Actually -- How I Do - -My water changes How Do I

[Tony_P]

I thought I might post a thingie on how I do my water changes. I have two 25 gallon tanks and do a 30% water change every week, one tank on Saturday and one on Sunday.

First off, I have two 5 gallon plastic buckets. I got these at Walmart. They are food grade and non-BPA. I fill both and add conditioner. I set them aside for a day. Plus I put a fixed temperature heater suitable for a 5 gallon tank in each to warm up the water.

I use a siphon that has a squeezy bulb on it to remove water into 4 gallon bucket I have for waste. I use it vacuum up gunk as needed. I take out 2 buckets. I turn off the filter also for this short time.

While the water is down, if needed, I remove and scrub any toys/ ornaments with a brush reserved for the purpose. I scrub and rinse them under tap water and dry them with paper towel before replacing them. I also scrub the tank walls of algae if needed.

I get one of the buckets of fresh conditioned water and I use a 2 litre Pyrex glass measure cup to scoop water over. This Pyrex cup is used only for the tanks. When the one bucket is empty, I then get the second to finish.

After the tank is filled suitably, I turn the filter back on. I then buckle everything back up. Oh -- If needed I do whatever I need to do with my filter media at this time.

Finally I do all my cleanup of my equipment, which takes about 10 minutes. After that I add my bacteria.

Not sure if my methods are fully by the book, but they seem to work for me.

If I need to do a higher water volume of change, I have an addition 3 gallon bucket to condition water as needed.

Tony

 

[Dlsmith1989]

you definitely do more than what i do.

 

[JettsPapa]

you definitely do more than what i do.

Same here. I also have one of the siphon hoses with the bulb and large tube on the end. I stick the tube in the tank, stick the end of the hose out the window, squeeze the bulb a couple times, and let it run until I think it's enough. Then I fill a 10-quart bucket in the kitchen sink (trying to match temperature at least close, and I have well water so chlorine isn't an issue), put an old cereal bowl in the tank so I don't disturb the substrate, and pour the water in. Repeat until the water level reaches the bottom of the black rim.

 

[StarGirl15]

A VERY lot more than I do. Why are you adding bacteria at every water change? I have 5 gallon buckets for waste water and 2 gallon buckets for refill. I have 4 dishpans I use when cleaning my canister. I clean deco when needed. I clean my filter when I start to see junk floating around. Usually around 2 mos.

 

[FinalFins]

Why do you let the water sit? After conditioner it can go straight to the tank

 

[Sorg67]

If tank is 78 deg and water is 75, is that close enough for a 25% change? Seems like that would not change temp more than 1 deg.

 

[Tony_P]

This is great .. I was hoping for opinions on what I do and I appreciate all of them. Just looking for a better way.

Why are you adding bacteria at every water change?

I dunno -- I thought you were supposed to.

Why do you let the water sit? After conditioner it can go straight to the tank

Admittedly I was never sure about this, so I see this as one change to make -- although I do like to let the water warm up a bit.

Tony

 

[Sorg67]

I have 10 one gallon jugs I fill up and dechlorinate after every change so I have aged water ready for next time. Gets to room temperature and I think aging does something but I am not sure what?

 

[StarGirl15]

This is great .. I was hoping for opinions on what I do and I appreciate all of them. Just looking for a better way.



I dunno -- I thought you were supposed to.



Admittedly I was never sure about this, so I see this as one change to make -- although I do like to let the water warm up a bit.

Tony

No you would only need bacteria when you are cycling. If at all according to some.

I just try to match temp out of the tap as best I can. Fill er up. Dechlorinated of course.

 

[Volpap]

More detailed than what I do. I don’t see the need for letting your water sit for a day. I take a spare thermometer and adjust the temp of the water coming out the faucet, add conditioner and into the tank it goes. I have dedicated buckets for all this. At the time of the change I add my liquid fertilizer. My advice, do whatever works for you and you’re comfortable with.

 

[Sorg67]

Somebody commented on "Food Grade Buckets". I use a home depot bucket. Should I get food grade buckets?

 

[Quiche]

Nah, you're good- everyone I know including me uses those orange home depot buckets. I've never heard of fish suffering adverse effects.

 

[Sorg67]

Cool, thanks. Can you put fish in those buckets temporarily?

 

[Morpheus1967]

Cool, thanks. Can you put fish in those buckets temporarily?

Yes.

 

[Tony_P]

Cool, thanks. Can you put fish in those buckets temporarily?

Now that is something I hadn't thought of doing when I do major cleanings!

Tony

 

[Sorg67]

Very helpful thread to me as I am just getting started and establishing my routines. Thanks for starting it.

 

[Tony_P]

Thanks Sorg67. I've been at it for over a year and still learning. As was said

do whatever works for you and you’re comfortable with.

-- and as the car commercials say -- your actual mileage may vary.

Tony

 

[Sorg67]

True that YMV in all things.

But it is also nice to have a baseline of comparison. In 1975, I might have felt okay with 15 mpg. Not so much anymore.

I enjoy the discussion and value the comments of all even if I may do my own thing. While dancing to the tune of my own drummer, it is occasionally nice to change the channel to hear what the drummers of others sound like.

 

[StarGirl15]

Now that is something I hadn't thought of doing when I do major cleanings!

Tony

I would only take your fish out if moving them to another tank or something. Stresses them out chasing them more than leaving them in there.

What you are doing now seems like all the major cleaning you ever need to do.

 

[Kevzebrapleco]

I would only take your fish out if moving them to another tank or something. Stresses them out chasing them more than leaving them in there.

What you are doing now seems like all the major cleaning you ever need to do.

Reading these makes me feel almost bad for a minute haha I do 2 50% water changes a week. Sunday is my main one where I hoover up the dirt off the bed of my tank but I don’t use any fancy gravel cleaners I just use my hose/syphon and it all seems to get sucked up. I also move and shake and hoover all the objects like the driftwood & caves in my tank and wipe the inside of the glass just with an old rinsed out blue pad and maybe scrub the granite rocks and also clean out the prefilter. Then I fill however many buckets I took out all dosed with prime and at tank temperature and literally launch it back in the tank and I find that helps remove any extra debris sitting on anything or hidden which stirs it all up and then gets sucked down the filter pretty quick. Fish don’t seem to mind this either, well they haven’t told me yet if they do then Wednesday just a literally a quick 50% out & 50% back in. Then once a month the filter gets a good going over and stripped and cleaned easy peasy everyone’s happy nothing fancy but very happy healthy fish and water parameters you could only dream of haha