Another stupid Water Changing ??

[discusnovice]

I have done a lot of reading, reading, reading until my eyes are bleeding to get some sort of handle on water changes. I see where some of the people are changing water every day with straight tap water (chlorine not removed).

My question: Can I change 10% of the water daily using straight tap water at the proper temp. (86-88)?? What will be the effect if any?? I am not trying to get them to reproduce just grow and be healthy.

Let me hear from some of you that DO USE TAP water and what your results are. What do you feed?? Your water conditions?? etc.

THANKS !! for your input. discusnovice

[BlueTurquoise]

Hi there,

Sorry but I have to suggest that you read more! LOL

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1150

Not sure but I think you are mixing up straight tap water and aged tap water. I use straight tap but I airate and heat it over 24 hour period in a plastic bin, which removes chlorine (Chlorine is a dissolved gas used in many municipal tap waters) and stablizes PH in the water before transferring it to my tank. However I also have Chloromines in my tap so I also have to add some water conditioners (simmilar to Seachem Prime).

Going straight from tap to tank without dechlorination at all is not advisable, esp for me and my tap water.

You also mentioned you do 10% per day, I get very good results from 30% per day. Sometimes even 30% per day is not enough... It's gets easier with large storage containers (20gal for my 50 gal tank), long hoses and pumps... ;D Basically the cleaner the tank (and I mean sparkling) the better off your fish will be. They will grow faster, fatter and healthier with regular water changes. The best condition for you fish is a stable condition. Something that you can easily keep stable and never changing is best for them.

Water conditions, Plain tap water for me is very soft water (GH 2 or less and KH 2-3). The PH out of my tap is 8ish but after 24 hours it becomes a stable 7. My tank is 30 degrees C and PH is around the 7 to 6.8PH mark. I feed them Tetra Colour bits, Hikari brand frozen blood worms, my own home made beefheart and prawn mix which I freeze up and defrost a small amount every time i feed, and sometimes I give them hikari brand frozen Brine Shrimp. Alot of people feed live black worms which I am trying to source here in Australia but you need to take care of live food which I am not quite sure if my wife is up for live worms in the fridge yet!

I hope that helps!

Chong

[Richman]

Welcome Discusnovice

Yes, some do add straight tap water, but I'm not so certain about using without any treatment. Adding chlorine and ammonia neutralizers is recommended if you do it. Any chlorine will affect the bacteria in your filtration. Not worth the risk. I am one of the guilty ones you speak of but only because my water does not ever seem to change ph as it ages. Don't know why. Run a gallon of your tap water and test the ph level. Then put an airstone in it and let it age like that for 24 hrs. Then test the ph again. If you get a significant change (most do) from the original ph then it is not advisable to run straight from the tap. It will result in unstabale ph in your aquarium. Trying to change ph with chemicals will end up with your ph bouncing around and causing problems with your fish. Aging water overnite with heater and airstone is the easiest way for you to go. I would also change more than 10 percent of water if you want them to grow and be healthy.

[Carol_Roberts]

Good advice Chong and Richman :thumbsup:
Carol :heart1:

For the most part the answer would be no....not a good habit to get into.

Its not really a question that can be answered with a simple no... straight across the board.

There are alot of different things that can come into play....size of tank, stocking density, water perameters in the tank vs. right out of the faucet, whats in your water...chlorine...no chlorine...possibly chloramines?

Some do have great success with small daily water changes...most dont. Some do have great success with water right out of the tap....most dont.

I would discourage anyone who is relatively new to water chemistry from trying it at all. There's just to many variables to take into consideration....and some of them can be a royal pain in the ***.

Age your water....its the simplest, safest way to go.

Tony

ps. Some municipal water supplies can vary from day to day on occasion. Some even swing wildly.

[shootingstar]

Discusnovice,

welcome to the board !

10% of 20 gal tank is alot different than the 10% of 100 gal tank. For me, I let my tap water store in a 55 gal w/ heater and an air pump....rather than straight from tap.

[Fishin dude]

50 or thirty percent? dun both with aged water only......30 wins with no overfeeding...25am, 25pm for heavy feeders...temp and other parameters equal :whip: 8)