BigFish Posted June 27, 2002 Report Share Posted June 27, 2002 do you heat the new water that is going to be put into a tropical tank to about the same temp or can you go straight from the tap to tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted June 27, 2002 Report Share Posted June 27, 2002 Bigfish said... > do you heat the new water that is going to be put into a > tropical tank to about the same temp or can you go straight > from the tap to tank? If it's a relatively small change (say about 10% of the water volume) then I wouldn't be too concerned. Generally I do about a 25% change per week and mix hot and cold water to 'close enough, as judged by my finger' sort of a temperature. When I kept red-earred turtles I regularly did 90% water changes straight from a hose in through the window. The tank also contained fish at various times (swordtails and/or goldfish mostly). They didn't seem to care too much although eventually the turtles ate them Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 27, 2002 Report Share Posted June 27, 2002 A man I know who has kept fish for more years than he cares to remember once told me he never adds warm water to his tropical tanks, always cold from the tap. He reckons that in the wild fish float on the surface, where it's warm, then dive to the bottom when danger threatens, and the water temperature at the bottom is a lot colder than the top. I am like Andrew, I add a little warm and use the finger test, but this is for my benefit, not the fishes, as I pour the water into the tank by tipping it over my hand so it does not disturb the bottom. Pouring warm water on your hand is a lot nicer than cold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleatidium Posted June 30, 2002 Report Share Posted June 30, 2002 When I started keeping fish a few years ago I was fanatical about having the new water at just the right temperature. I was nuts with my thermometer adding hot then cold then hot until it was just right. Now I look back on what a dork I was being and just do a mix of hot and cold that feels about right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 30, 2002 Report Share Posted June 30, 2002 Good to see you back on the boards Deleatidium It's true, after a while you get to be able to "Feel" when the water is just right Just a little point about Caryl's post. Fish in the wild are used to these changes that might vary from hour to hour. Fish in the home are/or should be, kept within certain parameters, ones they become accustomed to, so sudden shocks like quick deviations in temperature should really be avoided. JMHO. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted July 24, 2002 Report Share Posted July 24, 2002 Bill you are absolutely right. Home grown/bred/kept fish are a different kettle of fish. Pardon the pun. A fish staying at the surface at a certain temperature suddenly going to a different location with a higher/lower temperature will only do so for a very short while. Wheras a fish in an aquarium, accustomed to lets say 78F then suddely forced to stay for 1 to 2 hours at a very differt temperature is detrimental to that fish(s). If one wishes to immitate nature regarding temperature, one might turn off the heater at night, if the ambient temperature is not too different. Therefore the change is very gradual and not harming the fish. Naturally, that goes for a reasonable sized tank. not for a goldfish-bowl sized tank. Isn't it amazing what you can learn from me? HE HE John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted July 24, 2002 Report Share Posted July 24, 2002 John said, Isn't it amazing what you can learn from me? HE HE I must admit John, that you have enlightened us each day with your posts and your range of knowledge. Just talking about heaters.... I have two in my one and only tank. One is set for normal temp (76-78) and the other at 74 and will only come on in the event of a failure of the main heater. But hang on, I must tell you about my new....... he he :) Bill. BTW: Love the Avatar.... Wondered what you looked like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 24, 2002 Report Share Posted July 24, 2002 He didn't look like that when he first joined The Fishroom. Perhaps we did it to him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted July 24, 2002 Report Share Posted July 24, 2002 That's how I look on a good day. All jokes aside. The only way to learn and accumulate knowlege is, listen, read and listen again. Ask as many question as possible. You might get on someones nerves. But who cares. It's your knwowledge you have to think about. I'm convinced there are quite a few people around who love to explain. There is a latin saying. "Your knowledge means nothing, if the other one doesn't know that you know. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 24, 2002 Report Share Posted July 24, 2002 Another point to remember too is that it is OK to agree to disagree. If it works for you - great. A day in which you don't learn something new is wasted. Pleased to hear your looks have nothing to do with us! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted October 26, 2002 Report Share Posted October 26, 2002 Hi there. It is a long time since I was on this post. I have an electronic, permanently mounted temperature gauge. When I do a water change I use a portable with a long flexible probe. I can mesure any part of the tank. If it differs too much, which is seldom the case, I take the average. Then the water I add has the same temperature as the tank. I syphon the water from a container on top of the tank. It is a bit slow, but not detrimental to the fish regarding the flow. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes. And don't have to hold the hose because it is clamped on the container and the tank. Have a smoke while it fills. