Water changes? :\

[pedzola]

My current residence has well water. It is pristine. I don't need to add any dechlorinator etc. I just hook my python up to the sink, empty, and refill. Very simple.

I am moving in a couple of weeks. The new place has city water. 20ppm nitrate straight out of the tap! wohoo! (the poor loaches, I hope they will be ok!) Probably lots of chlorine and/or chloramine too.

So... How the hell do I do water changes??!?!

I have some PRIME that I know I need to treat the water with prior to adding it to the tank. I can still python the water OUT of the tank, but how am I going to add prime before adding the water back IN?

So I need to find some kind of large tub to mix the water in first and then a pump to pump the water from the tub into the tank? That seems like a huge pain in the a$$. (And in an apartment - not very space efficient)

Is that how people do it? The tank is 75g with 2 large cannister filters, so a 25% water change is around 20 gallons.

Any advice would be highly appreciated!!!

thanks.

[brett_fishman]

most people i've heard from say that they just add the dechlorinator while the tank fills up..

i say you should put a dose into the tank before you start adding water, and then another dose at the end of the filling..

hope this helps,
brett.

[pedzola]

hmmm... prime is very difficult to measure. "1 cap = 50 gallons"

Not very helpful.

So what do I do, throw a capful into my 75g tank every time I do a water change and hope for the best?

:\

[brett_fishman]

if 1 cap is good for 50 gallons, do 1.5 caps..that should be good for 75...

put in 1 full dose (1.5 caps) before you start filling, then another when you are done..

-brett.

[pedzola]

I'm pretty sure I remember reading a warning not to overdose prime.

doing double dose on EVERY water change will build up an extremely high concentration of the stuff over time, wouldn't it?

[chefkeith]

Check your local water report for chlorine or chloramine levels. Prime's normal dosage is for 4ppm of chlorine (or 3 ppm of chloramines).

My city water only uses 0.8 ppm of chlorine, so using Prime at a normal dosage is 5x greater than what I need. You can adjust the dosage accordingly if you can do the math.

[brett_fishman]

ok, i was un-aware of the ability to overdose prime, i've never used it..

-brett.

[chefkeith]

Prime is fairly safe to use. It's just expensive. Overdosing is just flushing $ down the drain.

Personally, I'd just add enough during each water change to treat the new water.

[shari2]

That's what I do with any dechlorinator. Treat the new water amount, not for the whole tank. The volume already in the tank should be contaminant-free already.

[pedzola]

but would you add it to the tank, or do you treat the water prior to putting it in the tank?

I'm not sure who to contact to find out about chlorine levels in the water... (or can I test that myself?) I will have to do some digging to find out a phone number for the "water works" or something.

[shari2]

Can you ask your relator or landlord for the water company name/number, or a neighbor for an old water bill? Someone in that area should have access to water company info. What town is it in CN?

Regional Water authority for New Haven- http://www.rwater.com/consumers/faqs.htm

What is the phone number for Customer Service
Our customer service number is 562-4020.

When are Customer Service Representatives available?
By phone, our representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for your convenience. If you wish to speak to a representative in person, our office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

and another possible source for info:
http://www.ctwater.com/nightmanager/ctw ... aterco.htm

[Martin Thoene]

I have an 18 gallon "Muck-bucket" from Home Depot, a Rio 1500 pump hooked up to two Pythons joined together. I pump in and out. Just add dechlor to the tub. It fits in the bath under the mixer-tap, so I just splash in some dechlor, add water to mix it all in and I can set the temp by use of the mixer.

You don't dose for the tank capacity, only the water you are changing.

Martin.

[brett_fishman]

You don't dose for the tank capacity, only the water you are changing.

hmm, never thought of that, i always just do a full dose of aquaplus in my 10g when i change water, only about 1/2 capful..

-brett.

[pedzola]

Martins reply is what I was expecting to have to do. A big bucket, a pump, and some tubing. I feel most confident with pre-mixing the water in this way, but the simplicity of adding water directly to the tank just seems fantastic!!!

Shari, I'm moving to Manchester, CT. There is no "water company." It is public water... no water bill, it's free. So I suppose the place I would look for information is the town offices. There is probably some kind of municipal water supply department.

[chefkeith]

Most Water Reports are online these days. I googled "Manchester, CT water report" the very 1st hit has your water department
http://www.ci.manchester.ct.us/water/

and report-
http://www.ci.manchester.ct.us/water/do ... Report.pdf

It say's your level of chlorine is .63 ppm, it's range is between .5 and .82 ppm.

That's one of the better online reports I've seen. You can email them and ask for their most updated report.