Why Not To Do Water Changes If You Can't Remember What Day It Is&#

[jollysue]

I had forgotten why I don't do water changes when I am in lala land.

I overfilled 4 tanks. The first one overflowed for a LOOOONG time, because I couldn't figure out where the water was coming from!

 

[ICEEGRL]

How bad was the flood?
How many fish went overboard? (Not the blacks I hope...)
Were you doing all 4 at one time?

I guess you are now cleaning floors...
I hope they are all ok... fish and floors...

 

[jollysue]

Actually the one that overflowed for a LOOOOOng time was the black tank. But no one went overboard.

I ran around trying to figure out where water was coming from.


DUH! DUH! DUH!

Finally I remembered that I was filling a ten gallon tank.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Those poor fish just can't get a break...
You should just go on and send them to me...
They are trying to tell you to get them in a bigger tank that holds more water... soon.

 

[Tolak]

Don't kick yourself, I've done this & worse before. Hose falls out of tank, I'm letting the dog out, and doing something upstairs. 25 gallon creek across the basement floor.

The dumbest had to be the time I left the valve open on the fishroom side of my fill hose. I'm 50 feet away, getting the water up to temp in the laundry room, and notice a pressure problem. I leave it running, and go upstairs to see if someone is taking a shower, or washing dishes. Nope. I go outside to see if someone is washing a car, or watering the lawn. Nope. Neighbor is out, I ask him if he is having water pressure problems. He's not, bums a smoke off of me, and we talk for a while. Water is still running, I forgot about it. It is also washing the fishroom floor, real good.

This is why mops are a part of keeping fish.

 

[jollysue]

ICEEGRL says we need a shop vac. Actually she said a carpet cleaner, but I think we need a shop vac, Tolak.

 

[Polardbear]

I almost did this today. Trying to hurry up and get one more water change in before leaving for work and turned my bank on the tank filling while trying to clean the filter up.... Caught it just in the nick of time. Would not have been a good thing since the tank is in my living room!

 

[jollysue]

This is one of my worst, but it is a hazard with me. I overfill way too often. If I am zoned from working too many hours too often, I wander away and forget what I am doing. Like Tolak!

As a matter of fact I was changing filters in a tank and that is why I was looking in the wrong place for he leak. I thought my filter was doing it.

I have had filters get holes or cracks and spring leaks. But really, I saw the water and couldn't put 2 and 2 together. You'd think I would realize I was filling a tank and check there first. I was really zoned. Everything I did I did wrong and made mistakes. Hopefully I started all the filters back up. Guess I better check if they are all working right.

I run 2 filters on most tanks, just in case, and still forget to get them going.

 

[ICEEGRL]

I said carpet cleaner because it was on carpet... the cleaner will suck out the water from the carpet and you can clean the carpets at the same time... get a better smell going...
A shop vac only removes the water... for the money... I like the cleaner. (and if the land lord/husband/what ever... notices the wet carpet... "I cleaned the carpet" )

I let the bucket over flow a few times...

 

[jollysue]

Actually, the carpet was recently cleaned when I moved in. It is clean water, so I just towel it up. I keep ceiling fans on all the time in the fish room, so by morning it was nearly dry. It so far in the 2 years since I have been in an apartment has not made a problem other than the time spent mopping it up and doing the towels.

 

[stuhyde]

When I do water changes, I use water from a boiled kettle rather than the hot water tap, and mix 2-3 gallon buckets and empty in as required?

Id dont leave a hose pipe in there, because of the dechlorination of the water?

Or am I missing something?

 

[dthoffsett]

When I do water changes, I use water from a boiled kettle rather than the hot water tap, and mix 2-3 gallon buckets and empty in as required?

Id dont leave a hose pipe in there, because of the dechlorination of the water?

Or am I missing something?

Thought I'd answer since the others are unlikely to since this thread is almost a year old.

A lot of the people on here who have large or multiple tanks use a python or other drain and fill hose system. You can add your dechlorinator directly to the water since it works so quickly.

 

[Cory_Dad]

Nope stuhyde, you're not missing anything here.

Some people fill tanks directly from the tap and add declor to the tank at the same time. Jollysue lives in a warmish climate to really cold tap water isn't an issue for her.

I use to do that but no more (long story). Now I fill several large pails with COLD tap water, add dechlor and let sit for 24 hr. to warm up. I don't care if the water is 4 or 5 C cooler than the tank water as cool water changes sometimes trigger spawning. Besides, why waste the electricity. Every little bit helps.

Cheers.

LOL dthoffsett.

Good timing....