Which is worse?

[BeefyG]

When doing a water change, is a ph swing of 0.8 or a temperature swing of 10-15 degrees worse? I'm having trouble getting my aged water up to temperature but the tap water ph changes overnight. Obviously the answer is neither is good but I'm trying to pick the lesser of two evils.

[Gene D]

Temp swing

[wesleydnunder]

Temp swing

Agree 100%

Mark

[Darbex]

+2. That said I did a WC before where the tank water was 84 and the new water was 72 with no ill effects but I only changed 30% of the water. But pH swings down is more hazardous then pH swings up.

[BeefyG]

Yeah this is for the discus. I set them up in a 75 last night so they got a 100% WC but heating up water on the stove got old real quick. At least I have a stock pot I use for my coconuts or else idk what I would have done. My tap water goes from 7.6 to 8.4 overnight. Would adding peat keep the ph low after the dissolved CO2 gets worked out?

[Darbex]

I wouldnt worry about the pH. I had them in tap water. I would just worry about making sure the temp is close to the same. If you have a python just hook it up to the sink and turn on both the hot and cold till it feels the same and fill it up.

[CichlidFan]

I wouldnt worry about the pH. I had them in tap water. I would just worry about making sure the temp is close to the same. If you have a python just hook it up to the sink and turn on both the hot and cold till it feels the same and fill it up.

Exactly what I am doing at home during these cold winter days....

CF

[BeefyG]

I think the ph swing is what killed my discus from before. They slowly dropped off one by one and I had issues with losing other fish too. When I started aging water, I stopped losing fish for the most part. Maybe I'll just cut back on the amount I change at a time. I was doing 50% daily before. Honestly, the one little discus I had left would turn black and hide for a couple days after a water change so I hadn't done one in a while. He looks happy as can be now that he has a group.

[fshfrk]

Do you store the water tank outside? Maybe you could build a little green house over it. Make the frame out of 1/2"pvc and wrap in plastic. Heat the air space with a ceramic reptile heater and aluminum reflector. Add a 300 watt heater in the water tank. I think you could keep it at about 78 degree's on cold nights like tonight.

[algarciajr]

I'm having trouble getting my aged water up to temperature but the tap water ph changes overnight.

What do you keep your aged water in? Could you drop an aquarium heater in there and turn it on a day before you do your water change?

[BeefyG]

I'm keeping my aged water in an aquarium in my garage. The problem is the water is for discus so I need it to be about 84 degrees. I can get it up to low to mid 70s with a 200W heater and I've got a cover on it to keep in the heat. I forgot how much of an issue this was last year and that was before I started aging water. I need to pick up another 300W to drop in the discus tank tonight just to keep that tank stable. I'm seriously considering a space heater in my garage but just the idea of one sitting out there unsupervised gives me the heeby jeebies.

[fshfrk]

Get some cpt pad and wrap the tank to insulate it. That alone should help.

[Darbex]

Get some cpt pad and wrap the tank to insulate it. That alone should help.

+1 exactly what I was thinking wrap the tank it will be a lot cheaper.

[BeefyG]

I thought about that. Will it really help that much? Or does it depend on what I have to wrap it with? I think I've got some blankets I could use. I'll have to stop at Lowes and see what I can find for cheap.

[Darbex]

If you got blankets or you can get what John mentioned.