Water Changes

Before I start just let me say... I know, I treat this site like a blooming hotel. I only ever drop in when I need something. I apologise 

My main tank is situated under my stairs. Water changes usually envolve me balancing a 36 litre water container, on my stairs so I can syphon water back into my tank. But I have a plan!!!

How about, I cut my pipe which takes water from my tank to my external filter, slip in a "T" joint, and run another pipe from the 3rd joint in the "T" joint that is long enough to reach the bottom of my 36 Litre water container. A valve on each of the pipes that run from the tank to the "T" joint and from the "T" joint to the water container, would mean I could then force the filter to take water from the container instead of the tank, filling up my tank!

However, when I suggested this to one of my lfs' he advised against it, as even treated tap water could wipe out my filter bacteria, although he seemed less concerned when I pitched the idea of using R.O water instead of tap water (I will soon be going over to a discus setup).

Is this a real threat or is my lfs being over cautious? I intend to put a small heater in the water container before doing a water change so temperature shouldn't be a problem.

In addition, I have a uv light on my filter which I don't usually use, would it be an idea to use this more often or all the time when I have Discus or would it cause the same problem as normal, ie:making the fish more likely to catch something in the long run as there immune system is not as strong?

Thanks, as always, for any and all replies.

Stuart.

Hi Stuart and Sue,
Some thoughts on the UV filter benefits. I totally agree with what Sue has pinched from else where. HOWEVER. The UV filters do have a very good reputation – and deservedly so. For example, running a UV filter allows to avoid setting up a quarantine tank. Whatever the new fish may have will not be transmitted to the “old” ones and even if it will, the duration, intensity and fish recovery rates will be high. Also, I found that a UV filter is the ONLY way of treating/stopping the spread of the dreaded rainbowfish desease.  Mycobacterium or something else, some of the rainbowfish (especially extensively bread) have, does not affect other species if a UV filter is run.
A few months ago – close to 18 month, I bought a group of Neon Blue rainbowfish. I was reluctant to buy them before, knowing that all commercially sold ones were the descendants of only half a dozen of them brought from Papua New Guinea by Heiko Bleher – and are now very short lived and overloaded with problems. The group I bought was from a local breeder, so I could not resist (thinking they would be O.K). After two happy months, one after one of them was developing an internal ulcer or such manifesting itself in first small but ever increasing pinkish coloured lump – different places for each of them. I immediately bought and switched on a UV filter. I admit, I was hoping that the Neons will survive... None of them did. This was a Mycobacteriosis or something similar. I already had some relatively rare rainbowfish of other species in the same tank – and it was a UV filter which did not allow them to get ill. I don’t run it any more, nor I will ever buy any Neon Rainbowfish unless by chance they happen to be either wild caught or from one of those infamous breeders in Belgium and Holland who actually travel to Papua New Guinea to collect “fresh blood”.
So, I would not write off your UV filter completely, although running it all the time is not necessary.
EDIT: I have just thought - I really don't remember when it was last time I used any medication. I prefer good aquarium maintenance and a UV if really needed rather than using chemicals whatever good the intentions are. I have not had any outbreaks of any sort of disease - probably because I buy from trusted suppliers (those Neon Rainbowfish were one off "weakness") - and i don't need to quarantine any of the fish.

When I had my 360 liter tank, doing water changes was a pain using buckets, so I bought a pond pump and uses a wheelie bin, pump from the tank to the bin, tip the water outside then fill the bin with new water and put the pump in the bin to pump in to the tank, it worked a treat.

On the subject of water changes, something that always puzzles me.

I keep reading when doing a water change chlorinate for the full tank.

So for example if it is a 10 gallon and I take out 4 gallon and I dechlorinate the replacement 4 gallon why do I have dechlorinate the other 6 gallon that is already dechlorinated, has it suddenly got chlorine in from somewhere?

Me too.

Well I add amount to each bucket, I think this is one of the reasons why it becomes expensive.

Well will be due my first water change (since getting fish) on Wednesday. Given that my tank holds 81 ltrs. I assume a 15% water change means around 12-13 ltrs would be enough?   As far as conditioner is concerned, my tetra safestart says to add 5 ml per 10 ltrs of water, thats what i added when i did my big water change before i added my fish

i must have got it wrong, is it aquasafe?  its definitely to get rid of chlorine

Yes, aquasafe (or whatever brand it is you have) is the one you need.

The bottle of Safe Start will tell you that you need to add it every time you do a water change or get new fish. But as long as you use something that removes chlorine when you do a water change you don't need the Safe Start. Chlorine in the new water would kill your filter bacteria but as long as you remove it nothing will happen to your filter bacteria so you don't need Safe Start. If you have some Safe Start left, you may as well add it when you get new fish, but once the bottle is empty don't bother buying a new one.


It should be OK to get more fish on Tuesday. I can't remember how many fish you got last week - was it 6 each, making 12 altogether? If that's right you could get up to 4 endlers. Or if they are a lot smaller than the harlies & barbs, even up to 5.

I know what you mean. I was about to buy the 180 version of my tank when my husband decided it was too big so I had to get the 125 litre. When I think what I could have done with a 180 litre.........