doing water changes

[Faydra]

Hi guys!

I have a 55 gallon tank with six small discus. For the last few months I have been doing 40-50% water changes almost everyday using a 3 gallon bucket (siphon out and dump into kitchen sink about 8 times and then refill buckets and dump into tank about 8 more times!). It's a great arm workout but also very tiring and time consuming!

My husbands father had a stroke about three weeks ago and he recently passed away so we have been very busy lately with family and travelling. I have been trying to not let my wc's slip but as it takes me FOREVER, sometimes it can't be helped.

My tank is appoximately 15-20' from my kitchen sink so I have been looking to getting an extra long siphon which I think will help:

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCata...hits=12&offset

Does anyone have any experience with these and can they give me any information on good/bad ones? Can they also be used to refill the tank? How is a water conditioner used when refilling with water directly from the tap?

Thanks!

Faydra

[Willie]

That's the one. It'll change your life. I just add water conditioner directly to the tank when filling.

Willie

[Wahter]

Just like Willie says - you can use it to refill your tank and just add the dechlorinator/ dechloramine product while you fill the tank.

For draining, the python can be a bit wasteful since it expects you to run water in the sink to draw the water out of the tank while it's hooked up to the faucet.

HTH,


Walter

[Faydra]

Just like Willie says - you can use it to refill your tank and just add the dechlorinator/ dechloramine product while you fill the tank.

For draining, the python can be a bit wasteful since it expects you to run water in the sink to draw the water out of the tank while it's hooked up to the faucet.

HTH,


Walter

Walter - Can you recommend an alternate one??

[Rex82]

siphon the water out a window onto the lawn will help your lawn and your back, refill by hooking a hose to your normal tap. add declor at time of water change

[2wheelsx2]

Get a safety siphon from Jehmco with the garden hose attachment. http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_si...ium_drain.html

It'll change your life much more than the Python does. I have the super safety siphon with the 580 gph pump for my 125 and it makes my weekly to semi-weekly 70+ gallon water changes more bearable.

[DerekFF]

Just be careful using non-aged water and add the dechlorinator before you fill with water. Ive seen a few times where its been added after filling with water and a few of the fish didnt seem very happy about it. None died, but stress that didnt need to happen. Some people here will have a large PH swing using just straight tap water into the tank, some dont. Depends on your water.

[Rex82]

yeah i second what derek said, if your ph swings when aged then tap water changes aint for you sorry

[joanr]

Get a submersible pump. Connect hose to pump and run hose out to your garden, toilet or wherever. If you need to store your water get another pump and hose for the barrel. Put a quick connect hookup on your kitchen faucet and the other end on another hose for filling your storage barrel. Best fix in the world without going real high tech. A 55g tall storage barrel not only lets you de-gas your water, you can also pre-heat the water to the exact temp you need for the tank and do your de-chlor in the barrel. You'll need another airpump/airline/check valve/air diffuser for the water barrel and another heater also. Initial output of cash may deter but you'll love this system in the long run. Oh, forgot, since with this system you won't be vacumming out debris with the syphon tube, you'll need one of those battery operated hand vacs, like the Eheim Sludge remover or the kind with the small white bag, called gravel vac, the sturdiest I've found is the Penn Plex brand.

[Faydra]

siphon the water out a window onto the lawn will help your lawn and your back, refill by hooking a hose to your normal tap. add declor at time of water change

I don't have a lawn as I live in an apartment building. I sometimes pour some of the water into my flower pots though.

[Faydra]

Just be careful using non-aged water and add the dechlorinator before you fill with water. Ive seen a few times where its been added after filling with water and a few of the fish didnt seem very happy about it. None died, but stress that didnt need to happen. Some people here will have a large PH swing using just straight tap water into the tank, some dont. Depends on your water.

With the amount and frequency of my wc's I have never noticed any change in my PH at all. My tap water tests at about 6.5 and that is what my tank is at. My discus adore it when I pour in the fresh water. They go super bright and play in the water stream!

I guess I will just stand above the water hose and slowly add my water conditioner as it pours into the tank. Regardless it is going to save me a ton of time. Now I'll have to think of a new arm workout....

[2wheelsx2]

With the amount and frequency of my wc's I have never noticed any change in my PH at all. My tap water tests at about 6.5 and that is what my tank is at. My discus adore it when I pour in the fresh water. They go super bright and play in the water stream!

I guess I will just stand above the water hose and slowly add my water conditioner as it pours into the tank. Regardless it is going to save me a ton of time. Now I'll have to think of a new arm workout....

Are you measuring your water pH after the CO2 has been outgassed? I thought Kamloops water was hard and alkaline?

You don't need to slowly add the conditioner. You just put in the full amount after your take the water out and before you add the fresh water.

[Masterkush]

I would love to use the python but, my water is hard so I need to uae 1 to 5 R/O.

[Discus master]

I was told if you are adding straight from the tap that you need to add enough dechlorinator for the entire volume of water even if you are only changing 25 50% you need to add enough dechlor for the entire tank voloume so I have a 55 gallon and I do a 50% water chnage instead of adding enough dechlor for 25 gallon if going straight into the tank I would need to add enough for the entire 55 gallons anyway, is this true? Because when I do go straight to the tank I add enough dechlor for the entire 55 galon even when I am doing my normal 50% water change I was told this is what i would have to do so I stop doing that I have my tank 30 feet away from the sink so I use a 30 hose to syhhon out and I use a hose to fill my 45 gallon trash an reat with an for whatever in the trash can roll it to the tank its on wheels and use a one gallon water pitcher to put the new ater in I do this to save on my dechlorinator costs.

But if you are saying I only need to add the amount of dechlorinator for the amount I take out even if filling the tank directly then I will go back to doing it that way I just want to be sure here thats the one thing sometimes on these forums you will get some conflicting information from time to time even between the experts.

[Faydra]

Are you measuring your water pH after the CO2 has been outgassed? I thought Kamloops water was hard and alkaline?

You don't need to slowly add the conditioner. You just put in the full amount after your take the water out and before you add the fresh water.

I'm not sure what you mean by "outgassed". All I know is I have a PH test kit and I have immediately tested the water that came directly out of my tap and it is always in the 6.5 range.

The Kamloops water used to test over 7 but we got a new water treatment plant in 2005 and it must do something to the water because since then it hasn't been nearly as alkaline.

I have always just added treated, non-aged tap water to my tanks and I have never had a problem with stressed fish....