Regular Water Changes

[mikekomm]

I have 5 freshwater tanks ranging from 5 gal to 55 gal. I perform a 20% water change weekly on each of them. I've been trying to get the water from the faucet to approx. 78 degrees with each change. Recently, a fairly large fish supplier told me that I should never use heated water from my house water heater because it will contain some traces of copper.

I never heard this before and my fish all seem to be healthy. Can anyone comment on this?

 

[packer43064]

I have 5 freshwater tanks ranging from 5 gal to 55 gal. I perform a 20% water change weekly on each of them. I've been trying to get the water from the faucet to approx. 78 degrees with each change. Recently, a fairly large fish supplier told me that I should never use heated water from my house water heater because it will contain some traces of copper.

I never heard this before and my fish all seem to be healthy. Can anyone comment on this?

Honestly I don't know much if it can harm the fish (I don't think it would at all), but thousands, hundreds of thousands of fish hobbyists used warmed up water for putting new water in. Otherwise what would you do....turn the cold on and fill it up. Yeah right.

 

[mqktandy]

Don't worry about it unless you have extremely sensitive fish. I try and do a daily water change on my grow out and I have never lost a fish

 

[bbortko]

Sounds like crazy talk to me. Copper pipes are very thin, if they dissolved under the low temps of a hot water heater they would have to be replaced every year not to mention the heat they withstand from acetylene torches when braising.

 

[Mavrick813]

I do all of my Water changes with warmed tap water. Haven't had an issue ever. I also found that my Maverick Et-73 Digital Thermo does a great job at finding that Sweet Temp I need for the tank.

 

[libayn]

my water from tap is low 60's so i always add couple gallons of hot when filling them up each week to balance out the temp and never had any probs.

 

[Jc1119]

In 36 years of fishkeeping,in 10 different tanks, in 4 different houses in 3 different states , I've always added warm water from the tap and never lost a fish from doing so. I'm also an advocate of modrate carbon use, which removes copper if present.
Sounds a little "phishy" to me.

 

[Racersk]

Sounds like passing of bad info to me...

Like others have stated, if copper leached out into the water, the pipes would have to be replaced regularly... Which is untrue, hence the reason that we have gone away from cast iron....Plastic is still debatable, as I have just recently heard that PVC is not good for potable water...

 

[shawneedaniel]

I have always been told you have to let tap water sit out for 24 hours to let the chemicals dissolve even if you use a water conditioner. Is this not the case?

 

[Mavrick813]

Plastic is still debatable, as I have just recently heard that PVC is not good for potable water...

My brother in law (Contractor) was just saying the same thing to me as we were trying to figure out some easy WC options for the new 125. I Wanted to plumb right into the main lines and dial in the heat behind the tank. I was thinking braided line right off the mains to the tank and have a valve their. He mentioned the expense so I thought PVC to the tank and a valve that way. His thoughts are CPVC? Anyone with info on this?