Thanks, I hadn't thought about the temperature of the outside water- of course it will be cold! I will have to find a container and heat the water for a day ahead of time. I'll use the air pump too. Sounds good. Thank youTest your tap water first, to make sure your PH stays stable. It is best to put it a container with heater and aerator for 24 hours. Test PH before and after. If the ph is stable, you can use your tap water without difficulty. If it is not, you will need to age your water first. You need to heat the water to pretty close to tank temp. A python or something similar is a must. My outside faucet water was nowhere near 86 degrees. Though I am able to use my inside faucet for refilling of tank where I can adjust temp.
And Ponderingky- I do have a python, but the tank is nowhere near a faucet other than the one outside.