# Filling a tank with water



## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

i was curious how everyone fills their tank back up with water after a water change. i have had some trouble losing fish after water changes and can never seem to get the temp perfect as i have just upgraded to a 125 it is a little harder to do.

i know a lot of people just put a hose in and dump water and treat the whole tank with dechlor...personally i am really uncomfortable with putting chlorine in the tank and then treating it.

I used to have a second tank i would fill with water and let sit for a week before a waterchange and just pump that water into the tank. this worked great but i can no longer do that and treating buckets and dumping 5 gal at a time is more work that i would like to do if i can find an easier way.

please lemme know how you do it and if putting water in and then treating is really a safe thing to do


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## sschreiner5 (Oct 11, 2011)

I have a plastic beer pitcher that I use to get the water from my bucket to the tank. I fill up the pitcher, submerge the pitcher in the tank and then dump it out. I fill up a bucket with water to put in the tank and add stress coat while the bucket fills. I usually fill the bucket with warm water then wait until it cools down to tank temp (78) then do the change. My water only sits in the bucket for an hour or two, once or twice I didnt get to it the day I filled the bucket so it has sat over night. I add Kents to the tank (for my plants) right before the first pitcher of water goes in. It doesn't take long to empty a 5 gallon bucket with a pitcher, maybe 7 times, but I only do 5 gallons a week cause my tank is only 29 gallons. Maybe you could find a really big pitcher?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

You add dechlorinator before adding water and it treats it as it goes in. I use a python on all my tanks.


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

im thinking i might buy a 50 gal drum to hold water and pump it into the tank...idk why i lose fish there must be something in my water that Im missing


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

water change?

sorry I can't help.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

I do what Susan does, I have a 75 and it was getting too hard for me to use 5 gallon buckets x.x


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## e-zlight (Mar 20, 2011)

I grabbed a 55gallon food grade plastic drum for $25, and I have my 5 stage ro/di filter setup with a float valve at the 50 gallon mark. Start my filter, let her run, and let her sit for a couple days. I have a temp gauge in floating in the barrel, and a extra heater in case I need to bump up the temp on a cold day when I plan to do a wc.

I'm also saltwater, and the mix needs to sit for minimum 24 hours before my fish seeing it. Which also means I have a powerhead in the bottom of the barrel to keep that water moving.


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

Your fish can be dying from PH shock. I use a PH buffer that removes the chlorine while neutralizing the PH level.

For my last SW tank, I used an empty brand new black plastic trashcan to store my freshly mixed saltwater with a water pump to stir it.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

A python or similar setup allows you to adjust the temp at the faucet. You dont have to get a thermometer out or anything as long as it is pretty close. FWIW, I make RO water to add to my tanks and usually have to start on that about 2 days before my water change day. Sometimes this water gets into the low 70s/high 60s after it has sat for a while if it is cold outside. I add all of my RO water first and then come behind with my tap. Have never lost a fish from the temp fluctuating, but it usually only swings 4-5 degrees at the most.


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

RO was another thing i thought of with a drum to fill it in...would a simple like 24 gallon a day suffice?


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## Rob72 (Apr 2, 2011)

i just use a python and tap water,just adjust the water comming out as close as i can to the tank water


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

drunkenbeast said:


> RO was another thing i thought of with a drum to fill it in...would a simple like 24 gallon a day suffice?


Do you think you need RO? How stable is your ph?


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## joevw007 (Jul 6, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> water change?
> 
> sorry I can't help.


I lol at every one of your posts like this beasl. just letting people know that you have had your fish in the same water since 1982 . 

its weird that your fish are being effected by water changes, maybe youre using old water dechlorinator?


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## Hossack (Sep 14, 2011)

I live in the country and i'm on a well so chlorine isn't an issue unless its summertime and the well is running low then we have to get it filled which is then city water.

This is probably unprofessional but I use my hand to check temperature. I use a large bucket put it under the laundry sink and add seachem prime directly to the bucket as its filling which removes chlorine, chloramine, ammonia and detoxifies nitrites and nitrates. Also provides slime coat according to the bottle.


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

my ph is around 8 off the tap..idk if its stable ive only checked it a few times but thats not a problem for my fish thats what they like


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

drunkenbeast said:


> i was curious how everyone fills their tank back up with water after a water change. i have had some trouble losing fish after water changes and can never seem to get the temp perfect as i have just upgraded to a 125 it is a little harder to do.
> 
> i know a lot of people just put a hose in and dump water and treat the whole tank with dechlor...personally i am really uncomfortable with putting chlorine in the tank and then treating it.
> 
> ...


