What kind of water do you use for a water change?

[JosephMCorbett]

Just curious what you guys do. I fill up with the python in a bucket, add dechlorinator and dumpit to krumpit (remember The Grinch). I wish I had room for a 50 gallon tote where I could age, heat, and bubble my change water. I would then use a powerhead to pump it in. This way I wouldn't have to use water that came out of the house hot water tank.

 

[Ali1]

well, i have a 20 gallon.. and all i do is keep 5-6 gallons of tap water inside a pantry so that way all the chlorine and chemicals fade away and the water will be ready when i do a water change but in ur case, it would be too many gallons for that aquarium

 

[JosephMCorbett]

Ali1, do you mean 5-6 one gallon jugs or a 5 gallon bucket? How do you heat the change water?

 

[YoFishboy]

I use a Python water changer for weekly 50% changes, match the temperature out of the tap by "feel" to that of the tank, and add my chemicals as its going in - never lost a fish after a water change yet! (Knock on wood...knock on wood....)

 

[Aqualung]

I use rubbermaid tubs to store my aged water. I don't heat it or add any conditioner - approximate room temp is just fine, and I don't have any chlorine or other chemicals in my water to worry about. The reason for aging my water is that it comes out of the tap at 6.4 ph, and after 24 hours it equals out to about 7.0. It maybe wouldn't be an issue, but since some of my fish are especially sensitive to fluctuations in ph I'd rather not take any chances.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I keep barrels of aged heated water on hand. There are some pics of the barrels in this thread: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46417

It's so convenient to be able to pump water right from the barrels into the aquariums for water changes that I usually perform water changes more than twice/week on some of my tanks.

 

[FooF]

i just go straight from the tap

 

[Ali1]

yeh, 5-6 og one gallon jugs, it dont have to be heated, its room temperature and it will balance with the water in your aqarium since it's almost 80 degrees... you get wat im saying? hey i have 2 jack dempseys in a 20 gallon and they are young and small... is this a bad idea?

 

[Harlock]

I use a Python water changer for weekly 50% changes, match the temperature out of the tap by "feel" to that of the tank, and add my chemicals as its going in - never lost a fish after a water change yet! (Knock on wood...knock on wood....)

This is exactly how I do it. I usually want my change water a little cooler, I am trying to get a spawn out of my cories.

 

[post2338]

I took an old 15.5 gallon beer keg and cut a 10" hole in the top with a sawzall; then I put a ball valve on the side towards the bottom and a dial thermometer on the side about half way up; I then put an aquarium heater inside of it. To cover the opening, I just used an old plastic dinner plate. The keg is put on top of a full-sized refrigerator which is about 24" higher than the top of my tank. To fill the keg, I go straight from my utility sink with a hose connected directly to the nipple on my ball valve and fill the keg from the bottom up. The tap temp here is 49F now, so I let it sit and warm up to room temp after a couple of days. The night before I do my water change, I plug the heater in to warm the water from 70F up to 78F. After I do my gravel vac, I simply take the hose I used to fill the keg up with and put it into the tank, open the ball valve and then let gravity fill the fish tank back up. Works like a charm! I still put de-chlorinator in the water while it is sitting in the keg; not sure if I really need to or not.