Water Changes , How Do You Do Yours......

[BigbruiserAl]

Tolak explained

This is due to the waste material present in the tank oxidizing the dechlorinator, the same as disinfectants added to your tap water do.

 

[Malawi MaD]

Well i feel a bit of an idiot now keeping fish for so long and not actually hearing this. Its never done my fish any harm what so ever i always add a little more prime than what i should but never the full tank amount, usually just what's been taken out and then add my salts etc.. ( id run out of the stuff after 1 water change if i dosed my whole tank )

 

[cynic]

Thanks that has really helped, cleared things up a lot, add the water slowly so the temp doesen't phase the fish and dose the whole tank volume. Good to know for certain.

 

[FishNChimps]

Hang on now, I don't get this. Those of you who use a hose to refill your tank - if it's coming straight from the tap, how do you get the dechlorinator in before the water reaches the fish?

 

[fishyfeet]

Thanks that has really helped, cleared things up a lot, add the water slowly so the temp doesen't phase the fish and dose the whole tank volume. Good to know for certain.

what is there not to understand, di

 

[cynic]

I was curious, you read on here about temperature being critical, matching water quality using the respective additives like tap safe, ammonia etc.

Having been on the receiving end of an ammonia leak, amongst others (that chemical factory again) i can tell you its something i wouldn't wish on anybody. I had only the briefest exposure but i was breathless for the rest of the day and my eyes were sore for several days. Makes you feel for the fish.

I wonderd how it was done by the more experienced, i figured hosepipes would be in there TBH but wasn't happy guessing the details.

I'll be starting with a clean slate with the 5ft tank and want to get it right thats all. I really don't want to be asking questions AFTER putting fish in, at least not fundamentals like this, its done pretty regular and should be an easy routine.

 

[fluttermoth]

Hang on now, I don't get this. Those of you who use a hose to refill your tank - if it's coming straight from the tap, how do you get the dechlorinator in before the water reaches the fish?

You put the dechlor in the tank before you start re-filling; the water is then dechlorinated as it runs into the tank.

As Tolak and the other posters have pointed out, you do need to use enough dechlor for the whole tank if you're using this method, as organic compounds in the tank bind up some of the dechlor.

Water changes of up to 50% can easily be done with cold water, as long as the new water is trickled in slowly and not dumped in over the fishies heads!
Gradual temperature changes don't harm fish; it's sudden ones that do that.

 

[Tizer]

Hang on now, I don't get this. Those of you who use a hose to refill your tank - if it's coming straight from the tap, how do you get the dechlorinator in before the water reaches the fish?

You can dechlorinate before or after...you just dont want untreated water reaching the filter. You wont have fish scream "oh noes this water hasnt been dechlorinated" and scamper way...its not harmful to them

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Hang on now, I don't get this. Those of you who use a hose to refill your tank - if it's coming straight from the tap, how do you get the dechlorinator in before the water reaches the fish?

You can dechlorinate before or after...you just dont want untreated water reaching the filter. You wont have fish scream "oh noes this water hasnt been dechlorinated" and scamper way...its not harmful to them

+1 I slowly dose the tank with dechlor as I am adding water through the hose. My filter is off when I am doing this, and I restart the filter after the tank is dechlorinated fully.

 

[Spurry]

how long before turning the filter back on?

 

[Ant_Soton]

i just syphon the water out the tank using the gravel vac and then syphone the water back into tank. I add tetra aqua safe to the frsh water befor syphoning it back into tank. I also make sure i aim the water onto a rock of the top and ornament when syphoning water back in so as not to disturb anything ie stir up the gravel to much

 

[BigbruiserAl]

how long before turning the filter back on?

ASAP really but it takes me an hour to fanny around before turning filter and heater on. The media is wet so it can last hours before losing bacteria. As a guide you lose 12% bacteria per 24 hours with the pump off so 1-2 hours wont dent it

 

[Spurry]

what i ment realy is how long for the prime to work before filter goes on?

 

[BigbruiserAl]

what i ment realy is how long for the prime to work before filter goes on?

Sorry miss understood, almost instant couple seconds. Bit like mising ice tea as an example

 

[kyleb2003]

Yeah it acts pretty fast. I have the filter off while I do it then add the dechlor gradually with the water coming through the hose (with the temperature roughly matched to the tank via mixer tap) and once it's full I have the power head running for a bit to ensure the dechlor gets well circulated before putting the filter back on. About half an hour to an hour.