How Do I Change Tank Water?

Lets say I have a python water changing system and I use it to refill my aquarium during weekly maintenance, how do I dose the anti-chlorine, do I pour it directly into the tank?

 

Yep if your filling by the hose dose for total tank volume directly into the tank before refilling.

 

I just pour in enough dechlorinator (Prime in my case) to treat the entire tank volume, then immediately start filling.

 

Side note: since mine removes ammonia and nitrates will this affect my bacteria colonies/ plants/ create a re-cycle?
Its a house brand, eiho ammonia detox/conditioner

 

I don't see anything about it removing nitrates. Product description:

EIHO Ammonia Detox 250ml

EIHO AMMONIA DETOX is a buffered mix to effectively remove harmful ammonia, chlorine and chloramines. It can be use for all type of fishes,shrimps and invertebrates.

Ammonia level in aquaria can be rise to dangerous level in cases of poor filtration, overstocking, overfeeding or lack of water change. This can cause unnecessary stress and can death or outbreak of disease



EIHO AMMONIA DETOX is fast and effective to eliminate ammonia from water, making water safe to use and prolong the water changes interval without risking the fish to ammonia poisoning. Can be use to improve prevent ammonia poisoning in live fish shipping. Use regularly will improve fishes conditions.

DOSAGE
1)Eliminates chloramines and chlorine in tap water
1drop for 1 liter 1 cap (5ml) for 40 liters

2)Eliminates ammonia in aquaria
1 cap (5ml) for 200 litres twice weekly. For overstock aquaria, add the above dosage daily.
1 cap (5ml) can remove 1mg/L of free ammonia in 40 litres.

3)Improve live fish shipping up to 72 hrs
1drop for 1 liter 1 cap (5ml) for 40 liters

WARNING: Not to be taken internally. Keep away from children. For aquarium use only.

 

Well the ammonia elimination? Will it mess up the cycle?

 

Well the ammonia elimination? Will it mess up the cycle?

No,it shouldn't. I have no idea how effective it is.

 

If you remove the ammonia, the bacteria will have no food source, since ammonia is the food source for the ammonia converting bacteria the bacteria will starve off. So since there would be no ammonia, there would be no resultant nitrites. And nitrites is the food source for the nitrite converting bacteria. So that too will starve off. So basically, you would lose your cycle.

What you really want to use is a product like Prime that will detox ammonia and/or nitrites. Detox means in this case to make the ammonia/nitrites non-toxic to the fish, but still in a form that will feed the bacteria.

 

Side note: since mine removes ammonia and nitrates will this affect my bacteria colonies/ plants/ create a re-cycle?
Its a house brand, eiho ammonia detox/conditioner

Well the ammonia elimination? Will it mess up the cycle?

If this product actually does what it says it does then I would have to think it would remove the food for your bacteria. If your tank is fully cycled I would think over time all that good bacteria would be starved to death.

Before I used a product like this I would have to run a test to see if it does in fact do what it claims to do. I would have to put some of my source water in a container and dose it up with some ammonia. First I would run the ammonia test on it to see what the level of ammonia is. then add the correct amount of this product and test again.

If the product does what it claims to do then you should get a zero reading. If you don't then I would have to say the product doesn't do what it claims to do. Better to run the test and know for sure one way or another before taking a chance on starving your bacteria.

Side note: If the product doesn't do what it claims to do personally I would not buy the product ever again. I wouldn't want to support a company that makes claims that can be proven false.

 

If its all the same... maybe I’ll switch to prime. No harm in swapping to a better choice.