Using Hot Water From The Tap For Water Changes...

[stoneagedinosaur]

Morning all

I have always followed the advice on not using hot water from the domestic system as it is full of heavy metals - makes sense to me. However... on reading my Interpet easy test guide book it reckons that if you leave the hot water running for 5 minutes, that will get rid of any copper in the water as that water won't have had prolonged exposure to the copper pipes.

I look forward to hearing your views. Using tap water would be so much easier than filling buckets!

 

[minxfishy]

I always use hot (and cold) from mixer tap to direct via hose to refill my tanks, never had any issue even when I kept shrimps with doing it this way.

 

[BigC]

I'm not going to argue with the giants of the industry here. and their findings may well be true but.
Pipes are one thing, water left to heat in an old copper cylinder is quite something else.
To be honest I was always taught not to use such water and I've been around this game for over 40 years.
Ultimately the decision is up to you, but I would say one thing, knowing that you know that there is a possibility of this water containing harmful certain elements then why are you considering using it only to make life easier for yourself and not the fish your charged with looking after. Sorry to sound so blunt as I don't mean to offend you or anyone else for that matter, by my last statement.
I utilise a 2 gallon buckets for all my water changing. (I make the water up to suit the species I'm keeping) I then boil a kettle of the made up water and add enough of this to equalise the water in the bucket with the water in the main tank. Experience will show in time that you will be able to gauge the temps with your hand to within a few degrees either way.
I use a small cheap kettle from Argos for under £5 specifically for this purpose.
Regards
BigC

 

[The Noob Fish Shepherd]

I use hosewater and all seems well and dandy hehehee.

 

[minxfishy]

I'm not going to argue with the giants of the industry here. and their findings may well be true but.
Pipes are one thing, water left to heat in an old copper cylinder is quite something else.
To be honest I was always taught not to use such water and I've been around this game for over 40 years.
Ultimately the decision is up to you, but I would say one thing, knowing that you know that there is a possibility of this water containing harmful certain elements then why are you considering using it only to make life easier for yourself and not the fish your charged with looking after. Sorry to sound so blunt as I don't mean to offend you or anyone else for that matter, by my last statement.
I utilise a 2 gallon buckets for all my water changing. (I make the water up to suit the species I'm keeping) I then boil a kettle of the made up water and add enough of this to equalise the water in the bucket with the water in the main tank. Experience will show in time that you will be able to gauge the temps with your hand to within a few degrees either way.
I use a small cheap kettle from Argos for under £5 specifically for this purpose.
Regards
BigC

No offence taken BigC, I was worried before I started doing it because of being told of the copper in the pipes etc, however, doesnt the heating system in the house make a difference to the amount of copper in the pipes? I was reassured because my heating is done via a condenser boiler (therefore only heating what hot water I use) and isnt sitting around in the pipes or in an immersion heater that it wouldnt be a problem. I can only give my experience to the OP that I havent had a problem, although from what Ive read that old houses with certain heating systems are more likely to contain the copper that would cause a problem for the fish.

If I was convinced that what I was doing was causing my fish any suffering then I would have to change my routine, as you say, boiling a kettle and adding that to the tank as the cold water refilled (however the cold water is still coming thru the same pipes as the hot water), if that was still a danger to them, I would have to give up the hobby as re-filling a 125g and a 100g tank with 50% water changes (as I routinely do 50% w/c 2x weekly on my tanks) would not be feasible with buckets.

 

[hamfist]

.... because my heating is done via a condenser boiler (therefore only heating what hot water I use) and isnt sitting around in the pipes or in an immersion heater that it wouldnt be a problem.

From what I understand, with a boiler that instantly heats (from the cold water supply) any hot water you want, as and when you need it, you would be safe using that hot water with fish.

With a hot water system that heats up a load of water and then stores it in a hot water tank, ready for use, then I would never use water from that in a fish tank. Far too much chance of nasty metals or other sediment being carried along with the water into the aquarium. Unfortunately, in 30 years of fishkeeping I have always lived in a house with a hot water tank

 

[raptorrex]

I'm not going to argue with the giants of the industry here. and their findings may well be true but.
Pipes are one thing, water left to heat in an old copper cylinder is quite something else.
To be honest I was always taught not to use such water and I've been around this game for over 40 years.
Ultimately the decision is up to you, but I would say one thing, knowing that you know that there is a possibility of this water containing harmful certain elements then why are you considering using it only to make life easier for yourself and not the fish your charged with looking after. Sorry to sound so blunt as I don't mean to offend you or anyone else for that matter, by my last statement.
I utilise a 2 gallon buckets for all my water changing. (I make the water up to suit the species I'm keeping) I then boil a kettle of the made up water and add enough of this to equalise the water in the bucket with the water in the main tank. Experience will show in time that you will be able to gauge the temps with your hand to within a few degrees either way.
I use a small cheap kettle from Argos for under £5 specifically for this purpose.
Regards
BigC

however, those who use de-chlorination/water conditioner, have no worries. copper is a heavy metal, as such, bound by, nearly, all of these products. PROBLEM SOLVED . wives tales abound in fishkeeping, simply reading the back of your conditioner bottle, can solve any worries, just why people keep peddling this one, is beyond me.

 

[meguro]

use cold water

 

[Ben M]

cold water can shock the fish.


cheers

 

[ian]

I use water straight from the combi boiler, add a bit of conditioner and Roberts your fathers brother, job done, never had any problems

 

[hamfist]

and Roberts your fathers brother

Lol, I wonder what the non-Brits are making of that !!!

 

[Ben M]

yes lol, in england it's 'and bob's your uncle'

cheers

 

[Truck]

You're only going to need warm water if doing water changes larger than 25%, I use the hot tap with no problems when doing this.

If the water change is under 25% there is no need to heat it any way, so cold water is fine to use.

 

[kizno1]

ive always used a mixture of hot and cold water and never had a problem at all but like truck said if im only doing a small waterchange i just use cold.

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

however, those who use de-chlorination/water conditioner, have no worries. copper is a heavy metal, as such, bound by, nearly, all of these products. PROBLEM SOLVED . wives tales abound in fishkeeping, simply reading the back of your conditioner bottle, can solve any worries, just why people keep peddling this one, is beyond me.

We keeps peddling it because we don't know any better!

Just checked the back of the Nutrafin Aqua Plus that I use to condition water and lo and behold = Nutrafin plus contains a cholating compound that reacts strongly with COPPER, lead, cadmium and other undesirable metals to neutralize and render them harmless

It's all in the small print folks... Well that'll save a lot of pan heating then...