Never use a garden hose!

[Laborator]

Made rookie mistake and shows that you can't shortcut in this hobby, used garden hose for waterchange and my discus all got sick, hope they make it


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.964254,-122.078908

[Keith Perkins]

Sorry you learned the hard way. Yea, for a few bucks more you can get a white potable water hose that's a lot safer to use. I think it's not a bad idea to run a little bleach solution through your filling hoses every once in a while too just to make sure you don't have a nasty bacteria colony growing inside them and making your fish sick. Bummer Laborator.

[Skip]

yea.. i had seen that information about the green hoses.

white is way to go.. they are in the walmart camping section.. think its like $10.. or so

[Keith Perkins]

Ace Hardware here just had them on sale for $9.99 for a 25 footer.

[seanyuki]

Just sharing.....

FDA food safe water hoses links.

http://www.thefind.com/garden/info-drinking-watersafe-hose

[wendy9722]

I use garden hoses but they are older. I was going to try using a new hose but it had a smell to it when I ran pure hot water through it so just sticking with the older ones. They dont have any of residue or whatever that is in the new hoses. Sorry to hear about all your fish getting sick. I hope they make it through.
God bless ya

[Darrell Ward]

Just to add, I don't think bacteria in garden hoses is the problem, rather it's the chemicals that leech from the vinyl product the hose is made from. If you have ever taken a drink of water from a garden hose, and it tasted like plastic, you have experienced vinyl leeching. This is why they make the white colored hoses designed especially for potable water.

[dadecountyalan]

what?! thats what i use and im in the same area!

[TURQ64]

They aren't all white; there are manufacturers of blue and red also...a bit heavier than the average 'white' ones...

[korbi_doc]

Wow, so sorry your discus got sick...As Alan & wendy, I've used the green garden hose for over 15yrs with no problems....yes, they are older, maybe less toxic...they did have an odor at first, but I ran very hot water & bleach thru'm for sev'l days & have been lucky to not have a problem....

That being said, I'd use the white potable water hoses now too...they are safer & we use'm in the camper as well.....hope your fish recover well.....

Dottie

[ericatdallas]

If you wait until the winter, hoses are cheaper then too... at least at my local home depot. I was able to get a potable water hose for half the price they are selling them now...

Although I do use a normal cheapo hose too for WC... and no ill effects so I may have gotten lucky. Maybe it helps to rinse out the hose first... which I did do.

[dadecountyalan]

yeah i havent noticed anything either and thats what i use. hopefully i got lucky to.

and my bad on the post above i live no where near to use. just read a direction i had on google map and though that was it.

[April]

I use rubber hoses. Never a problem.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.275078,-122.835488

[ericatdallas]

What's with the "I am here:" tags?

[DonMD]

What's with the "I am here:" tags?

+1 ??

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

[ericatdallas]

[QUOTE=Darrell Ward;792399].... rather it's the chemicals that leech from the vinyl product the hose is made from. If you have ever taken a drink of water from a garden hose, and it tasted like plastic, you have experienced vinyl leeching.QUOTE]


Just saw this... I think part of the reason why I might have been spared is because I use the garden hose to drain dirty water out first. Remove 60+ gallons out and you probably remove any of the leeched chemicals. Then I fill with fresh water. <shrug> not sure, but seems reasonable.

With my new setup, I actually use laundry machine hoses... I haven't noticed any problems but my poor fish have been neglected lately too so maybe things are going on that I haven't noticed :(

[eaglesfan3000]

I just filled up my aquarium today and it still smells like chlorine after using a double dose of Prime. I used a new garden hose I ran water through it first and it's been almost seven hours and it still smells like chlorine. I think I'm going to drain it and go purchase a drinking water safe hose.

[Sean Buehrle]

I just filled up my aquarium today and it still smells like chlorine after using a double dose of Prime. I used a new garden hose I ran water through it first and it's been almost seven hours and it still smells like chlorine. I think I'm going to drain it and go purchase a drinking water safe hose.

That would probably be a good idea:)

[Keith Perkins]

Yeah, sometimes you can have all these test kits that don't tell you the "whole" truth but you believe them, meanwhile your nose is going duh! God gave it to you for a reason, trust it. It's just too cheap to use potable water hoses to ever take the chance.

[eaglesfan3000]

Thanks, I will probably pick up a chlorine test kit while I'm out fighting the day after Christmas crowd today.

[Skip]

If u used a garden hose.. That smell is not chlorine... prime will wipe that out.. U probably smell anti mildew stuff inside hose.. Walmart has the white safe hose in the rv section. So no need for cholrine test

[lipadj46]

+1 new garden hoses have anti mildew coatings also that leach out.

[Skip]

Thank lipad.. Thats term I could not think of at 5am

[eaglesfan3000]

Thanks guys. I drained it just to be safe and filled it back up using the Python...problem solved. I will however go to Wal-Mart and get a boat/RV hose.

[Skip]

Why get one if u have python...

[eaglesfan3000]

Why get one if u have python...

My hot water heater sucks I don't have enough for daily water changes out of the tap. Maybe I can go to Home Depot and find some attachments to hook it up to my transfer pump.

[Sean Buehrle]

Thanks, I will probably pick up a chlorine test kit while I'm out fighting the day after Christmas crowd today.

I would buy a real chlorine test kit from the filter guys or someone that makes them for the aquarium trade.

You need a test kit that alerts you to any amount, chlorine test kits you buy at Walmart and places like that are useless because they don't go that low.
It takes less than a half ppm chlorine to send your fish to the bone yard.
Please disregard this if you already know this:)

[eaglesfan3000]

I would buy a real chlorine test kit from the filter guys or someone that makes them for the aquarium trade.

You need a test kit that alerts you to any amount, chlorine test kits you buy at Walmart and places like that are useless because they don't go that low.
It takes less than a half ppm chlorine to send your fish to the bone yard.
Please disregard this if you already know this:)

I will probably go to the pool supply store and pick one up.

[lmdiscus]

I am going to get me some of the white tubing at Walmart and try today. I have been using the Python in the past, which always works good but tends to get mold or film inside after using for several months. Is this common with any tubing or should I really be cleaning the hose on a regular basis. I use it for filling tanks only from a Little Giant pump attached to my mixing tank.

[eaglesfan3000]

I am going to get me some of the white tubing at Walmart and try today. I have been using the Python in the past, which always works good but tends to get mold or film inside after using for several months. Is this common with any tubing or should I really be cleaning the hose on a regular basis. I use it for filling tanks only from a Little Giant pump attached to my mixing tank.

Yes I purchased a drinking safe hose and it works great. I quit using the python hose because it was slowing the flow rate down. I attached my python to the end of the white garden hose. Get yourself a brass 3/4 inch female to female adapter from Home Depot I think it was like 4 bucks.