Adding the water to my tank using a garden hose

[Asbestos]

Sort of a silly question, but I am getting tired of the water changes in my tank and I cannot afford a python to make it easier, would it be be feasible to add all of the water back using a garden hose and then add the declorinator, I don't want to jeopardize the health of my fish. But bringing the water back in a bucket is a lot of work, so I want to just add the water back with a garden hose and then add the declorinator.

I am asking is this a good idea

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

Well it really all depends on your temp. If you do as follows (empty dirty water, add dechlor, add clean water) then youll be fine, but using your hose water concerns me because of temperature. I would only do that if you can control the temp to that of the tank.

 

[BillD]

my garden hose says to not drink from it. the reason is the plasticisers that leach out of the hose. Whether this is a problem, for you I can't be sure. I would go with a potable water hose of the type used for RVs. Hook to a tap where you can control the temp (laundry room, and fill away.

 

[BigJim]

Add the dechlorinator before adding the water.

+1 on the potable water hose. I doubt it'd be cheaper than a python though.

 

[MartinBlank]

The water that comes out of my hose is absolutely frigid. That would be my main concern.

 

[jeffwisely]

my concern is the chemicals that would come out of the hose and the temp. personaly i wouldn't do it

 

[Laurence]

Raw tap water is very dangerous to fish, especially tropicals, not only because of the cold temperature but the dissolved chlorine and other chemicals used to disinfect the water. Also, tap water often contains dissolved minerals like iron and arsenic and lead, which can be very harmful to delicate fish. your best best is to buy a reverse-osmosis filter to fit on your faucet and keep a large bucket of filtered water near or under your tank. Contrary to popular belief, water that is well-filtered does not have to be changed that often. Monitor the nitrate and ammonia levels and change water only when necessary. The fish will be fine and you won't have to worry about poisoning them.

 

[Andrewz00]

Raw tap water is very dangerous to fish.....your best best is to buy a reverse-osmosis filter

he doesnt have the money for a python... and you want him to buy a RO unit? lol...


you can make your own python.... the valve and sink connections can be bought separately... then all you need is tubing.. which home depot sells by the foot, pretty cheap..

over time add more bells and whistles.. (I.E. shut off valves, gravel vac attachment etc...)

 

[mfdrookie516]

he doesnt have the money for a python... and you want him to buy a RO unit? lol...


you can make your own python.... the valve and sink connections can be bought separately... then all you need is tubing.. which home depot sells by the foot, pretty cheap..

over time add more bells and whistles.. (I.E. shut off valves, gravel vac attachment etc...)

I totally agree. Although, you can buy an off brand python from walmart for around $25. I'd say that would be your best bet because it comes with everything needed (unless you require a different sink adapter, about $2 at the hardware store)

 

[Asbestos]

I do have a water softener in my house and I live in AZ after a while the water is not that cold, we will see im going to look into the DIY python.

 

[mgamer20o0]

thats the only problem you will run into..... not being too cold but too hot. in the summer time i know people who have to store their water to cool it down before going in the tank. as long as you are using a older hose it should be fine. i empty my tanks with a python but fill them with a hose. i treat the whole tank so if its a 20 gallon tank ill treat 20 gallons of water then fill.

 

[jsoong]

I use an RV water hose (for drinking water), so no worries about plastiziers leeching out. (Only $6 at Wally's) I hook this up to my kitchen faucet so I can temp match. <DIY connector - basically a 7/8" vinyl hose that fit snug enough on the faucet, other end stretched (after softening in boiling water) to fit over the "male" end of the hose.> Finally, I add dechlor to the tank at the same time I add the water, that takes care of chloramines or any heavy metals.

 

[Jgeezer1986]

I seen the python at my LFS for $25. But i seen a 25ft Drinking water safe water hose for $8. I filled my tank with a typical garden hose . Had to add a couple of buckets of hot water even after three days of sitting in room temp (55gal) before i could put the heater in and start the cycle. Not sure if the water temp needed to be up to cycle , but did it anyway.

I have a question. Is the dechlorinator still effective if you add it into the tank and then add the water? I always used some 5gal water bottles(from them at home water coolers) and mixed it just to be safe and make sure there was no shock to the fish. Would love to run the hose to the tank and rid of the bottles.

 

[Andrewz00]

i always add my declore directly to the tank as its re-filling... havnt had any problems yet....

 

[logansmomma1228]

Can you use a gravel vacuum to siphon the water out for a PWC? Might not be ideal for big tanks, but I think it would work pretty good for smaller tanks.

 

[HeathB]

Can you use a gravel vacuum to siphon the water out for a PWC? Might not be ideal for big tanks, but I think it would work pretty good for smaller tanks.

Yeah, thats what the python is too, except you can hook them up to the sink to make things go faster and easier. If only I didn't need well water instead of my tap water. I'd need an astonishing amount of hose to make a python doable in my case.

 

[Gmiked]

I drain and fill with a 50 ft hose to the basement shiphon the water out.. fill from the lundry tub .. set the temp and fill away.. i have a fan sprinker head on the end of the hose so it is not to forcefull. shut off valve all real cheep. I alway add decloinator to the water in the tank and then fill.. Prime is the best

 

[logansmomma1228]

So is Water Conditioner the same thing as dechlor? I have some Tank Buddies stuff that came with one of my tanks and it seemed to work good in the 10g, but when I tested my tap water I didn't even see any chlorine. We can just let it sit for a few days instead of using that stuff right?

 

[jsoong]

So is Water Conditioner the same thing as dechlor? I have some Tank Buddies stuff that came with one of my tanks and it seemed to work good in the 10g, but when I tested my tap water I didn't even see any chlorine. We can just let it sit for a few days instead of using that stuff right?

Dechlor is our shorthand for aquarium water conditioner .... pretty much any dechlor will work, but for big tanks, you want to buy the concentrated stuff (like Prime) ... those tank buddies get awfully expensive in a big setup.

Most municipal water supplies don't use chlorine ... they use chloramines, so you won't find chlorine when testing. Chloramines are not good for your tank. <It breaks down to chlorine & ammonia.> So you will need a dechlor. Sitting out for a few days won't do it. <Chloramine will break down after a week in bright sunlight ... so if you have a pond, that is one way to dechlorinate the water ... but not terribly practical for a tank.>