A few questions about water changes

[kyarnkid]

I am about to do another water change and I have a few questions. I use a pitcher to scoop out the water and after I scoop out about 10 gallons I scoop about 10 gallons of my water change water into the tank. Is this an ok method or is there another one I should use?
I do about 10 gallons each 2 weeks is this ok?
What would you do if you have alot of rock in your tank and it is exposed to the air when you do a water change. Is there some die off?

 

[jeo]

why don't you just use some tubing and create a syphon? This would be a lot less work than scooping out the water. If you don't know how just ask
10 gal every 2 weeks sounds like enough to me, once your tank is more established (assuming it is new right now) less might be ok

 

[richard rendos]

Go to the pet shop and buy a gravel vacuum. Much easier and faster.

 

[ruaround]

Yup...get a syphon...let gravity do the work for you!!!

 

[jeo]

all you really need is a little tubing, buy 6 ft at home depot for $2, i would get 5/8" ID for this purpose

 

[karlas]

i have a cheap gravel vacuum and just use the hose off of it works good for me

 

[ckkihei]

the answer to your question about 10 ga every 2 weeks depends on the size of your tank......for example if you have a 100ga tank 10 ga is not enough, but if you have a 40 - 50ga tank it is. IMO a general rule of thumb is about 20%. Also, I bought a 4 6ga plastic water jugs from HD and some 3/4" plastic tubing. A 12ga water change takes me about 10 minutes. I doubt if your LR would be adversly affected if exposed to the air for just a few minutes while changing water.

 

[beth]

I do pretty much what you do, but I don't do 10gals at a time. Of course, I've used the siphoning method and have even used the water pressured python, but, frankly, I don't like hauling buckets of water or sucking up water when the siphon breaks when I need to stop to empty buckets.
You can also use a water pump to do the "siphoning" for you by submerging the pump in your tank with an attached hose [tubing], and if your tank is near a door or window, all the better as you can extend the tubing off the pump out the door/window. If emptying outdoors isn't an option, then you can run the hose to the sink/bathtub. that is probably the easiest method.
Alternatively, if you want to just keep it simple, continue doing what you are doing, but instead of waiting 2 weeks to change 10 gals, then just change out a gal a day....takes up just a min of time each day.
Its your preference, and you can decide what is best for you.

 

[bammbamm74]

Water changes amount and how often is up to you. Some people do 10% every 2 weeks, some 5% every week, some 10% a month, some less, some don't do water changes at all. I try to avoid them, but when I do one, it's about 10% in my 25 and I've done it average once a month. I've only done one 20% and it's because I had a prob with my tank.