Water changes in the winter

I know, I've heard that too, that you must always use cold water from the tap, and I did it for years, using small, microwave-heated beakers of water, one at a time, to warm up the water in the buckets. Arggghhh!

Now, I use warm water--I get the tap water coming out at the same temperature as what's in the tank. I dechlorinate it with a chemical that also removes heavy metals, which most of them do. Seems to work. (I can't believe I used to fuss with the beaker thing.)

-- Pat

I use my fingers too and it is within two degrees F. Used to do the boiling water & thermometer thing. Wow, what a waste of time.

How often are you doing the 50% water changes?

Although pipe temperature is very rarely a problem for me, I have used hot water as needed for 2+ years with no problem. Basically, I turn the hot water on very slightly, then use cold water to balance to the temperature I want. So I am mostly using cold water anyway.

But like I said, it isn't required very often here.

winter water changes

I have a 30 gal. tub that I got at Wal-Mart for like $8. I have a small 50w heater in it and a small air pump and airstone. The small heater takes quite a few days to get the water up to tank temp, but it sits there all week. That way it is the right temp and dechlorinated without chemicals. BTW 50% water changes are not good IMO. I do 25% per week in all tanks. Some folks do 2 week intervals. If you change 50% of the water, the change in water quality can shock the fish.

Winter? ... our cold water is never the same as tank temperature in any season I change 50% once a week, using enough hot tap water to get the temperature right.

I have heard that hot water is only a problem when it hasn't been running recently. I use the python vac system, and a few minutes before I fully drain 50% of the water, I turn on the hot water too, enough to feel the same as tank water (feel with fingers). Anyways, when the tank is half empty, I plug the drain on the python and the warm water goes into the tank. I just add dechlorinator/conditioner as I fill it, adding the appropriate amounts as it fills. I have almost never seen any temp change in my tank and the few times have been very small (few degrees). Fish haven't gotten sick yet from this.

I must say, that I wouldn't do this for sensitive fish like rams, tetras, or other fish suseptible to water change stress. I would do smaller changes at a time, more frequently. BTW I have a couple 5" - 6" large cichlids and do 50% weekly water changes on my 55 gal, and 1 small cichlid in a 10 gal, and do about 25% water change on that tank weekly. All my fish look happy, healthy, and my water has less than 20 ppm nitrates at any given time.

Tap crud

I have a flow restrictor/sprayer on the end of my kitchen sink tap where I do my water changes. The water flows about 10X faster with if off. The first time I let the water run freely at full force, all this brown crud came out for about 10 - 20 seconds, with both the hot and cold taps. This tap gets used frequently so it's not a matter of lack of use. If you have a flow restrictor on your tap, unscrew it and let the water run out full force. See for yourself.