Converted another one!

[Totenkampf]

convenient? maybe. expensive and wasteful? yep. i wanna make it easier on my lazy a$$ and jacking around with a filter doesnt seem fun. especially in the country where the wastewater ends up in a septic tank. i have read that you can rig them to only work when you are running a washing machine so that the wastewater can be used for your clothes tho.

buying a 50 gallon brute trashcan with a dolly and a pond fountain pump sounds better to me. Fill it up, plop in additives, and drop in airstones and a heater the day before and cahnge in 20 minutes sounds good.

[eklikewhoa]

I still use amquel+plus with the carbon bottle.

Life is more enjoyable without buckets or trips the the grocery store lugging water.

[madehtsobi]

you have a good link on making one or where to buy one?

http://www.houstonfishbox.com/vforums/showthread.php?32031-How-to-build-a-DIY-Carbon-Snake-%28carbon-hose%29&highlight=carbon+hose

theres also this RO/DI unit on ebay for like $65 bucks shipped. works good for me.

[ssrprelude]

Carbon bottle and half dose of Seachem Safe. All good..

[tbui1178]

Carbon bottle is well worth it.. I havent bought prime in a couple of years.

[myjohnson]

I don't think we can do carbon bottle only up north anymore.

We use surface water now. Too much chloramine.

[Totenkampf]

http://www.houstonfishbox.com/vforum...ht=carbon+hose

the carbon snake doesnt seem hard to make at all. i may have to get one done. what is done in the winter when the water in the ground pipes is cold? You cant preheat the water this way so wouldnt large water changes be a shock?

[madehtsobi]

no its not at all. just let it run for like 10 min or so or use the sink faucet...

[eklikewhoa]

the carbon snake doesnt seem hard to make at all. i may have to get one done. what is done in the winter when the water in the ground pipes is cold? You cant preheat the water this way so wouldnt large water changes be a shock?

I usually run the water slower so the fish acclimate to the cooler water and usually winter is my best breeding season. Or you can get fancy and run an in-line heater

[ssrprelude]

the carbon snake doesnt seem hard to make at all. i may have to get one done. what is done in the winter when the water in the ground pipes is cold? You cant preheat the water this way so wouldnt large water changes be a shock?

Either let the water run for a bit or do less % water change more frequently. After one or two water changes you'll know how much to take out with dropping the temp too low.

[mnemenoi]

With a connection to the kitchen faucet you could just set the temp with your thermometer

[fishman1]

I thought the carbon snake doesn't remove chloramines?

[fishman1]

Also when you guys do huge water changes like 80-99% do you guys first put in the dechlorinator and then add the tap water or just slowly add the dechlorinator while the tap water is pumping out?

[eklikewhoa]

I don't trust the hot water heater and all the sediment that could build up, plus copper lines.

With the large water changes I pour the dose for the whole water volume but if the water smells funny I dose double. The carbon bottle/snake does nothing for chloramines/ammonia.

[myjohnson]

Depends on the media and rate of flow.