GRW

Hi Folks, I am a total novice on this hobby and have just bought my first aquarium (Juwel Rio 240). On the subject of water changes, I am a little concerned regarding how to ensure the correct temperature of the replacement water going into the aquarium. I have monitored the temperature of my aquarium water since installing the tank on Monday. My thermostat ensures that the temperature ranges from 24 to 26 degrees c. I think this temperature is ok for tropical fish. However a water change could lower the tank temperature considerably and it would take the heater several hours to bring the temperature back up to acceptable levels. Would my fish not therefore be at risk during water changes. How do I ensure that the temperature of the replacement water is acceptable? This is perhaps a dumb question but it is a procedure that I am concerned about. Many thanks

agabr123

it's not a dumb question at all! i use my bathtub spigot to fill buckets for water changes. i turn it on and let the water run a bit, adjusting it as needed to get it to just the right temperature (26C/78F) and then start filling buckets once i've got it adjusted correctly. it's fast and SO much easier than trying to use a shower!

if you can't get the temperature quite right using a faucet/spigot, you can always pick up a small spare heater to stick in the bucket to heat it up before adding it to the tank, but IMO just adjusting the faucet is a lot easier

cwb141

Hi GRW!!! Welcome to fishlore. I've thought about this too. What I try to do is to gauge the temperature from the source by hand(I use tap water). I have a 29 gallon tank and getting the temperature within a few degrees, by hand, is fine. If you have under 20 gallons it could be a problem, but I wouldn't worry about it too much if you feel like the temperature is close. If your tap water isn't heated then you could try letting it sit at room temperature before adding it. Doing smaller water changes more often will also keep the temperature more stable. Maybe some other members have better techniques.

agabr123

oh! i should have mentioned that i've got a bunch of extra thermometers on hand since i've got so many tanks that i hold under the running water when i'm trying to set the temperature, just a $1-2 thermometer will work just fine

Nutter

The best way is to have a seperate container that you can put a heater in to heat the water up before use. A second hand tank or a large storage tub is ideal. Make sure that if you use a plastic storage tub that it is made from food safe plastic & that it is new. I would NOT reccomend using hot water from the tap. This water has often been sitting in copper pipes for an extended period & the hot water service itself often has rust sitting in the bottom of the water storage unit. Lots of contaminants from hot water services. IMO it is a very bad idea to do this & will pose a long term health risk to your fish. Use the seperate tub & aquarium heater. So long as your tank temp does not vary by more than 4 degree F, when you do a water change, you shouldn't have any problems.

agabr123

interesting, i hadn't heard of this being a problem before. i'll have to check that out, thanks for the info!

aquarist48

Good morning.

I use a 29g tank just for pre-filtering, heating and treating my water for water changes. It stays within 1 degree of my other tanks. I use a mag drive pump to pump it from tank to tank. Works out great! No buckets no waiting.

Please note that not everyone has copper piping in their home. All of mine are PVC.
Ken

Nutter

True, for the coldwater pipes. Hot water services are a different story though. They all have copper pipes, even if it runs to the tap through PVC the hot water service itself uses copper inside & out. You can use the hot water but it really should be treated with special chemicals first & even then I would regard it as too much of a risk. Better off aging it the way Ken & myself do. Heaters are cheaper than chemicals anyway. Just my opinion though.

aquarist48

Thanks Nutter. I had to run out and check my pipes lol We have well water and an In Line hot water heater (gas). Yes, there is copper there for the hot and pvc inside the house. Thanks for pointing that out.
Ken

harpua2002

Aging water does nothing to dissipate chloramine though (which many water supplies in the US use instead of chlorine). Thus, chemicals (dechlorinator) are needed regardless for these folks, myself included.

I've been using a Python and temperature matched tap water to do water changes in 4 different states over the past 6.5 years. I have never had any problems using tap water, and I fill straight from the tap through the Python and dechlorinate for the whole volume of the tank. Even the discus I used to have didn't mind tap water. I'd say for the majority of hobbyists, this isn't going to be an issue.

flyin-lowe

Sometimes its easy to over think things. I am not sure how big your tank is but if you do a 25% wc and get the water pretty close (I use a thermometer, but have just tested by hand in the past). Even if you are off several degrees its not going to change the temp in your tank that much. Now if you just ran straight cold or straight hot water in your tank you would have problems. Common sense will get you close.

rae64

Don't most water conditioners detoxify chlorine, chloramine, and HEAVY METALS? I know Aquasafe does. Would heavy metals not also include copper from the pipes? IMO just the conditioner should be fine.

Fishnugget43

I run water untill I have it around 2-3 degrees away from my target temp then run it straight into the tank with my python. havnt had any fishie complaints yet XP

Shawnie

over the years of having no python, and doing all water changes by buckets ( BOOOO HOOOOOO ) ive gotten a hang of just where to put my faucet when i turn it on...i also use hot/cold water straight from my tap and have for over 10 years....when i lived in the city, i used conditioner..now i use it when i do full tank maintenance like gravel vacs and such but i dont use it when just tapping off my tanks..but I have a nice well that has a great filter on top of it..

most important is everyones water is different and not one thing always works for another...

GRW

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will have to select a method that works for me. I was planning to do 10% weeky water changes by storing tap water in several large containers at room temperature for several days and treated with Aquasafe.
Happy new year everyone

cwb141

Happy new year and good luck.

throwingutah

I've got a waterproof barbecue thermometer from Lowe's that gets a lot of use, both at the grill and in the bathtub