Freshwater Tropicals - 1st partial water change

[charliesimpson1]

Hi

I am a brand new freshwater tropical fish keeper and am about to change approx 20% of the water for the first time. My tank is kept at 24degrees but - as you can imagine - my tap water is considerable cooler than that! My question is, can I put my tap water straight into the tank or do I need to warm it in some way? My feeling is that I should warm it to around the same temperature but the only way I can think of to do this is to add boiled water from a saucepan to a bucket partially filled with tap water. Can any of the experts see a problem with that?

Thanks for your help,

Charlie

 

[Weezer]

Hello.........Do you only have acsess to cold water? warm it up some how like on the stove or a pail with a heater, the water you add needs to be as close to tank temp as possible, do you have fish yet ? are you planning on useing water conditionor ? how big is the tank ?..........

 

[wataugachicken]

ummm. . . . do you have a water heater in your house or do you always take cold showers?

 

[charliesimpson1]

Hi

I am a brand new freshwater tropical fish keeper and am about to change approx 20% of the water for the first time. My tank is kept at 24degrees but - as you can imagine - my tap water is considerable cooler than that! My question is, can I put my tap water straight into the tank or do I need to warm it in some way? My feeling is that I should warm it to around the same temperature but the only way I can think of to do this is to add boiled water from a saucepan to a bucket partially filled with tap water. Can any of the experts see a problem with that?

Thanks for your help,

Charlie

Thanks for your quick reply. You told me what I thought was the answer

I have a 90litre (23.7 US gallons or 19.7 imp gallons) tank. It's occupants are:
2x 3 Lined/leopard corys;
5x neon tetras;
2x 5 banded/Pentazona barbs

I also have two silver fish with a red spot on each side and a dark marking on the tail fin and three red "Live bearers" - one female and two males. Unfortunately I haven't got a clue what they are as I have been unable to find photos on the web and we forgot to note the names when we bought them. If they still have them the next time I visit then I will be able to identify them - unless anyone can point me at a web site with lots of pictures for identification purposes?

I also have three live plants - one of which has been eaten by some of the fish - but am going to get more to create more hiding places. I also intend to get more fish but will have to rely on the salesman to keep me right when buying them.

 

[charliesimpson1]

ummm. . . . do you have a water heater in your house or do you always take cold showers?

Sorry WataugaChicken I didn't see your reply earlier!

I was under the impression that water from the hot water tap was not a good idea for fish for the same reasons that I wouldn't drink water from the hot water tap. However if this is incorrect then it might make life a little easier

 

[Weezer]

Sorry WataugaChicken I didn't see your reply earlier!

I was under the impression that water from the hot water tap was not a good idea for fish for the same reasons that I wouldn't drink water from the hot water tap. However if this is incorrect then it might make life a little easier

Yes adjust the faucet temp to the tank temp.Unless you know there's a problem with the hot water side......

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

I do not use the water from my hot water heater as both it and my house is ancient! I wouldn't drink from it, or cook with it, so it does not go in my fish tank!!!

What I often do is I take a very clean pan (i.e. one that I am sure doesn't have any dishwashing detergent residue in it), and boil water on the stove. I then just mix that with a bucket of cold water from the tap until I get it within a few degrees of the tank water. A small portable thermometer is good for that. And don't forget the water conditioner. ^^

 

[Rbishop]

By the time you run the hot tap to adjust for temperature, there isn't anything wrong with using the hot tap water....unless you believe in old wives tales and myths.