Water Change Question For Those With Monster Tanks

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aldiaz33

aldiaz33

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Jun 19, 2007
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How do people with huge tanks manage to do water changes without completely draining your house's hot water heater?

I'm not saying my tanks are huge (relatively speaking, these are small tanks), but I now have a 270G, a 240G and a 50G. I was doing water changes in the order that I listed the tanks and halfway through the water change on the 240G, the water coming from the tap started coming out cold. I completely drained the heater and had to wait 45 minutes for the houses heater to do it's thing. To make matters worse, my roommates girlfriend jumped in the shower and had to use ice cold water (I felt pretty bad about that).

So I'm curious how people with real monster sized tanks deal with this? If you turn up the water heater, doesn't that increase how hot the water gets? I don't want scalding hot water coming out of the faucets. That's probably not safe.

Perfect example, take John PTC: How could he do a 25% water change in the House of Sam?
 
I know some people that have used inline water heaters. But for the most part really huge tanks have drip systems and never do a water change like we do. --------BUt for the normal aquarist you could do smaller more frequent changes or set up a drip system.
 
I have a 765 gal tank and I use cold water, sometimes fish like cold water.....for example if the temperature of the tank is 27c, the temp drops after 30 minutes to 24c changing half of it, in a big tank its not a problem because the water gets to the tank little by little and the fish get use to it, and sometimes they like the cold water and they search for it, its like when a room is really hot and someone opens the window.....of course on a 10 gal tank it is definitely risky......
 
I'm not saying my tanks are huge (relatively speaking, these are small tanks), but I now have a 270G, a 240G
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I am saying they are huge! :)

as for water changes, on my 150 and 65, I put the water in at a tepid temperature, so that although I am using a lot of water, I don't need tons and tons of hot water to make it the right temp.

although I generally try NOT to have a shower or bath following a water change lol
 
12 Volt Man;2695091; said:
I am saying they are huge! :)

as for water changes, on my 150 and 65, I put the water in at a tepid temperature, so that although I am using a lot of water, I don't need tons and tons of hot water to make it the right temp.

although I generally try NOT to have a shower or bath following a water change lol
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LOL ditto. Volt. I never knew these drip systems were the norm for monster tanks...
 
How big is your hot water heater? I have a 75 gallon and I can get through about 3 tanks (depending on which ones I do).
;)
 
hybridtheoryd16;2694910; said:
I know some people that have used inline water heaters. But for the most part really huge tanks have drip systems and never do a water change like we do. --------BUt for the normal aquarist you could do smaller more frequent changes or set up a drip system.
Click to expand...
Drip systems...I knew I was missing something. That makes sense.

oftalmos;2695026; said:
I have a 765 gal tank and I use cold water, sometimes fish like cold water.....for example if the temperature of the tank is 27c, the temp drops after 30 minutes to 24c changing half of it, in a big tank its not a problem because the water gets to the tank little by little and the fish get use to it, and sometimes they like the cold water and they search for it, its like when a room is really hot and someone opens the window.....of course on a 10 gal tank it is definitely risky......
Click to expand...

I read the thread you posted on your 765. Very impressive! You are right. I think sometimes I baby my fish too much. A slight drop in the water temperature isn't going to kill anyone (at least hopefully not).

12 Volt Man;2695091; said:
I am saying they are huge! :)

as for water changes, on my 150 and 65, I put the water in at a tepid temperature, so that although I am using a lot of water, I don't need tons and tons of hot water to make it the right temp.

although I generally try NOT to have a shower or bath following a water change lol
Click to expand...
Yeah, cold showers are the pits.

vanimate;2695391; said:
How big is your hot water heater? I have a 75 gallon and I can get through about 3 tanks (depending on which ones I do).
;)
Click to expand...
Not sure on the size. I'd have to check. I'll have to talk the landlord into installing an industrial size water heater! :headbang2
 
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