[Drowki]

I bought Python No Spill Clean and Fill Aquarium Maintenance System 25'.

I was at a fellow club member/friend over the weekend and I saw his drain/refill hose and I was in awe. I have been using 2x buckets for the past 2 years, over 25 ' and it just takes to long to refill.

So I bought one, and I understand the drain portion without any issue. But my main question is when you refill...

When you refill and have city water? Is there an attachment that I can get that will allow prime\dechlorinator to go inline so it goes through that and dechlorinated before it goes back into the tank?

or should I fill a bucket, treat it, and put a pump into it and shoot it back into my tank?

 

[TekWarren]

I have well water so its not as much of an issue but I still put Prime in at water changes. When doing my 50% change I dose right into the tank while it is filling, no sense complicating things. Unless your water is very bad and absolutely needs to be treated before coming in contact with your fish?

Also, for anyone else who isn't using draining/refilling this way yet do yourself a favor. If your have a drain and water source close enough you can just buy some cheap bulk tubing and save yourself both money and time. A 1" clear length of hose clamps on to my faucet with the aerator removed and I use a 1/4" for draining either into the sink or out the front door into a flower bed now that it's warm enough.

 

[Drowki]

I can smell the chlorine in my water, but i have an insanely good sense of smell.

I wish I had well water, but i do not. I just have some some rams in the tank, and I don't think any touch of chlorine will be good for them.

 

[Axelrod12]

Just dose prime for the full volume of the tank as you start filling. It shouldn't be an issue. I've been doing it for a few years now with no issues and I know many others who do the same.

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Just dose prime for the full volume of the tank as you start filling. It shouldn't be an issue. I've been doing it for a few years now with no issues and I know many others who do the same.

Hi Drowki,

+1 for Axelrod12's comment; even though I do a 40% water change I add enough Prime for the full water volume of the tank.

 

[Aurie]

I have a 46 bow and I put a full dose for 50 gallons while my home made python system is in the tank. I dose the tank and switch it to fill. Just make sure that the temp of the water going into the tank isn't super cold or scalding or anything. I use ice cold water to drain the tank. Less on my power bill for my water heater

 

[Drowki]

So if refill the tank, with fresh water from the tab... my fish are 100% safe? while I do this?

I have a sump and a canister tank attached to it. So my 55 gallon has a 20 gallon Sump and the canister has 1-2 gallons.

I just dont want to kill off my good bacteria or my fish..

 

[PlantedRich]

I have never heard of any proof that doing it by dosing the tank for the full volume does any fish any harm. Many fish are killed and it is often blamed on chlorine but that is not proven in most cases. Chlorine is not good for fish as it does burn their soft tissues. But then it is more like a sunburn to us. It is not an instant death blow. Given a bad enough dose and for long enough it can get really bad. But if you have water with the upper limit of 10PPM of chlorine and added it to 70-75 gallons of water, it gets pretty diluted at worst case. Assuming we don't diddle around for a week before we add the dechlor, the chemicals get together really pretty quick and all is safe. That is why we need to add the correct amount for the whole tank rather than just the water changed. The chemicals have to find each other!
Millions do it that way every day.

 

[Aurie]

I just stop the out flow of water, dump in prime (enough for 50 gallons) and pull out vacuum. I then run water in sink so I can get a good temp. I then put syphon back into tank and switch the hose to fill. I monitor water temp because sometimes my water heater does too good of a job and the water is hotter than I thought and I adjust as needed. I've never had a mini cycle and my fish actually play in the incoming water. They have never been harmed or shown signs of stress.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

[Thumper828]

I just stop the out flow of water, dump in prime (enough for 50 gallons) and pull out vacuum. I then run water in sink so I can get a good temp. I then put syphon back into tank and switch the hose to fill. I monitor water temp because sometimes my water heater does too good of a job and the water is hotter than I thought and I adjust as needed. I've never had a mini cycle and my fish actually play in the incoming water. They have never been harmed or shown signs of stress.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

This is pretty close to my routine also...I've never had a problem

 

[TekWarren]

I didn't mention it but I do as others said, full tank dose even though changing 50%. I think Prime and other dechlorination products pretty much work on contact with the water.