lots of question about water change

[Alyssa123]

After I do a water change, do I need to cycle the new water that are about to be added to the tank?

When I clean the tank with the gravel vacuum, I know that the water flowing out constantly while I’m sticking the tube in and out of the gravel but I couldn’t cover the whole area yet and the amount of water coming out through the tube have reached more than 25%. Am I moving too slow?

I have my betta at my work place, where it’s always cold. I only have one heater in the tank. How can I make the new water (replacement of the old 25% water) the same temperature when the room is always so cold? Should I buy another heater? The smallest heater I found are for 2-5 gallon tank but the amount of the new water is only 25% of the water change.

Last question about the water treatment and the salt. In the directions behind the box/bottle, it usually tell us to put a certain amount of their product to every certain gallons of water. Do you really measure the amount of new water so you can add the right amount of the salt and water treatment? Also, should I just dump the new water to the tank or use the gravel vacuum again?

 

[JWright]

I'll start from the bottom up...

Just dump the new water in the tank.

When adding "replacement" medication or salt, you only need to add enough to match the water you _took out_ of the tank. Generally when you do a water change, you have to add a little extra water in because some water evaporated from the tank over the week. When that water evaporated, it lef the salt behind, so when you replace that evaporation, you don't need to add salt to it.

Next question is why you're adding salt... I assume you are keeping freshwater fish, why are you adding salt?

In order to match the temperature, just use the left knob on the faucet as well as the right ;p. Seriously though, most people just mix hot and cold water from the tap to get the right temperature. Then add your dechlorinator, then you're good to add it into the tank.

Don't worry about cleaning the whole bottom on every water change. Just do one half this week and the other half the next.

I'm not sure what you mean by "cycle" the new water. The "cycle" in an aquarium is the process by which ammonia is metabolized into nitrite by bacteria, and that nitrite is then turned into nitrate by other bacteria. When some "cycles" their tank it means they setup the tank with the filter and add a source of ammonia (either by directly adding ammonia, or by adding a fish, since fish produce ammonia like we produce urine), to allow the bacteria colonies time to build up. Since those bacteria live in your filter and on your gravel, there is no way to "cycle water".

 

[tmnterminator]

So, would it be pretty bad then to add new water to your tank after your water change and add the decholorinator directly into the tank? Is it really necessary to add it in a separate bucket and then put it in? (I ask because I'm getting ready to start my tank and was planning on using a Python to vacuum and to add water back into the tank) Thanks!!

 

[JWright]

When I use a python, I add the dechlor to the tank as I'm adding the water, never had a problem doing that.

 

[Katie217]

as JWrite said, just add the dechlor while ur adding the new water, thats what i do, cept i dont use a python...i use buckets

edit * wohooo!! 500th post!!

 

[GIS Guy]

Does anyone know how "fast" dechlorinator works?
I mean, it's not an instantaneous reaction is it?

I use the bucket method and add the liquid to the water there.
Then I swirl and mix the solution to "make sure" that the dechlorinator is distributed.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

it works instantly when it comes in contact with the chlorine through chemical reactions. si if it was added to a tank, i guess it could take a while to work everywhere, but only because dechlor hasent found each tiny atom of chlorine.

 

[Alyssa123]

Well, it’s a new 5 gallon (Marineland Eclipse 5 Gallon Hex) tank for my male betta. It used to live in a 1 gallon (aquatank) and has some kind of a fungus (white patch on face). The lady at the pet store told me to use the aquarium salt to cure it and add some more of it each time I change water to prevent the fungus in the future.

Yesterday, I set up the 5 gallon tank and waited for it to complete the cycle. I tested the water in the one gallon tank where my betta lived in at that time and it showed the ammonia in the water is in the “danger zone”. I bought some ammonia remover and did a 25% water change but it didn’t work.

I called the pet store for help and she told me to do a 100% water change. I thought since I have to change 100% of the water, I might as well take my betta to the new 5 gallon tank (even though it’s not finish cycling yet). I put some product in the new tank called “Cycle”. It said that it contains the ‘good’ bacteria. Am I doing the right thing?

Since the tank is new, how often should I change water?

Should I move the fish first when doing the water change? I did last time because I was afraid the tube might suck in my betta.

 

[JWright]

The product "Cycle" is more or less junk. Pet stores sell it to you because they're looking to make a dime, not because they're trying to help your fish. The good bacteria will develop on their own, it will just take time.

Leave the fish in the tank when you're doing a water change.

You should almost never have to do a 100% water change. Even if your ammonia is in the "danger zone," you're better off doing a few large (40%) water changes over the course of a couple hours.

Salt is useful in the treatment of ich, and that's about it. I would reccomend not adding any more.

What is the level of ammonia in the tank? "Danger zone" is pretty vauge. In my opinion, any detectable amount of ammonia is "danger zone" worthy.

And now I'm gonna have that song stuck in my head all day...

~JW