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Thread: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

  1. #1
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    Default Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Or does it have to be aged before entering my tank?

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    Registered Member dirtyplants's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Depends on your pH levels and how you gas out. I just installed an HMA filter to eliminate the prime conditioner, my pH difference is almost by two after aging the tap so I have little in the difference in my pH, but I do still have to worry about gas out. My water has fluoride and chloramine in it, so my HMA filter is designed to take out chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia, I will add the fluoride filter down the road.
    Coree

    Life is maintenance, happiness if flexibility,
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtyplants View Post
    Depends on your pH levels and how you gas out. I just installed an HMA filter to eliminate the prime conditioner, my pH difference is almost by two after aging the tap so I have little in the difference in my pH, but I do still have to worry about gas out. My water has fluoride and chloramine in it, so my HMA filter is designed to take out chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia, I will add the fluoride filter down the road.
    Thanks. Not sure what "gas out" means though? My pH is 7.5, so a bit lower wouldn't do any harm.

    By "eliminate the prime conditioner", do you mean there's no need to add water conditioner if you use the right HMA filter? I've never been clear on that. Would certainly prefer not to add chemicals to the water if it's possible.

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    Registered Member Len's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    In most cases you'll be fine as long as the temp is ok. Gassing out is just referring to the water aging to let of any excess CO2 or other gasses that could not while the water was pressurized in your taps. This can mean a pH change once this happens, but unless is is a big change over a short period of time (hours) it won't cause harm.


    Len

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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Yes prime is a water conditioner, and my HMA filter does the same job as the water conditioner. Gas out is what is referred here to as micro bubbles, which attach to the fish and peel off the slime coat. I am experimenting to see if a reactor can eliminate the micro bubbles.
    Coree

    Life is maintenance, happiness if flexibility,
    May you stay forever young.

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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    I'll be running it from a mixer tap, so the temperature should be fine.

    I'll check the pH straight from the tap then after it's aged a day to see the difference. Hopefully no big change, because having to age the water would be very inconvenient in a cramped flat.

    Thanks for your help.

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    Registered Member dirtyplants's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Good luck on that, I was in Aberdeen pretty place. I backed packed through Europe, and loved Scotland.
    Coree

    Life is maintenance, happiness if flexibility,
    May you stay forever young.

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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtyplants View Post
    Yes prime is a water conditioner, and my HMA filter does the same job as the water conditioner. Gas out is what is referred here to as micro bubbles, which attach to the fish and peel off the slime coat. I am experimenting to see if a reactor can eliminate the micro bubbles.
    Had a lot of bubbles on my tank glass when I did a big water change recently - wonder if those were micro bubbles caused by gas.

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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtyplants View Post
    Good luck on that, I was in Aberdeen pretty place. I backed packed through Europe, and loved Scotland.
    Yes, it is astonishingly beautiful in Scotland. The water's great up here too, so pretty good for keeping discus.

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    Registered Member dirtyplants's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    The small tiny bubbles that stick to everything would be micro bubbles.
    Coree

    Life is maintenance, happiness if flexibility,
    May you stay forever young.

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    Registered Member Len's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    If you do smaller water chnages more often you can usually avoid the bubbles. If it's just a few on the tank glass then no concern, but if it's bad enough that they are sticking to the fish then I would do the smaller changes. A reactor won't do much unless there is a fair amount of agitation AND surface area exposed to the air to let the gas escape. You can minimize a lot of it by just sticking your thumb over the nd of the hose filling the tank to cause some spraying and agitation. If on the other hand the hose is submerged in the tank the bubbles will be very noticeable and much worse.


    Len

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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Quote Originally Posted by Len View Post
    If you do smaller water chnages more often you can usually avoid the bubbles. If it's just a few on the tank glass then no concern, but if it's bad enough that they are sticking to the fish then I would do the smaller changes. A reactor won't do much unless there is a fair amount of agitation AND surface area exposed to the air to let the gas escape. You can minimize a lot of it by just sticking your thumb over the nd of the hose filling the tank to cause some spraying and agitation. If on the other hand the hose is submerged in the tank the bubbles will be very noticeable and much worse.
    Great advice, thanks. Only had masses of bubbles after a 90% water change following cycling problems, but 30% changes (which I'll be doing at least twice weekly when I get my discus) had only a few bubbles. That sounds like the way to go. I have a spray bar and air pump too, which might help with the agitation.

  13. #13
    Registered Member Len's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    I'd suggest a little more than 30% twice weekly. 30 - 50 daily would be more appropriate


    Len

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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    No time, or I would - three-times-a-week changes would be an absolute max, I'm afraid. I'm hoping that, by not overfeeding and also having a pleco in there to clean up a bit, twice a week will suffice. I've certainly read on other sites that it would be sufficient. I'm only having six juvenile discus in a 270-litre tank, so it'll be on the less messy side of discus-keeping.

    I'm also thinking of adding an ozone generator to help the water quality, although I realise it's no subsititute for water changes. Plus, I'm over-filtering quite a lot, with enough filtration for a 500-litre tank.

  15. #15
    Registered Member dirtyplants's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can I use water straight from HMA filter?

    Yes, it is astonishingly beautiful in Scotland. The water's great up here too, so pretty good for keeping discus.
    Funny your words do not share that Scottish Accent I have come to love.
    Coree

    Life is maintenance, happiness if flexibility,
    May you stay forever young.

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