Dumb question time……..
- Thread starter TUCCI
- Start date
Well, you know what they say: "No such thing as a stupid question!" That, of course, is the biggest crock of equine fecal material ever foisted on the public, but it's repeated often enough that most people buy it. However, I don't think your questions fall into that category. 
A couple or three degrees either way is no problem, and especially so when you are doing only a partial water change. A 50% change with water that is 3 degrees off only results in an overall 1.5-degree change in temp; inconsequential.
You can get pressure-balancing valve/faucets that will ensure your tap water temperature remains where you set it even if your wife turns on the dishwasher and your kid flushes the toilet.
I used a method similar to that which you are using now, i.e. a storage container from which the water is pumped or flows by gravity into the aquarium. My well water comes out of the tap at around 50F even in the hottest weather, so I would just fill that container up and allow it to come up to ambient room temperature, which is what most of my tanks are maintained at. If I knew I was going to do a WC on one of the "warmer" tanks, I just plugged in the heater that sat in the storage tank all the time, set at the correct temperature and just waiting for energization. A few hours and it's ready to go.
I now have an on-demand water heater dedicated to the fish room, only because it means virtually unlimited water whenever I want it...but I still use the storage tank if I am doing a small enough change that it has the capacity. Since it heats up simply by virtue of the fact that its inside at room temperature (actually, crawlspace temperature...) it is "free" warm water. If your largest water change can be handled by your storage tank capacity, that's still a valid way to go. One quick check of the stored water temperature, and you know it's correct, no running back and forth.
Just don't forget and leave the water running while re-filling the storage tank. That would be stupid (ask me how I know...) and stupid actions are even worse than stupid questions.
A couple or three degrees either way is no problem, and especially so when you are doing only a partial water change. A 50% change with water that is 3 degrees off only results in an overall 1.5-degree change in temp; inconsequential.
You can get pressure-balancing valve/faucets that will ensure your tap water temperature remains where you set it even if your wife turns on the dishwasher and your kid flushes the toilet.
I used a method similar to that which you are using now, i.e. a storage container from which the water is pumped or flows by gravity into the aquarium. My well water comes out of the tap at around 50F even in the hottest weather, so I would just fill that container up and allow it to come up to ambient room temperature, which is what most of my tanks are maintained at. If I knew I was going to do a WC on one of the "warmer" tanks, I just plugged in the heater that sat in the storage tank all the time, set at the correct temperature and just waiting for energization. A few hours and it's ready to go.
I now have an on-demand water heater dedicated to the fish room, only because it means virtually unlimited water whenever I want it...but I still use the storage tank if I am doing a small enough change that it has the capacity. Since it heats up simply by virtue of the fact that its inside at room temperature (actually, crawlspace temperature...) it is "free" warm water. If your largest water change can be handled by your storage tank capacity, that's still a valid way to go. One quick check of the stored water temperature, and you know it's correct, no running back and forth.
Just don't forget and leave the water running while re-filling the storage tank. That would be stupid (ask me how I know...) and stupid actions are even worse than stupid questions.
Maybe I'm reckless but i don't worry about water temperature at all when doing WC's. Theres no way i can replace enough heated water to match temps. I run my tanks at 78 and on a typical water change, that is usually fin level ( 75-90%) it typically drops to 66-68 degrees.
I do keep almost exclusively SA and CA fish with a few african and asian as well.
I did have some fish react poorly for the first few weeks but now they seem rock solid with the changes
I do keep almost exclusively SA and CA fish with a few african and asian as well.
I did have some fish react poorly for the first few weeks but now they seem rock solid with the changes
I have well water and do not use dechlor. I am also spread out all over the places so I use pumps and hoses for most of it. I have one areea with 6 tanks for breeding and raising plecos where I top off tank right from the tap. However, I mostly go from tap to big Rubbermaid cans and 5 gal buckets. I refill with a pump from the big cans and pout from the 5s into them along the way. All are filled with water at 86F from the tap. It cools as I work on the tanks so it may go in a few degrees cooler if enough time passes.
I also pump out of tanks bigger than 30 gals. aand sometimes from a 29 or 30B. In some places i can siphon directly into a sink or toilet and I can mup to the toiley as well.
The one thing about the well water is it contains a bit of excess co2. So it comes out at a lower pH than it will be when the excess co2 out-gasses. The only use I have for dechlor is when I bleach dip plants that will then go into tanks with fish.
I should say I can adjust the temp of tap water pretty decently to whhere I want it by letting it run oover each of my hands. They sense the same water differently re temp. One always feels it cooler. This cange change between the hands but but feeling with both I can get pretty close.
The thing is if i do a 60% wc and the new water is 10 dg warmer or cooler than the tank the result would be a 6 dg shift at most. And things will warm or cool a tad during the refill process. So figure the change at most is 5 dg. Most fish can tolerate that as long as they are not kept close to the extreme of thieir acceptable temp. range
I also pump out of tanks bigger than 30 gals. aand sometimes from a 29 or 30B. In some places i can siphon directly into a sink or toilet and I can mup to the toiley as well.
The one thing about the well water is it contains a bit of excess co2. So it comes out at a lower pH than it will be when the excess co2 out-gasses. The only use I have for dechlor is when I bleach dip plants that will then go into tanks with fish.
I should say I can adjust the temp of tap water pretty decently to whhere I want it by letting it run oover each of my hands. They sense the same water differently re temp. One always feels it cooler. This cange change between the hands but but feeling with both I can get pretty close.
The thing is if i do a 60% wc and the new water is 10 dg warmer or cooler than the tank the result would be a 6 dg shift at most. And things will warm or cool a tad during the refill process. So figure the change at most is 5 dg. Most fish can tolerate that as long as they are not kept close to the extreme of thieir acceptable temp. range
I have a cold water tap in the fish room that drips into 13 aquariums. I haven’t measured temp but in the winter time it’s really cold and I don’t do any adjustments. I do run heaters in the winter. I also have a shower in the corner that I use for larger water changes and it is adjusted to provide ~75F water but it does take a bit to warm especially in the winter. My L. Tang cichlids are supposedly not well adjusted for such temperature swings but I have had no issues with those 2 aquariums.
I wouldn’t worry about it.
I wouldn’t worry about it.
Over time you will get to know which fish you can refill with water almost straight cold and which need to be within a few degrees. I always use it straight out of the tap through a mixer and pretty much every tank in the fish house will be at a slightly different temp. I have the same issue and know roughly how many turns on the hot and cold taps get me a close temp.
I’d rather fill with cooler water as it’s much easier to kill fish with too hot water than too cold (depending on time of year and location of course). But many of the fish require significant temperature changes to induce breeding so I have never seen or had a problem not matching. (Other than exactly what essox said, when someone uses the cold and I get way too hot water)
Using the hose also allows me to use the spray when nearer full and this both simulates rainfall with cooler water and adds oxygen, again, useful when breeding some fish.
I’d rather fill with cooler water as it’s much easier to kill fish with too hot water than too cold (depending on time of year and location of course). But many of the fish require significant temperature changes to induce breeding so I have never seen or had a problem not matching. (Other than exactly what essox said, when someone uses the cold and I get way too hot water)
Using the hose also allows me to use the spray when nearer full and this both simulates rainfall with cooler water and adds oxygen, again, useful when breeding some fish.
I have never pre treated tap water. Drain the tank. Add dechlor for the volume of the tank, fill, then add a little more at the end.
