# Is it safe to add cold water from tap to tank straight away?



## aaronnorth (21 May 2008)

Is it safe to add cold water straight from the tap to the tank via a hose pipe? Or i could warm it slightly so it isn't a massive difference, i will be keeping malawi cichlids @ 25C.

It will be quicker to fill up that's all.

Thanks, Aaron


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## Ed Seeley (21 May 2008)

You should be fine.  The only time I've ever had problems adding cold water was when I did a 50% water change on my nano using RO water from the butt in my garage in January year!  The fish all went comatose, but then perked up as soon as I put them into warm water!  None died or even got any dieases!  Just make sure you don't chill your fish too much and you add a dechlorinator to the tank to neutralise chlorine and chloramine.


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## Voo (21 May 2008)

I've used cold tap water for a while now with no problems. With summer coming i dont think it'll be a problem at all. 

I think by lowering the temperature of the tank slightly it can actually trigger some fish to spawn?


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## Ed Seeley (21 May 2008)

Voo said:
			
		

> I think by lowering the temperature of the tank slightly it can actually trigger some fish to spawn?



It can, but not Malawis who come from a very stable lake.


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## Graeme Edwards (22 May 2008)

I use a hose from my kitchen tap. I bought a connection thing ( dont know what its called ) so that it would fit the mixer tap. I get the tap running to the right temp, then click the hose on. In the tank and the end of the hose, I add my water conditioner. Everything seems very happy with me doing this, so im happy to carry on doing it.

Graeme.


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## aaronnorth (22 May 2008)

Graeme Edwards said:
			
		

> I use a hose from my kitchen tap. I bought a connection thing ( dont know what its called ) so that it would fit the mixer tap. I get the tap running to the right temp, then click the hose on. In the tank and the end of the hose, I add my water conditioner. Everything seems very happy with me doing this, so im happy to carry on doing it.
> 
> Graeme.



I was going to get the tap up to a warmer temp, i'll look out for them, any idea where you got it from?

Thanks guys.


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## LondonDragon (22 May 2008)

I always take the themometer and get the running tap water to be roughly the same temp as the tank, never had any problems doing that.


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## a1Matt (22 May 2008)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> Graeme Edwards said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I bought a showerhead attachment (from Woolworths or Superdrug) cost about Â£3, then cut the end off of it and put an eheim double tap on it. Connected the other end of the eheim to some siphon tubing.

I then use it the same way as Graeme, getting the water up to temp and then joining the ends together.  I also use it to drain the tank as well.

I have taken the tank water from 25 down to 20 with no adverse effects on the fish, although I usually try to get the temp as close as I can.  I have read elsewhere that a bit colder does no harm, but a bit warmer does (especially to shrimp apaprently).


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## LondonDragon (22 May 2008)

My water changer:  viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1729


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## aaronnorth (22 May 2008)

Thanks for that, will the following equipment be ok for a simple fitting:

tap connector (male end) - female connected to tap - hosepipe to female - simple nozzle to shut off while i am at tank!


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## a1Matt (28 May 2008)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> Thanks for that, will the following equipment be ok for a simple fitting:
> 
> tap connector (male end) - female connected to tap - hosepipe to female - simple nozzle to shut off while i am at tank!



that sounds good to me.

If you can get the tap end lower than the tank end you can use it as a siphon to drain the tank as well.
Mine takes 15min to drain 80L over a 10metre length of tubing into my bath.
Then about 3 min to fill up again.
Easy Peasey!


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## GreenNeedle (30 May 2008)

I remove 20% (2 buckets) each saturday and the water that comes out is 26ÂºC.  No idea what the temperature of the tap water going in is but its from the cold tap.  Water temp in the tank goes down to about 22ÂºC.  Fish are still alive, show no stress, breeding quite happily.

In the wild there will be fluctuations in the water temperature (not as quickly) but night temps will be cooler than day etc.

