Preparing Water Changes

SuperScro

SuperScro

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Sep 3, 2006
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I am getting ready to add my first fish, and right now I am trying to figure out how I will prepare the water to be added to the thank during a change. I have two 5 gallon buckets, and was thinking about filling one bucket a week ahead of time with tap water, and using the salt to dechlorinate it. Everytime I would do a change, I would empty the bucket, and fill it up for next week. Will probably do it at the least 3 times a month, taking out a little less than 50% of the water.

However, since the bucket will be in room temperature for a period of time, and it will only be a few degrees less than my tank, should I still get a heater? Or only get one if I have problems.

Second, how will I keep the ph at the right level. I don't want to add water that has a PH of 7.6 to a tank with PH of 8.3. It may only be 5 gallons, but I fear that I will shock my fish.

If I can use tap water, I will have to buy a couple gallons of poland spring water, and use that instead.

For topping off the water after evaporation occurs and lowers the level a bit, I can just add the amount of water, and the necessary amount of salt?

Any advice?
 
do NOT use tap water. very very few people have tap water that is acceptable in the aquarium hobby. even the dechlorinators dont do a thing because there are still tons and tons of nutrients and minerals that will do horrible things to your tank. even poland spring water isnt good. most spring waters still are high in minerals and phosphates and some even add minerals for taste. get an RO, DI, or an RO/DI to filter your tap water
you dont need a heater, especialy if your house is warm.
you wont shock the fish because the pH will be the same as long as you use the same brand of salt
when ading topocc, do NOT add salt along with it. only the water evaporates, not the salt.
just take a bucket and fill it with water and put in a powerhead to keep dO levels where you need them and to mix the salt adequately. you dont need to wait a week though, but at least overnight before adding it
 
This is a good topic - I had a similar question.

How much water should I change in a marine aquarium and how often.

In my freshwater I do between 25 to 40 percent weekly.
 
fishieness said:
just take a bucket and fill it with water and put in a powerhead to keep dO levels where you need them and to mix the salt adequately. you dont need to wait a week though, but at least overnight before adding it
Click to expand...

Ok, but what type of water are you talking about, or where from? I don't have an Ro/Do unit in my house.
 
SuperScro said:
Ok, but what type of water are you talking about, or where from? I don't have an Ro/Do unit in my house.
Click to expand...

you can buy one offline for your aquarium. some LFSs and even some places like walmarts have an RO that you can buy it form. jsut be careful and make sure it is still functioning correctly


it is usualy recomended to replace 10% of your water weekly
 
I have not heard of using this unti since I have thought about started a saltwater tank. I have done questions and research, but none of this has come up. These are not cheap either for me, and understand that this hobby requires a lot of cash, but all of these things are turning up that I never new that I needed. I saw this one, and found it reasonable, http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4484&N=2004+113775
My lfs sells it, so I will probably pick it up today. But if I don't want to use tap water, what should I do to take out the impurities in the spring water? Is there any water sold that is completely pure?
I used spring water in my freshwater tank for a long time, and haven't had much of a problem, but now I am starting to worry. I really thought that spring water was fine to use, and knew tap water wasn't.
 
i started out with that DI system too. itll give you great water just as good as any RO/DI. however, i switched to an RO because it is less expensive in the long run. i was spening about 20 bucks every 2 months or so for a new cartidge. as it says, it only gives between 55-125 gallons of DI water before you have to replace it (the amount depends on the quality of your tap water)
i am not sure of any spring water that is suitable to use. i have tried some in the past when i was out of DI cartridges and got a pretty bad diatom bloom. if you do buy some though, amke sure it is filtered watter such as RO or distilled if ou can find it. a lot of spring water is just run through a UV sterilizer with minor carbon filtration.
but check around your local reef club. i ended up buying a really nice 4 stage 125 GPD RO/DI for only 40 bucks cause the guy was getting out of the hobby if you decide that you want to go that route
and jsut so you know, you can use untreated RO/DI in freshwater. it is too pure. but they do make suppliments to add to it. however, you shoudl be fien jsut useing spring water in freshwater.
as far as buying it form your LFS, i bought mine online because it was only 30 bucks + 8 bucks for shipping, while my LFS was selling it for 70....
 
I started out not using a RO-DI unit in my 24 gallon nano, and the tank was great for the first 4 months. Then I had hair algea like a mother. Could not get rid of no matter what. Once i added the RO-DI unit and beefed up my clean up crew after about 2 months of using RO-DI unit water my tank is perfect again.

Point is, Use an RO-DI unit to purify your water....
 
I am already starting to get some hair algae, but I only have 4 red legged hermits, 2 turbos, 2 nassarius snails, and 1 blue leg, probably going to pick more up though. Just need to pull up a few extra dollars to buy one then I suppose..
 
What one did you buy and where did you get it online? If I can get it for a price like that, I would have no problem, except I gotta hurry because the water level is about 1.5 inches below the surface :P
 
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