Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: naughtymoose on November 12, 2014, 11:12:52 AM
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Hi fishy friends!
When i do a water change on my 40L, I use a mop bucket to syphon in to, and then pour down the toilet. I use 4 pint (just over 2 litre) plastic milk bottles to refill, because they are easy to handle for me when I'm unwell.
I run some warm water in to each of four of these bottles, then top up with cold from my filtered drinking water tap and then add conditioner.
This works fine, but I am planning procedures for when I get my 80G tank live (still some way off) and later my 240L (even further off!)
I'm planning on using a Walsted Method tank, as I love my plants; this should cut down on water changes drastically. However, I'll still need to do some water changes.
Can anyone suggest methods for making it easier? I'm thinking that the water needs to be as close as poss to tank temperature, and that a big beer-makers fermenting bin (or similar) with an immersed pump might be best.
Is using my filtered drinking water tap much use anyway?
Moose
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You should only need to change smaller amounts of water less often with the Walstad method (which I use) and that should help.
I use a plastic watering can to fill my tanks. much easier than a bucket and far easier to lift. You could get one to suit your energy levels, one gallon maybe. I don't warm my water to tank temperature. If you keep down to less than 20% changes, then I find the fish actually seem to respond positively to a few degrees temperature drop for a short while. The heater doesn't take long to get everything back up to normal. You can always just leave the tap water overnight to take the chill off if it's really cold.
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Can I ask what exactly you mean by filtered drinking tap water?
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Thanks Richard
Good suggestion re the watering can. I shall use that!
Sue, the filtered tap is one of these: http://www.waterfilterman.co.uk/bayhall/82-bayhall-filtamate-water-filter-compatible-replacement-cartridge-5060282120761.html
I've just spoken to a nice lady who will be sending me the datasheet by email. It seems that it actually dechlorinates the water too!
I shall post it when I get it.
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The link seems to say it contains only carbon, in which case it's fine.
It's those filters with an ion exchange resin that are not fine. They either exchange calcium for sodium to soften the water or for hydrogen ions. Sodium is not good for fish so this type of filter shouldn't be used for water changes. Hydrogen ions are responsible for pH. Filters like Brita are this type and they drop the pH off the bottom of the scale.
That's why I asked ;)
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two hose and HMA filter method
my missus does our water changes with to hose pipes one is a koi hose
to syphon the water off the tanks and straight out the front door or if the
weather is bad straight in to the shower room
as for the filling the HMA filter is connected to the cold tap and the
refill hose is connected to the HMA filter water changes without buckets
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This is the filter. Hope the info helps.
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It doesn't say anything about ion exchange resins and just mentions removing chlorine, organic chemicals and pesticides so it looks fine. If it was the type that isn't recommended for water changes it would say something about softening water or removing calcium. But it doesn't ;)
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Do you think that I've been wasting time and money putting de-chlorinator in mt water then?
Does it matter particularly about the odd litre of warm unfiltered water that goes in to the water change?
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If you can be sure the filter removes all or even just about all the chlorine then you don't need it, though dechlorinator also remove heavy metals which the filter doesn't seem to.
With a mature tank it is OK to use small amounts of water with chlorine in as the biofilm protects the bacteria and the chlorine gasses off in a few hours. In immature tanks, ie where the biofilm isn't fully developed, it is not advisable. However, while I know this applies to chlorine I don't know know about chloramine - it doesn't gas off and does it harm the bacteria even inside the biofim?
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this is a HMA filter this removes heavy metals and also
chlorine this is the sort of filter i use these are better than
the in line ones i have been using these for the last 20 years
without any problems http://www.waterfilterman.co.uk/fish-keeping-water-filters/254-3-stage-hma-heavy-metal-reduction-water-filter-system-dechlorinator.html
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I was looking at those biffster.
I've got to see if I can fit it under the sink.
i don't want to go down the RO route, as there is far too much wastage.
Is the flow rate similar to that which I'd get out of a drinking tap?
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flow on a HMA filter is the same flow of your tap
its not like an RO unit i have a garden hose attachment
on my kitchen sink i use mine like that it quick simple and you
will get about a 12 to 18 months out of the cartridges depending
how much you use it i used to have 15 tanks and used to get 15 month
out of a set
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Thanks biffster.
It's on my list! A hose would make life so much easier than lifting buckets!
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In America they have a thing called a python for water changes. It is a device which attaches to the tap; with it set one way it sucks water out of the tank, set the other way it puts water into the tank. If water is added slowly and with the heater switched on (provided it won't be out of the water below the line on it), the tank won't get too cold. Pythons aren't easy to get hold of in the UK but if you google diy aquarium python, you'll find a few ways to make one.
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Sue
I've seen these as well. Also a possible for my list, I've got to investigate further though. Somewhere I saw that they run water down the drain whilst in operation. I will have a look.
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I think they work on the same principle as a water pump in a chemistry lab (well, back in the 1907s anyway). With those there is a T piece attached to the tap; the equipment is connected to the side branch and the tap turned on. The drop in pressure in the side tube caused by the water rushing past the end of it sucked air out of the equipment. Presumably it would also suck water out the python tubing, and then water out of the fish tank. I don't know if the tap can be turned off once the tank water starts to flow ie just using the tap to start the siphon.