Is My Water Changing Method Acceptable?

[onidrase]

Unfortunately for me, I don't have a bucket. My room is very small (I can't even open the drawers on my dressed without them bumping into my bed!) so all I've got is a 1 gallon pitcher that fits comfortably underneath my aquarium stand, which I wouldn't be able to do with a larger bucket.

I've seen the preferred method to rid of chlorine and stuff is to let it sit in a bucket large of the new water for a little while to let it do its work, then pour it in. But if I were to use this method with my 1 gallon pitcher, I'd have to add 1/10th of a mL of dechlorinator, wait about a few minutes, and then pour it in, rinse and repeat 35 times for all of my tanks. (20 hexagon quarantine, 37 for my room, 55 show) That would take hours of my filters being unran and my water level being lower than usual I also can't imagine filling the cup with 1/10th of a mL, it's hard enough to measure out half, or even 1 mL.

I once had a 5 gal bucket which I never got the chance to use which I kept in the living room, but my room mates threw it out. So I've gotta keep all my stuff in my room unless it looks nice, I guess. I'm glad they didn't throw out the 20 and 55 too

Anyways, what I've been doing instead is the usual, taking out about 20% a week (I take out 10 with the 37, 5 with the 20, and 20 with the 55. Painful work with a 1 gallon pitcher, dragging it to the laundry room every time. Takes ages. But I don't mind it too much) then I drag the pitcher back and fourth with the tap water. Once I'm half way done, I put in half a dose of the dechlorinator. then I continue, and once it's full, I put in the second half. And I'm done with that tank. Rinse and repeat with the others.

What I'm wondering is if this method does all too much pain to the fishes? Is there anything I can change in my method which won't kill too much time?

I've also been thinking of getting this tube thing I found online, which siphons water into the sink, and then can attach to the hose to the sink so you can fill up the aquariums that way, so I wouldn't have to lug gallons back and fourth in my apartment. Would that be alright, or should I avoid buying such a thing?

Advice appreciated, thanks much <3

 

[fluttermoth]

Measuring out dechlor for small amonuts of water is, without doubt, a PITA. It would be much easier for you to add enough dechlor for the whole tank before you start refilling, then you won't have to dechlorinate each gallon.

The 'Python' system you're talking about is an excellent way of doing things; I just use a plain hose to syphon out and refill though!

 

[Qny]

I measure dechlorinator at .1 ml amounts using a 1 ml syringe. I picked up 8 of them in various sizes from 1 ml - 10 ml for about £1.50 GBP on eBay.

Good investment IMO.

 

[orandas]

Measuring out dechlor for small amonuts of water is, without doubt, a PITA. It would be much easier for you to add enough dechlor for the whole tank before you start refilling, then you won't have to dechlorinate each gallon.

The 'Python' system you're talking about is an excellent way of doing things; I just use a plain hose to syphon out and refill though!

previously i always pre-treated/dechlorinated each bucket &getting it to the right temp b4 adding to the tank.

now with a much bigger tank, this will be a real PITA

with the 'python system' / 'plain hose to syphon out and refill' - the dechlorinator amount for the whole tank is added first to the tank with the fish in???, then the tap water is added - but how do you control the tap water is not too cold straight from the tap to the tank???

 

[Tolak]

Yes, add the dechlorinator to the tank before filling, during, or shortly after. Adjust temperature by feel, using the hot & cold taps.

 

[orandas]

Yes, add the dechlorinator to the tank before filling, during, or shortly after. Adjust temperature by feel, using the hot & cold taps.

thanks!

 

[This Old Spouse]

If you could get yourself a length of clear hose and a 5g bucket, that's how I change the water on all my tanks. I start the siphon and nearly fill the bucket. Stop the siphon, rinse out the filters in the bucket, pour down the drain (or into containers for watering my plants). Then I fill the buckets with clean, temperature-matched water and StressCoat+ and pour it slowly into the tank. In all my tanks, I have a strategically placed stone to pour the water over so the sand doesn't go all over the place and things settle nicely, fairly quickly. Once you get used to this it's easy.

You should be able to store your 5g bucket in the linen closet or laundry room or basement, out of the way. Attach a note if necessary, explaining what the bucket's for and to keep their hands off, thank you very much.

By the way, the dechlor works immediately. No need to wait. And it's much easier to measure it into a 5g bucket.

 

[orandas]

my OH isn't keen on using the tap's hot water - wants to use kettle boiled water !? is it really ok?

Questioning dumping 'the tank's volume' dechlorinator in one go, into the tank, before the replacement water?! Is it really ok?

at the moment i can get the water in and out of the tank with a hose, just undecided about how to dechlorinate it & avoiding freezing cold tap water direct into the tank..........despair 'bucketing' dechlorinated fresh water back to the tank.

