winter water changes - how do you deal with cold tap water?

Dahlia

Dahlia

AC Members
Sep 3, 2003
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South Carolina
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I'm curious how people here do their water changes, and how everyone deals with cold tap water and keeping it from drastically changing a tank's temperature. I'm hoping for some ideas that reduce the amount of trouble I end up taking with it. I'm especially interested in what people with larger tanks do, since it isn't convenient to let water sit out to room temp if you don't have small tanks.
 
I often wonder about how other people do their changes also.
When changing water in my 45 gallon tank I first prepare a 5 gallon tub by nearly filling it with cold water then heating with boiled water from the kettle (checking temp. with my fingers), add ager to it, stirring a bit then set it aside.
Then I siphon water out of the tank into a second 5 gallon tub(using gravel vac) when it's full I usually rinse filter sponges in it, then dump it on the garden or in the bath tub. repeat again(without rinsing filter sponges of course).
Now finally empty my warm prepared water into the tank then prepare another tub in the same way, allow about 15 mins for ager to work then fill the tank right up.

BTW, does anyone else find that their tanks are so much more interesting and beautiful, fish are so much more active and interesting after a water change(time allowing for all the poop to settle of course:) )?
 
I have an 80g, a 40g, a 20g, and two 18g tanks. I use a python for water changes/gravel vacs (no way I could maintain all my tanks w/o the python). I run the water on hot until it warms up and then adjust it until it's "neutral" to the touch (right at 78-80F) and then fill my tanks adding dechlor to the stream. I have 8 week old gold marbled angels in both of the 18s that I have raised from eggs and never had any problems. Works for me.

HTH
 
I've used warm tapwater for almost 20 yrs now with no problems.
 
We use a faucet that comes from the well without going through the softner system. We can't hook any kind of hose to this particular faucet due to it's odd shape.

So, we use gallon jugs. Fill them up and then let them sit in a bathtub in hot water. The water just warms up to the temp we want and we do our changes that way.


Wait a second....I mean I do the changes that way. Why in the world did I say we? He doesn't help me! I change those eight/nine tanks by myself. I mean, me, not him.........
 
I blend at the tap to approximate temperature, like Slappy, this has always been my practice and has never caused any problem.

In practice I do age most of my water now, but if needed it is still direct from the tap at near-tank temp. I'm not at all convinced that the practice of never using blended hot water is more than a myth.
 
I do age my water in a garbage can and bucket it up to the tanks. Since we use about 50 gallons of water per week (FW and FW), we're looking at buying a 110 gallon agriculture sprayer tank and using it to store water, since it can be heated more easily, and would only need refilling once every other week or so. We filter the water for the marine systems though...If not, I would just use tapwater and a chlorine treatment, most likely.
 
Regardless of the time of year I draw out 30 gallons the night before I change each 90 gallon tank, add chlorine/chloramine treatment, and let it go with an airstone all night.
Right before I pump it in I add hot tap water to adjust the temps.

All of my 30 gallon garbage cans nest together with the water changing gear inside, and slide into a closet. Everything I need is right there- quilt for the floor and all.
 
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