Partial Water Change-- question about adding the new water

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momwhyisitfloating

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
6
Location
Southern Mississippi
I have a 10 gallon tank with one betta in it, and am doing a fish in cycle. I removed about 20% of the water, and have let the new water set in the bucket for a little over 24 hours now. I put the dechlorinator in it and made sure the ph was close to what the tank water's is. The temp of the tank water is about 72F. I would like for it to be a little warmer because I know bettas like warmer water, but I don't have a heater yet. The new water that has been setting out is only about 68F. So my question is, how do I introduce the new water without lowering the tank's temperature too much too fast and hurting the fish? Would it be okay to add it in small amounts over a day or two? What else do I need to consider before I add the new water?
 
Is the water coming from your tap or another source? If you can mix hot/cold to get it to a similar temp you can just do that. I feel the tank's water and new water with my hand to get it close; it doesn't have to be exact. Also why let it sit out (unless it's not tap water and you're trying to heat it up?) -- the dechlorinator works instantly so you can just put it in and put it into the tank. If you're not using tap water and can't mix hot/cold you could maybe microwave or boil some of the water and mix it with the rest of the water to get it to temp. A heater for the betta tank might be something you'll want to get too; 72 is a bit on the cool side for them. (you could also pick up a second heater to use to heat the water going into the tank too if mixing hot/cold isn't an option).

You could slowly add some water over a day or so yes but it's cumbersome and with a fish-in cycle you really need to be ready to do large water changes quickly if needed in the event of an ammonia or nitrite spike.
 
Thank you! That answers my questions perfectly. I thought the dechlorinator worked immediately, but wasn't sure, so I left it setting out just in case it needed to "gas off." I was also hoping the temp would get closer to what the tank's water temp is. Tonight I'm going to add the water back and use warm water to get it up to temp. I was also worried that a temp change of 3-4 degrees all at once might kill my little guy, but I don't think the change will be more than 1-2. Definitely going to order a heater when I get back from out of town. The prices at the local pet store are insane, and I have an Amazon Prime account so I can get free shipping and some discounts. I just don't want to order anything right now because I won't be in town to receive a package until September. Thanks again for the response.
 
I use buckets for my 10g Betta tanks & I don't sit it out for 24 hrs. I fill up a bucket with the new water, temp match by feel, treat it with Prime & let it sit while I syphon vac the tank & then just add the water. I've had no problems, I do a 50% water change weekly & while I was fish in cycling I did a 50% water change about every other day. When you can definitely get an adjustable heater, your Betta will be so very happy with a temp 78-80.
 
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