If you could get yourself a length of clear hose and a 5g bucket, that's how I change the water on all my tanks. I start the siphon and nearly fill the bucket. Stop the siphon, rinse out the filters in the bucket, pour down the drain (or into containers for watering my plants). Then I fill the buckets with clean, temperature-matched water and StressCoat+ and pour it slowly into the tank. In all my tanks, I have a strategically placed stone to pour the water over so the sand doesn't go all over the place and things settle nicely, fairly quickly. Once you get used to this it's easy.

You should be able to store your 5g bucket in the linen closet or laundry room or basement, out of the way. Attach a note if necessary, explaining what the bucket's for and to keep their hands off, thank you very much.

By the way, the dechlor works immediately. No need to wait. And it's much easier to measure it into a 5g bucket.

thanks for takeing the time to explain your procedure. Just my previous water change method needs updating to match my new bigger tank.

 

[Tolak]

I ran hot & cold tap water to my fishroom for a reason; hot tap water is fine to use. The only exception might be if you have one of the old open top loft tanks for hot water storage, gravity fed. Being open & in the loft on occasion various contaminants fall in, and could end up in your tanks. As long as you don't have that sort of hot water storage system using hot water should not be an issue. I've often questioned that as well, seeing as I've run large tubs outdoors, where anything found in nature could and has fallen in, as well as having done construction work in & above my fishroom where a variety of debris has ended up in tanks, with no ill effect.

Yes, it is really OK to dump the tank's volume of dechlorinator in before filling. In my setup I add it afterward, due to having drilled tanks with overflows, but I would have no problem draining down a tank the old way, adding double the amount of dechlor for the tank, and then filling. On the few tanks I don't have drilled I generally do this after I hang the hose on and begin filling, multitasking. I gave up on buckets years ago.

 

[orandas]

I ran hot & cold tap water to my fishroom for a reason; hot tap water is fine to use. The only exception might be if you have one of the old open top loft tanks for hot water storage, gravity fed. Being open & in the loft on occasion various contaminants fall in, and could end up in your tanks. As long as you don't have that sort of hot water storage system using hot water should not be an issue. I've often questioned that as well, seeing as I've run large tubs outdoors, where anything found in nature could and has fallen in, as well as having done construction work in & above my fishroom where a variety of debris has ended up in tanks, with no ill effect.

Yes, it is really OK to dump the tank's volume of dechlorinator in before filling. In my setup I add it afterward, due to having drilled tanks with overflows, but I would have no problem draining down a tank the old way, adding double the amount of dechlor for the tank, and then filling. On the few tanks I don't have drilled I generally do this after I hang the hose on and begin filling, multitasking. I gave up on buckets years ago.

We don't have 'old open top loft tanks for hot water storage' - the cold water is heated as and when require to hot, instantly.

My OH just gets stuck in his ways.

But i'm all for updateing our water change method. I'm gonna hide all our buckets so he has no choice!

Big thanks. I'm grateful for the reassurance.

 

[Tolak]

I've never personally seen one of the loft tanks, but I've heard of them, bugs, birds, and general attic debris are prone to finding their way into them. Nearly all water storage systems for hot water are under mains pressure these days, stored in a fiberglass lined tank, so there is no worry about metal contamination or some such. This used to be the case way back, when older tanks were made of copper, these have not been manufactured for residential use for decades. If you have a boiler for heating the house sometimes this is tapped into for a hot water supply. Either system is fine for using in aquariums.

Everyone starts with buckets, most often going to a hose & pump system or some other back saving method if they get more tanks, or a larger tank. If you're young & buff (I'm neither!) the buckets aren't so bad, and you will always be using them for filter cleaning & so on, but the investment in some hoses, a few pumps & so on beats spending the money at the doctor for a back that goes out of wack.

 

[orandas]

...beats spending the money at the doctor for a back that goes out of wack.

totally agree.....

What's bizarre is that we've had the hoses etc for weeks now, but 'afraid' to use them, because of the hot tap water issue & how to dechlorinate b4 hand, and keep going back to the buckets.......but for me......enough is enough....

 

[Lufbramatt]

Most hot water cylinders are still made from copper, they just have a fiberglass jacket around them to hold the insulation in place. The open top tanks found in lofts are for central heating systems and not directly connected to the hot water system.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Most hot water cylinders are still made from copper, they just have a fiberglass jacket around them to hold the insulation in place. The open top tanks found in lofts are for central heating systems and not directly connected to the hot water system.

Oh, thank goodness. I couldn't imagine having that disgusting water from a tank with rotting animals in it touching me! Eww!

 

[orandas]

... made from copper,

eeek more dilemma...

i've been in our loft - no water tank of any kind. we also don't have a cyclinder boiler anywhere in the house.That just leaves the local mains pipe from outside.

We do however have a combi-boiler, so i thought ok its safe to use the hot tap water.

Then OH turns around and says, but the hot water tap pipes are made of cooper......

is he yanking my chain? Copper pipes is ok right?