If you're using a tank that big, Are you using any power heads? They help prevent dead spots in your tank. And maybe your PH is bouncing through out the day because African cichlids are really sensitive to PH swings. I would use a PH buffer made for cichlid tanks to keep it at 8.2. 
Do you have Driftwood in your tank? It helps with the hardness of the water.


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

i have 2 powerheads only using 1 in the tank cause the eheim 2217 spray bar is pretty powerful too.

i dont have drift wood its suppose to lower ph right?

maybe i can buy a piece of dead coral will that keep ph high?


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## TypeYourTextHere (Apr 20, 2011)

drunkenbeast said:


> i was curious how everyone fills their tank back up with water after a water change. i have had some trouble losing fish after water changes and can never seem to get the temp perfect as i have just upgraded to a 125 it is a little harder to do.
> 
> i know a lot of people just put a hose in and dump water and treat the whole tank with dechlor...personally i am really uncomfortable with putting chlorine in the tank and then treating it.
> 
> ...


More than likely it is not a temperature issue. It sounds like a PH issue. I had about 12 zebra danios seize and die due to PH shock. After that I quit trying to adjust the PH levels and I test my PH before I change the water because I know that the PH coming out of the tap is around 8.5 so if my tank water is to far below that I just add a gallon at a time(I have a 75 gallon tank). It takes a while to do it that way, but you lose less fish.
You might want to get a Aqua Lifter and add water that way if PH shock is truly your issue since they only pump about 3.5 GPH.


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

TypeYourTextHere said:


> More than likely it is not a temperature issue. It sounds like a PH issue. I had about 12 zebra danios seize and die due to PH shock. After that I quit trying to adjust the PH levels and I test my PH before I change the water because I know that the PH coming out of the tap is around 8.5 so if my tank water is to far below that I just add a gallon at a time(I have a 75 gallon tank). It takes a while to do it that way, but you lose less fish.
> You might want to get a Aqua Lifter and add water that way if PH shock is truly your issue since they only pump about 3.5 GPH.


I agree. With a tank that big, I would go ahead and invest in a PH monitor because you will be checking that PH alot and having a monitor will let you see how much and when it changes without having to use chemicals or strips.

And if you want know more about a RODI unit heres a youtube link: How to Select an RODI Unit - YouTube


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

drunkenbeast said:


> i have 2 powerheads only using 1 in the tank cause the eheim 2217 spray bar is pretty powerful too.
> 
> i dont have drift wood its suppose to lower ph right?
> 
> maybe i can buy a piece of dead coral will that keep ph high?


I was just wondering if you had drift wood cuz it lowers your tanks PH. If you did have any, power heads is a good way to raise your PH along with limestone like crushed coral.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I think a RODI or Ph monitor is going a little overboard. They are options sure, but this is probably something much more simpler, IMO. 

I asked if you had a stable Ph because doing water changes does not cause death unless there is something screwy with the water. Temperature can do it, but I think it has to be very extreme because I know the way I do my water changes causes temp swings that people say you shouldn't do and I have never had a related death.

You need to test your tap Ph, then set water aside and test it again in 24hrs. This just gives you an idea of what your water is doing. You should also be testing before and after water changes. My kid has a tank that if you did a water change the ph would drop so low that the liquid Ph test would almost appear clear. For a while I had him add baking soda which will boost kh and hold the ph more stable. But, over time it would start to drop again and the fact that his tank was cycling sort of made the issue worse. Ended up getting crushed coral and now it appears to be holding his Ph fairly stable at around 7.5. He only added 1/4 cup to a filter bag.

You really need to test and find out what is happening. An API kh test kit would reveal everything you need to know. Kh is carbonate hardness. Basically, it is the buffers in your water that hold your ph stable.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

joevw007 said:


> I lol at every one of your posts like this beasl. just letting people know that you have had your fish in the same water since 1982 .
> 
> its weird that your fish are being effected by water changes, maybe youre using old water dechlorinator?


Just to be accurate any one tank has only ran for up to 9 years.

I use no dechlorinators.

my .02


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## TypeYourTextHere (Apr 20, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> Just to be accurate any one tank has only ran for up to 9 years.
> 
> I use no dechlorinators.
> 
> my .02


I just thought I would point out for those who are unaware of it that if you choose not to use dechlorinator then you MUST let your water sit out for a minimum of 24 hours.


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> I think a RODI or Ph monitor is going a little overboard. They are options sure, but this is probably something much more simpler, IMO.
> 
> I asked if you had a stable Ph because doing water changes does not cause death unless there is something screwy with the water. Temperature can do it, but I think it has to be very extreme because I know the way I do my water changes causes temp swings that people say you shouldn't do and I have never had a related death.
> 
> ...


there isnt a such thing as going over board if you have a 125 gallon tank. A tank that big will require sum big investments. He will be checking the ph atleast 3 times a day and doing that with a strip or liquid test will be pricy over time so a PH monitor will be worth it. 
If I had a tank that big, I would buy a controller($150 nowadays) which will control everything like heat, lighting, auto topping, power heads, etc. and if it detects a low PH it can raise it if you have a doser installed. It just connects to your computer and u can monitor it thru your phone if you're away.

