De-chloring water

[wolfbane]

Hi, since I'm new to Discus, it seems I have sooooo many questions. I am doing the "bucket brigade" thing currently, growing out 13 Juvies. The tank location is good for draining (siphon house out the back door) but not so good for filling, but my hubby wants to know why I don't just put the de-chlor in the tank and fill with warm water from the tap? He says it would be the same difference, easier on the back. I told him to get his own fish and try it first, then we would talk!! :argue: Actually I don't know much about how the de-chlor products work, but don't want my fish breathing chlorine or chloranamine for half a minute while the stuff works. :( Am I being overly cautious?

[walk23]

Best to de-chlorinate overnight (24 hrs) with air. If impractical have you tried Prime ? Works well too. Major thing is ph/ temp. stable water.

[wolfbane]

Been using Stress Coat to get the chlorine and chloranamine out, The City of Houston water authority sees fit to change things without telling the public, some days the water smells like swimming pool water. :mad: One day, I lost a entire community tank in 30 minutes after a change with aged, aeriated water, the chloranamines they added didn't break down. :( The water dept. told me that you must use a product that will break the chloranamine bond. Thanks for the reply.

[walk23]

Do you have a storage holding tank for aging water ?

[Anonapersona]

I didn't realize the City of Houston uses chloramine.... I'm outside the city (for now, until annexation begins again). If it is chloramine, then aging will do you no good. You will need some sort of treatment. If it is only chlorine, then aging will be sufficient, with good agitation you should be able to use it in 24 hours or less. Best to get some chlorine test strips to be certain.

FWIW, I have some water in aging vat but not nearly the amount I need for a decent water change. My rope handled bucket holds 20 gallons, but the pump will remove only about 15 of that.

I tested my tank water and aged water and fresh tap water and found that the tap is pH 7.8, the tank is 7.9, and the aged water is 8.0. So, for me, tap water pH is actually closer to the tank pH than the aged water.

So, I do keep the aging bucket in use but run a hose to the sink for the other 35 gallons I need for a water change, adding Prime to the tank to treat the entire tank volume (as per directions). I have one hose that is potable water safe (RV section at Walmart) and another that is just clear vinyl, put together from parts at Home Depot, so if you need a longer hose you can just make one. We have chlorine only but I use Prime on the discus tanks, but cheaper dechlor (sodium thiosulphate) on the planted tanks.

I do run the hose into the bucket first, to try to break out some of the CO2 as it splashes into the big bucket, for I worry about all the tiny bubbles bothering the fish. then use a pump to bring it up to the discus tank. That gives me a chance to adjust the temperature better before it hits the big tank. I have a nice digital thermometer that keeps me certain of tank temp during fillup.

IME, the fish are fine with the tap water. I do know that the owner of Aquarium World on 290 will not use tap water for any of his tanks, he says the water is not fit to drink and not fit for fish. He uses reconstituted RO. I have had some unexplained deaths in the tetras and catfish in other tanks, but the discus are OK. He may be right, it may be worth investigating.

[Carol_Roberts]

I would use Prime rather than stress coat (you don't need all that aloe vera stuff). Is your pH from the tap similar to the pH in the tank? If yes, then I would try using tap water. On a week end why don't you try doing a 25% water change adding the prime to the tank and filling with tap water. See how your fish react. If they are OK then try a 40% water change next and observe them, etc.

[wolfbane]

:D Thanks everyone, good info. I don't have a holding tank, been reading about :confused: Rubbermaid trash cans? Would have to keep it outside and heat the water, except in our Houston summers! Lol. Ph from tap is 7.6, from tank 7.4, from freshly treated tap water, (with Stress Coat) 7.4

Debbie

[aggie_67]

Note about Houston water, it depends on where you are. Houston uses surface water and wells. On the West side of town its wells. Would think the surface water is the one that may require extra treatment from time to time.

[hexed]

Debbie,
I too do the bucket "dance" LOL. I use a plastic cat food bucket to fill my rubbermaid trash can. My faucets do not have threading to attach a python to. What I did was add three gallons to the small bucket and marked it. That's what I fill by. It takes 8 cat food buckets (at 3 gallons) of warm water (I use a thermometer in the trash can) to fill my trash can. After the seventh I place 2 teaspoonfuls of Novaqua into it and add the last 3 gallons to kinda mix the novaqua in. The water is ready then, chlorine is removed in seconds. I do not use Stress Coat because it contains aloe which can clog your sponge filter (that's what I was told). My pH is 7.0 from tap and my tanks are 6.4, but I use peat so it keeps them steady at that pH. I do not age my water at all. I have a hose attached to a power head to pump the water from the can to the tank. Sounds time consuming but it takes about 20 minutes a tank ;) I do 50% water change a day for each tank and I have 4 tanks.

[Carol_Roberts]

Your faucets have and end piece that contains a screen. This piece unscrews. You can go to Lowes or any store that carries plumbing and buy a fitting. It will have fine threads on one end (that threads into the faucet) and threads for a garden hose on the other end. This piece comes with all Python hoses.

[drew22to375]

Your faucets have and end piece that contains a screen. This piece unscrews. You can go to Lowes or any store that carries plumbing and buy a fitting. It will have fine threads on one end (that threads into the faucet) and threads for a garden hose on the other end. This piece comes with all Python hoses.
Try and find a metal one those plastic ones don't hold up very long..

[jdellman]

Drew: I think the fitting that Carol referred to does come in brass. When I received my Python, it came with a brass fitting. You may want to e-mail them and ask.

[wolfbane]

Thanks everyone for the help, going to find a fitting today, I hope! And Drew, is that a McCartney dog in your avatar?

Debbie

[hexed]

Carol,
I cannot attach anything to my faucets. My kitchen one is an all one piece pull out sprayer, yes it's a cheap one my father said LOL! It looks like an all plastic sprayer but not made of plastic and has a round plate with holes that the water comes through, there is no threads on it and to take it apart I would have to smash it. My bathroom faucets are 2 single ones from 1920s LOL one side is hot and the other is cold, again no screens or threading. I have a claw tub and the faucet is small pipe spigot? My house was build in 1916 one room at a time and we are slowly updating it. I attached a pic LOL.

[Carol_Roberts]

I just had to buy a new kitchen faucet (my old one broke). You are correct none of the pull out ones will work. I bought a mid-priced single lever Price Fister for $99 at Lowes. Works great :)

[hexed]

LOL
Now you know why I have to do the bucket dance everynite LOL!