Best Way to Condition Tap Water?

[CCXGT]

How do you guys do it?

I just fill up my buckets, add the conditioner and throw in the tank.

Would it be better to just add tap water to the tank and THEN conditioning the whole tank?


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[Sai Sauce]

I usually do both ._. So I guess it doesn't matter ._.


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[Brookster123]

This is one of those things that people will just argue. I personally like the idea of letting the prime marinate in the water for a little bit prior to pouring in to my tank.

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[Mebbid]

I use a python to change my water. The only way to dechlorinate water doing that is to dose the dechlorinator for the full volume of the tank before adding water. I've never heard of any issues from doing this.

 

[BBradbury]

How do you guys do it?

I just fill up my buckets, add the conditioner and throw in the tank.

Would it be better to just add tap water to the tank and THEN conditioning the whole tank?


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Hello CC...

I treat each bucket as it fills. This way I know the right amount of water treatment is in each bucket. There's no guesswork. Have been doing it this way for several years.

B

 

[Coyne]

I do buckets for my smaller tanks (two 10 gallons) and a Python water changer for my larger tanks that are a bit further away from the faucet. Both work without issue and there is no guess work involved with either method. Do which ever makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.


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[PB_Smith]

The best way to condition tap water is to fill whatever container you are using, use a quality conditioner that not only removes chlorine/chloramine, but also will detoxify any metals.
Then you aerate the water in darkness for at least 24 hours and adjust temp to match the tank in question. Depending on your tap water's parameters and the fish you are keeping you may also need to adjust ph/hardness.

That is the best way, maybe not the fastest or most convenient, but the best.

 

[CCXGT]

The best way to condition tap water is to fill whatever container you are using, use a quality conditioner that not only removes chlorine/chloramine, but also will detoxify any metals.
Then you aerate the water in darkness for at least 24 hours and adjust temp to match the tank in question. Depending on your tap water's parameters and the fish you are keeping you may also need to adjust ph/hardness.

That is the best way, maybe not the fastest or most convenient, but the best.

Bloody heck... I think you may have too much time on your hands...


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[PB_Smith]

Bloody heck... I think you may have too much time on your hands...


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you asked for the best way and technically that is it.
In all reality doesn't take more time overall, you just do it over the course of a day or two.
Fill container/prep water.
next day do the change, easy peasy.

 

[Masha]

Then you aerate the water in darkness for at least 24 hours

I'm curious...why in darkness?

 

[PB_Smith]

I'm curious...why in darkness?

to prevent the growth of algae in the container over time. That way you can essentially just refill the container every time and always have a supply of aged and conditioned water at hand.
That is how a large majority of people who keep large or multiple tanks do it.

 

[Masha]

Okay, that makes sense
I didn't think of the "over time" aspect. I'm tempted to set up something like this for myself. Got to find a spot to set it up in, though.

 

[Brookster123]

I have a covered water barrel, while it doesn't grow algae it definitely developes a bio film over everything after a few weeks. I scrub it all down with vinegar and good as new.. at any rate it doesn't bother the feesh, i wonder if it is caused by the prime marinating for day's? ?

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[Caliban07]

to prevent the growth of algae in the container over time. That way you can essentially just refill the container every time and always have a supply of aged and conditioned water at hand.
That is how a large majority of people who keep large or multiple tanks do it.

How about a black plastic container with a lid?


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[Caliban07]

In fact you could put the container on a roll crate and just push it between tanks. Just refill what you don't use. Hmmm......


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[PNWaquarist]

For a 20% water change for my 29-gallon (which contains about 26 gallons of actual water): I fill a 5 gallon bucket with cold tap water, add enough Prime to detoxify 5 gallons of water, give it a good stir, stick in my 20 watt heater, and let it adjust to my tank temp (77 F) overnight.

I'd say that it's probably best to add your water conditioner to the fresh water you're adding, rather than directly to the tank. This will cut down on temporary, locally-high concentrations of water conditioner in the tank that your fish may experience. Then again, this may only matter if you have fish that are very sensitive to water chemistry changes. If you have decent filtration, the concentrated water conditioner will disperse relatively fast.

 

[JSP1969]

I was doing 20% water changes with my 10-g tank and a 2-g bucket. I'd run the tap and use a thermometer to get the water coming out at the same temp as my tank, fill the bucket, add the conditioner, stir, then pour it into the aquarium. Now that I have the 20-g tank I'll either be doing 10% changes or doing two bucket loads. Maybe I'll do a 10% change twice a week.

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