Water change process?

[Jellibeen]

So I have to say that if everything is working for you stay with it.

Adding elements will change your TDS. Might alter your other parameters as well.

IMO, top off as needed and maybe change the water out monthly @10-20%.

I want to stress too many well intentioned people on here feel that adding things to a tank will help. I feel if it an’t broke don’t fix it.

Change is the worst thing for shrimp IMO.

Mark's Shrimp Tanks recommends doing water changes every three weeks, since it coincides with their moulting schedule. I usually see shrimp people pretty steadfast in the "10% once a week" but he is certainly a top shrimp keeper. Plus, if it's working for you, no need to change anything.

 

[MrBryan723]

I do the no water change and just top off like once a month method myself. With a 24 hr light cycle for the past 6 months. The shrimp is doing fine. The plants are alive. The snails and cyanobacteria are doing absolutely fantastic. Earthworms are doing well. All of my filters but my submerged one burned up months ago. Levels are 0,0,5. Water's pretty hard with a bit of tannis.
This is Pierre. Shrimp-King of the Worms. He has a 2 room, 140 gallon palace that he(me actually) keeps in disrepair. Soon I will be home to tend to things.

 

[richiep]

Mark's Shrimp Tanks recommends doing water changes every three weeks, since it coincides with their moulting schedule. I usually see shrimp people pretty steadfast in the "10% once a week" but he is certainly a top shrimp keeper. Plus, if it's working for you, no need to change anything.

I don't know where you had that one from but mark changes his water every week unless hes started something new in the past two weeks

 

[SFGiantsGuy]

And also, the longer you let water stay in your tank with little to no water changes, your GH/KH can and will skyrocket!

 

[Jellibeen]

I don't know where you had that one from but mark changes his water every week unless hes started something new in the past two weeks

Hmm, i’ll have to double check my sources. I swear I read that, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was somewhere else. Things can get jumbled up when I spend a lot of time reading.

 

[richiep]

Hmm, i’ll have to double check my sources. I swear I read that, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was somewhere else. Things can get jumbled up when I spend a lot of time reading.

What he as done over the past 12 month is experiment with quantity and a few weeks ago as decided to keep to 10% I did something similar but have settled at 15% a 12 month ago I was changing 25% at my cost and reduced until I found that was working for me, you'll find his latest results on a live broadcast a few weeks ago but like everything these things chang regularly what is important is that changes are made to rid the tank of small toxins that build up over time and replenish much needed minerals,
Edit for spelling

 

[tjander]

And also, the longer you let water stay in your tank with little to no water changes, your GH/KH can and will skyrocket!

This does not sound right GH and KH should not change if you don’t do water changes.

What are you saying? I am confused?

 

[richiep]

Your gh can drop slowly over time and that's only because your trace minerals are being used up this also depends how heavily planted it is and how many fish are in there as they use up the minerals, gh will also rise over time if you have certain rocks leaching back into the tank but this is a slow process

 

[TomJAX]

I want to stress too many well intentioned people on here feel that adding things to a tank will help. I feel if it an’t broke don’t fix it.

Exactly.

Tom

 

[Elkwatcher]

Thanks MrBryan! Thought I might be missing something! I do top off the tanks because of evaporation. Would this add the trace elements back? No fish, just RCS.

Topping off and not doing complete water changes will definitely head to Old Tank Syndrome. Your water will still look good but your PH will eventually start dropping to levels that your shrimp won't tolerate I'm afraid.

 

[nikm128]

This does not sound right GH and KH should not change if you don’t do water changes.

What are you saying? I am confused?

Allow me to explain the best I can. Say you have a heavily planted tank and your GH and KH are something like 5 from the tap. If you just leave that tank sitting with no water changes, the hardness will drop significantly since there are so many plants using up all the minerals. Fish use the minerals too, just not as fast.
On the opposite side, say you just dump a bag of crushed coral into a tank and don't do water changes. Eventually that water will be so hard it might as well be liquid rock

 

[TomJAX]

"Topping off" is really not a good aquarium keeping practice. The problem is that minerals in the water do not evaporate. They stay behind and every time you "top off" you are just adding more and more salts/minerals into the tank, making the water harder and harder.

Tom

 

[SFGiantsGuy]

Years ago,I “topped off” my tank for many months. Ended up with a nitrate reading of at least over 140! It was dark, blood red. Crazy hard water too, but all of my plants grew like weeds though; had to Shop-Vac duckweed from the water’s surface practically every other day...

 

[richiep]

nikm128 why could

"Topping off" is really not a good aquarium keeping practice. The problem is that minerals in the water do not evaporate. They stay behind and every time you "top off" you are just adding more and more salts/minerals into the tank, making the water harder and harder.

Tom

So what's the difference between doing a top off or a water change it's all the same water, that's very confusing

 

[SFGiantsGuy]

Water changes are a base fundamental my friend. We ALL would suggest that.

 

[nikm128]

nikm128 why could

So what's the difference between doing a top off or a water change it's all the same water, that's very confusing

I think the best way for me to explain that is to use saltwater as an example. On saltwater tanks you have to top the tank off every few days because of evaporation so the salt concentration doesn't go too high. Water evaporates, salt doesn't. That means for top offs you just use freshwater, not more saltwater. You add saltwater during a water change because you're removing both the salt and the water.
Does that help?

 

[richiep]

That works with salt I know and I do top off with pure RO mid week as tds rises but topping off a tap water tank you would use tap water I'd have thought or am I missing something, as most people don't have ro systems so they've always topped off with tap water

 

[MissNoodle]

I use a store bought gravel vac and suction water out into a bucket, carry it to the washroom across the apartment and dump it out, refill a clean bucket with fresh water and carry it back to refill. It gets to be a PITA when your refill bucket is only 5 gallon lol.

I'm looking at investing in a hose that connects to the kitchen sink to refill my tanks.

Could I use a garden hose? Or is it best to fork out the $80 for the python system at the store?

Working full time midnights is rough as it is, without lugging buckets back and forth. Water changes end up taking hours.

 

[EmmGood]

I use a store bought gravel vac and suction water out into a bucket, carry it to the washroom across the apartment and dump it out, refill a clean bucket with fresh water and carry it back to refill. It gets to be a PITA when your refill bucket is only 5 gallon lol.

I'm looking at investing in a hose that connects to the kitchen sink to refill my tanks.

Could I use a garden hose? Or is it best to fork out the $80 for the python system at the store?

Working full time midnights is rough as it is, without lugging buckets back and forth. Water changes end up taking hours.

I used to do exactly what you do, using a 2 gallon foldable bucket. I then upgraded to a 5 gallon bucket. When I refill, I put a pump into my 5 gallon and run back and forth refilling it with my 2G bucket as it pumps water back into my tanks. (I have 36G, 30G, etc.). It'd be a marathon to keep up before the bucket was empty, haha.

I very, very recently caved and got a topfin hose system from petsmart. Connects to my kitchen sink, and sucks / refills from there. I have no idea how I've gone this long without it. For my smaller aquariums, I still use my two-bucket-and-pump-system, for anything over 20G its using a hose to the sink. I also work fulltime so that made me dread the process less. (And my carpets thank me for it).

 

[AcuarioAmazonico]

Difficult to get pythons where I am (apart from the real thing in the bush!) due to lack of leak free adaptors available for our tap types.

I was sick of carrying buckets - once away from tanks and then back to them.
I invest in two things. 1) a submersible pump with plastic tube that goes straight to the sink drain: 6 hour job now done in less than an hour. 2) cheap garden hose for less than $10 that connects to kitchen sink and now refilling takes 5 minutes.

only compromise I had to make was first putting prime into the aquarium and then topping up with straight tap water. I get the temperature right and it’s dead easy and to my own surprise never lost a fish.

 

[oldsalt777]

Hello Miss...

I have 10 large tanks and have used the five gallon "bucket" method of changing the tank water for many years. It's the best way I know to ensure I get the right amount of water treatment into the tank. This may not be important, but it is to me. I will use a piece of pliable garden hose to draw the water from the tank and I'll stack buckets on top of one another to refill the tank. The trick is to set up your tank as close to your sink as possible. There are inexpensive water pumps available if you wanted to go that route.

Old

 

[MissNoodle]

I used to do exactly what you do, using a 2 gallon foldable bucket. I then upgraded to a 5 gallon bucket. When I refill, I put a pump into my 5 gallon and run back and forth refilling it with my 2G bucket as it pumps water back into my tanks. (I have 36G, 30G, etc.). It'd be a marathon to keep up before the bucket was empty, haha.

I very, very recently caved and got a topfin hose system from petsmart. Connects to my kitchen sink, and sucks / refills from there. I have no idea how I've gone this long without it. For my smaller aquariums, I still use my two-bucket-and-pump-system, for anything over 20G its using a hose to the sink. I also work fulltime so that made me dread the process less. (And my carpets thank me for it).

I have 4 tanks (10g, 20g, 20g, 46g) so its a hassle). The 46g kills me changing out water with the buckets.

Difficult to get pythons where I am (apart from the real thing in the bush!) due to lack of leak free adaptors available for our tap types.

I was sick of carrying buckets - once away from tanks and then back to them.
I invest in two things. 1) a submersible pump with plastic tube that goes straight to the sink drain: 6 hour job now done in less than an hour. 2) cheap garden hose for less than $10 that connects to kitchen sink and now refilling takes 5 minutes.

only compromise I had to make was first putting prime into the aquarium and then topping up with straight tap water. I get the temperature right and it’s dead easy and to my own surprise never lost a fish.

Okay so I CAN use a garden hose?

Hello Miss...

I have 10 large tanks and have used the five gallon "bucket" method of changing the tank water for many years. It's the best way I know to ensure I get the right amount of water treatment into the tank. This may not be important, but it is to me. I will use a piece of pliable garden hose to draw the water from the tank and I'll stack buckets on top of one another to refill the tank. The trick is to set up your tank as close to your sink as possible. There are inexpensive water pumps available if you wanted to go that route.

Old

All my tanks are scattered in the apartment, and I got a 4year old. Its an ongoing obstacle course carrying buckets around kids toys. Ive about killed myself one too many times.

(I love how you reply to things, always so formal)

 

[AcuarioAmazonico]

Yeah for sure. You just need the right adapter to the tap.
If you’re in the states it will be so easy: your local hardware shop would stock tap/hose adapters.
My kitchen sink now has a plastic hose attachment at the end and I don’t care. May not be aesthetically pleasing but it’s functional and saves me HOURS.

Note: I’m typing this sitting on my “tank watching chair” as the pump empties my tank and am about 10 minutes away from attaching the hose to the sink

 

[ProudPapa]

I use a bucket for refilling also (2.5 gallon, because I'm not as young as I used to be), but I went to the hardware store and bought a 10ft long piece of the same tubing that came with my vacuum siphon, replaced the discharge hose with it, and stick it out the window. At least that way I'm only carrying buckets in one direction.

 

[BevM]

I also use the bucket system. I have two 5 gallon buckets which I fill and a pump to pump it into the aquarium. As they empty I refill til the water level reaches the top. For vacuuming, the aquarium is close to an outside door where it waters my hydrangea.

 

[MissNoodle]

Yeah for sure. You just need the right adapter to the tap.
If you’re in the states it will be so easy: your local hardware shop would stock tap/hose adapters.
My kitchen sink now has a plastic hose attachment at the end and I don’t care. May not be aesthetically pleasing but it’s functional and saves me HOURS.

Note: I’m typing this sitting on my “tank watching chair” as the pump empties my tank and am about 10 minutes away from attaching the hose to the sink

Ah good. I'm in canada but I live right across the street from a local hardware store.

I also use the bucket system. I have two 5 gallon buckets which I fill and a pump to pump it into the aquarium. As they empty I refill til the water level reaches the top. For vacuuming, the aquarium is close to an outside door where it waters my hydrangea.

