Question about Vac and Fill Devices like Python

[Ridgerunner]

Another Newbie Question whose answer might be obvious. Is this a Duh? or No Duh? question?
I see that the vacuuming function of these devices would be a godsend, but when using the filling function I have a big concern. The water from my tap is chlorinated and needs help to become suitable for fish. If I'm filling from the faucet with one of these devices, how do I protect the fish and make the water habitable?

Ridgerunner

 

[Dephea]

I was looking into it as I really wanted Python but the price in UK... hell no. Anyway... people claim to add dechlorinator into the tank before you fill it up with fresh water. Calculate the volume of the tank, not the missing water. How accurate is that advice I don't know as I haven't tried that yet, but would love to find out if it's correct.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Another Newbie Question whose answer might be obvious. Is this a Duh? or No Duh? question?
I see that the vacuuming function of these devices would be a godsend, but when using the filling function I have a big concern. The water from my tap is chlorinated and needs help to become suitable for fish. If I'm filling from the faucet with one of these devices, how do I protect the fish and make the water habitable?

Ridgerunner

When using a siphon to refill a tank, you will treat the total amount of tank water with dechlorinator.

You add the dechlorinator as you begin to fill the tank.

 

[Byron]

The answer to your question will be debated by several members here. One important aspect is, just what is in your source (tap) water? I have chlorine only (no chloramine) and the chlorination has been steady over many years.

Since the 1990's, I have been changing water weekly on tanks from 10g up to 115g. I use a bucket on the 10g, primarily because it can refill so rapidly and overflow when using the Python. But on the other tanks, from 20g, 30g, 40g, 70g, 90g and 115g, I have always filled directly from the tap, and each water change is around 60-70% of the tank's volume. Once I have the water temperature set at the tap, I turn the lever to the fill position. I then walk back to the fishroom and add sufficient dechlorinator into the tank for the volume of water being replaced, no more; I add this directly in front of the Python where the fresh water is coming in. There is no benefit in over-dosing; quality dechlorinators work instantly to bind the chlorine. In more than 30 years of doing this I have not become aware of any problems with this method.

If you need to adjust the water parameters, for example making the source water softer or harder, or mixing RO water, this must be done outside the aquarium, so you could do the dechlorination then before the fresh water is added to the aquarium. And if I had to deal with chloramine, I might re-think this method.

 

[Slaphppy7]

The answer to your question will be debated by several members here. One important aspect is, just what is in your source (tap) water? I have chlorine only (no chloramine) and the chlorination has been steady over many years.

Since the 1990's, I have been changing water weekly on tanks from 10g up to 115g. I use a bucket on the 10g, primarily because it can refill so rapidly and overflow when using the Python. But on the other tanks, from 20g, 30g, 40g, 70g, 90g and 115g, I have always filled directly from the tap, and each water change is around 60-70% of the tank's volume. Once I have the water temperature set at the tap, I turn the lever to the fill position. I then walk back to the fishroom and add sufficient dechlorinator into the tank for the volume of water being replaced, no more; I add this directly in front of the Python where the fresh water is coming in. There is no benefit in over-dosing; quality dechlorinators work instantly to bind the chlorine. In more than 30 years of doing this I have not become aware of any problems with this method.

If you need to adjust the water parameters, for example making the source water softer or harder, or mixing RO water, this must be done outside the aquarium, so you could do the dechlorination then before the fresh water is added to the aquarium. And if I had to deal with chloramine, I might re-think this method.

"And if I had to deal with chloramine, I might re-think this method."

How so?

 

[Byron]

"And if I had to deal with chloramine, I might re-think this method."

How so?

Chloramine is a bonding of chlorine and ammonia, and is thus stronger and less easy to deal with in a manner of speaking. It does not dissipate out like straight chlorine. Conditioners are recommended to be double-dosed for chloramine, compared to chlorine; the API Tap Water Conditioner that I use requires one drop per gallon for chlorine, and two drops for chloramine. And ammonia seems to be present in the aquarium for a period of time (a day it seems from what members have posted) following the water change.

 

[Sgooosh]

i just have a 7 year old siphon and siphon water out and use 2 5g buckets and add dechlor in the bucket instead of the tank, works fine...
the siphon is very small so yea

 

[Slaphppy7]

Chloramine is a bonding of chlorine and ammonia, and is thus stronger and less easy to deal with in a manner of speaking. It does not dissipate out like straight chlorine. Conditioners are recommended to be double-dosed for chloramine, compared to chlorine; the API Tap Water Conditioner that I use requires one drop per gallon for chlorine, and two drops for chloramine. And ammonia seems to be present in the aquarium for a period of time (a day it seems from what members have posted) following the water change.

My tap water contains chloramine, and I've never dosed Seachem Prime 2X the recommended amount for my tanks..and don't have issues with the health of my fish.....I've never even heard of that until now.

 

[Byron]

My tap water contains chloramine, and I've never dosed Seachem Prime 2X the recommended amount for my tanks..and don't have issues with the health of my fish.....I've never even heard of that until now.

My tap water contains chloramine, and I've never dosed Seachem Prime 2X the recommended amount for my tanks..and don't have issues with the health of my fish.....I've never even heard of that until now.

Prime is different here. The instructions are to use 5 ml of Prime for every 50 gallons (200 liters). API uses 1 ml for every 20 gallons for chlorine, and 2 ml for chloramine. So for chlorine only, you are using half as much conditioner with API as with Prime. Less chemicals entering the water means less impact on the fish.

Seachem do say to double the dose of Prime "for exceptionally high chloramine concentrations." This to me is a lot of chemical additive.

I personally will not use Prime just because it messes with the chemistry too much, and Seachem could not explain to me how, and unless you have nitrite or nitrate in the source water, all this is unnecessary. Just my view of it.

 

[Essjay]

I emailed API recently to ask about how much Tap Water Conditioner to add when refilling a tank. This is their reply

If pre-mixing water, you are able to just add only the amount for the exchange.
However, when adding water directly to the tank from a hose, you will need to dose the amount for the entire
aquarium gallons. This ensures that the product is adequately mixed throughout, for proper and immediate
dechlorination. To keep your fishes safe.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I emailed API recently to ask about how much Tap Water Conditioner to add when refilling a tank. This is their reply

Yep, I have read this same instruction from other sources, as well...

 

[Fishmanic]

I emailed API recently to ask about how much Tap Water Conditioner to add when refilling a tank. This is their reply

If pre-mixing water, you are able to just add only the amount for the exchange.
However, when adding water directly to the tank from a hose, you will need to dose the amount for the entire
aquarium gallons. This ensures that the product is adequately mixed throughout, for proper and immediate dechlorination. To keep your fishes safe.

This reminds me of the instructions on shampoo bottles. Apply shampoo, lather, rinse, repeat. Sells more shampoo with that one word - repeat