# water change temperature fluctuations



## rickwaines (Jan 2, 2011)

How far is too far for the temp to drop during water change. I know, I know, it shouldn't drop at all. But you see the water tank at the office can't quite provide enough hot water to complete the 50% water change I do once a week. I stop before the temp drops more than a degree. Any thoughts on even that much is too much? Can I push it and let it drop two? It usually drops from 78 to 77 or so. I used to think that it might not be too different from fluctuations fish encounter in the river environment but I am not sure.

I keep bleeding hearts, wild Blue rams and panduro as well as cories, farlowella's, a few angels and a flagtail.


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## KevinPR (Aug 6, 2010)

How big is the tank? I don't think a flucuation of 1 or 2 degrees is going to do much to harm the fish.


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## rickwaines (Jan 2, 2011)

120 gallons


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## kelownaguy (Jan 1, 2011)

I`m thinking 4-5 degrees.A couple of degrees is nothing.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

for your reassurance, you may not have such a drastic change in water temperature than mine. i drop from 26.5 degrees to about at most 21 degress. my fish find the pockets where the water is best suited for them. As the weather gets warm outside, we dont' need to be too concerned as in the winter time when the water coming out of the cold water tap is ice cold 

good luck on the water changes rick.


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## rickwaines (Jan 2, 2011)

thanks all
I imagined a couple degrees would be ok but was needing the re assurances of the bca's.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I regularly drop 2 or 3 degrees C without a problem. Think about what happens in the wild with a rainstorm. The TDS and temp both drop pretty quickly.


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## pistolpete (May 2, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I regularly drop 2 or 3 degrees C without a problem. Think about what happens in the wild with a rainstorm. The TDS and temp both drop pretty quickly.


totally agree. I have done quite a bit of snorcheling in tropical ponds and lagoons and I can tell you there is at least a 5 degree morning to afternoon temp difference in most. In fact, I would say it's not natural for fish to have a steady temp all the time.


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

A few degrees F - no problem at all.


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## Discus (Apr 23, 2010)

you really do not need to be doing a 50 percent water change. 25% once a week on the same day should do the trick. Just use a buffer and a water conditioner. 50 percent is a little over kill unless you have a huge bio load which is a another story.


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

I do daily 50% water changes in my discus tanks and the water temp. drops from 82 to about 78 or 79 and the fish have never had any issues. All I do is add some prime to the water


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## rickwaines (Jan 2, 2011)

Discus said:


> you really do not need to be doing a 50 percent water change. 25% once a week on the same day should do the trick. Just use a buffer and a water conditioner. 50 percent is a little over kill unless you have a huge bio load which is a another story.


I am doing the 50% change as I employ EI fertilizing and that is what is prescribed. It does seem a lot but not compared to the 50% a day those crazy discus people do. How do they manage?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

rickwaines said:


> I am doing the 50% change as I employ EI fertilizing and that is what is prescribed. It does seem a lot but not compared to the 50% a day those crazy discus people do. How do they manage?


You can do less than 50%. 50% just makes things simple. I do 2x60+% water changes a week, and one is EI dosed and one is not. If you do more than 1 50% water change away, you have to adjust the amount you dose. If your bioload is low and you want to do 25% 2x a week, you can just dose a bit less. The concentrations for EI dosing are all accounted for in many EI dosing calculators.


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## Discus (Apr 23, 2010)

no its not a must just some discus keepers do it. Discus grow with fresh water. But you can get away with a water change a week of 25%. But you will not have the growth as you would if you did water changes everytday. The best way to do it is a water change every 3 days because everyday is to stressfull for your discus.


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## rickwaines (Jan 2, 2011)

2wheelsx2 said:


> You can do less than 50%. 50% just makes things simple. I do 2x60+% water changes a week, and one is EI dosed and one is not. If you do more than 1 50% water change away, you have to adjust the amount you dose. If your bioload is low and you want to do 25% 2x a week, you can just dose a bit less. The concentrations for EI dosing are all accounted for in many EI dosing calculators.


When you say one is ei dosed and one is not do you mean that you put all the micros and macros in in the first few days and none after the second water change?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Sorry, I meant one tank is dosed (the 125) and the other isn't (the cube gets 5 ml of Excel per day and that's it, except Equilibrium after a water change). I let the discus supply the ferts in the cube.


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