# using a siphon?



## RLHam3 (Sep 17, 2008)

hey so i've got a small siphon and i've been using it for years and have been keeping aquariums for years. but i just went to pick up a 55 gallon from somebody's house(my biggest tank) and i saw him hooking up a siphon to his sink. he said it made water changes easy. but if you put water striat form the sink into the aquarium it's still got chlorine, nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia in it right? am i missing something? 

how does having big siphon like that make water changes easy?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> chlorine, nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia in it right?


chlorine and ammonia, right. You have to add a dose of dechlor suitable to the tank size to the tank before you add water from the sink. So you use more dechlor than if you were treating the water in a bucket. You can usually use the same hose to siphon water from the tank powered by water running into the sink, but this wastes water.


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## jamesandmanda (Sep 17, 2008)

you can get in line filters that purify tap water for drinking as it comes out the tap. I 'think' some take chlorine out


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

emc7 said:


> So you use more dechlor than if you were treating the water in a bucket.


RH ~ Yes:

I very rarely induce tap water directly to my tank via my sump but when I do use twice the recommended dosage of Prime dechlorinate.




emc7 said:


> You can usually use the same hose to siphon water from the tank powered by water running into the sink, but this wastes water.


RH ~ Yes:

When I do major tank maintenance I overcome this waste by attaching the Python to an outdoor faucet and discharging the potable water as well as the tank water onto my back yard grass and plants.


RH:

One additional item which sounds simplistic is that the temperature of the tap water from the kitchen faucet should be established at approximately the temperature of tank water before inducing the tap water into the tank.

TR


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

RLHam3 said:


> if you put water stright form the sink into the aquarium it's still got chlorine, nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia in it right? am i missing something?
> 
> how does having big siphon like that make water changes easy?


I use water straight from the tap and dont have problems, *BUT* like has been mentioned make sure you add conditioner before or during filling the tank. Unlike setting up a new tank your aquarium already has the benefical bacterias in it and needs to be protected by using the conditioner so you dont have to start the cycle over again.

On the flip side having the right equipment does make water changes a breeze. I have a small siphon with a bucket and sump with a garden hose to the sink for cleaning out water and a "python" which is what your friend has for filling. When using both - cleaning up one tank while topping off the last one I cleaned. I use to be able to clean all 18 of my tanks within one hour. I have fewer tanks at the moment but keep them running empty "just in case" ;-)


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