Questions about weekly water changes?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tank and I recently switched from using bottled water to tap water. I bought Aqua Safe which relieves the tap water from any chemicals that may be harmful to fish. You're supposed to add 7 drops per gallon so I obviously used 70 drops. My question is when I do my 20% water change every week, should I leave my fish in or take them out because I'll be using tap and Aqua safe? Am I supposed to add the Aqua Safe to my aquarium after I replace 20% of the water or should I add the aqua safe to the new water before I put it in? Also since I'll be doing a 20% water change, do I have to add all 70 drops or just enough for the new water? Thanks to all that answer!

I don't actually squeeze out 70 drops individually. All I had to do was fill the bottle's cap up and than was suffice.

Answer 1

Leave the fish in the tank, When you add more water to the tank put the water in a bucket or tub and then add aqua safe to the bucket, Then stir it in and then add it do the tank, Just into the water,

Answer 2

As others say, leave the fish in the tank. If you're changing the water using buckets, then add conditioner (Aqua Safe is a type of conditioner) to the bucket - just add enough for the number of gallons IN THE BUCKET, since the water in the tank is already conditioned. HOWEVER, at least according to the instructions on PRIME, which is the kind of conditioner *I* use, if you use a PYTHON or some other apparatus which sucks water out of the tank and then adds water back in direct from the tap, then you should add enough conditioner to condition the ENTIRE TANK each time. I guess the reason would be that you're not going to be able to condition just the water being added, so you need enough to mix through the whole tank, as the harmful chemicals will also mix through the whole tank.

Make sense?

Answer 3

leave the fish in the tank, because move them around will stress them out.

as for weekly water change, you should first extract 20% of the water from the tank. then you have the new water ready in a bucket, add the aqua safe (should be 14 drops as you said 7 drops per gallon and 20% water is 2 gallon). then place the new water to the tank. that should do it.

Answer 4

Keep in mind that no aquarium holds exactly the water it is rated at, in your case 10 gallons. You have to account for the amount of water you're not putting in because I doubt your tank is full right at the rim, you also have substrate, decoration, might have some rocks.

In my opinion and experience, Seachem PRIME does a better job than Aqua Safe, because besides neutralizing any metals and chemicals from tap water, it also converts toxic ammonia and nitrite into a non-toxic form.

Answer 5

You can add it when you're fish is in it. But if you use a bucket, put the drops in and stir it. You can ALSO use a teaspoon of Aqua Safe, instead of 70 drops... It's a little quicker. I would just put about a half a teaspoon every water change. Since you're not changing all of the water.

Answer 6

Ok i use aqua safe and i have a ten gallon tank. every time you change your water before you put the fish in put the 7! drops in then after like 2min. add the fish

Answer 7

i been using tap water for my water changes for over 13 years. I use the phyon method.

Anyway, your fish can stay in the tank with the tap water. I am not a real big fan of aquasafe, so i would have to recomend stress coat as it is safe and you dont really to have measure the amount.

But you dont really need to add 70 drops when u change 20 %. Try around 20 drops.


for more help please see my fish forum: http://fishroom.rapidboards.com

Answer 8

I recommend leaving the fish in the tank during your water changes.

*Unplug your heater
*Use gravel Vacuum to efficiently remove mulm in smaller less intrusive water changes.
*You can add your conditioner as you add water back if you are using a Python or similar water pump such as Lees. You can also add your conditioner to your water bucket to remove chlorine. Either way these types of products are instant. Tests I perform that also shows the effectiveness of these products is to add potassium permanganate (which is an oxidizer like chlorine) to test water, then add your water conditioner at the recommended dose and watch the purple potassium permanganate color disappear instantly.
*I recommend using the full dose as many water conditioners do more than remove chlorine; many products like Start Right (which I prefer) add essential electrolytes which are VERY important to fish especially after a water change.

As Bettachris stated, Aqua Safe is not one of the better products for this either.

For more cleaning information I recommend this article (with a video): http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_cleaning.html

For more information about water conditioners, I recommend this blog post: http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/2007/04/aquarium-water-conditioners.html

Answer 9

leave the fish in the tank.
im guessing since you have to count out the drops, you're using a small bottle.
invest in a larger, one liter, bottle. that way, instead of counting out 70 drops, all you'd have to do is measure out a half capful for 10 gallons.
add the aquasafe to the tapwater BEFORE putting it in the tank.
if you have a python, then dose the whole tank before replacing the tapwater.
i always does for the entire tank, even when only doing a 20%.