New Guy with PWC Question

[Junebug]

Hi All,
My wife, kids and I are the proud owners of a new 29 gallon fresh water aquarium and we are excited to say the least!
I have been reading a lot in here about partial water changes; my question is do I use just regular tap water to re-fill the tank? If so, what do I treat it with prior to putting it back in the tank?
Thanks!!

 

[iDream]

You can use regular tap, but it'd be preferred to use RO water, and you'll want to treat it with some type of dechlorinater like Seachem's Prime

Welcome to AA!

 

[carey]

Welcome to the forum!

You might also want to test your tap water, great for knowing where you stand. If you dont' have a test kit I would highly recommend that be at the top of your list. Test tube liquid tests, not the strips. (known to be in accurate)

I use my tap water for my cichlid tank and ro/di water for my SW setup. Whe I can afford an ro unit I will prob use that for everyones tank.


Did you cycle your tank yet? If not this is a great place to read up.

Either way, welcome and load up some pictures! We love pictures here!

 

[HN1]

+1 on what Carey said.

RO is not often needed for FW. Temp match and treat tank volume with Prime.

 

[Junebug]

Thanks for the advice guys! Before I realized what I was doing I made the big rookie mistake … I added 6 fish to the tank on day one and I am concerned about the Ammonia. So far the levels are still below .25 ppm but we all know that is going to go up soon. Should I be doing 25% PWCs daily to combat this? BTW, I do have a good test tube test kit and I have successfully used it a few times already. So far the fish seem to be doing well and I want to keep it that way.

 

[iDream]

Just watch your ammonia, if you don't want to test daily then 25% daily would be good until you're cycle is done.

Very good start to what could have been very bad, glad you want to be informed and have happy lives for your fish!

 

[HN1]

Thanks for the advice guys! Before I realized what I was doing I made the big rookie mistake … I added 6 fish to the tank on day one and I am concerned about the Ammonia. So far the levels are still below .25 ppm but we all know that is going to go up soon. Should I be doing 25% PWCs daily to combat this? BTW, I do have a good test tube test kit and I have successfully used it a few times already. So far the fish seem to be doing well and I want to keep it that way.

It seems that most of us start like that. Clean water will get the fish through. It's a pain for awhile though. A better option may be to return the fish until the tank is ready. Do you know anyone with an established tank?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now-116287.html

 

[Junebug]

No…I don’t have any aquarium friends to move my fish to at the moment, so I guess I’ll be doing the 25% PWC each night. So, after I get the water out, get the new water treated and up to temp…do I just dump it in there or is it wise to be gingerly/easy with it?

 

[Coleallensmom]

No…I don’t have any aquarium friends to move my fish to at the moment, so I guess I’ll be doing the 25% PWC each night. So, after I get the water out, get the new water treated and up to temp…do I just dump it in there or is it wise to be gingerly/easy with it?

Once your ammonia and nitrite levels start rising, be prepared to change more then 25%. Depending on how high your levels spike, you may also have to do PWCs more then once a day. What are you using to take the water out? A siphon? I use a siphon on a tank I have that's not near a sink and then just pour the water back in gently with a bucket. However if you have a sink fairly close to your tank, I'd highly recommend you getting a water changer. There are several brands to chose from (Python, Aqueon) and they make PWCs soooo much easier. Basically, it's a gravel vac/hose that connects dirrectly to your sink faucet complete with a valve that lets you switch between taking water out and then putting fresh back into your aquarium. I have the Aqueon water changer that I use on my other two quariums. It really is a life saver!

 

[Junebug]

Thanks Coleallensmom,
I did my first 50% PWC (with a siphon) about an hour ago…went great. I waited about 15 minutes and retested the water…my results are below:
PH 7.8
Amm 0 – 0.125
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5 – 10


I am pleased but a little confused. I have only had the tank for 48 hours and the Rates are going up and the AMM and Rites are going down. Could this be because a good bit of the bag water got in my tank when I put the fish in?

 

[Junebug]

I just finished another 50% PWC; do ya'll think I will be doing this everyday for a month?

 

[Coleallensmom]

Very little bacteria live in the water column of a tank but instead lives in the tank's filter media and in the substrate. Have you tested your tap water? My water tests positive nitrates before I even put it into my aquarium.