water changes

[bigb1112]

i was looking on a different forum and say that they said they did like 80 % water changes with just straight tap water. they said to drain out the water and then to add prime (water treatment ) then just to add straight tap water. i always thought that you had to add the water treatment and then let your water sit over night if you don't with this prime stuff that would make water changes way easier to do

[stribbelldk]

i was looking on a different forum and say that they said they did like 80 % water changes with just straight tap water. they said to drain out the water and then to add prime (water treatment ) then just to add straight tap water. i always thought that you had to add the water treatment and then let your water sit over night if you don't with this prime stuff that would make water changes way easier to do

80% seems a little on the high side. I do a 50% every week, but I also have a over stocked cichlid tank and the fry tank and grow out tank.

I use Prime and tap water. You don't have to let the water sit by I have heard that it is good to do. Maybe some one else can explain as to why.

Derek

[rED O]

I have done 80% w/c on my tanks when a amonaina spike.

I do 40% a week. I fill up a 20 gallon bucket with tap water then add the prime, mix it and let it sit for 5 mins and its all good :thumbs: I have enver had a problem for the whole time I have kept fish.

[darkangel]

I do 30 to 50% W/C every week, I add enough prime to treat the entire tank and add tap water. The only time I had a problem was when the hose was running into the filter intake. (That was my fault for being brain dead for 5 min.).

[Ruadh]

Prime is the only treatment I, myself, would trust to do this, but I add tap water straight into the tank too.

I do a 50% change every Sunday and, like DarkAngel said, add an amount equal to that needed for the tank capacity and add the water straight in. I use a hose attached to the shower head and set my water temp before sending it to the tank.

Never had a problem. Using double the Prime is over kill, but I don't measure it out real close either, it's just making sure in case there's extra ammonia in the aquarium.

[randy]

If you leave a bucket of tap water out over night by the morning a large percent of the chlorine in the water will have evaporate off (you can add an air stone to the bucket to speed up this process). When you add prime or other dechlorinators it will neutralize the chlorine in a very short time.

On the other hand if your tap water is treated with chloramine it does not evaporate as readily.

So to answer your question once you have treated your tap water with a declorinator you can add it to you tank you do not have to let is sit overnight. Adding the declorinator to your tank then adding the tap water is done by pleanty of people with out any problems.

I personaly add it to the water before I add the water to the tank, just so I know that I have added the right dosing.

[bigb1112]

cool thank you guys i will be trying it soon just have to get some prime and that will make it way easier and i will have way cleaner tanks i have been doing 1 tank a day in my house but only 20 to 25% just cuz of haveing to leave it out over night

[T Dawg]

cool thank you guys i will be trying it soon just have to get some prime and that will make it way easier and i will have way cleaner tanks i have been doing 1 tank a day in my house but only 20 to 25% just cuz of haveing to leave it out over night

On the smaller tank I am a chicken so I let the water sit in a bucket. We fill the bucket with cold water, treat with prime, and heat or leave sit and let it come up to room temp.

In the bigger tank the minor stuff that could be added by the hot water tank and the temporary effect of chlorine worries me less. Lots of others will do changes in smaller tanks too.

[BettaFishMommy]

when i do water changes on my tanks i mix conditioner into the water before it hits the tank. i don't own a python system. i refill my tanks with 2 gallon rectangular tubs (they fit great in the sink for filling) due to not being able to lift heavy buckets to the same height as my shoulder, which is the top of the tank. i can do a 50% change on a 55 gallon in less than 45 minutes, including gravel vaccing and tank wall wiping, and i enlist my hubby to run waste water buckets into the bathroom to dump. i call it 'peanut butter bucket time', lol.

[wishe]

hahaha... So how to you all make sure the temp is right when changing so much water in a tank??? i know everyone says 50% is ok, but Im still really worried

[rayfong]

hahaha... So how to you all make sure the temp is right when changing so much water in a tank??? i know everyone says 50% is ok, but Im still really worried

I use a python to fill. I use the feel test. If it feels about right. I always err on the cooler side as it seems to get my cichlids into a spawning frenzy. I also add Prime either before I fill or as I am filling. I haven't run into any problems yet.

[Boom]

I just go by feel as well for temperature.

Are you still worried that a 50% water change is not enough?

You can always do it twice, so your effectively doing a 75% water change.

The thing is, if your doing it regularly like you should, any more than 50% is a waste of time and not helping anything.

On my 180 gallon, I add half the dose of prime to the tank before I start refilling, and another full dose to the water flow as the tank is filling back up (with a hose), so I'm generally using 1.5x the recommended amount of prime. Thats just what I do.

On the other smaller tanks, I add a touch of Prime right to a 5 gallon bucket of water and dump it in the tank.

Boom :boom:

[BettaFishMommy]

if you are hesitant about trusting your human finger thermometer, lol, just get a spare floating thermometer and plunk it in the bucket or container of new water you are making up, to check the temp of the water that will be going in the tank. you should be alright if your new water is less than 2 degrees different and your fish are not the super sensitive type.

[wishe]

Ok, Im going to try today n my 90 gallom tonite, before I try it on my tank with My trout, or my fronts.... fingers crossed

[popik]

I will usually fill a 25G garbage drum with water and dose it with a splash of Prime, i toss in a fair size powerhead pump to circulate while i drain the tank into 5G pails and haul off to the draining facility (toilet). Once the water has been drained i add a 3/4" hose to the end of the powerhead and fill my tank back up. In a 110G it amounts to about 30% and i do it every 1-2 weeks depending on free time available.