How do you do your water changes?

[djmatthewblack]

weekly, daily, monthly? depends if you have fry? Beer in one hand? Do you do water tests or after you get a regular schedule do you skip the tests?
I use a python and have 4 tanks to change, but I don't follow a regular schedule. All my tanks are inside and I use the kitchen sink. I won't do all 4 on the same day.
I have a brackish water puffer but haven't figured out how to do water changes and maintain desirable salt levels. I've been doing the water change with freshwater and putting a shot glass in the tank with marine salt.
Just bored and wonder if there is anything I can learn here.

[eklikewhoa]

Freshwater...

Drain 100% twice weekly, usually already drunk. Refill with water ran through carbon filter from the tap and use amquel+plus. Add epsom, vitc, minerals, iodine and amino acids.

Saltwater... RO/DI water in bucket with powerhead, add salt and allow params to settle then test and adjust accordingly.

Test probably once a month or when the water smells or feels funny.

[Delock]

moved to general freshwater discussions

[imagirlgeek]

I do water changes on 15 tanks, Diet Dew in hand , always while I'm doing something else...ie working, cleaning filters, watching TV, on the Box. I use a DIY syphon on the big tanks and a python hooked to the sink on anything under 200g. With the syphon and the python I can sometimes do 2 at a time. Rarely do I go a day without at least one of the tanks getting some maintenance. I don't have a set schedule and just kind of rotate through, but it pretty much ends up that they all get a water change once a week. As for the water tests, I used to be much more diligent. But now I test about once a month. I have plastic tubs with the lids labeled for each tank. I just walk around and scoop out the water in the tubs, put a lid on it, and sit down to do all of them at one time. I only test the tanks 50g and up.

[jeebus]

+1 on the python. It made my life a lot simpler.

[ghoastgirl1]

The python is my friend for the most part.

I water our 10 square feet of grass with every change...usually change about 95% every 2 weeks in the 58 as well as a good filter cleanout. Prime first and then attach to the kitchen sink and refill. Takes about 45 minutes.

My 29 is drained via python into the tub and requires more labor to refill. I do not have the adapter for the faucet in my bathroom like the one on the kitchen sink. I put prime and iodine in the first 5 gallon bucket. Usually 3 or 4 fuller buckets later or until its full.

I check my levels probably once a month. :)
It works for now.

[Paleoguy]

Lazy man's way - python, garbage can w/pump on wheels and go to town. I am looking for a solenoid and remote to control the sink and python. Have remote for water barrel. Test on make-up of barrel and after change out one -two days. Or whenever. More monitoring of Killie tanks because they have R/O water for make up.

fish water is saved for bathing - no - I mean plants yea plants!

[lachupacabra]

I have a question for the python users, do you add your dechlorinater all at once when you begin to refill, or at the end once it's full?

I just recently learned about this and am really interested in it I just don't understand how the chlorine would get removed when it's straight from the tap and not kill your fish/bacteria

[imagirlgeek]

I add it when I start refilling the tank. If the amount of chlorine in the tap were extreme, I imagine it would cause problems but it's not an issue at our house. Thank goodness.

[Zulaab]

I do a water change about every two weeks on my tanks.
I add all dechlorination into the tank before filling. Since all of them are based on a chemical bonding of the chlorine and chemical, I want all of it in the tank before the start. Once the chemical reaction occurs between the molecules, the dechlorination product weakens. Please read http://www.novalek.com/kordon/articl...mquelworks.htm (how Amquel works) and you will gain a better understanding on how products like these works in the aquarium. You will notice that the product bonds chemically with chlorine and therefore the more of the product that is in the water at the time of introduction of tap water the faster that tap water purified. As you fill your tank the dilution of the product occurs, but so is the remaining amount of chlorine in the water you have. This is why adding it all at the time of the introduction of tap water to your tank the best time. Not to add it "as I fill up my tank"
Please note that as long as there is still some product left over in your tank it will slowly break down over time as it attaches itself to ammonia produced in your tank as it will not find any more chlorine to bond with. This is why you always can over "do it" and not have to worry... your fish will just have to deal with the fact that the ammonia they produce (waste products) will not harm them for that much longer. This is why the companies tells you if you get a spike of ammonia in the tank, add Prime/Amquel to kill it off.. because that exactly what it will do.
I hope this helps :)
Jesper

[mgarrido]

I have a question for Discus tank water changes, How to regulate the temp? Somebody knows about any "automatic water temperature" valve or mixer?

[eklikewhoa]

Rubbermaid 30g trash can with a heater.

[PhishPhreek]

SUNDAY - Clean Canisters - Equipment Repair
MONDAY - sell/ship bettas - water changes west wall
TUESDAY - change rt HOB filters - water changes living room
WEDNESDAY - chg LR/BR HOB filters - water changes south wall
THURSDAY - change left HOB filters - water changes bedroom
FRIDAY - cull/sell other fish - water change bettas
SATURDAY - clean & setup spawn tanks - Equipment repair

I have a 55g drum in the corner of my fish room. I do 50%+ water changes once a week then refil the drum and treat the water with amquil+ for ponds (stronger) add salt, almond leaves, mineral & vitamin suppliments and circulate the water with a small pump and garden sprinkler head. The next day, the new water is the same temp as my fishroom. I drain tanks with a small pump and refill them from the barrel with a large pump. The betta containers I dump into the deep sink and refill with a hose % hand valve from the barrel pump.

I use dual HOB filters on all tanks over 20g and replace the filter pads on different days. I gather up the old wet pads in a bucket and wash them in the deep sink then place them in a rack to dry untill the following day when they are used in the next set of tanks to be cleaned. The Canaster filters have to be opened, cleaned and returned to service as I have no spare filter media.

I feed all my fish flake food while my Baby BrineShrimp is collected. Then I feed the small bettas BBS and the large ones live black worms. I also feed bananna worms, rotifers, green water, whiteworms, daphnia & skeeters when available and have powder and pellets in case of a live food shortage.

[szidlon]

I do my water changes weekly or every 10 days or so and use a python as well. I don't worry about the temp changes in my Discus tank unless it's really, really cold outside and the tap water is like flowing ice. It takes a huge water change to have any really noticeable affect on a large tank, but if the tap water is freezing cold I just adjust the temp at sink. I've never had the problem personally, but I've seen it posted that if the water being added back has hot water from the faucet added to adjust the temp, it can cause problems with the oxygenation. I've never had a problem with huge temp drops in any tank that holds 30 or more of water due to a water change. By huge temp drops, I'm talking about anything over three or four degrees.

[algarciajr]

I do my water changes every 7-10 days alternating between tanks in the study and those in the garage. It usually take me about 1 1/2 hours per room to do my water changes.

I have (3) 25' python hoses that I use, and in the study I have a 150, 90 and 75 gallon. I start the siphon on the 150 first and then the 90 and then the 75 gallon, all of the water is drained at the same time onto the front lawn and plants - no need to use fertilzer.

I repeat the process on the 5 aquariums that I have in the garage, starting with the largest one first.

I have a question for the python users, do you add your dechlorinater all at once when you begin to refill, or at the end once it's full?

I add it just as I start filling the tank with new water.