# Does anyone us water from hot water tank?



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

Curious as to if anyone uses water from their hot water tank in the home? I have never done it, but I did read a post where that individual did and I always thought there would be metals, etc and a lot more minerals and stuff that you wouldn't want in your aquarium. I always heat my water and blend with the cold as I have a basalt rock well and don't worry about chlorine or any other stuff. Thanks to anyone that replies.....


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

The water in my well usually runs right around 70F. So yes, I do use my hot water to bring up the temperature to around 75-77, depending on the tank. Nothing else is practical with multiple large tanks.


----------



## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Luckily I have all small tanks and age my water before use. I only use cold water to fill up my jugs and let them get to room temp.


----------



## mike87 (Jan 28, 2012)

no i just prep my water the day before and warm up so its ok for following day. cant see the problem with hot water from tank though if you got carbon in filter should take the unwanted metals out


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

Thanks, I have my own well and the water is very cold as my well is drilled through solid basalt granite and it is 180 feet deep with the first 12 feet in steel casing and rest is rock all the way down, very good quality water, but it would surely make it nice to be able to just draw from my hotwater tank as I change water several times a week between all the tanks. 

This is why I like this forum! Learn something everyday here!!!


----------



## dvanbramer88 (Jul 23, 2011)

I do too use hot water from the tank in my heater without problems.


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

King James said:


> Curious as to if anyone uses water from their hot water tank in the home? I have never done it, but I did read a post where that individual did and I always thought there would be metals, etc and a lot more minerals and stuff that you wouldn't want in your aquarium. I always heat my water and blend with the cold as I have a basalt rock well and don't worry about chlorine or any other stuff. Thanks to anyone that replies.....


The concern is valid but IMHO mainly for reef tanks with delicate corals that are very intollerant of copper. The iron and copper in hot water tanks is added to the water due to both the higher temperature and longer contact time in the tank.

So what I do (and did even in my mixed reef tank) was just top off evaporative water that was taken from a commonly used cold faucet that had been ran for 30 seconds or longer. Then I added that directly to the tank.

By not doing water changes and replacing small amounts of evaporative water the temperature and copper effects were mimual with no adverse effects to the fish or corals. 

Plus with planted setups (macro algaes in refugiums for marine) the thriving plants keep copper low as well.

my .02


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

King James said:


> Thanks, I have my own well and the water is very cold as my well is drilled through solid basalt granite and it is 180 feet deep with the first 12 feet in steel casing and rest is rock all the way down, very good quality water, but it would surely make it nice to be able to just draw from my hotwater tank as I change water several times a week between all the tanks.
> 
> This is why I like this forum! Learn something everyday here!!!


Sounds like you put a lot of care into your tanks and fish. Always good to read.


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

James0816 said:


> Luckily I have all small tanks and age my water before use. I only use cold water to fill up my jugs and let them get to room temp.


The only problem since I am breeding angels and live bearers and water quality is #1.....I change way too much gallonage and I would have buckets sitting all over the place if I did it that way. For small tank that is not a problem. Thanks so much for your input though!


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

[QUOTE The iron and copper in hot water tanks is added to the water due to both the higher temperature and longer contact time in the tank.

my .02[/QUOTE]

I wonder if using safe start or aqua safe or something like that in water to buffer the metals. I don't have to use anything since on own well, but I was reading on bottles that it buffers or takes care of metals in water too along with getting rid of chlorine. But, then again I go through so much water that I would be buying a lot of that stuff. I will just go with it out of tap and since a lot of you do that with no problem I will do it too. My water lines were put in when we built in 1998 and they are all plastic lines too, so that should help I would think, even under the house and throughout the house, no metal water lines at all. I understand the heat causing metal build up though. Good post....thanks!


----------



## ZachZaf (Jan 26, 2012)

King James said:


> Curious as to if anyone uses water from their hot water tank in the home? I have never done it, but I did read a post where that individual did and I always thought there would be metals, etc and a lot more minerals and stuff that you wouldn't want in your aquarium. I always heat my water and blend with the cold as I have a basalt rock well and don't worry about chlorine or any other stuff. Thanks to anyone that replies.....


If your tap water has chlorine in it, your hot tank will too. 


the main concern i would have is do you mean from a spout with the hot water turned on or from the T&P valve. I would STRONGLY SUGGEST NOT using water from the T&P as it will be filled with rust gunk junk and stuff. 

