Large water changes question

[jdf]

What do y'all use for large water changes. I was thinking of getting these

http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-Aqua-Tainer-Gallon-Container/dp/B001QC31G6

I need at least 8 to do a 50% WC. I am worried about temp from tap and making sure I get the right water chemistry before I put it in. I figure I fill them and test the night before and add conditioner. Then do water change in morning so water will be at least room temp.

Am I too worried and over thinking it. Should I be able just to add 50-60 gallons even if it is cold and then condition in the tank, or would that be too much stress for the fish?

 

[Johny]

What do you mean when you say right water chemistry?
If you are always using the same water source (i.e. your tap) the chemistry should match closely enough to not be a problem. Unless you are dosing something like ferts, or mixing tap and RO water or something like that your tap water, with conditioner, should be fine going in the tank.

I dose conditioner directly into the tank for how ever much water I am adding (plus a little more just because), then temp match the water at the tap with a cheap meat thermometer, then run it directly into the tank. I do let my power head circulate the water for a few minutes before turning the filter back on so the new water can mix sufficiently with the conditioner before letting it run through the filter.

I have only hear of people pre mixing the water if they are using things like RO, or doing salt/brackish water.

I certainly could be wrong, and it would be less risky than what I do. For me its all about the work. It only took a few days of hauling buckets back and forth before I shelled out some money to make a set up similar to this:
https://jet.com/product/detail/4713...Z1dVSA_lFFtvC_xqxxsQhg7I5Aam6w6lVcaAg_G8P8HAQ

I am sure others will have more information.

 

[jdf]

My water is low pH, kH and GH. So need to raise them to proper levels. My tap in the house is even worse bc it goes through a water softner.

I didn't think about using the house tap bc it has so much sodium after the softner.

So I want to use the outside tap which is very cold this time of year. I guess another choose would be to get half the size aquarium but then the wife would kill me.

 

[Johny]

That makes a lot more sense. What are you using to raise the pH kH and GH?

I can see the logic of mixing it in a container the night before and letting it rise to room temp. That would let you work out the other stuff as well before adding it. Sounds like a decent way to do it.

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[coralbandit]

I use rubber maid garbage cans(32 and 44 g).
They sell little carts to wheel them around if you feel like pulling 240lbs.!
I have a power head and heater in my cans.
Beyond whatever you do to your water(???) allowing it to sit 24 hours allows the water to outgas and obtain true pH...
I prep water every day because I change water everyday....
140g prepping right now!(3@32 and1@44)
The little containers would kill me!

 

[jdf]

i think I have decided to use a 55gal food grade bpa free barrel.
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B006KAAUSQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A200I6KSFJHPTA

They are relatively cheap, I can stick it in a closet w/ drain near my tank and heat it too.

I figure I fill it, wait an hour, take measurements, add seachem products as needed to get 7.0ph, 9deg gH, 9deg kH. Then heat it to 77/78F. finally use a $30 pump to move it to the tank.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018X2XT4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_4&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Does that sound reasonable?

seachem equilibrium
seachem buffer

 

[coralbandit]

Sounds reasonable.
I might want to wait 24 hours just once before adding whatever so you know where your water is really at.
Let it outgas(just once) so you know what natural ph is.

You said your water is low..
What are your parameters out of the tap(straight and 24 hours later)?

 

[katiekelsey]

A 7 gallon container would be very heavy. I had some 4 gal containers and I finally gave them away because they were just too heavy for me. I use tap water every week for water changes. I add a few drops of Prime and then put it in my tanks right away.

 

[sam180]

I've had a 75g for almost 2 years and just upgraded to a 240g. To pull the water out, I have a gravel vac with 40 ft of extension hose coupled on that I run out my front door and into my flower bed. After I've drained the desired amount, I pull the vac out and put in enough Seachem Prime to dose for the full tank volume. After that I put in my 50ft Python gravel vac that's hooked up to my bathroom sink, allow the water to get to a temp equal to my tank and kick it on. No buckets required and I can go do something else while it's draining/refilling so long as I keep an eye on it periodically. Hope this helps.

 

[mikem691]

I've had a 75g for almost 2 years and just upgraded to a 240g. To pull the water out, I have a gravel vac with 40 ft of extension hose coupled on that I run out my front door and into my flower bed. After I've drained the desired amount, I pull the vac out and put in enough Seachem Prime to dose for the full tank volume. After that I put in my 50ft Python gravel vac that's hooked up to my bathroom sink, allow the water to get to a temp equal to my tank and kick it on. No buckets required and I can go do something else while it's draining/refilling so long as I keep an eye on it periodically. Hope this helps.

