls of hot water to keep the temperature from dropping more than 4 celcius during the water change but temperature swings up to 4c are fine for most fish apart from Discus and other heat sensative species.

 

[LoachLover]

I do all my water changes straight from the hose to the tank and just add dechlorinater as I go. All the hype about matching temperature is mostly rubbish, I happily change up to 30% of a tanks volume just adding cold water straight from the hose in the summer months and none of my fish mind at all. In the winter I add a few kettle fulls of hot water to keep the temperature from dropping more than 4 celcius during the water change but temperature swings up to 4c are fine for most fish apart from Discus and other heat sensative species.

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Yeah I do basically the same thing. I agree, most of the big worries about the temp being right is just a load of bull. If anything it's better to put in cold water than hot water.

 

[Teelie]

I don't use a hose but I do carry jugs of filtered tap water and pour those in and the most the water temperature change has ever done is triggered spawning in my cories.

 

[andywg]

I use a small powerhead to pump the water out and link a hose to the shower head connecter and pump mains water straight into the tank. I throw the dechlor in at the spot where the water will come in.

I have never seen any great temperature change I often change 30% and sometimes up to 40% (if I'm not watching the pump as it drains) and I don't think I've ever seen a change of more than 3 degrees C.

 

[Juno]

Sitting with two Aquariums, a four foot more or less 300L and a five foot more or less 500L. I keep rainbows, rams, clowns, Pakistani loaches, gouramis, khuli loaches, bristle noses and eels. In the 500L I have a monster fire eel (55cm) that eats liver so 50% water changes are done at least once a week.
As you can imagine when water change days come around it takes forever to get the water change done. So I made a plan:
I went and bought a koi pond. One of those plastic jobbies takes about 500L of water.

I stuck a 300w heater in there, put two 350L/PH HOB filters and a 1500L/PH Powerhead for circulation and a couple of airstones and airpumps I had lying around. The airstones provide lots of surface agitation to avoid a mosquito infestation. I also invested in a small pump to move the water from the pond to the aquariums.
The water flows quite slow from the pond to the aquarium but it works perfectly because the only thing my fish notice is that the water level drops and then rises again without any splashing and no drop in temperature and I maintain my “ponds” water to be exactly the same as my aquariums.
The filters etc run constantly and there is always water in the pond, so when I need water for any of the aquariums it is a matter of draining water from the aquarium to the garden (I use a length of normal garden hose.) and then run another hose from the pond to the aquarium, switch on the pump and voila. Water change done while you watch TV or whatever.
The water in this setup never gets any water conditioner because the chlorine evaporates in a couple of hours with all the surface agitation. The “pond” is outside my house but still under cover of a roof. I just drop some fine mesh over it to keep all the kreepy crawlies out and to stop the dog from using it as a deluxe size waterbowl.
You might have problems in colder climates but in South Africa we have very mild winters.

 

[CatLover]

I do all of my water changes with the hose. I hook it up outside, position it in the tank (I never let the hose touch the water though), and let her go. I place some dechlor in there when I first start, and then some more after I finish. I used to take a big bucket, fill it in the shower, drag it to my room and lift the thing to pour in the tank. That was extremely hard and messy, so I switched the hose.

The water that comes out of it is quite cold, but it has never effected my fish. The loaches and a few others love swimming through the current. They've never went into shock, became slower, or even seemed like they notice the colder water, which I'm sure they do, but still. For me, using the hose has been the best method.

 

[john5748]

I use a small powerhead to pump the water out and link a hose to the shower head connecter and pump mains water straight into the tank. I throw the dechlor in at the spot where the water will come in.

Thats a great idea , I have been thinking about changing to a python for some time but I cannot use one due to the tap fittings we have.

But to poach your idea would mean that the temp would be correct and instead of using my garden hose which has god knows what on it I could buy a seperate hose just for that purpose.

Thanks Andy.

 

[andywg]

I use a seperate hose purely for the fish (not much call for anything else living in a flat...)

As mentioned above, the whole same temp thing is a load of rubbish. Even in the height of summer the tap water will only be around 10 degrees cooler than the tank, and you'll only be changing around 30% at most. Freshwater fish can easily handle a 3 or 4 degree change in temp.

I always fill up straight from the tap without any consideration for temp and have no trouble at all.

Glad I can help.

 

[rdd1952]

I use a python also to add the water back. For large tanks, there really isn't any other way to do it in a timely fashion. I use Stress Coat as my dechlorinator and their instructions say to use 1 tsp per 10 gallon for dechlorinating and 1 tsp for 5 gallon as a stress reducer (replace slime coat). I dose at the higher stress dosage and put half in before I start adding water and half as I'm finishing. That way I figure I'm actually putting in the correct dechlorinating amount both before and after the water goes in. I'm covering it either way and still not really over dosing (if there is such a thing with dechlorinators).

Also, if you let the water splash into the tank from the hose, most of the chlorine will be gone immediately any way but you will still need something to kill the choloramine if your water has it. Pythons have something in the part that attaches to the faucet that puts thousands (millions maybe) of tiny air bubbles in the water which they say removes the chlorine too.

As for the temperature of the water, as long as the water you are adding is within about 4 or 5 degrees of the tank water temp, you're not going to change the water temp enough to stress the fish, espesially on a normal 20 to 30 percent water change.

 

[Tolak]

I do 50% to 75% weekly using a hose. As long as no one flushes the toilet, or decides to take a shower while I'm downstairs doing tank maintainance, it stays on the temp I set it.

I use a drinking water safe hose to fill, a second cheap one to drain. I can do a 55 & a couple of 20's before my water heater starts to run out. I just watch tv for a half hour, let the water heat, & get back to work.

Tolak

 

[billy_69]

Thanks all uve once again been really helpfull.
I had a idea of runing a hose from my kitchen sink, using my sink sprayer to once in a while check the temp(even though my tap water stays were i set it). Its about a 20 foot run from my sink to my 125 so not so bad. I also just vac my tank out a window thats about 5 feet away. I think ill try it next sunday( Fish Day as i call it) Hopefully my back will thank u all them buckets were getting to be a pain. Thanks Again