Btw what kind of filtration are you using? And how big of water changes are you doing?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

phil_n_fish said:


> there isnt a such thing as going over board if you have a 125 gallon tank. A tank that big will require sum big investments. He will be checking the ph atleast 3 times a day and doing that with a strip or liquid test will be pricy over time so a PH monitor will be worth it.
> If I had a tank that big, I would buy a controller($150 nowadays) which will control everything like heat, lighting, auto topping, power heads, etc. and if it detects a low PH it can raise it if you have a doser installed. It just connects to your computer and u can monitor it thru your phone if you're away.
> 
> Btw what kind of filtration are you using? And how big of water changes are you doing?


Really? I have two 125g tanks, that have close to $2k in filters and lights each, and I still think it is overboard. A ph controller doesn't dose anything but CO2....which lowers ph, by the way. Overboard unless the situation requires it and this situation is not even identified.

A ph monitor costs about $90. An API test kit cost about $5 and can test the water about 200 times. Once it is firgured out, it is simple to fix and then it is just a check and see to make sure kind of thing after...not 3x a day testing. A RODI strips everything from the water...kh/gh...everything. This water is not good to use in an aquarium unless something is added back to give the water kh or the ph will cycle up and down. I also use a 200gpd RODI system and make about 95g per week to do all of my water changes.

Size of the tank doesn't have anything to do with it. A fluctuating Ph is the same issue no matter where or what tank. I use all Eheim filters (models 2080x2, 2229x3, 2075, 2217) and change about 60-70% of my water every week.


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Really? I have two 125g tanks, that have close to $2k in filters and lights each, and I still think it is overboard. A ph controller doesn't dose anything but CO2....which lowers ph, by the way. Overboard unless the situation requires it and this situation is not even identified.
> 
> A ph monitor costs about $90. An API test kit cost about $5 and can test the water about 200 times. Once it is firgured out, it is simple to fix and then it is just a check and see to make sure kind of thing after...not 3x a day testing. A RODI strips everything from the water...kh/gh...everything. This water is not good to use in an aquarium unless something is added back to give the water kh or the ph will cycle up and down. I also use a 200gpd RODI system and make about 95g per week to do all of my water changes.
> 
> Size of the tank doesn't have anything to do with it. A fluctuating Ph is the same issue no matter where or what tank. I use all Eheim filters (models 2080x2, 2229x3, 2075, 2217) and change about 60-70% of my water every week.


I didnt mean a ph controller. I'm talking about a tank controller. it makes decisions for you. Like a "neptune apex controller". I was just giving advise. Its something that he can look into for future use. It connects thru a ethernet cord to your computer unless you get the wireless kind. It controls anything like a dosing pump which for example, when the ph gets too low or too high the controller activates the dosing pump until it reads a good ph from the probe. Its not required but its a good investment to look into. 

But anyway, a bigger fish tank has a better water quality consistancy than a smaller tank. Thats why its easier to take care of a 50 than a 10 gallon. I had saltwater tanks of all different sizes.

And I agree with you about RODI water and it depends on your setup. Saltwater you can use 100 percent RO water because the salt mix supplies the nutrients and the substrate and rock help bring the water to a 8.2 PH.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

A ph controller is a ph controller, whether it just does that function only or it also does other things. So instead of fixing the problem on the front side, you're talking about adding chemicals on the back side via a doser....dosing a ph up product I assume. That is the worst thing I have ever heard of. Ph products are nothing but a fuse to a stack of dynamite.

Like I said. Better to fix and stabalize the ph and nothing else is needed. A controller of any type would not be needed if the ph is solid and never moves.


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

But yea, Drunkebeast make sure you check and fix the PH of the water you are putting in the tank and dont change too much water at once. how old is your tank btw?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

TypeYourTextHere said:


> I just thought I would point out for those who are unaware of it that if you choose not to use dechlorinator then you MUST let your water sit out for a minimum of 24 hours.


Not really. I just use cold water from a commonly used faucet and let it run 30 seconds or so before collecting it.

Of course I only add 5-10% each time to replace vaporative water.

And that's a whole lot different than weekly 30% water changes.

still just my .02


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jccaclimber said:


> That doesn't work either if your local municipality uses chloramine. Of course if you're on well water you can just dump it in.


my local community does in fact use chloramine.

And I have done this is many many different cites in the U.S. when I moved around in the air force.

my .02


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Still arguably the worst thing you can do in an aquarium.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jrman83 said:


> Still arguably the worst thing you can do in an aquarium.


