Can't heat water for Water Change

matasw · 09/15/2006, 09:51 PM

Nitrates and Ammonia are high, this is covered in another post. But i just got my RO/DI filter and have 10g of water airating now. However I do not have a heater that I can use in the trashcan. Room temperature is about 72, tank is at about 75. I cannot afford a new heater right now from the LFS. I'm gonna change the water about 12 hours in because of the high nitrates/ammonia. If i do 50% water change of 70 degree water from 75 degree tank it'll suddenly drop to 72 or 73. Is this okay? I dont really have many other options.

meco65 · 09/15/2006, 09:53 PM

Just go slow with adding the new water.

scumonkey · 09/15/2006, 09:58 PM

You could also try placing an ordinary house light over the water...they can get pretty warm and will heat it up a degree or two!

Shagsbeard · 09/15/2006, 10:00 PM

You could always heat some of it in a food safe plastic container in a microwave and add it back to the trash can.

shaggydoo541 · 09/15/2006, 10:05 PM

You should be fine. Its not the best situation but it shouldn't cause any long term harm. I regularly change 33X of my volume with water that is well below my tanks temp of 80 and have no issues. I know I should get a heater but the one I had broke and I'm too lazy to get a new one.

t5Nitro · 09/15/2006, 10:10 PM

I have never used a heater in my new salt water mixing. Although its a salt pale bucket I mix in which is about 4-5 gallons changing from a 46 gallon tank, less than 10%. Water levels seem to stay fine with these changes but also with that little change the temperature doesnt even do anything, not sure on how much that would drop in your tank, it may only drop 2-3 degrees which shouldnt matter too much I wouldnt think, most fish they say are fine for around 72-80 or around there.

Kurt03 · 09/15/2006, 10:57 PM

if you have a heater in your main tank put it in your mixing tank till there about even.

bertoni · 09/15/2006, 11:03 PM

I wouldn't do a 50% water change unless there was an emergency. A series of smaller changes should be fine and less stressful for the tank.

75 F is very low. I target 82 F as the base temperature.

matasw · 09/15/2006, 11:35 PM

.50ppm Amonia, and 10 nitrate sounds like a need for a serious water change

I prefer to keep temp on low end. everything seems to be doing great at 75 or so. I beleive correcting the ammonia, nitrate levels are more important at this point than keeping the temp in range.

Bcollins111900 · 09/15/2006, 11:37 PM

I boil a gallon and add it to a rubbermade container and mix it together. Works pretty well and is quick

matasw · 09/15/2006, 11:42 PM

Good idea, the water should be much easier to cool than heat if for some reason it ends up at a high temp.

joe 09 · 09/16/2006, 06:50 AM

i do the same ,boil about a gal.put it in the rubber maid and check it out with a thermometer.i caused a lot plbms.by changing water temp.too much.

richfavinger · 09/16/2006, 09:30 AM

I always run my water ahead of time, and in the winter I just place a submersible heater and small power head in my 30g trash can I use for water changes, by the next day water is up to temp, and nothing to worry about.

Very nifty now days you can get the unbreakable submersible heaters.

bertoni · 09/16/2006, 01:26 PM

The nitrate won't hurt anything, and 0.5 ppm ammonia isn't an emergency, in my opinion. I'd use some Amquel Plus for the ammonia.

09/15/2006, 09:51 PM	#1
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Can't heat water for Water Change Nitrates and Ammonia are high, this is covered in another post. But i just got my RO/DI filter and have 10g of water airating now. However I do not have a heater that I can use in the trashcan. Room temperature is about 72, tank is at about 75. I cannot afford a new heater right now from the LFS. I'm gonna change the water about 12 hours in because of the high nitrates/ammonia. If i do 50% water change of 70 degree water from 75 degree tank it'll suddenly drop to 72 or 73. Is this okay? I dont really have many other options.

09/15/2006, 10:05 PM	#5
shaggydoo541 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Utah Posts: 216	You should be fine. Its not the best situation but it shouldn't cause any long term harm. I regularly change 33X of my volume with water that is well below my tanks temp of 80 and have no issues. I know I should get a heater but the one I had broke and I'm too lazy to get a new one. __________________ 60 G LPS Cube Current Tank Info: 60G LPS

09/15/2006, 10:10 PM	#6
t5Nitro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,384	I have never used a heater in my new salt water mixing. Although its a salt pale bucket I mix in which is about 4-5 gallons changing from a 46 gallon tank, less than 10%. Water levels seem to stay fine with these changes but also with that little change the temperature doesnt even do anything, not sure on how much that would drop in your tank, it may only drop 2-3 degrees which shouldnt matter too much I wouldnt think, most fish they say are fine for around 72-80 or around there. __________________ ATI T5 club Current Tank Info: Left the hobby, looking to re-enter in the future

09/15/2006, 11:03 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I wouldn't do a 50% water change unless there was an emergency. A series of smaller changes should be fine and less stressful for the tank. 75 F is very low. I target 82 F as the base temperature. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/15/2006, 11:37 PM	#10
Bcollins111900 Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gahanna Ohio Posts: 3,853	I boil a gallon and add it to a rubbermade container and mix it together. Works pretty well and is quick __________________ I have some LE Super RARE Whisker Sunburst Brown Aptasia FS!!! Give me a flipping break people... Corals now days need to come with a birth cert. with a name on it... Current Tank Info: 285 Gal Display 500 gallons total, Reeflo Orca 250 Pro, GEO 624 Calc. Reactor, Dual GEO Reactors, Dual 400W Halides, LPS/Zoa Dominated

09/15/2006, 09:53 PM	#2
meco65 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1,603	Just go slow with adding the new water.

09/15/2006, 09:58 PM	#3
scumonkey Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NYC NY Posts: 467	You could also try placing an ordinary house light over the water...they can get pretty warm and will heat it up a degree or two!

09/15/2006, 10:00 PM	#4
Shagsbeard Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 2,143	You could always heat some of it in a food safe plastic container in a microwave and add it back to the trash can.

09/15/2006, 10:57 PM	#7
Kurt03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,602	if you have a heater in your main tank put it in your mixing tank till there about even.

09/15/2006, 11:35 PM	#9
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	.50ppm Amonia, and 10 nitrate sounds like a need for a serious water change I prefer to keep temp on low end. everything seems to be doing great at 75 or so. I beleive correcting the ammonia, nitrate levels are more important at this point than keeping the temp in range.

09/15/2006, 11:42 PM	#11
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Good idea, the water should be much easier to cool than heat if for some reason it ends up at a high temp.

09/16/2006, 06:50 AM	#12
joe 09 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: holbrook li Posts: 126	i do the same ,boil about a gal.put it in the rubber maid and check it out with a thermometer.i caused a lot plbms.by changing water temp.too much.

09/16/2006, 09:30 AM	#13
richfavinger Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pottstown, PA Posts: 866	I always run my water ahead of time, and in the winter I just place a submersible heater and small power head in my 30g trash can I use for water changes, by the next day water is up to temp, and nothing to worry about. Very nifty now days you can get the unbreakable submersible heaters. __________________ Rich Current Tank Info: DSA 135g (48x24x27) Starphire, Elite Aquatics M2 Sump, Reef Octopus Diablo DCS200-INT, GEO 612 Calcium Reactor + AP Carbon Doser, 2x Radion Pro Gen2, 2x VorTech MP40

09/16/2006, 01:26 PM	#14
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The nitrate won't hurt anything, and 0.5 ppm ammonia isn't an emergency, in my opinion. I'd use some Amquel Plus for the ammonia. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni