Quick poll: Multiple tank water changes

How many of you use the same bucket during water changes for multiple tanks?

I currently have three tanks:
-2.5g Betta Splendid
-10g Dwarf Gourami, 5 Rummynose Tetra, 2 African Dwarf Clawed Frogs, 2 Nerite Snails, 2 Ghost Shrimp
-55g Yellow Eared Slider Turtle, Small School of Feeder Minnows

Since the beginning I have been using the same bucket for both the smaller tanks. They are close together so it makes pwc a breeze. It never dawned on me using the same bucket would be an issue. Obviously if there is an illness in one tank it would be a poor choice mix and pass that to the other tank. But now we are staring up the 55 gallon turtle tank and I am wondering how many of you actually use different buckets for each tank.

 

Designate a catch bucket to not use for adding water.

 

I use a bucket for dirty water only and a bucket for clean water only.

 

I never thought about this...

 

I have a large 5 gallon bucket for dirty water so I don't have to worry about accidental overflow if I'm cleaning gravel. I have a 1.5 gallon bucket for clean water. And a small 1/2 gallon plastic scoop (cheap plastic mixing bowl from the Dollar Tree) for when I just want to scoop out water and not use the hose. I also have small plastic cups for priming filters.

 

I use a bucket for dirty water only and a bucket for clean water only.

I do the same thing. One bucket for water from tank and one for water to tank.

 

I use one bucket for all my tanks...... no issues.

 

Since I just have to hang a hose on my tanks for water changes I use one bucket. Upside down, to sit on.

PVC on the end of the hose is removable, gets rinsed with tap between tanks. The only water change related thing buckets get used for is fry tanks. Tanks get drained, bucket gets bleached, and used for adding water. They also get used for filter cleaning, straight tap, bleach rinse between tanks.

 

I use 8 ,5 gal. buckets, 4 for dirty water , 4 for clean. I clean water changing equipment between tanks and have a different net for each tank. When I first started this hobby I wasn't as careful and paid the price.

 

The more I think on the matter I feel like maybe it's time to invest in the hose I can attach to the sink. After all is said and done if I get clean and dirty buckets for each tank I'll need to rent a small storage unit to keep them all! We plan on adding a hospital tank and also upgrading the 10 gallon to a 20+g and bump the Betta to the 10g.

 

I have 5 fill buckets that I use for all the tanks listed in my signature, plus 2 more 20s, a ten, and 5.5. My tanks are balanced so that I need to do very little in water changes though. Still you should not be doing more than 25% water changes for your tanks unless there is something wrong. For the tanks you have listed, that is 2 buckets for fill and a third for catch, not really requiring that much storage.

 

Still you should not be doing more than 25% water changes for your tanks unless there is something wrong.

I've seen plenty of issues over the years from people not changing enough water, but very few due to changing too much water. Those few were due to large water changes with extended intervals in between, or a supply that fluctuated, either from the tap from day to day, or after being aerated in the tank.

 

I always do 30% WC weekly. It keeps my chemistry just right. Plus in nature fish get 100% WC by the minute. We just don't do that for sake of keeping our BB. My question was really more pertaining to cross contamination. I tend to go overboard doing everything OCD perfect when sometimes it's really not that big of a deal.

 

No significant amount of nitrifying bacteria are in your water if your tank is cycled. Your biggest asset is going to be a proper quar with new fish.
.

 

I have three buckets, one to drain, one to fill and one to wonder why I paid for a third bucket that has no purpose

 

The more I think on the matter I feel like maybe it's time to invest in the hose I can attach to the sink. After all is said and done if I get clean and dirty buckets for each tank I'll need to rent a small storage unit to keep them all! We plan on adding a hospital tank and also upgrading the 10 gallon to a 20+g and bump the Betta to the 10g.

I think that getting a Python or clone thereof would be a good move for you, or anyone with several or very large tanks.
It plays into human nature (or my version of it, anyway; the easier a task, the move likely and often I am to do it.
If I had a seat of the counsel, I'd certainly be voting to award a Nobel Peace Prize to whoever invented it (Monaugue Python, of Buffalo N.Y., I am guessing------------------------rick

 

I've seen plenty of issues over the years from people not changing enough water, but very few due to changing too much water. Those few were due to large water changes with extended intervals in between, or a supply that fluctuated, either from the tap from day to day, or after being aerated in the tank.

If your doing large water changes then you are overstocked, waiting too long between water changes, don't have enough filtration for the tank, your overfeeding,or you are correcting an issue with cycle or medication. These can be classified as "something wrong". You could very well be intentionally overstocking the tank, but that is intentionally creating the issue that requires larger changes. 25% weekly should be more than enough to maintain your tank. If you want to change 100% of the water weekly, knock yourself out. No one said it would cause a problem, but if you "need" to change 50% of your water then you should be asking why.

 

I can answer why. 30 tank 1k gallon angel breeding setup, I don't classify that as "something wrong". It falls more in the side job category, angels get sold as well as other hobby related supplies.

If you aren't doing 50% water changes daily those first couple weeks on angel fry you'll find the true meaning of something wrong. You'd better be doing 50% every other day, or at least twice weekly from 2 weeks until they hit around 6 weeks old.

Starting at the 8 week mark I like to back off on the water changes, feed some less than optimal food. I'd rather see them do poorly with a bit of adversity in my tanks, where I can do something about it, rather than customer's tanks. This is just good business practice.

I think it's pretty safe to assume you don't know what I've got running here, that's OK. From running this tank stacked room for many years, yes, larger and frequent water changes are perfectly fine for your fish, more to their benefit than detriment.

On a less aquaculturally involved note, many keepers of African cichlids do larger than 25% weekly water changes due to the overstocking needed to help prevent aggression issues. The same holds true for folks who keep larger more messy species; large cichlids, catfish, or pond fish being wintered over come to mind. Folks involved with breeding discus are probably the best example of large frequent water changes, much of the design, building and running of my setup is taken from what they do.

 

If your doing large water changes then you are overstocked, waiting too long between water changes, don't have enough filtration for the tank, your overfeeding,or you are correcting an issue with cycle or medication. These can be classified as "something wrong". You could very well be intentionally overstocking the tank, but that is intentionally creating the issue that requires larger changes. 25% weekly should be more than enough to maintain your tank. If you want to change 100% of the water weekly, knock yourself out. No one said it would cause a problem, but if you "need" to change 50% of your water then you should be asking why.

This is one of those rare cases when I am not with you 100%.

I would agree with you wholeheartedly if we were talking about White Cloud Mountain Minnows. Over 30% water changes in a heavily planted tank would be detrimental to WCMM, however, a 30% weekly WC in my Goldies' tank with abundant filtration would be detrimental to them too. When all is well Goldies get 80% WC every 5 days and they like it. One adult and two babies are in a 40G with a canister, Fluval C4, large sponge and a corner filter, that is seeding for QT. We also use net to remove the poop whenever we see it.

My Dojos get frequent large water changes too, not because they need them, but because after each large WC they get so active, and give this amazing "fireworks show," as if demonstrating their pleasure.

 

I like when people disagree with me, especially when they have a valid point. Goldies are poop factories and 25% water change would be insufficient.