At least we can discuss it. *old dude

Look what I don't do is fill a tank and dump in fish and start feeding from day one. I think that would guarantee something near 100% fish loss.

What I do is setup the tank with lotsa fast growing plants and let it set for a week. Then add 1 fish and not add food for a week. then stock up the tank and start very light like 1 flake per day feeding.

Then as water evaporates I add tap water to replace the losses.


So not just dumping new tap water in massive or large quantities.

my .02


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## TypeYourTextHere (Apr 20, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> Not really. I just use cold water from a commonly used faucet and let it run 30 seconds or so before collecting it.
> 
> Of course I only add 5-10% each time to replace vaporative water.
> 
> ...


You are unconventional, I'll give you that


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

beaslbob said:


> At least we can discuss it. *old dude
> 
> Look what I don't do is fill a tank and dump in fish and start feeding from day one. I think that would guarantee something near 100% fish loss.
> 
> ...


I think everyone knows what you do by now as many times you have stated it. I am just saying that adding water that by itself could not support life of an aqaurium fish...that in of itself is dangerous in my mind. I think it probably creates a small kill off of your beneficial bacteria and there is no harm in adding in conditioner. Just straight up conditioner, not any ammonia lock type substance. These do not bind oxygen molecules or deplete water of oxygen. Even with a product like Prime, the danger of using Prime (enough to treat the 10-15%) is far less than that of adding water with a chlorine or chloramine content. Even in a tank without circulation.

If it works for you fine, but recommending it to someone new to the hobby is just wrong. If these products used within their direction were dangerous to the fauna we keep, these companies would not be in business long.


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

With my pond i recently just dumped all the water, washed the substrate, threw it all back together, filled it up and put the fish and snails back in. All with town supply water. This is how i do it if ever i need to clean it out fully. Not lost anything yet. I ad no chemicals to the pond. It is understocked.

With my tanks i also add cold water, the one time i added water warmed by my hot water tap, i lost most of a tank of fish, so yeah never again. I do smaller water changes, and i only do larger ones on warmer weather days. I use both town and tank water, again i add no conditioners unless i am doing a large town water change.

Works for me, works for my fish


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If there is a reason to do it for a large water change, then the reason doesn't change based on the amount of water changed.


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> If there is a reason to do it for a large water change, then the reason doesn't change based on the amount of water changed.


not neccessarily, if you figure they only put a small amount of water in a larger one than, if it is large enough, wouldnt it delute the bad stuff to the point it wont matter as much?


just my thoughts


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

Actually it does. When i say large, a large water change to me is over 50%, as SMC correctly answered, anything over that i choose to add declorinator as there is less water to mix with the new water added. 

The pond is never declorinated wether i do a 100% WC or 20% WC, havent lost anything yet and been doing it that way for years.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

There is still no difference. Maybe there is less of an impact to the water being added. The reason is still the same though. What you choose to do may change, but the water going in is the same water whether it is 5g or 100.


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

Whatever i have explained it...you dont get it. Tis cool.

That is what i do, and have done for the 3+yrs i've lived at this place, with no problems ever * shrugs *


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

lol, what's not to get? What you're not getting is you're talking about a personal choice...that is not what I am talking about at all. If you don't want to treat all the water you put in your tank, that is on you if you want to do it that way. But....did the water need to be treated? The answer is yes. Again, whether it is 5 or 100g the water is the same. If there is a reason to treat large quantities of water, the reason doesn't change based on volume. What might change is whether or not it causes issues in your tank from not treating it....that could be different from one person to the next and there is no context where you could say with 100% certainty, that it would not cause any issues in another person's tank doing this. The only thing you could say is what you have done and what you've experienced. I don't care what you do with your tanks, that is your business, but that is not what I am talking about.

It is not much different when people say to always rinse off your hands and arms really good before you put them in your tank. I personally am very strict with myself when messing with my 20g tank, because I know that whatever comes off of my skin and goes in the tank could become a major issue in such a small volume of water. However, I may not be so worried about it in my 125g because I know it is diluted quite a bit more. Should the reason change based on what tank I want to put my hands into?


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

I don't know if this adds sOmethin to the equation. It when I do a wc and the water hasnt been sitting out it gives the water a white cloud and white dust on the glass and rocks. Forgot to add this. It woke up this morning after a PAC last night and it was cloudy. I was told it could be calcium deposits from hard water but other than that I have no idea 
Sorry for any typos typing on my phone


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

What I think is neat is all these differnt methods all of which seem to work.

and how each and every one of us kinda shake our head in awe at the other's methods.

Perhaps our fish tanks and ponds are just a whole lot more forgiving then we give them credit for. 


my .02


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