Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Hi There, Not sure where this topic would go under so i figured beginners corner would be fine.. hope so! Now, NZ is pretty cold... well during winter anyway.... And when it comes to water changes... I find that I have to take quite a lot of time slowly adding the water into the tank because of the cold water from the tap. I tried leaving the water to age over night which did help increase the water temp but definitely not enough. Anyone has any tips regarding this? I find that the vacuuming and siphoning is a breeze but the topping up water into the tank seems to take ages. If this process can be improved, I guess it would be better for my fish and me too. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 If your really worried use hot water from the tap as well to bring the temp up.. But for a 10-20% water change the water temp wont change much anyway I wouldn't think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 I just pour it from a standard kitchen mixer tap at 27 degrees (measured with a hand-held thermometer in the backet). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Some people top up their tanks with cold water all year round, but personally I like to top up with warm water, especially in the winter. This is partly because I have clown loaches, which are pretty sensitive to cold water. I just use a mix of hot and cold water from the tap. I don't worry about testing the temp, just as long as it's not very cold (or very hot!) I just put it straight in the tank. With this method you need to make sure you don't have an old house with copper or lead pipes - often old hot water pipes used to be made of copper. Another method is to use water from the cold tap, but boil a kettle-full and add it to your bucket of cold water. Give it a good stir, then add it to your tank. Also if you have a second heater, you could put it in your bucket of water overnight to equalise the temp before adding to the tank - but don't let the heater touch the sides of your plastic bucket! The consequences don't bear thinking about! But if you have hardy fish who don't mind a bit of temperature variation, and if you do smallish water changes each time, you can probably just get away with cold water changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Ou? Boiling the water should not have any negative effect on the water then? I was worried about using boiling water... I might just do that then, mixing boiling water with tap water till its a the correct temp! :bounce: Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 I just use this thing called the "Hot water" tap you turn that up a little bit and the water coming out gets hotter. Actually, I turn the hot on all the way and then adjust the cold. The cold tap makes a whistling noise so I can get it about right then I just keep an eye on the tank thermometer and adjust every 5 minutes or so to keep the temp roughly stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 :lol: I was considering using that too! But seriously... I am not sure about the whole copper pipes thiing... and was worried that i might be poisoning my fish... which is why i had always stick to cold water... So no negative effect in boiling the water right? Anyone disagree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron-Betta Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 I dont like using a hot tap as i often find the hot tap water to be cloudy. I usually take a 8 or 9 litre bucket of water out at a time and replace with a bucket that contains half a jug of boiling water, topped up with cold tap water and a dose of water conditioner. I dont get pidantic (sp) about temps, its around close enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 Dont worry i just use my hot water tap top it back up,and they are fine.I use to be like you and use just cold,till my daughter told me she was useing hot tap.And i have not had a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_r Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 ive only ever used a bucket and filled with both hot and cold water and make sure that when feeling it with my hand its close enough to the temp of the tank. The only reason i try get it close it is do big 80%ish water changes for most of my tanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 80%?!! why? I always thought that would disastrous for the bacterial colony in the tank/filter, causing havoc with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 80%?!! why? I always thought that would disastrous for the bacterial colony in the tank/filter, causing havoc with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in the tank? I do 80%+ too - it does no harm to the filter, keeps all those levels near zero, and greaty increases the chances of spawning behavior too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 wow really? I had no idea... I might consider altering my water change routine now.. How often do you do that kind of water change? I presume its great for planted tanks? I have a small algae problem (using strong lighting for certain plants) and i presume that kind of a water change could be the solution. Definitely will need to mix with hot water though... My Convicts will turn to popsicles if i don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 I do all my tanks once a week. I occassionally get yelled at for using up all the hot water :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 80%?!! why? I always thought that would disastrous for the bacterial colony in the tank/filter, causing havoc with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in the tank? 1. There is practically no bacteria in the water. 2. The only way it might stress the bacteria on surfaces is if water conditions change dramatically. 3. If you doing 80% regularly the tank water will not be significantly different than your new water. It's only if you go and do tiny changes for months which allows your tank water to get all dirty and nasty and then a big change with nice clean water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 Wow... all this time i was only doing 15% water changes to the tank every week... thinking any higher and my bacteria colony in my canister filter will suffer... I will be changing things from now on. How often do you do your water changes Ira? Once a week like tHEcONCH or twice a week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 Wow... all this time i was only doing 15% water changes to the tank every week... thinking any higher and my bacteria colony in my canister filter will suffer... I will be changing things from now on. How often do you do your water changes Ira? Once a week like tHEcONCH or twice a week? Once a...Uhh...Yeah! Week! Or...Ummm...Maybe less...Depending...Hehehe. I aim for once a week anyway. I usually do approximately 50% water changes. Sometimes more if I get distracted. Once or twice it's been WAY more. In case you're wondering, 200 pearl gouramis actually don't seem to mind so much when you completely drain their tank... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 lol! 200??! I wish i had room for more fish.. Thats awesome. Thanks for the info guys. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 lol! 200??! That was just one tank of them. I'm convinced that almost all the adult pearl gouramis in the country now are from(or descended from) my single breeding of them... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 I do 50% or more daily waterchange for my discus and 50% waterchange 3 times a week for my fighters. ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 I just use a mix of hot and cold water from the tap. I don't worry about testing the temp, just as long as it's not very cold (or very hot!) Me too, I try to keep on eye on the thermometer in the tank too, like was already said. The key here is that as long as you don't make a major temperature change most fishies don't seem to mind. I know that discus requires big water changes but I didn't realize that (or probably read already and forgot :oops: ) that some people were doing big changes on a regular basis. Now, when I get home from Calgary I'll have to do a big water change in my tanks, should I expect a bacterial bloom??? Ira, the 50% water changes weekly does that make your water cloudy??? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 Ira, the 50% water changes weekly does that make your water cloudy??? Caper Nope, why would it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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