Rinsing food with tap water...

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#1
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#1
Hey,
I've been wondering about this for a while now...
Will live foods rinsed off with tap water, kill fish?
For example I feed California black-worms to my fish, but before I do that I rinse them off in cold tap water...I am wondering if the chlorine on the worms will either get into the tank water and kill off beneficial bacteria in my filter, or it will kill my fish...
This goes for rinsing bloodworm and any other type of food like brine shrimp...

So will this hurt the aquarium or the fish?
How do you guys rinse your food? tank water?
 

tom91970

tom91970

Superstar Fish
#4
Jan 2, 2007
1,305
5
38
Tejas
www.myspace.com
#4
Newman said:
I dont use pythons...and never put water in my tanks w/o dechlorinating and aging it first...

though thanks for the answer...it puts me more at ease lol :)
Click to expand...
You're welcome. *thumbsups

When you get old like me you learn to love anything that makes pwc's easier. Taking care of a 14g and 10g is easy; doing a change on a 29g, 30g and two 55g tanks with a Python is a necessity for me. There have been times that trying to pick up even a gallon of water was pure torture (I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis early last year; there were times that I could not use my hands).

I can not imagine even attempting to do regular 50-75% water changes on the 180g tank without a Python that I and another MFT member take care of.
 

S

sphenta

Large Fish
#5
Feb 5, 2008
128
0
0
Michigan
#5
No problem. If you are like me, you may have more then enough prime in your water. That little amount will not be noticed. My co-worker today told me not to even use prime. Just straight tap water. I told him if I put him in a burning building that he will be alright. Same thing. Right guys?

Tina
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#6
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#6
LOOL yea that's funny Tina. thanks for assuring me.

That really sucks tom...unfortunately most people have similar problems with age, and so will I x_x
For now though I don't need a python vacuum for my 40 gal.
Say another question? how do you use the python? I mean don't you just replace the tank water with straight up tap and THEN add dechlor to the tank? how do the fish take it? or do you move the fish out when you do that water change... in that case how do the inhabitants of the tank take the temporary chlorine? like plants/inverts...
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#7
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#7
I like Tom use a python straight into the tank, I would need trash cans full of water aging since I run 2 90's one 55 in the works and a 30G. There have been times I have changed the water without any conditioner at all without any ill effects.
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#9
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#9
When I used a python for much larger tanks than I have now, I also did it straight from the tap, dripping the correct amount of dechlor as the water filled. I don't think the fish or plants are bothered by a little chlorine for the few minutes it took to change water.

But to be safe, I've always turned off any filters for the duration.
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#11
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#11
My personal, completely unscientific, theory is that the amount of chlorine in our tap water has little ill effect on the fish or the bacteria, the reason I believe this is it is known that the Bacteria our tanks depend on live on every surface so bacteria load on in my theory every time I add tap water to my tank after doing a 50% water change I should be killing off a minimum 50% of my bacteria load on these exposed surfaces, this should result in a mini cycle after every water change right?

I also rinse my filter pads off in tap water and have never experienced a mini cycle afetr doing this, so for these reason I think the chlorine theory is a way to get us to spend more money, however since it is an unproven theory I will stick to Prime to be safe ;)
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#13
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#13
Yep, in some ways it will depend on how much chlorine you have in your tapwater. Even living closer to the treatment plant can affect that.

I have fairly low chlorine where I live. I've always defrosted food in tapwater. I usually add the dechlor before I start filling with the Python. It's probably fine if I don't, but I like to try to take good care of the fish. :)
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#14
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#14
I'm not sure that I understand what a "Python" is - never heard that term before. But I'm guessing it's one of those siphon tubes that you use reverse pressure from your sink to drain water out of the fish tank, and then do the switcheroo so it starts automatically refilling directly from the sink to the tank?
When I started up a tank again last year after many years without, there were new toys that weren't available to me previously. I did buy one of those sink-to-tank things, and I only used it once. It made me nervous having all that tubing and water coursing across fifteen feet of hardwood floors, plus it was very, very slow. I only have a 39g, and even though I have a major shoulder injury, I find my old-school method of suctioning off the bottom debris and carting a few buckets of water manageable. But to the point about treating water: I literally fill my bucket with tap water at the approx. right temp, add a bit of Prime, a small amount of Biobalance to bring up the ph/hardness and occasionally some plant fertilizer, then pour directly into my tank. I'm guessing Vancouver has very little chlorine . . . .
Question: Is water hardness/softness always correlated to alkaninity/acidity?
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#15
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#15
yes. The higher the KH (alkalinity) the more buffering capacity your water has. usually higher KH is correlated with higher pH. so if your tap water KH is low, or 0, your pH is not only likely to be low to start with, but adding any acid to that water will cause the pH to drop dangerously. likewise if you added baking soda to that water the pH would rise dramatically. the higher the KH the more resistant the water is to change in pH.
High KH means harder water, and low KH means softer water.
But GH also plays a role in this. GH (General Hardness) is the amount of dissolved calcium,magnesium, and other ions in your water. Higher GH means harder water, and lower GH means softer water. Also GH is correlated with pH and KH...
NORMALLY higher GH will be seen around higher KH and higher pH, get it? and vice-versa.

O and "alkalinity" is not the same term as alkaline water. alkalinity is used to refer to KH, not a pH higher than 7...
 

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