Sponges + Water Changes

cmay825

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 2, 2010
16
0
1
West Michigan
Stupid question about water change and sponge filters. When filling the tank do you go tap water (city water with chlorine) directly into the tank and then add Safe or Prime or something along those lines? Is the amount of chlorine that is introduced during the filling process enough to kill the bacteria required for the Nitrogen Cycle? If you have to dechlorinate the water before it hits the tank, how do you go about it? That sounds like a huge pain in the..
 

xraycer

Arapaima
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2013
5,383
2,571
203
Southern NH USA
A lot of keepers, if not most, just fill the water straight into the tank and add dechlorinator while doing so, and have no problem with this method ever.
 

Nigelk8485

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 3, 2014
462
1
18
Louisville, KY
Like Xraycer said most just add dechlorinator as the tank is filling. If your sponge filters are your only means of biological filtration though maybe add the Prime or Safe before filling the tank, dose for the whole volume, or lift the sponge filter out until the tank is full and you have added the dechlorinator. I'm not sure how fast chlorine or chloramine would take to kill off beneficial bacteria but why risk it.


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xraycer

Arapaima
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2013
5,383
2,571
203
Southern NH USA
Like Xraycer said most just add dechlorinator as the tank is filling. If your sponge filters are your only means of biological filtration though maybe add the Prime or Safe before filling the tank, dose for the whole volume, or lift the sponge filter out until the tank is full and you have added the dechlorinator. I'm not sure how fast chlorine or chloramine would take to kill off beneficial bacteria but why risk it.


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From what I hear, dechlorinator works instantaneously, and I'm confident that the chlorine level in your tap isn't so high that it'll keep bacteria on contact, like that of public swimming pool water.
 

mudbuttjones

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2014
1,375
58
66
Wisconsin
I run my sump almost empty when I'm draining the display tank.

I add prime and refill straight tap water at about 70° (any warmer and my water heater runs out) I fill the tank and let it fall im the overflow, straight through my wetdry trickle tower until my sump is at the desired level.

Never had an ammonia spike or anything.

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fattubwhale

Candiru
MFK Member
Dec 25, 2011
441
46
46
Twin Cities, MN
I keep Discus and in all of my tanks i run double stack #4/5 sponges. when doing water changes i do the same refill straight from tap and add safe. only in the winter months do i age the water 24+hr in barrels prior to filling the tanks.
 
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