Water changes

[fuman_chica]

I have wanted rats VERY badly for the last 3 or so years. But my mom said, "I don't want rats in my house!!!!" So I don't have any.

But I did convince my boyfriend to let me get two mice and keep them at his house. He wouldn't let me have the rats because his room is too small to have them in it. Plus, I don't have the money to get a huge cage, which is what I want my rats to have. I got my little mouse cage (one of those plastic "hampster land" cages) at Wal-Mart for only $8.


When I move out, I'll get some.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I don't own them. However, my friend owned two and they were cute.

I think mice would be better pets, though.

 

[George&Ade]

Hi.Im gradually beginning to digest and understand most of the helpfull advice to various questions on here,one of them being the importance of regular water changes.
I would like to ask though,say for example you change 20% of the water in the tank,do you have to warm the fresh tap water up before you put it into the tank,or just use cold.
Also,do you have to treat the fresh water with anything first before it goes (gently) in to the tank?

 

[christine]

In water changes I usually put about the same temperature in as it is in the tank, so you don't shock your fish when they're all warm by putting freezing water in. You can just quickly dip your finger in, (or take some out and dip your finger in if you want, i guess) and jugde it, and then put about the same temperature of tap water in. I usually treat it with some stuff to dechlorinate the wtaer first. Also I keep 3 jugs of water under my sink so I don't have to dechlorinate with the chemicals quite so much. (PS. if your fish are livebearers you could addd a little bit of aquarium salt, but im not sure what it does for my platies Its supposed to help them)

 

[kmurph]

G&A It's actually better if you match the temp. of the water you are putting in the tank with what is already there. I keep a thermometer next to the sink so I can do this. Sudden (drastic) changes in temps can cause stress which weakens fish which leads to illnesses.

When I was in an area that had chlorine in the tap, I would put the dechlor into the tank just before I started to refill it.

HTH

 

[DrOizo]

Do you not dechlorinate the water before you put it into the tank? Putting chlorinated water into the tank for even a short period can't be too good for the fish. In a book I have it says that the fish like it (How does he know ) If the water is a few degrees 2 at max cooler than the water in the tanks temp so I do this and have no probs.

 

[Loboto-Me]

The night before a water change, I fill a huge cookpot full of water and let it sit out. The day I do the water change, I warm the water on the stove while stirring... until it's about the same temp as the aquarium water. This only works if you're doing small water changes because they don't make pots big enough for large water changes. I still add dechlorinator just in case I didn't leave it out long enough.