Yeah I am doing the bucket changer method. Takes so long

I use a bucket for refilling also (2.5 gallon, because I'm not as young as I used to be), but I went to the hardware store and bought a 10ft long piece of the same tubing that came with my vacuum siphon, replaced the discharge hose with it, and stick it out the window. At least that way I'm only carrying buckets in one direction.

I could imagine... dumping it out my window. I'm on second floor of an apartment building with no front yard--just a sidewalk on a commercial street. Could you imagine someone walking by as I'm dumping water on their heads?

 

[AcuarioAmazonico]

I could imagine... dumping it out my window. I'm on second floor of an apartment building with no front yard--just a sidewalk on a commercial street. Could you imagine someone walking by as I'm dumping water on their heads?

that’s my problem. I love on the second floor or a converted warehouse in town. If I dumped out 200 gallon of water int the street I’d be getting a knock on the door from the boys in blue!

 

[MissNoodle]

that’s my problem. I love on the second floor or a converted warehouse in town. If I dumped out 200 gallon of water int the street I’d be getting a knock on the door from the boys in blue!

Shhh just tell them you are dumping last night's chamber pots!! Like in the old medieval days

 

[LeahsTank]

My new magic system... and I am sooooo freaking excited about this...

Water hose, shower diverted, hose adaptor, and another hose adapter...

These are not necessarily the exact pieces, but.., I start the siphon into a bucket, then stop with a ball valve. Then attach a hose adaptor and finish siphoning into the toilet. Then, I use an adaptor in conjunction with a diverter to fill the tank. Saves sooooo much time and effort!

 

[John58ford]

ts an ongoing obstacle course carrying buckets around kids toys

I feel you 209% On this, I have an 8yo and 5yo. Between Legos and matchbox cars I feel sorry for my feet. Way worse than anything they've made me do at work in boots. Add in my senile dogs and it gets exciting. I still use buckets and service about 90 gallons of tanks total, but am also looking at python type systems. My neighbor uses a python just to refill about 200 gallons of tank service between 15 and 30%, she drains everything with buckets and marks them with dry erase to make sure she gets dosage right but the Python speeds up refills and cuts half the lifting. I will probably go that way sooner than later.

 

[MCMLXXXVII]

I only did the initial fill of my tank and a single water change on my first 90G before I ditched the buckets. Didn't buy a dedicated water change system but it really couldn't get any more simple. 15$ pump off amazon with a nice length of hose to drain the tank quickly into the nearest drain. Also bought one of those adapters for the sink so I can thread a "garden" hose onto it to refill. No lifting required at all and no mess. I just dose with prime after I drain and before I refill. I don't really like the python venturI siphons, They make lots of noise and if the tap is higher than your tank you have to run the tap constantly wasting a ton of water and drain slower than the submersible pumps or even just a siphon.

 

[MissNoodle]

Updating....

Bought a 50 foot garden hose and tap adapter for under $25. Water changes will be so much easier now. All ill need to carry buckets for is to dump old water.

 

[Rcslade124]

You can find the python attachment minus the hose that way you drain water into the sink. It's pretty much the old waterbed sink adapter. I am ready to invest but worry about over filling tank running to turn off the sink.

 

[yinoma2001]

I consider hauling water in/out as part of my weekly workout. LOL.

 

[Mike999]

Joker77

I'm usually all thumbs with anything like this, but would the adapter you linked work with my kitchen faucet?
I unscrewed the aerator on my faucet. Please have a look below.

I guess I also need some tubing for that submersible pump, could you please link to what tubing I should get?
-----------------------------------------
Usual routine:
I live in an apartment, with 2 aquariums: 38 gallon / 10 gallon.
I use both a 2.5 gallon and 5 gallon pail - and I do find the the 5 gallon pail dang heavy so looking for alternatives.

38 gallon:
25% water changes = 2 x 5 gallon pail lugged to the bathroom toilet lol.
Adding back water = 4 x 2.5 gallon pail lugged back to aquarium.

10 gallon:
piece of cake, no worries.