As for me, i use only hot water mixed with RO from the LFS, that is to say, the water heater acts as a resivoir for our soft water system. all the water in the hot water tank is softer than the fresh from ground tap through the water softener. so splitting the hot water with RO helps me not only get the right gh kh ph mix easily! it also helps me get the right temp (or real close to it!)


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

jrman83 wrote:
the main concern i would have is do you mean from a spout with the hot water turned on or from the T&P valve. I would STRONGLY SUGGEST NOT using water from the T&P as it will be filled with rust gunk junk and stuff. 

The above statement is exactly why I have never used hot water from my tank. If you have ever drained one of those after a few years it is amazing at all the stuff that comes out of it, rust, sludge and who knows what. I have my own well so don't have chlorine worries. We don't use that water out of water heater for our cooking, always use cold water for that reason. I saw where several do and that is why I proposed the question. I still think I will keep heating my water in big pan on range top that I only use for adding water to aquariums. Drives my wife nuts, but none the less I will keep up that practice. Thanks so much!


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

Sorry, that was Zachzaf that wrote that what I copied and pasted in my previous post on this subject. Thanks Zach!


----------



## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

King James said:


> Sorry, that was Zachzaf that wrote that what I copied and pasted in my previous post on this subject. Thanks Zach!


You can just hit the quote button underneath the post to quote someone.

I am at school and I can't really have buckets of water lying around to get to room temp (dorm room is small  ) so I use hot water in my tank and everything is fine, I haven't had any issues.


----------



## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

yea I think alot of us just take water from tap. I have a DIY vinyl hose that I just hook straight to faucet, never really a problem since your only drawing a little hot water anyway. I assume you have a house filter? does it filter ALL your water? Your probbabley starting out with much better water than those of us on county water. lol. untill the Village replaced our main water lines this past summer our water would come out orange for about 15 seconds, I also replaced our house lines from old galvanized to Pex and it made a huge difference, wish I would have tested water before and after all change just to know. 
I'm with ya on the wife thing, mine goes nuts if I pour Fish water in kitchen sink or bathtub.lol I just wait till she goes to work for tank cleaning. haha


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

hanky said:


> yea I think alot of us just take water from tap. I have a DIY vinyl hose that I just hook straight to faucet, never really a problem since your only drawing a little hot water anyway. I assume you have a house filter? does it filter ALL your water? Your probbabley starting out with much better water than those of us on county water. lol. untill the Village replaced our main water lines this past summer our water would come out orange for about 15 seconds, I also replaced our house lines from old galvanized to Pex and it made a huge difference, wish I would have tested water before and after all change just to know.
> I'm with ya on the wife thing, mine goes nuts if I pour Fish water in kitchen sink or bathtub.lol I just wait till she goes to work for tank cleaning. haha


Thanks for info on responding to quote.....I got a laugh about the wife deal...same as me. Now I have spare bathroom hatching brine shrimp and have electric heater in there to keep it at 82 degrees with lights on, that is making points! LOL Naw, she is a good wife and puts up with me for sure!


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I mix hot and cold right from the tap, get my balance and go for it. I breed livebearers, cichlids (including rainforest species) Corydoras, killifish, tetras, barbs - all in water that has at least partially passed through the water tank. I have multiple tanks and do 25% changes weekly - religiously. 
My municipal water source doesn't have chloramine, but it does have chlorine. With a 25% change, it causes no problems (delicate West African river cichlids and killies will spawn in it the next day) but if I go past 25%, I dechlorinate.

With multiple tanks, it is the only practical way to go.


----------



## KevinMcG (Aug 11, 2011)

Yes, I use hot water tap (mixed with cold water in a bucket) to make 24-25 degrees for my tank. I always make sure I use water conditioner (Tapsafe, Aquasafe etc) to make it safe and I've never had any problems since.

I've tried filling a bucket of cold water and then wait a day or two to allow room temperature, but the water was still too cold for my tropical tank.

I never change water during the weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun) as the water utility company in my area double the strength of chemicals in tap water cos they are closed over the weekend.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Kevin raised a great point there. My water source flushes the pipes once a year, in the Spring. We get advance notice, and I'm thankful for it. We weren't warned in my previous municipality, and a simple water change cost me over 100 fish once. It's good to know what your water source is up to, water heater or not.


