What type of water for a water change

tpuffer

tpuffer

Member
It's my first time to do a water change and I'm not sure what kind of water to use.
This seems like a really dumb question to ask, but I really just don't know.
Please help me.
Thanks,
Tammy
 
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alti

Guest
hey tammy,
im not quite sure what u mean. what kind of water did you fill the tank with?
 
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alti

Guest
if you are going to use tap water just make sure to use a dechlorinator. reverse osmosis water will be better in the long run.
 
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alti

Guest
another thing. if you didn't know this already, it is better to let the salt mix overnight before you aded it to the tank. just throw a pump or powerhead in there and wait till the next day. it help stabilize the ph and make sure the salt is completely dissolved.
 
tpuffer

tpuffer

Member
Ok, for doing just a 5% water change I would go and get some RO and mix it RO water into a big bucket with the salt and let it stand for like 24hrs? Is that right? I have a 55 gal tank.
 
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alti

Guest
you have to put a pump in it to circulate the water too. use a heater if you have an extra one. just try and do your best to make the new water the same specific gravity(salinity) and temp as your tank. why are you doing such a small water change? 5% really wont do much for the tank.
 
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alti

Guest
you should get another small pump they are not too expensive. why are you doing the water change? is it an emergency?
 
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alti

Guest
how long has your tank been running? and waht are your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, p.h.)? if nothing is wrong with the tank there is no reason to do a water change.
 
tpuffer

tpuffer

Member
All my test show that everything is fine.
It's been up for a about a month or so.
But some of the water is starting to evaporate.
So what would I do if I just want to put just a little of the water back in like it's suppose to be?
 
gregzbobo

gregzbobo

Member
you replace evaoporaated water with freshwater, not salt, evaporation leaves the salt behind. Should top off daily if you can. Waiting a month is really too long. The salinity rise would be pretty stressful to critters.
 
jcsurfn

jcsurfn

Member
I thought it was good to start a routine om your water changes. Like once a month even if nothing is wrong? To replace stuff that we are not testing for.
 
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alti

Guest
gregzbobo is right. if the tank is low you need to top off with fresh water. the reason i asked your parameters was because you seemed pretty new and if you were still cycling the tank a water change would not be the best thing to do unless your parameters were out of whack.
 
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alti

Guest
ro water would be better than tap if possible. when the water evaporates the salt stays in the tank. if you keep adding more salt your levels will go up. what is your SG level now?
 
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alti

Guest
i hate to keep asking you more questions, but do you mean 28 ppt or 1.028 sg? if its 28 ppt it is a little low. if its 1.028 its a little high.
 
tpuffer

tpuffer

Member
OH, I don't mind you asking me these questions, I know you're just trying to help me out. And thank you! :)
It's 1.022, does that help?
 
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