Water changes in the winter

I always use a mixture of hot/cold tapwater to fill my tanks. I've never had any problems with this at all... just remember to use a water conditioner that also takes out heavy metals!
 
I have 50 tanks and do all my changes from the tap. I do 70 to 80% changes with no ill effects on the fish. All my fish are healthy and spawn all the time. The only fish I have not been able to get to spawn that I have tried has been S. angelicus and since no one else does I do not feel bad. People in general think that fish are more delicate then they are. While I am not advocating this for the begineer once you have some knowledge and experience you will see what I mean. I have a 110 gallon planted tank in my living room on which I always change about 80% of the water. It never fails that after each of these changes (done bi-weekly) the angels, cories, and kribs will spawn. The rainbows spawn daily but much more intensly in the few days following the water change. Suffice it too say that so long as your tap water is not terribly wonky you will have no trouble doing changes straight from the tap. This obviously does not apply if you are altering your water parameters for some of the more difficult fish like discus or apistos. Just my two cents, what works for me may not work for you. If what you are doing works, as the saying goes, if it works don't fix it. You do have to be careful if you are changing a lot of water at once as the temperature will fluctuate a bit. If you are lucky enough to be able to use a laundry tub with a long spout on it you can stick a sticky digital thermometer to it and it will tell you the temp of the water coming out. I always make the water coming in a few degrees warmer as I think fish are more easily able to deal with a rise then a fall in temperature. Nothing to back that up except for personal observations. I do put cooler water in however when I want cories to spawn but that is a whole different topic.
 
Somewhere or other (I think it was Barron's Gourami book, but I can't find it just now) I was reading something about water being overly rich in dissolved gasses in winter. The colder water holds more O2, etc. that remain dissolved in the pipes (under pressure) that then bubble out in the warmer tank enviroment. The point of whatever I was reading was that this is bad for the fish (something like a fishy version of the bends, where the gasses can bubble up in their gills). I think this maybe the chemistry behind not using warm tapwater. I have noticed lots of little air bubbles on the glass after a big water change. If I remember right, they recommended letting the water sit for a little while to let it outgas.

Is this correct? Does anyone know anything about this?
 
I dont think you guys have ever seen a tap with a single faucet...very convenient. maybe you should buy yourself one and spare the trouble of using two seperate temps...
 
I agree with Darkangel. About every 3-4 days I change 30-40% water in my tanks. My rainbows etc. are much happier now. It would depend on your fish. IMHO if you don't disturb the bacteria in filter you could change 75% if you wanted to. Someone suggested in another thread to stick a thermometer on the hose to monitor temp of refill water. Thought that sounded like a good idea.
I'm glad you asked this question since I hope to get a gift certificate for christmas in order to buy a python. Good-bye buckets!!
 
They make little digital thermoniters for cooking that work really well for testing the water out of the tap....Can get them anywhere.......Sure helps me alot!
 
i attach a garden hose to my sink and use hot and cold to make the preferered temp.

since were on the topic of water changes in the winter does anyonme know why my tap waters ph would go from 7.0 in the summer to 7.2 in the winter? ny neighbor told me they put stuf fint he pipes to de scale them over the winter? could that be it?
 
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