# How to add water without disturbing substrate/plants



## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

I've discovered the secret for smaller tanks! 
Use a watering can to fill it up!! One of the big plastic ones with a long spout and wide head that reduces the pressure. I topped up my shrimp tank yesterday and not a single plant was disturbed! 

Like this one:








Not like this one:








I'm just so excited that I no longer have a fear of water changing my shrimp tank (carpeted 10gal)


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Good idea. The big ones are also over a gallon (I think they're rated at 2 gallons but I don't think they are) so for a small tank, that's a decent sized water change.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Good call I was considering how to do water changes for my smaller tanks without making a big mess or freaking out the betta.


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## Nicole (Nov 21, 2011)

Good idea. I would hold a small plate at the surface of the tank and pour the water onto it.


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## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

I've tried the plate thing, but I always use my big 5gal buckets for water changes, and cant lift that high enough and hold a plate at the same time


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## AccidentalAquarist (Sep 11, 2013)

I've always just rested the lip of a 5g bucket on the rim of the tank and put my hand a couple of inches under the water directly in the path of the water I'm adding.


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