# water change questions



## fisfan (Mar 24, 2010)

1. How do you ensure that the temperature of the refill water is the same as your tank temperature? 

2. If you are using a faucet hose, is it acceptable to add the water conditioner to your tank after you refill?

Thanks
fisfan


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## gearhead65 (May 6, 2010)

I was wondering the same as well. Newbie here!! LOL! Good questions.


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## logansmomma1228 (May 2, 2010)

I am not sure what most people do, but I know that I am going to adjust the water parameters out of the tap before I put it into my tank. I am still pretty new at this myself, but my guess would be that it could affect your fish. You could run it out of the tap as close as you can get it to the temp of the water that is in the tank already.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

You'll get varying answers on this as some use the python and add the water directly from the tap and the conditioner to the tank.

Me, on the other hand, I age my water in 2.5g jugs for at least 24hrs prior. My pH from the well is way to low so I use crushed coral to buffer the water and bring up the pH prior to the wc.


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

This is based on my experience, as I'm sure others do things differently in this hobby, but I just try to feel the temperature of the water on my skin compared to that of the tank. As far as water changes go, I fill up buckets with water and add conditioner to those, letting them sit to make sure the conditioner has been able to treat all the water. I know some that use the python hose and pour water directly into the tank and add conditioner to the tank...I would be afraid that the conditioner wouldn't be able to work as quickly as the new chlorinated water is added to the tank. Some contaminants may still find their way to the fish/plants/beneficial bacteria before the conditioner is able to flow through all the areas where the new water is located.

Just my opinions!


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I have 21 tanks running and use a python on all of them. Just make sure by feel that the water is close to same temp as the tank, add conditioner first before refilling. I always add enough conditioner for the entire tank, not just to replace what I took out. Never had any problems with the fish doing it that way, and I have some sensitive fish like discus, angels, rams and otos. Putting it in after filling the fish are in chlorine/chloramine during that time and it can cause damage in just that short of time.


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## jeffro0050 (Apr 4, 2010)

An interesting side note- adding cooler water to the tank is an often used trigger for spawning many species.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

fisfan said:


> 1. How do you ensure that the temperature of the refill water is the same as your tank temperature?


I don't.


> 2. If you are using a faucet hose, is it acceptable to add the water conditioner to your tank after you refill?


not to me. I don't use any water conditioner


> Thanks
> fisfan


Welcome

What I do is run cold water for a minute then fill up a container. And just replace the water that evaporates. No water changes.

I use no water conditioners and just let the plants condition the system.

I only add 5-10% to replace evaporative so the temperature does not have to be exact.


my .02


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## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

I think you are getting the drift that the temps don't have to be exact. Even if you are 10 degrees off unless for some reason you are doing like a 79% change it won't make a huge difference in the tank temperature. One tank I take care of at my grandparents house is on city water. I add enough Prime to treat the entire tank and then refill with tap water. The 120G tank at my house I use RO water so I fill my water jugs the night before and it sits to room temperature. It is not quite as warm as the tank but it is not too far off.
If you are too concerned about it you can take a thermometer from your tank and get your tap water to the correct temp and then fill your buckets or use a Python, but that is not necessary.


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## zzpat (Apr 8, 2009)

fisfan said:


> 1. How do you ensure that the temperature of the refill water is the same as your tank temperature?
> 
> 2. If you are using a faucet hose, is it acceptable to add the water conditioner to your tank after you refill?
> 
> ...


I use touch. After awhile you can tell what the temp is supposed to be.

I add conditioner after the water is added to the tank because I'm too lazy to add it before.

Since you're kinda new, one quick suggestion. Don't clean your aquarium with a spay of Windex or other glass cleaner. It's the fastest way to kill fish. 

You can put some glass cleaner on a paper towel and clean the glass that way, just don't spray it. Then be sure you clean your hands before you feed the fish. Windex on your hands is as bad as a spray of Windex.


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## longtail4711 (Jun 8, 2010)

1.) I have a small digital water temp reader that I got at PetsMart (Top Fin&#153 Digital Aquarium Thermometer - Heating - Fish - PetSmart ) that works out well so I just adjust the tap with it running over the meter end. 

2.) I add the water conditioner to the tank first and then refill it from the python hose.


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

I just hook a python thing to a well water facet outside and fill my tanks. 

The fill water is much colder than the tank water, but when topping off the tanks I only have to put in an inch or 2 or water and I haven't had any issues yet. I don't think it drops the tank water temp very much.

No water conditioner used.


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## ellyabillion (Feb 20, 2010)

I just let my water sit for 24 h to let the chlorine/chloramine evaporate. I presume the water warms up that way too, but now I'm wondering if mid-winter water (REALLY COLD out of the tap) and our not so warm house may not be a good thing. I don't use any conditioners.

On a related tangent- can you use a python with water in buckets? I still want to let my water age for about a day, but it would be helpful if I didn't have to lift the bucket to refill the tank. I'm not that tall, and I don't have raging upper-body strength to lift a 5 gal bucket filled with water to the top of my aquarium.


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

ellabillion - You should use the python hose to fill out of a bucket if you had a place to set the bucket that is above the tank level. Or you could get a powerhead or something like that attach a hose to the output and use that to pump water from the bucket to the tank. I've done that to "powerdrain" tanks


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## longtail4711 (Jun 8, 2010)

I echo what SquirrelCrusher said. A 5 gal. bucket of water weighs about 40 pounds, so if you can find a sturdy enough shelf or stand or something that is higher up than your tank, you could well fill up the bucket with the python, and then when you do a water change, you can use a siphon to move the water from the bucket into the tank.


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## igot2gats (Aug 12, 2010)

I buy a separate thermometer & hold it under the faucet while the water is running, & adjust the temp accordingly. I use this thermometer solely for water changes.

That way I know the water temp is the same as the tank before I fill the tank back up.


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## Dmaaaaax (Nov 20, 2008)

1. Most people who use conditioners put it into the tank then add the new water.

2. You can remove your thermometer and get close to the temp, or go by touch, or just add cold. The last is similar to rainfall and mountain run off in the amazon, and this colder water can trigger fish to spawn.

3. Conditioner is not necessary if you are not changing large % of your tank at at time or if you let the water sit for 24hr.

4. For delicate fish, like Discus, I make up a 20g trash can worth of water the day before. I put a pump and heater in the trash can, then add chemicals to adjust the hardness, pH, and plant nutrients. The next day after removing 30% of my tank's water with a python, I connect a tube to the pump in the trash can and use it to pump the new water into my tank. This takes about 10min. The pump I am using is for sumps, so it is strong enough to pump all the water from trashcan up to the 75g tank.


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