# Treating Water With Hose Hook-Up



## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

For my 125g I use the hose hook-up that goes to the sink to drain and refill my 125g. This is alright except that it doesn't have that much suction for cleaning the gravel and when I'm adding new water to the tank I'm not sure its getting treated properly. Which would mean I'm exposing my fish to the tap water and also my filters to tap water.

This is how I do it: I drain the tank down about 5-10" depending on which water change interval I'm at. Then I turn the drain part off, and right by my hose I add however much water treatment is needed for the tank. Then I turn the water on and start filling the tank. I'm just not sure this is treating the water coming from the hose. The other way I do it is fill a 5g bucket up and put whatever treatment is needed in that water then pour that in the tank, then start adding the new water. If this is wrong let me know, also however you do it. I don't want to kill off my BB one or two times a week and I don't want to expose my fish to tap water.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Unless your tap water reeks of chlorine, your fish and bb will be fine. I always just add the conditioner in as I begin to fill the tank with the python so it gets dispersed with the water. Some people don't even use tap water conditioner when doing small partial water changes.


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

Well I have been doubling the dose I add. so If i'm replacing 20g I treat for 40g just to make sure no chlorine gets in the tank. I know my fish get stressed when I do water changes they group together in a corner and start breathing hard. Once I leave it alone they are back to themselves. One Cariba fights the siphon though. I didn't want to harm them. Sometimes I drain down 9-10" when I'm doing an extensive clean. I do this every 4 or 5 months. I really worry then. Since I don;t know how many gallons I am taking out of the tank I go by inches. It's 24" tall so if I drain 10" i'm doing about 35-40% an if I do 5-8" im doing 15-25%.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

They are more likely freaking out from having the filters off and you poking around their tank...I doubt it is the new water. If it were the water, they wouldn't go back to normal once you leave them alone.


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

I don't turn my filters off when doing a water change. Should I? My pick up tubes are all near then bottom an have no problem working with the lower water level


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

You don't have too...I've left mine on when doing small water changes. Tends to freak the fish out as the water level drops and noise increases, but nothing major.


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

Yeah that could be what is happening with mine. I think they think it's raining lol. I have filters across the entire back of the tank, one with a spray bar and it sprinkles all over the tank between all the filters splashing water in the tank lol


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

I pour some dechlorinator in the tank... then add new water... fish seems to be fine.


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