Newbie - Questions regarding PWC/Filters/Why not just grab pond water?

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CoolHand

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
36
Location
Ontario, Canada
I am completely new to aquatic ventures with fish, other then filleting and eating them ;-) and have a couple of questions (for clarification)

- I am just in the process of cycling the tank but had was semi confused about partial water changes. When I do these should I de chlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
- When I do get fish and do pwc should I try and match the water temp of the new water before I add it? (again - I assume I will need to de chlorinate new water each and every time i add it? Can I just use water from the dehumidifier?
- When I "clean" the filter I take it I just brush it and move it around in old tank water? What if I need a new filter? Do I let the new one sit in old tank water for a day or two?
- Why can't I just grab pond water?

Anyhow, any help would be great! I got started in this business because my 4 year old son caught a turtle and I bought and aquarium so we could keep it at home for a few days... I let the turtle go and thought why not get some fish? I have new realized I have entered a new realm and am getting sucked into this immense world of water... and the tank I bought was a 5 gallon starter one but I'm already wishing I got a 20g or something...

Cheers,

CH...
 
I am completely new to aquatic ventures with fish, other then filleting and eating them ;-) and have a couple of questions (for clarification)

- I am just in the process of cycling the tank but had was semi confused about partial water changes. When I do these should I de chlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
- When I do get fish and do pwc should I try and match the water temp of the new water before I add it? (again - I assume I will need to de chlorinate new water each and every time i add it? Can I just use water from the dehumidifier?
- When I "clean" the filter I take it I just brush it and move it around in old tank water? What if I need a new filter? Do I let the new one sit in old tank water for a day or two?
- Why can't I just grab pond water?

Yes you need to dechlorinate the water before it goes into the tank. Prime is a good choice of dechlorinator.

Well you should try to, but in all my tanks I keep the water a little cold because my heaters do a really good job of keeping the water warm.

Yes. You don't really need a new filter unless they're literally falling apart. If you REALLY need a new one, keep it in the tank for a week or two running in the filter with the other one.

Not sure what you mean by this. If you mean using water from ponds that are full of fish during your PWC that's fine, but there could always be some unseen disease that could suddenly appear in your tank. If you mean cycling your tank with this no, because the water does not really do anything.

If you haven't checked it out, you should! If not it's always worth a peek :):The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling
 
Hey thanks! I just need some clarification. My "pond" water question was just as you interpreted.. I thought I could perhaps just go down to the local pond and fill my tank with that water and perhaps magically my tank would be cycled? LOL - I'll just have to convince my son to wait - it'll be a good lesson for him anyhow about patience and hopefully he'll appreciate the value of the fish more this way.

Thanks again,

CH

PS I've bookmarked this forum as it seems to have a great deal of information and I'll have to spend sometime digging through it.
 
Well, you can always speed up your cycle. If you know someone who has some established media that you can borrow and put in your filter, techinically you can "seed" you filters. But you still have to complete the cycle and such. If not, guess it's the good old fashion way! :)
 
the active ingredient in dechlorinators works virtually instantly. You can dechlorinate it first, but I've found adding the dechlorinator to the tank and then adding tap water to work just fine - yes you always need to dechlorinate the water. Matching the heat is a good idea too - with clean (non soaped) hands you can often do this by feel - no need for a thermometer - a degree isn't going to waste anyone.

the water from your dehumidifier should be "pure" but the plastic container it dumps into may be impregnated with antifungals or the like which could harm your fish. It's a crap shoot to be honest.

The big issue with adding pond water is that it contains many parasites - some of which your exotic fish may not do so well against.

It seems on this site that folk are into cycling the tanks with some "modern" methods - which is cool - but i've always preferred to add a portion of filter media from an established tank to literally put an established bacterial colony right next to the matrix you want them to grow on (the virgin filter media). In any event - new filter media should be put in the filter - the bacteria you want need oxygen and the water flow will provide this, and constantly bringing new "contaminated" water to them will provide them with the food they need (and get it out of your water).

you should try to rinse off debris from your filter media in old tank water and reuse that media for as long as possible (this does not include carbon, which "fills up" and can leach toxins back into the water).
 
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