Water Changes??

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blogan

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 23, 2009
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I have a question about water changes that I hope some of you experienced People can help me with. When you do water changes for large and or small tanks using a Syphon and suck out the water and clean the gravel, How do you add the new water? Do you use just cold water and drip in a dechlorinator? I was just wondering if the temp change really bothered the fish a whole lot? Any help and suggestions would be great.
 
Depending on how sensitive your fishes are. But drastic drop of water temp. can stress your fish out. You should get one of those syphon that connects to the sink. It also works as a hose directly from your sink, so you can make the water warmer or colder as needed, IMO.
 
Why add cold water to the tank? I add water to the tank that is near the same temp as the tanks water.
 
i used to mess with water temp... now i might turn the hot on for about 3 min during a large waer change... all depends... usually ill go warmer than the tank sometimes straight cold all depends on my mood and size of water change
 
i match it as close as i can feel with my hand, usually with in 2 degrees or so. i don't really worry.
 
Just get a close enough temp. near the tank. I just guess and it's close to it and my fish have been fine the whole time.
 
Austin;2937648; said:
i match it as close as i can feel with my hand, usually with in 2 degrees or so. i don't really worry.

Same, don't really worry about it. Most fish not all though are pretty hardy and if it's off by 2 or 5 degrees or whatever it's usually fine.
 
I use a python and match the tank temp within 2 degrees (never takes more than a minute) Then I dose the tank with dechlorinator for the whole tanks volume. Then I let it fill.
 
I usually sweep the gravel about once every two weeks. I generally do a water change about three times every two weeks.

When I do a water change (or sweep the gravel) I have one hose syphoning water out of the tank to outside my house. I have another hose connected to the sink in my bathroom. I drain about 15% of water out of my tank and then turn on the sink. I get the temperature as close as possible by feeling it with my hand. I continue to drain the water out of the tank until the tank gets close to full (since the water is going in faster than it is going out). I then remove the hose that is draining, empty it, roll it up. Then I just wait until the tank fills the rest of the way up. Once it is full I add enough prime for 100 gallons.

The entire process takes about 10 - 15 minutes for a 210 gallon tank.
 
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