Changing Aquarium Water?

Question

Hey, its me. I have a 2.5 gallon tank and i have notice that the water level has dropped. I was just wondering how i could change the water without harming the fish at all or making them stressed out. Ty

Answer 1

When changing water it's best to keep some of the old water in the tank so the fish can adapt more easily to the new water. It's okay to just pour the new water in. Also, don't forget to add water conditioner to get rid of the bacteria in the new water.  

Answer 2

You don't change all the water. If its dropped drastically all you need to do is add more water. Get an empty milk carton (gallon), rinse it with hot water, fill it up with cold/lukewarm tap water and treat it with water conditioner. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d... Let it sit overnight and add as much water as you need to get the water level back up.

Answer 3

You should do partial water changes every few days with a tank that small.

Use a piece of airline tubing, siphon 3/4 to 1 gallon out (you know, stick the tube in to the bottom to get the gunk out of the bottom, make sure its long enough to go lower than the tank so it will flow good, suck on the tube and water should flow. Try not to get it in your mouth, won't hurt you, but ew, lol.

You can siphon into another dish/ bucket, if you don't want to stress the fish, don't move the tank!

Putting water back in... make sure that the temp is the same, treat with anti-chlorine drops, a stress coat is good, too. I use NovAqua, it's the best product I have found for freshwater fish. Ph is too high for salt, but perfect for fresh.

The best way to return water is by drip method, or, set your removal container on a stack of books next to the tank (it is filled with fresh dechlor water now) and syphon it back in.

Just dumping it in will stress them and mess up your decor.

EDIT- If you completely tear down your tank, you are taking any benifical bacteria and dumping it down the drain. Your tank will need to recycle, this is hard on the fish and some might die.

NOT recommended to tear down your tank all the way!!!

If gravel is real yukky, you can stir it up... causing stress, but you will get some gunk out each time in your partial changes.

Never take more than 1/2 the water out!!

Answer 4

Get another bowl or something deep enough to hold your fish.  Scoop some of the tank's water into the bowl, and put your fish into the bowl.  They will be fine while you clean your tank.  Take your tank apart, and just rinse it out using only clean water...no soap.  Put the tank back in its place and fill it back up with luke warm water.  If you have one of those tank thermometers then use that to check the water temp.  I always add this stuff that helps with the chlorine.  Don't know the name off hand.  Anyways, let the filter run for a little bit.  You can transfer your fish with a net or your hand and place them into their clean tank.  Make sure you feed them a little while later, because all of the food that they would eat off the bottom, is now gone.  Good Luck!

Answer 5

Never ever clean your whole tank. There is bacteria in the gravel and water you need. All you have to do is take about 10%-20% of the water out. Stir up the gravel and get the rotten food and nastyness out with a net and then add fresh non-cholrinated water.  

Answer 6

you can use a use to suck the water out of it you only need to take out 3/4 of the water you need to leave some as it has the right backterial and when you replace the water you need to add declorinater

Answer 7

u can just top up yr water with luke warm water and using a treatment called fresh start made by inter-pet it combines all the chlorine preventing it from harming the fish hope this helps u out and good luck