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Stupid newbee water change question!!

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  • Stupid newbee water change question!!

    How do I do a water change when the tap water is as cold as it is right now? Can I just mix hot water in at the faucet? I do use a Python. I thought that I had read not to use water out of the water heater in your tank. Like I said Stupid Newbee!! Thanks for the help.

  • #2
    Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

    I would fill it up with a bucket from the bathtub.

    Whether you get hot water from the sink or the water heater it's coming from the same place.. know what I mean?

    Keep in mind when gauging temperature, what feels warm to you is actually a little over 100 degrees, 80 degrees will feel slightly cool to you.
    Help support (C)atfish (A)nd (K)ool Pleco's, Houstons premier fish club.

    David Seratt
    Co-President of CAK

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    • #3
      Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

      Currently, my make up water comes from an ageing barrel sitting in a corner of the fish room. (solves the chlorine & the temp problems)

      But back in the old days when I filled from the tap, I was able to get a 2 way valve for the shower and a barb adapter from the hardware store and run clear tubing to the tub until the new water temp was the same as the old water temp.   Then all I had to do was dump tons of conditioner in while I was makeing the water change

      you can do a similar pluming modification to the water heater or under any sink
      'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
      He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

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      • #4
        Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

        I'm a "stupid newbie" myself so this might be a stupid suggestion.   :)

        If you have a thermometer in your aquarium (I mean one that actually goes in your aquarium and not one that sticks on the outside) then take it and hold it under your tap water and adjust the hot/cold levels until you get close to your tank temps.  I don't know why you wouldn't be able to mix in water from your heater.  I can see why people would not recommend it simply because of the risk of making the water too hot.

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        • #5
          Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

          I use water from the water heater with my python without any problems...I also stuck a stick-on thermometer onto the end of the python (the big end you dig around with), so that I can see temp and adjust if I need to. If you do this, stick it long ways down the tube, not wrapped around the tube...

          Ellen

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          • #6
            Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

            Well, I've not yet ventured into the realm of pythons, but I do a similar thing with buckets - adjust the temp to get it the same as that of the tank. Don't know what we would all do without using hot water from the tap!

            And hey, you're not a stupid newbie!!  :naughty:  You're the good kind that asks questions!  :emtthumbs:
            "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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            • #7
              Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

              I wait till it warms up.

              max

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              • #8
                Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                the reason that you find folks who recommend not to use water from your hot water heater is that the water from the hot water heater is not hot enough to kill bacteria and if water sits in your water heater long enough for the chlorine to evaporate (hastened by the heat) it can be full of bacteria. The bacteria is not harmful to us when we take a shower, but can be harmful to the fish. Also if your hot water heater is not flushed annually like the factories suggest, you can get a sediment build up in the bottom that harbors bacteria and occasionally some will come out with the hot water.
                If you are doing small water changes (25%) or less you will probably not see enough of a temp swing in larger tanks to really bother your fish. For winter use I have a small holding tank of 100 gallons, I put a few submersible heaters in it and a circulation pump and use that to bring the water temp up a little bit, it is not really necessary to get it the exact temp of your tank, just so you don't do large water changes with water that is 30 or more degrees colder than your tank. exactly matching your tanks water temp is over rated, not a bad idea by any means, but not as critical as some suggest. If you let water sit in buckets to get to room temp, that in itself is really enough, but do not let it sit for more than about 18 hours as the chlorine will evaporate and there will be nothing in the water to prevent bacteria growth (especially if aerated). for my tanks with the drip system and overflows, I don't do anything at all, they get water at line temperature after it has been thru my prefilters, they get about 15% water change 4 times a day.
                GIVE NONE, TAKE NONE - BE FREE, HAVE FUN

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                • #9
                  Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                  Isn't there something to do with the breaking down of or rusting of the piping of hot water? I think I read something about that too.

                  Well I use the python to siphon so the garden faucet is running for quite some time before I begin to pour water back in and I usually siphon all tanks fisrt starting with the big one.

                  For my little zebra tank I think I'm gonna look for a plastic drum I can hold water in cause I have that tank at 86deg.f. and last time I did a wc it droped to almost 80. It wasn't an instant drop but it worked its way down.

                  Another thing you might try is time it so you catch the midday sun.
                  700g Mini-Monster tank

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                  • #10
                    Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                    I have only goldfish and I know they like cool water, so I just set my bath tub tap to its coldest setting and fill my bucket with it.  Is this a stupid thing to do?  

                     I have a thermometer in the aquarium itself and the temp never gets too cold or too hot, so I don't see a problem.  The fish don't seem to mind, but I'm in the presence of experts so I would not mind a little constructive criticism.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                      though goldfish like cold water i doubt they like fluctuation which might be occuring since the water out of tap might be colder than what the tank settles down to.
                      700g Mini-Monster tank

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                      • #12
                        Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                        If I have a twenty gallon tank and I pour in about a gallon of water at a time, do they really feel a temperature difference?

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                        • #13
                          Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                          i have seen warmer water fish show negative signs when cold water is introduced but with goldfish they are propbably more forgiving?
                          700g Mini-Monster tank

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                          • #14
                            Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                            adding 1 gallon of water to 19 gallons of water shouldnt effect the overall temperature by any noticeable amount. I take a sample of the water from my tank in a bucket to the sink, then i turn the cold water tap on first, then adjust the hot untill the water coming out of the tap feels like the water in my bucket.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Stupid newbee water change question!!

                              I didn't think it was bad.  The fish speak, and the fact they are healthy after many such water changes speaks volumes.

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