how to do water changes without it being a mess?

[kaz]

ok guys I have a python which I use to do the water changes directly from the faucet. I was told this causes what I had BBA do to level changes in co2, so right now I have three 5g buckets and I left it out for more than 2 days and did the water change but this method is a pain. When pooring the water from the buckets it moves everything around in the tank and even creates a whole in the substrate, when I poor it really slow it just gets everwhere.

is there any other way? maybe buying a water pump to pump it out of the buckets into the tank?

 

[theotheragentm]

If you can float a plastic plate, you can pour water onto it and it won't disturb things, but it's a slow process as you have to continually wait for the plate to float back up. I suppose some kind of slide that would put the water in more horizontally and help with disruption of ornaments and substrate.

 

[kickeralpine]

well if ya have to do it in buckets because the water needs to sit for couple days been there done this. buy a sump pump and a piece of hose drop sump into bucket it sucks out the water that bucket gets low add the other one or move sump to next bucket sumps are pretty cheap its worth saving ya a back ach.

 

[Yeti]

yeah a pump of some kind will do you much better..

 

[An t-iasg]

I fill up a 5 gallon bucket the night before a water change. I use a pump, vinyl hose, and ball valve to move the new water in the bucket up to the tank.

I also use a heater, and a very small pump (not strong enough to pump up to the tank) for circulation in the bucket while it's sitting overnight.

Pumps

Ball Valves

You can get vinyl hose cheaply at Home Depot or Lowe's.

 

[black hills tj]

I just use a 5 gallon bucket...

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Pythons cause BBA?

 

[black hills tj]

erm...what's BBA?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Black Beard Algae

 

[tropicfishman]

I use milk jugs, I saved 8 for my tnaks, I fill them up, treat the water and let them set while I take out the water, then I just grab a couple and fill the tanks back up, its alot easier then using a 5 gallon bucket

 

[flip_lx]

its been said before but float a piece of tupperware or something similar and pour onto/into that. i use an old pasta strainer pour into it and my sand doesn't even move. depending on your filter if it's a power/hob you can try to pour into that (takes a little practice but won't make a mess) or reverse siphon place bucket on stand or something above tank and start a simple siphon into the tank

~proud member of the 5 gallon bucket crew

 

[kaz]

I need to do 50% water change because of dosing planted tank so that makes my 75 into a little more than 37g, alot of buckets laying around alot of milk jugs and the python did not cause it but the method of use did. lol

I guess if there is no other way the only way of letting co2 release from the water before inserting it into the tank is with a pump.

 

[Jchillin]

I'm intrigued by this. As I have often mentioned, I have a similiar tank and I've been filling my tank with a python for two years and I never heard that it could cause BBA, no matter how the water entered the tank. When and where did you hear this?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Same here Bill. I had BBA but now have it under control and still use the Python.

 

[tropicfishman]

to keep the water from moving gravel around and messign up plants I just use the milk jugs liek I mentioned before and hold a small soucer liek plate and pour the water onto that to keep it from moving htings around..works great lol

 

[kaz]

Purrbox
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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:57 pm Reply with Quote Back to Top

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Since this is a low light tank with minimal fertilizing, then how often are you doing waterchanges? Are you using aged tap water or just straight from the tap?

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kaz

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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:36 pm Reply with Quote Edit/Delete this post Back to Top

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I do every weekend water change from 20 to 40% with python straight from the tap but first I treat my tank with prime. I just bought flourish excel and just treated as directed.

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Purrbox
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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:36 pm Reply with Quote Back to Top

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This is probably why you are experiences with BBA. Tap water has high levels of CO2 which you aren't gassing off prior to adding to your tank. This is causing large fluctuations in the CO2 levels of your tank. Fluctuating levels of CO2 under 30ppm will cause BBA. Your best bet for a long term solution is to either do less frequent water changes (that really makes me cringe) or to age your water before adding it to the tank by either letting it sit for 24 hours or aerating it for an hour.

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kaz

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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:03 pm Reply with Quote Edit/Delete this post Back to Top

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makes since, but why now and not privously? I have been doing this for more than six months in fact it will be almost a year in may. It will take alot of bucket to hold the water.

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I thank you all for your attention and time!
75g/Rena Xp3/Inline Heater/Rena Air 200/Eco-Complete/Current Dual Daylight System
6 Rummy Nose
9 Ottos
2 Yoyo Loach
1 Golden Nugget Pleco
2 Julli's Cory
4 Angelicus Botia
1 Chocolate Kuhli Loach
3 Ghost Shrimp-MTS
Plants
1 Argentine Sword, Xmas Moss, Pennywort, Hornwort, Anacharis, Jave Fern, Amazon Sword, Baby Tears, dwarf Hairgrass, Moneywort, Ludwigia, Hygro 'Sunset'

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Purrbox
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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:48 pm Reply with Quote Back to Top

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For an answer to that question, we'll need to wait for someone like Tom Barr to weigh in. It was one of his posts on this forum where I first learned about this. Of course it's probably very similar to the many aquariums that are running DIY CO2 for many months without any problems, and then suddenly start experiencing problems with BBA.

 

[Jchillin]

Thanks Kaz, that puts things into perspective. I was under the impression that you had not begun CO2 injection as yet, hence the dosing of Excel.

You can test the CO2 levels of your tap water the same way you would your tank water. I am still intrigued and would like to see Mr. Barr chime in here as Purrbox mentioned.

 

[kaz]

at this point I have done a major re-planting (more plants) its been 3 weeks since I am not dosing excel, but I am dosing on mondays and thursdays, 1/2 tsp potassium sulfate, 1/4 tsp trace mix, every 2 weeks I am dosing a pinch of nitrates and a pinch of phosphate. I was told to let the tank go on without water changes like I use to do every weekend and just do water changes every 2 weeks since by that time I'm full of diatoms and green spot algae. my BBA is gone since I re-setup my tank by adding more eco-complete, some more fish and more plants. I took all my infected plants out mostly lucky bamboo.

Would you be kind enough to let me know how to figure out my co2 levels in my tank and in the tapwater?

last time I checked my readings maybe three weeks ago I had
ph of either 7.4 or higher possibly 8.0
kh 9
gh of about 16 or 18

 

[Jchillin]

Try using Chuck's Calculator. Enter the values of your ph and your kh, your result will give you the amount of CO2.

 

[flip_lx]

couldn't you just do some extra oxygen work after a pwc with your python? say run a few airstones then unplug them and dose till next week?