----------



## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I use the hot and cold water from our taps to get the water to the right temp for my tanks.

We are getting a softener though, and my in-laws don't want to get a hot water by-pass so I'm going to be getting a 55g garbage bucket and filling that with water, then using a spare 200watt heater to heat it.


----------



## fishnjeeps (Nov 11, 2011)

I live in an apartment so I really have no choice but to use the hot water from the tank. From my investigation of the pipes all are plastic so that helps. I also use a water conditioner that I can buy by the Gallon. I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. So far no issues with any of my fish. Even my crayfish is still pinching away.


----------



## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

I dont use water from my house system (well water). I tote water from the water mill outside my local store. Its RO/DI and seems to be working fine. I fill a spare aquarium up and mix the salt with it and aerate it with a powerhead. I heat it the night before I want to use it with a spare heater. I have order a 6 stage RO/DI unit so hopefully the trips to the water mill will be no more when I get it.


----------



## ZachZaf (Jan 26, 2012)

King James said:


> Thanks for info on responding to quote.....I got a laugh about the wife deal...same as me. Now I have spare bathroom hatching brine shrimp and have electric heater in there to keep it at 82 degrees with lights on, that is making points! LOL Naw, she is a good wife and puts up with me for sure!



I am glad to hear others have squeamish wife issues... I have a slew of dedicated cups that have never touched fish water, but have been near a tank during a change (as well as bowls) that are now fish fodder. she also stays out of the basement bathroom sink! but she does love to come into the office sit and watch!


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

What I think is funny about people who are squimish about aquariums is they don't realize the tank water is probably better then the tap water. *old dude

my .02


----------



## dante322 (Jan 15, 2012)

I hook the python to the tap, turn on both hot and cold. When the running water gets to its highest temp, back off the hot until the running water is the same as the tank. Close the valve, put a squirt of dechlor in the tank by where the water is filling and fill it up.

At one time I was doing water changes on 4 tanks. Being a working stiff time is precious. This was always the quckest way to do it. While one tank was filling I was vaccuming out another. Could do all 4 tanks in about an hour and a half. Never seemed to have any ill effects on the fish. 
I now have a 150 gallon tank. To do even a 25% water change requires almost 30 gallons of water in buckets and probably another 5 on the stove heating up. Sorry, call me a bad fishkeeper, but that seems a little impractical.


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

dante322 said:


> I hook the python to the tap, turn on both hot and cold. When the running water gets to its highest temp, back off the hot until the running water is the same as the tank. Close the valve, put a squirt of dechlor in the tank by where the water is filling and fill it up.
> 
> At one time I was doing water changes on 4 tanks. Being a working stiff time is precious. This was always the quckest way to do it. While one tank was filling I was vaccuming out another. Could do all 4 tanks in about an hour and a half. Never seemed to have any ill effects on the fish.
> I now have a 150 gallon tank. To do even a 25% water change requires almost 30 gallons of water in buckets and probably another 5 on the stove heating up. Sorry, call me a bad fishkeeper, but that seems a little impractical.


My biggest tank is 75 and it is about 3 feet from a window and I live on 5 acres so neighbors are far away, so I just run about 20 feet out the window and empty into the yard. The other 3 tanks are 29,20 and 15 so they are easy. I use bucket still with them, all are right next to spare bathroom so easy trips. I am getting the python hose though as I have not been using hot water from tap and carried buckets with heated water from range top, I will start using tap. On own well and water quality is "EXCELLENT" one of advantages of living in Idaho.....Clean crystal clear water.


----------



## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> What I think is funny about people who are squimish about aquariums is they don't realize the tank water is probably better then the tap water. *old dude
> 
> my .02


AGREED!


----------



## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

so its agreed, hot tap water is ok, and were not alone with sqeemish wives.lol
maybe we should start a thread for just sqeemish spouse stories.


----------



## Hooperman42 (Oct 23, 2011)

I turn on the kitchen faucet and get the water to the aprox temp. And use stress coat and never had an issue.


----------



## King James (Jan 30, 2012)

I just checked my water temperature coming out of my well and the TDS electronic digital water tester showed 9 degrees celsius....I don't know what that translates into in farenheit, but it has to be in the 40's or thereabouts doesn't it? High 40's I would guess.


----------

