# Water Changing



## 83turboranger (Jan 18, 2005)

Hey! I have a 2 gal. fish tank. I was told to do 20-30% water changes. How am I supposed to do that. Do I just scoop out the old water and dump in the new or is there some kind of pump. How is all that water changeing done? Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

You could do that as long as what you are scooping the water out with is only used for that purpose(make sure it's never contained any chemicals). Another way to go about it would be to use a piece of plastic aquarium tubing (the type that you attatch to a bubble-wand) to siphon out some water and detrius from the bottom, and then add water back from a gallon jug or something. Just make sure to add declorinator to the water you add!


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

Yeah, match the temperature to what's in your tank as closely as possible.


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## 83turboranger (Jan 18, 2005)

Alright, thats what I've been doing.


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

Water changes involve much more than just scooping water out and refilling. Assuming this small container has gravel in it, you should be doing a gravel vacuum as well. And 10-20% water changes won't cut it in such a small container. You should be replacing at least half of the water every 3-4 days. For these reasons, keep aquariums under 5-10 gallons is generally not recommended.


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## patdbunny (Jan 19, 2005)

You have three neons in a new 2 gal tank? Where did you get the water to start it up?
roz.


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

You really cannot use a gravel vacuum in a 2 gallon. That is yet another reason why this setup will not work... especially for neons.

The gravel vacuum is used to clean debris on the bottom of the tank. It acts as a siphon. This is how you clean fish wastes. By as said, it is very hard to use in a 2 gallon. Perhaps they have a small vac, but I haven't seen many.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Airline tubing works well on small tanks.


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## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

I got a gravel vacuum specifically designed for tanks "up to five gallons"...though I'm sure siphoning with air line tubing would work, too! I got my thing at PetCo for...I think about $5 or so. That's what I use on my Betta's 2.5 gal tank... I don't really measure how much I take out, it's almost half. I do it once a week, though I also have a filter too, so that's why I slack off


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

Vivid-Dawn @ Mon Jan 31 said:


> I do it once a week, though I also have a filter too, so that's why I slack off


Filters do not remove things such as ammonia and or nitrites/nitrates.


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## 83turboranger (Jan 18, 2005)

I don't need to be told that my set up will not work and that my fish need more room. I'm working on that and thats why I asked about cleaning a 29 gal. So there is some kind of vaccum I can buy for a 29 gal that will clean the bottom?


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## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: filtering water*



aquariumfishguy @ Tue Feb 01 said:


> Vivid-Dawn @ Mon Jan 31 said:
> 
> 
> > I do it once a week, though I also have a filter too, so that's why I slack off
> ...


Er...they don't? So when a package says a product does chemical filtration, what sorts is it filtering?


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

The following is the absorption potential of various substances by activated carbon. As you may or may not know, carbon is used much more than in the aquarium. The list goes on, I am just putting down what I feel is most strongly removed, at an efficient rate:

Arsenic, bleach, chloramine, chlorine, chromium, colors, dyes, gold, insecticide, odors, monochloramine, tin, acetic acid, cobalt, detergent, hydrogen sulfide, mercury, ozone, potassium, silver, soap, solvents, vinegar.

Things such as ammonia, nitrates, hardness, and alkalinity are virtually impossible to eliminate with carbon, at least in measurable amounts.


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## 83turboranger (Jan 18, 2005)

Whats that about^^ I'm confused. Can you clarify any?


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## 83turboranger (Jan 18, 2005)

oh alright, ok


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