hi everyone, could someone help me out with changing water

[SilveRx]

i recently bought a fish tank (but still havent bought the stand yet )
so i cant really setup yet but i been doing more researching instead...
but i cant seem to find this question

when you change your water do you let the water sit at room temp for a day or 2?? cuz the tap water is freezing

i bought all those chemcials already but i forgot to ask the store clerk if i needed to let the water sit for 'x' amount of time?
so was wondering if anyone could help me out?? would be greattt
thanks in advance

 

[Hypostomus]

Welcome to AA.

Letting the tapwater "sit" will dissipate the Chlorine in it, but if your supply has Chloramine you're still going to be in big trouble when you add it to the tank. What chemicals exactly did you buy from the LFS? The people on the board will be able to tell you which ones are necessary (like a water conditioner) and which ones can go straight back to the store (pH Down anyone?).

Most importantly, don't buy any fish yet. The first thing you want to do is plan out your tank and do research, which I'm sure is what led you here. It's also notable that the LFS does not always have your best interests in mind, and that the employees there may actually know diddly squat about keeping fish. Take everything you hear from them (and from other sources ) with a liberal application of salt.

In the meantime, start hunting down some articles on the web that will help you, and perhaps a few of the fish encyclopedias floating around at libraries and stores. And feel free to ask all kinds of questions..

And be prepared to answer some. How big is your tank?

Here are some good places to go to research things further:

http://faq.thekrib.com/begin.html - Beginner FAQ

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/beginnerinfo/ - Another Beginner FAQ

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=830 - Fish Profiles

http://www.fishbase.org/search.cfm - Definitive Fish Profiles

http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/fresh.shtml - Still More Fish Profiles!

You're sure to get some recommendations too once you list your tank specs. In fact, if you could list the following it would be really helpful--

Tank Size (Dimensions and Gallons both if possible-- if you only have Gallons that's okay though)
Temperature (and Heater Brand)
Filtration (Type, Brand, and Model)
Substrate (Gravel, Sand, etc.)
Decor (Cheese, Fake Plants, Live Plants, Caves, etc.)

Even if you don't have everything yet, if you could mention what kinds of fish you might like it will help the board direct you to species that would be appropriate for your tank.

Hope that helps.

 

[AtodaJ]

when you change your water do you let the water sit at room temp for a day or 2?? cuz the tap water is freezing

I suppose I'd do that if I didn't have hot water in my house. 8O Just adjust the water temp before using it to do a water change.

 

[SilveRx]

thanks for the quick reply
the fish tank is used got it from an uncle.... its plexiglass sorta hexagon... but length wise its about 36inch wide 13.5 height and width about 14.5
he forgot how many gallons but i took it to the lfs and they say around 35 gallon

i got this big al's multi-purpose bio-support (has bacteria or something)
and a neutral regulator (ph 7.0 seachem) adjusts high or low ph to 7.0 removes chlorine, chloramine & ammonia...

then i got a power glo flurosent 20 watts
also a penguin 170b with bio wheel (he said this is the best for my tank so i got it)
and then my uncle gave me some old air pumps but it still works got like 2 of them
and a undergravel pump?? pengiun(sp) (lost box) but it says 550 on the machine

and also have a rock thingy pretty heavy too and a driftwood i assume...
i can get some pics but later when i get my camera....

i also got a bag of blue color gravel which i left it soaking in water as of now

i wanna get some drawf puffers and breed it and some colorful little fish... if possible but i havent decided yet....
so any help possible would be nice
thanksss

 

[SilveRx]

o i thought you can only use cold tap water..???
or it doesnt matter??

 

[SilveRx]

i also have a heater but its very very old.... but my uncle says should still be functional...
should i buy one instead if it is old??

 

[QTOFFER]

Welcome to AA!!!!!!

Check out the beginner FAQs linked above - especially the one about the nitrogen cycle.
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

Water changes are the single most important thing you can do to keep your fish healthy and alive, so kudos to you for checking it out BEFORE you buy your fish.

If you haven't already, you should pick up a water conditioner. Look for one that removes chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals.

Also consider buying a python - a length of hose with a gravel vac at one end and a reversible-flow siphon pump at the other end. This handy gadget is pricey, but it will make water changes and gravel vacs a breeze.
http://www.pythonproducts.com/

To answer your question, I'll just tell you how I replace the water in my 58 gal tank after removing 20 gal. First, I add enough water conditioner for 20 gal right to the tank. Since I have my python connected to my bathtub faucet, I just adjust the hot and cold so it feels right and then I refill the tank.

No waiting, no mess. I can gravel vac and change the water in all the tanks in my sig in about 45 min (and that includes coiling up the python for storage)!

 

[QTOFFER]

If you fill an empty tank with cold water, you will get alot of condensation on the tank walls that will drip onto the floor and make a mess.
If you add cold (or very hot) water to a tank full of fish, the rapid temperature change can kill them.
It's better to adjust the water to room temperature using the hot and cold water taps. You need not worry about heavy metals in your hot water if you have a water conditioner that also removes heavy metals (most do). If you are still worried, just run the hot water tap for a few seconds to flush out the water that had been sitting in the pipes.

Buy a new heater. I would not risk using an old one and cooking my fish. You should get a 200W for a 35 gal - will cost about $20.
Check out BigAls - their prices are very good.
http://www.bigalsonline.com

 

[SilveRx]

ya i plan to stop by big als in a bit cuz i live like 5 min away from it
gotta buy a stand heh

and probably buy a new heater cuz i took a look at the old one and it sorta rusty....sooo ya

what plants are good for a community fish tank??( was thinking java fern ?)
am i pretty much set right now on the equipments??
if someone could lemme know that would be great
thanksss

 

[CiRXSi]

Just a word of advice. You say you want a community tank, yet you say you want dwarf puffers. Dwarf puffers should [pretty much] be in a species only tank. They don't work well with many other fish. Sure there are exceptions, and you can try as you wish, but the general rule of thumb is dwarf puffers should not be part of a community tank. I found that out myself the hard way.

 

[SilveRx]

o really....???
darn cuz i thought if the tank is big enough then it might work better heh

i still havent truly decided yet

 

[Menagerie]

[center:2cb5a1b26c] Welcome to AA, SilveRx! [/center:2cb5a1b26c]

darn cuz i thought if the tank is big enough then it might work better heh

highly unlikely

A helpful money saving tip from one in Canada to another--if you order on-line at Big Al's, you will save money over the store costs, plus there is free shipping if you order over so many dollars!

You could do a puffer only tank. If you want variety, you have a lot of research in store!

 

[SilveRx]

o is it cheaper to buy online then in stores??

i took a look at their price in store and its same as online... atleast the 200w tronic heater is....