Oh, My Achin' Back!

[Skies]

 It has become clear to me - that the only way - to maintain a large tank - is to have a python siphon. 
I just got done doing a massive water change on my 75g - - with a 3g bucket. 

 Needless to say, my back hurts! You know that feeling you used to get when you were a kid and you played outside in the sun all day long... that's how I feel! lol
 
I almost regret upgrading my tank, the 29g was SO much easier!... but it's a labor of love. Something happened when my friend stayed the weekend, I'm not sure what, it may have been tampered with, or contaminated... or maybe a bit of water I added had a different PH or something, but it got cloudy (the PH could have been it, as I had miss a water changing over the weekend due to friend festivities), anyway, did a few water changes... and noticed how algae infested my river rocks were... so I took them out and that made the tank SO messy, I couldn't stand it... Did a 50% water change yesterday, and a 75% water change today... tank looks much better, however, it's bare bottom now... and did I mention, OW, MY ACHIN' BACK!!! I'm not sure if I'm going to put the rocks back in... and I think I'm going to buy some cheap air hose and make a bubble rope with it. I kinda like the bare bottom... much easier, and faster to clean.
 
Anyway, that's been my entire afternoon! Now I'm cooking dinner and my husband is pining for me to get into our TF2 gaming servers

... I better get a back rub! 

 

[Ninjouzata]

Busy busy busy! Your poor back I am a total wimp so trying to do a water change on the 20g tank my betta is in was killer with a 5g bucket. I can't imagine what you just had to go through! And thus..we got what I'm assuming is the same thing as a python siphon. SO MUCH BETTER. Definitely get one Got any pics? If you've posted some elsewhere, sorry, I missed them, plus maybe there are new ones Have a fun night with your gaming!

 

[Skies]

Busy busy busy! Your poor back

I am a total wimp so trying to do a water change on the 20g tank my betta is in was killer with a 5g bucket. I can't imagine what you just had to go through! And thus..we got what I'm assuming is the same thing as a python siphon. SO MUCH BETTER. Definitely get one

Got any pics? If you've posted some elsewhere, sorry, I missed them, plus maybe there are new ones

Have a fun night with your gaming!

Thank you for your sympathy, it was definitely a killer! lol
 
Pics of my tank now? I have a few old pics of it, but it looks MUCH different now, I'll take some new ones soon... in the meantime, here are some old ones to tide you over.

 

 

 

 

[Chad]

I use a pump to pump the water out into a brute trash can which is on wheels. I then use the same pump to return the new water into the tank and to pump the old water down the tub drain. I have a busted up back from a car accident and so I've had to develop a way that doesn't hurt. It works great.

 

[Ninjouzata]

How colorful c: My favorite part is the fish, and then the skull. Looking forward to updated pics when you can get around to them!

 

[Skies]

I use a pump to pump the water out into a brute trash can which is on wheels. I then use the same pump to return the new water into the tank and to pump the old water down the tub drain. I have a busted up back from a car accident and so I've had to develop a way that doesn't hurt. It works great.

That's a REALLY good idea!
 

How colorful c: My favorite part is the fish, and then the skull. Looking forward to updated pics when you can get around to them!

Thank you :3 I'll take some pics when my tank begins to look a little more pic worthy! ♥

 

[MrsEspoNYC7]

I have a question about that python thing. How do you dechlorinate the water if it goes straight from the tap to the tank? I skeptical about dechlorinating after the water is in the tank. Seems like it could screw up the bacteria and stress the fish. I just fill it up one gallon at a time and treat the water the jug before I put it in. But it is getting on my nerves

 

[fluttermoth]

Add the dechlor (enough for the whole tank's volume, as some of it gets 'bound up' in the tank) before you start refilling.
 
For water changes of 50% or under, you don't actually need dechlor at all. The amounts in the tap water are there to kill the odd, loose bacteria, not whole colonies like we have in our filters, and 'diluted' by 50%, it won't do any harm.

