Water Changes

[kevy]

When you change your your water do you condition it first? With like Aqua Safe or is there someone else you do? If you are only changing like 10-15 % at a time do you need to even do anything? Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[smb]

Depends on how exactly you clean your tank.

I use a Python, which is a hose hooked up to the sink and I do the gravel clean/water change and before I add the water, I add dechlorinator.

At one time I had 44 tanks and did most of it with a regular gravel cleaner into 5g pails. I would always have a barrel of stored water around to use. You can also add the dechlorinator directly into each pail of water you put in and just mix it up a bit before adding it.

I would always add a dechlorinator to my water no matter how little your water change is though. The chlorine is toxic to fish and breaks down the gill membranes leaving them struggling to breathe after continuos exposure to it, and emminently, death.

 

[Great Lakes]

Kevy, many folk use an additive to neutralize any ammonia that may be present in their tap water before using it to top off or do wc's.

The thing to do is to check the parameters of the water you are adding to the tank. This way, you are not "flying blind" and won't be taken by surprise if your parameters are altered a bit after a change.

My tap water has a ph of 7.8, alk is 10, with no ammonia present. So I use it as is.

 

[smb]

Kevy, many folk use an additive to neutralize any ammonia that may be present in their tap water before using it to top off or do wc's.

The thing to do is to check the parameters of the water you are adding to the tank. This way, you are not "flying blind" and won't be taken by surprise if your parameters are altered a bit after a change.

My tap water has a ph of 7.8, alk is 10, with no ammonia present. So I use it as is.

It's not ammonia that you have to worry about. It's the chlorine and the chloramines that are added to some of our water to make it safe for us to drink.

I hope you don't think I'm trying to argue with you. That's not my intent.

 

[kevy]

Yea, I have something to neutralize the chlorine. And about what you said about using 5 gallon pails to store water...I was actually planning to do that using the 5 gallon jugs that are used for those water fountains in office buildings.

 

[smb]

Yea, I have something to neutralize the chlorine. And about what you said about using 5 gallon pails to store water...I was actually planning to do that using the 5 gallon jugs that are used for those water fountains in office buildings.

That will work.

It might be kind of messy and break your back considering how they "splurge" so eratically and take forever to empty, but I know if that was my only way I wouldn't hesitate to do it if it meant having fish or not.

 

[kevy]

There is a sink very near where the fish are and I planned on just ciphering (sp?) the water into a pitcher or something before adding it. Is 10% a week enough for a 20 gallon tank? I will probably have 6-10 small livebearers in there.

 

[smb]

There is a sink very near where the fish are and I planned on just ciphering (sp?) the water into a pitcher or something before adding it. Is 10% a week enough for a 20 gallon tank? I will probably have 6-10 small livebearers in there.

Good, sounds like you have it all planned out then.

If it were me I would do 20% a week.

 

[Great Lakes]

Kevy, for that size tank, I would, and have, just go to the market and get a 5gal, container of ro/di water every couple weeks. 5 gallons would be enough for a 20% change, and leave you a little for topping off when needed. This way, you have to use zero chemicals, which is best.

 

[kevy]

Sounds good, thanks guys

 

[revengeishere]

Mostly, when you change less than 20% of an established tnak, theres no need to ad dechlorinators. The 20% wont affect much that it will not cause any harm to the fish, plus your beneficial bacteria shud neutralize your chloramines(chloramine is part chlorine and part ammonia), and the chlorine thats present shudnt affect your fish. But over 20 %, thats a compltely different story...