Water changes - how do you not stress your fish?

[saltwater8]

Hey everyone,
I was wondering if anyone had any good way of doing water changes that don't stress your fish, or stress them the least.
I mean, for a 150 gallon tank, doing a 10% water change every week is taking 15 gallons out and putting 15 gallons back in with a bucket, the fish hide during this process and are stressed.
Does anyone have a better way?
I know there are siphon type systems, but they are for fresh water and you cant add the salt.
:happyfish

 

[forcrz6]

You are correct. There are several and prob better options for this. the 1st is to take the water out of the sump/fuge/wetdry. That way the fish never see it happen and dont get stressed. 2nd it to have a power head that you can turn on and off for the pourpos of pumping out water from your tank. 3 do it very slow. The slower you go on taking out the water the better of a chance that you have that you will not scare the fish and the better the chance that they will not get stressed. But the best are the 1st 2 options that I gave you. Im sure there are other ways but this is just from my experiance.

 

[nm reef]

I do my water changes either in my sump or my refugium which are located in a room behind my display....has no effect at all on my livestock. if that is not an option then maybe syphon out the amount you intend to replace and use some sort of small powerhead to replace the water which will minimise the disturbance. If you can't use a pump to replace the water just pour it in as gentle as possible and make the entire process as quick as possible.......any water change performed in the display will include some stress and will cause your fish to hide...the trick is to do it as quickly as possible and with as little disturbance as possible.

 

[lionfish1]

You can do siphon, Just go to like home depot or lowes and get some clear tubing. Or like I do just get like a half gallon pitcher and fill out of the bucket with it a pitcher at a time

 

[teen]

you could turn you tank lights off and do it, you just have to watch your Ph levels.

 

[saltwater8]

OK,
So if I have a canister filter...
My guess would be to take the water out of the tank, put the canister filter outlet tube in a bucket and then throw the water way.
Then put the outlet tube tank into the tank and put the inlet tube in the new water and do it that way....?
I think I found a way....

:happyfish