 

[Skies]

I have a question about that python thing. How do you dechlorinate the water if it goes straight from the tap to the tank? I skeptical about dechlorinating after the water is in the tank. Seems like it could screw up the bacteria and stress the fish. I just fill it up one gallon at a time and treat the water the jug before I put it in. But it is getting on my nerves

It shouldn't hurt the bacteria as long as you don't run the filter before the water has been dechlorinated, there isn't enough BB within your aquarium itself to make a difference, your BB colony lives in your filter. I've heard people who do it different ways, some use a plastic tub as a middle man and dechlorinate the water that way before siphoning it back into the tank, some add all of the dechlotinator they need into the tank before refilling it... I am curious... what actually is the best way to do it? Anyone?
 

Add the dechlor (enough for the whole tank's volume, as some of it gets 'bound up' in the tank) before you start refilling.
 
For water changes of 50% or under, you don't actually need dechlor at all. The amounts in the tap water are there to kill the odd, loose bacteria, not whole colonies like we have in our filters, and 'diluted' by 50%, it won't do any harm.

I dechlorinate every bucket I put in, chlorine can be very harmful to fish, even in small doses, it causes chemical burns on their gills and will essentially suffocate them to death... "better safe than sorry", is what my grandmother always said. Depending on whether you have chlorine in your water or chlorimine, which dissolves slower, your fish could be swimming in chlorine for well over a day or two... 

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I very much doubt that the chlorine in tap water can harm fish when exposed for a short period of time and diluted in existing tank water. There are many, very experienced, fish keepers who don't use dechlorinator at all. Some let it gas off for 24 hours but some don't. The people I know of have taken steps to understand their local water and have made the decision that it's safe to omit dechlor. I personally don't mind spending the money so don't see any reason not to use it.  Additionally, exposing your tank to chlorine for short periods of time (i.e. during refilling) can be beneficial in terms of fighting existing or potential bacterial infections. 
 
I for one refill my aquarium directly from the tap via a python and add dechlorinator near the end of refilling. My fish behave no differently, although I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything. 

 

[Skies]

I very much doubt that the chlorine in tap water can harm fish when exposed for a short period of time and diluted in existing tank water. There are many, very experienced, fish keepers who don't use dechlorinator at all. Some let it gas off for 24 hours but some don't. The people I know of have taken steps to understand their local water and have made the decision that it's safe to omit dechlor. I personally don't mind spending the money so don't see any reason not to use it.  Additionally, exposing your tank to chlorine for short periods of time (i.e. during refilling) can be beneficial in terms of fighting existing or potential bacterial infections. 
 
I for one refill my aquarium directly from the tap via a python and add dechlorinator near the end of refilling. My fish behave no differently, although I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything. 

Some areas don't add chlorine, and those areas are usually the ones who don't dechlorinate. Chlorine is toxic, and I don't subject my fish to it even for a short time. That's just my choice and preference. If they are swimming in it for any length of time, it causes chemical burns... better safe than sorry! My Area has A LOT of chlorine in it's water, not to mention fluoride... and I won't even drink it myself without it being purified. Add a fish to water that hasn't been dechlorinated in my area and it will die over night... my sister did this once against my advice, and indeed, lost her fish before the night was over.

 

[MrsEspoNYC7]

I live in a city and you can actually smell and taste the chemicals in the tap water. It's gross my dad just installed an RO unit at his house and offered that I can fill up some 5 gallon jugs to bring home. I might just do that.

 

[Skies]

I live in a city and you can actually smell and taste the chemicals in the tap water. It's gross my dad just installed an RO unit at his house and offered that I can fill up some 5 gallon jugs to bring home. I might just do that.

Same here, although I live on the outskirts of the city that's about 5min away... definitely not what I would call "fresh" water....

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Maybe it's a difference between the US and UK

 

[fluttermoth]

Or from area to area? I'm glad I don't have to keep fish in London water!
 
I'm very lucky with the water where I am, it's lovely 

 Does cost a lot though
 
I think it also depends on what fish we're talking about. I wouldn't risk fry, wild caught fish or anything delicate with any amount of chlorine.
 
My big oscar, however, sometimes gets a scrape on his head or a lost scale ('cos he throws his decor around when he's in a strop, which is most of the time 

) and I'll do a 50% change with chlorinated water to make sure no secondary infections pop up. I do keep the filters off and add dechlor before I switch them on again, just in case, but I'll leave it for two or three hours.
 
Dechlor is so cheap, most of the time there's no good reason not to use it though; I always dechlor each bucket for my emerald rasboras.