This is the only way to go with any tank over 20gallons in my opinion other than getting super high tech with plumbing.

 

[jdf]

I've had a 75g for almost 2 years and just upgraded to a 240g. To pull the water out, I have a gravel vac with 40 ft of extension hose coupled on that I run out my front door and into my flower bed. After I've drained the desired amount, I pull the vac out and put in enough Seachem Prime to dose for the full tank volume. After that I put in my 50ft Python gravel vac that's hooked up to my bathroom sink, allow the water to get to a temp equal to my tank and kick it on. No buckets required and I can go do something else while it's draining/refilling so long as I keep an eye on it periodically. Hope this helps.

This is what i was thinking of doing at first. The problem is my inside water and outside faucets are all softened water (treated). However, after inspecting my well room, one outside faucet is from the main well tank line and then I found a faucet inside the well room after a second inspection. I am now still leaning on using the 55 gallon drum and using my python with some quick connects, pump, heater, and hose from the well room/closet (I can put the drum within a closet near the tank and well room, all w/in 10/20 ft of one another). That way I can fill the drum, dose as appropriate, pump to the tank. This allows me to do 50-55% changes at one time. I don't really know, but these seems to be the less stressful thing for the fish since I'm hopefully never introducing too high or low concentration of chemicals to balance my water and besides the time when the water is low, the fish hopefully don't know the difference in the water.

My water straight from the well has measured well the past too days too (6.4pH, 5gH, 4kH; then 7.0pH, 5gH, 5kH). I just want to raise the gH to 9 or so now and I think I will have good water for the fish. I will probably get alkaline buffer too just in case I need to raise the pH and kH a little. But from my understanding, any kH >= 3 is good to go.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I dose conditioner directly into the tank for how ever much water I am adding (plus a little more just because), then temp match the water at the tap with a cheap meat thermometer, then run it directly into the tank.

You should dose for the WHOLE tank volume when dosing the tank. Conditioner's effectiveness is based on a ratio of conditioner to water volume, not chlorine content.


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[TMRC Exotics]

when adding say 5 gallons and dosing it prior to addition you only need dose the water changed volume. When adding chlorinated water directly to the tank you dose tank volume.

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[scuba dude]

I use Prime and I only dose for the amount I am changing plus a little extra , I have never dosed tank volume , sounds like I might be doing this wrong but it has never lead to any bad results.

Using a python I drain my water from the tank , add Prime to a quart or so of water and slowly add it to the tank and then refill very slowly from the python connected to the sink.
Not sure if I should rethink this now or just go with " if it ain't broke don't fix it" thought and just do what I have been.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

The whole reason you're supposed to dose tank volume is the ratio. If you overdose a little it won't hurt the fish. If you need 5ml/50gal, but dose 2.5ml because it's a 50% change then the ratio is now 2.5ml/50gal. If you add it to the 25 gallons before you add to the tank you can use 2.5ml because it will be the proper ratio.

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[libertybelle]

The whole reason you're supposed to dose tank volume is the ratio. If you overdose a little it won't hurt the fish. If you need 5ml/50gal, but dose 2.5ml because it's a 50% change then the ratio is now 2.5ml/50gal. If you add it to the 25 gallons before you add to the tank you can use 2.5ml because it will be the proper ratio.

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Technically, it's because the organics in the tank bind up some of the prime so if you don't dose extra you may not actually dechlorinate all the new water coming into the system.

(via seachem rep)

The rep also said if you are doing daily small water changes, you can just dose for new water.

Basically the point is that the the actual amount extra you need to dose depends on the organic load of your tank and the chlorine content of your source water. Just dosing for tank volume provides a safety net so people don't come running to them saying "I used prime and I still have chlorine.... WTH!!?!!"

If you want to know if it's truly necessary in your system, dose for what you are adding plus a little extra perhaps and then test the water for chlorine after a couple minutes.

 

[Johny]

Technically, it's because the organics in the tank bind up some of the prime so if you don't dose extra you may not actually dechlorinate all the new water coming into the system.

(via seachem rep)

The rep also said if you are doing daily small water changes, you can just dose for new water.

Basically the point is that the the actual amount extra you need to dose depends on the organic load of your tank and the chlorine content of your source water. Just dosing for tank volume provides a safety net so people don't come running to them saying "I used prime and I still have chlorine.... WTH!!?!!"

If you want to know if it's truly necessary in your system, dose for what you are adding plus a little extra perhaps and then test the water for chlorine after a couple minutes.

Thank you. I always like knowing why I am supposed to do something. Far too often in this hobby we do things because somebody told us to, rather than understanding what we are doing.

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