Aged Water Change

[katorimom]

I have 20 gallons of water that has been in a food safe Brut container for 3 days. There's a cheap internal aquarium filter inside the bucket that's circulating the water. I can't do a water change today. When will this water be harmful to add to my aquarium? Or should I just dump it today? I don't want to kill my fish.

Thank you

 

[Fishfur]

I have 20 gallons of water that has been in a food safe Brut container for 3 days. There's a cheap internal aquarium filter inside the bucket that's circulating the water. I can't do a water change today. When will this water be harmful to add to my aquarium? Or should I just dump it today? I don't want to kill my fish.

Thank you

Back when I started this hobby aging water was the only way to make it chlorine free - chloramines weren’t around so it was just chlorine we had to worry about. There were no test strips for chlorine nor any dechlorinaters.

Sometimes the buckets of water sat out for a couple of weeks before I’d find the time to change water. Today I have gallon jugs sitting here & there for quick top ups and they might sit there for months before being used.

The fact your water is being circulated means it’ll all be well oxygenated and it certainly won’t harm the fish.

The only issue sitting still for long periods of time might cause, especially if the container is deep, is a lack of oxygen in the layers below the surface.

But that would be temporary & amended pretty quickly once the water is disturbed.

 

[bgarthe]

Each time I do my WC, I fill up my 45g Brut garbage can with my pre-determined ratio of tap water mixed with RO water, heat it and aerate it. It then sits for 14-21 days until my next WC and all is well.

 

[RayClem]

I have a large Brute garbage can that I keep filled with RO water. I have a heater in the container to keep the water at the same temperature as my aquariums. I use an air pump and a couple of air stones in the container to keep the water moving to it is properly oxygenated. Even though you are using tap water, a similar system would work well.

Also, It is best to change no more than 50% of the water at a time.

 

[3Fishnight]

I have a large Brute garbage can that I keep filled with RO water. I have a heater in the container to keep the water at the same temperature as my aquariums. I use an air pump and a couple of air stones in the container to keep the water moving to it is properly oxygenated. Even though you are using tap water, a similar system would work well.

Also, It is best to change no more than 50% of the water at a time.

I keep my ro water in a 25 gallon container without aeration. It just sits there. No problems so far. I may get a heater and a air stone for it some day tho. Just been lazy and broke lately. Also i keep a pump at the bottom and shoot it straight into my tank right next to it. Takes like 3-10 min to do maintenance. Unless i have to trim.

 

[By-tor]

This is how I do water change on my 46 gallon,
I just run a python filler hose to the tank when I fill after vacuum and taking 40-50% water out. When filling, I make sure the temperature coming out of the tap is the same as the tank water temp., I dose the tank with water conditioner for the recommended dose for 46 gallons. Usually about 3 cap fulls. Then I just fill tank with straight tap water. The dose of water conditioner should condition the water pretty fast.
I’ve been doing it this way for the past 25 years that I have been in the hobby. All of my tanks get the same procedure. Just dose the full amount of conditioner according to tank size and fill with tap water. My fish seem to live long happy lives. It takes me about an hour to service my tank with cleaning decor and glass scrubbing and vacuum. I just leave the air pump going with a bubble wand and sponge filter and turn the main filters off.
I guess you could let water sit and “gas out” the chlorine if you didn’t want to buy water conditioners.
Cheers,
Eric

 

[RayClem]

This is how I do water change on my 46 gallon,
I just run a python filler hose to the tank when I fill after vacuum and taking 40-50% water out. When filling, I make sure the temperature coming out of the tap is the same as the tank water temp., I dose the tank with water conditioner for the recommended dose for 46 gallons. Usually about 3 cap fulls. Then I just fill tank with straight tap water. The dose of water conditioner should condition the water pretty fast.
I’ve been doing it this way for the past 25 years that I have been in the hobby. All of my tanks get the same procedure. Just dose the full amount of conditioner according to tank size and fill with tap water. My fish seem to live long happy lives. It takes me about an hour to service my tank with cleaning decor and glass scrubbing and vacuum. I just leave the air pump going with a bubble wand and sponge filter and turn the main filters off.
I guess you could let water sit and “gas out” the chlorine if you didn’t want to buy water conditioners.
Cheers,
Eric

If your tap water is disinfected with chlorine only, your procedure might work. If your water is disinfected with chloramine, then it might not work. Chloramine is the combination of chlorine (usually 3 ppm) and ammonia (usualy 1 ppm) that form a stable molecule that is more potent that chlorine alone. When you started in the hobby 25 years ago, all water suppliers used chlorine. Today, many have switched to chloramine. Unlike chlorine, chloramine will not gas off. mo matter how long you age the water.

Sodium thiosulfate based water conditioners will break the chloramine bond releasing chlorine and ammonia. The chlorine is then reduced to chloride ion which is harmless. The remaining ammonia must be processed by the nitrifying bacteria in your filter and substrate.

Thus, while your water change method might work for those with chlorine in their tap water, it is not ideal for those who have chloramine. Even if your water supplier is among those still using chlorine, they may one day change to chloramine.

For those with chloramine, I recommend dispensing your tap water into a large container, adding the appropriate amount of water conditioner, waiting at least 15 minutes for the chemical reactions to take place, and only then adding the water to the tank. Because ammonia is still present, I recommend that water changes be limited to 25-30%, making changes more frequently as required.

 

[By-tor]

That’s good information. Thanks. I have tested my tap water for ammonia at random times just for being curious. I have not detected any ammonia with the liquid test kits.
Fish keeping is for the main part relaxing and enjoyable but stressful when you think about all of these things.
Thanks again for the insight.
Cheers,
Eric