I don't mention my cold water changes on some forums because of the old school 'you must match the temps' theories and I get peeved by the 'animal abuse' comments. lol

I have pitbull plecs and bolivian rams breeding regularly (tank ful of carniovores means no survivors) so I think it proves they are all fine and dandy.

I wouldn't do full cold water changesif I was doing 50%EI changes.

Andy


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## a1Matt (4 Jun 2008)

SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> I remove 20% (2 buckets) each saturday and the water that comes out is 26ÂºC.  No idea what the temperature of the tap water going in is but its from the cold tap.  Water temp in the tank goes down to about 22ÂºC.  Fish are still alive, show no stress, breeding quite happily.
> 
> In the wild there will be fluctuations in the water temperature (not as quickly) but night temps will be cooler than day etc.
> 
> ...



That is disgraceful I can't believe you put your fish through that   

Only joking   It is actually quite refreshing to hear that it can be done with the fish being OK about it.  After this post started a couple of weeks back, I have been a bit more slack aboot matching temperatures (dropping up to 5deg C with 50-60% water changes) and all my fish are doing fine.  My hydor heater is 300W in a 160L tank so brings the temp back up quite quickly.


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## aaronnorth (4 Jun 2008)

I have all the equipment set up but i haven't tried it yet, it will be used at the weekend on my 60l and i am setting up a malawi tank so the 180l needs fillingup.


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## JamesM (4 Jun 2008)

Adding cold water can induce breeding and/or shedding with shrimp, not sure about fish though.... I too add water straight from the cold tap when changing up to 20%, but anything more I add mix in hot water from the tap.


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## rocafreestyler (12 Jun 2008)

Hi 

I am new here - looks like a great site

I use to do all my water changes using the hot water tap and cold water tap and matching the temp before filling up. Until I was advised by a guy at my LFS a few weeks back that I was "killing my fish!" by using the hot water tap, as the water is coming from a tank rather than direct from the mains. 

I could see his point as they do say that you shouldn't drink or brush your teeth with water from the hot tank. I now just put cold water in direct from the mains and have had no side effects from this. As i don't want to be accused of fish murder again!

But I am still a little worried about freezing the little blighters especially in the winter months. How do you guys feel about this?

Cheers


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## Joecoral (12 Jun 2008)

I always do cold water changes. Let the cold tap run for a min or so, then through a hose pipe straight from tap to tank, add the dechlor to the tank as waters goin in, never had any problems, fish all happy and healthy


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## John Starkey (12 Jun 2008)

Hi all,i change 50g every week and i use cold water through a hose pipe straight from the garden tap during summer i find this is no problem,During winter when the tap water is really cold i do add some hot water from the kettle after boiling of course, i would not advise using hot water from the tap because because it can contain high levels of total disolved solids (tds) and i have been doing this every week for ten months and i havent lost any fish at all,regards john


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## TDI-line (12 Jun 2008)

john starkey said:
			
		

> Hi all,i change 50g every week and i use cold water through a hose pipe straight from the garden tap during summer i find this is no problem,During winter when the tap water is really cold i do add some hot water from the kettle after boiling of course, i would not advise using hot water from the tap because because it can contain high levels of total disolved solids (tds) and i have been doing this every week for ten months and i havent lost any fish at all,regards john



Hi John,

how do you add any de-chlorinator?


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## aaronnorth (12 Jun 2008)

How do you add the hot water? After it has cooled downa bit?


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## rocafreestyler (13 Jun 2008)

I just dilute the dechrolinator in a jug of tank water and add as I am filling with the hose.


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## John Starkey (14 Jun 2008)

TDI-line said:
			
		

> john starkey said:
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Hi Tdi,i just put it straight into the tank as i am refilling,regards john


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## John Starkey (14 Jun 2008)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> How do you add the hot water? After it has cooled downa bit?



Hi Aaronnorth,i just mix the hot with a little cold from the kithchen tap then when i place my jug into the tank i mix it again within the tank easy!,regards john.


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