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 27, 2002 Report Share Posted October 27, 2002 Don't smoke near your tank. The second hand smoke will give your fish gill cancer. hehehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peety Posted November 27, 2002 Report Share Posted November 27, 2002 At one stage I used to attach my pumps and heaters to the same timer that regulated my lights. There didn't seem to be any probs even over winter where temps plunged quite a lot. The only reason I changed was when i read somewhere that the filter bacteria could crash, and started to think it wasn't worth the risk. I thought it might be good for my fish to have zero current while they slept. I have two filters running and two powerheads to push water around a 2 metre tank... really need a bit more but..... Can i go back to zero filtration/powerheads ??? Or do i assume fish get used to rivers running all night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted November 27, 2002 Report Share Posted November 27, 2002 Fish don't really sleep, but they can find places without much current easily. Well, I guess they do kinda sleep, but it's more like just being really relaxed than totally zonked out like people. Although...My Keyhole seems to only have two levels of conciousness. Awake and dead. Then he comes back to life. He's an undead dwarf cichlid. Oh, and if you were constantly turning off your filters from the very beginning I wouldn't worry about losing your bacteria. They'd just colonze the tank more densely so there wouldn't be many in the filter to kill. BUT, I also don't believe leaving a cycled filter off is that big of a deal, I've done it several times accidentally with no noticable increase in ammonia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted November 27, 2002 Report Share Posted November 27, 2002 Ira said, I also don't believe leaving a cycled filter off is that big of a deal, I've done it several times accidentally with no noticable increase in ammonia. Your secret is out Ira.... Just wondering if this was the cause of all your probs over the past months :) Hi Peety, Can't believe you get/got away with turning the heaters and filtration off as you say. If it's/was to save power, I think it is false economy, and you might find that the heaters would be on longer to reheat the water, than if they were left on just to balance the temp, especially in a 2mtr tank, and in Auckland. I suppose the ideal situation with your filters would be to ease them back a bit if the turbulence is making things hard for the fish to rest on a night, but usually they will (as Ira says) find somewhere that suits their situation for a relaxing night IMO, filters, once established, should be kept running. Regards, Bill (Pegasus) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dambarwa Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 Hi there, How detrimental is smoking near the fish tank? My tank is in the dining room where we usually sit with visitors (and admire the tank!! ), everyone smokes!! Annie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 Cough.... Cough.... Just a mo till I ... Cough.... clear the smoke from.... Cough... the screen..... Ahhh. That's better. Stick the airpump outside under cover if you can. Must admit, I smoke in my fishroom but it doesn't SEEM to harm the fish, but they do keep me awake some nights with their coughing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 Hi Annie, I don't know what it does to the fish, but I noticed the airline at my dads place was stained brown where it came out of the pump, it had been running for years so I don't know how long it took to build up the stain. We changed the plastic tubing and made it longer and put the pump in the cupboard and it remained clean so it wasn't the pump burning out but must have been the smoke from ciggies. cheers, Di Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 Hi I said once "I pump oxygen into the tank" and was told off for it. Fish get the oxygen from the surface. Which is actually true. It is a misconception to think you give them extra oxygen. The current/movement of the water surface supplies the oxygen. Now then, I smoke quite a lot. If putting the airpump outside helps the "smokeproblem". How about if you don't use an airpump. Carry the whole tank outside? NEXT. 2 - 3 hours is the maximum one can leave the filter off, without the bacteria dying. Starting a tank with the bacteria dead is worse than starting with a new filter. A new filter has no bacteria, an "overnight-left-off" filter can have deadly bacteria in it. By the way, I let my fish sleep too. Only before they go to bed, I tuck them in. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilo Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 To all those who smoke (myself included) Don't Stop! Could you imagine a tank full of grumpy fish going through withdrawal symptoms, doesn't bare thinking about :roll: If you have a close fitting lid then the amount of pollutants that get in would be minimal. As mentioned if you use an air pump put it in a cabinet or container (with some sort of air filter over it). Even keeping the pump low will help since smoke rises. Still not sure if it will harm the fish but remember years ago being warned against it. Now where did my ciggie go - Oh that’s right the Pleco grabbed it Cheers Shilo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 Hi I don't think ordinary cigarrete smoke will harm the fish. BUT, cigarette ash or butts WILL. I got a few butts/ash into my Oscar tank. I used an emergency 3000l/h pump (swimmingpool) + filter and within 10 minutes 4 of my Oscars were dead. I am not sure about ash, but tobacco IS deadly. Nicotin poisoning. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dambarwa Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 Hi there John, I'll try not to use the tank as an ash-tray!! hehehehe Poor buggers. Annie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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