# How long does it take you to do water changes?



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Just curious 

Right now I have 9 tanks up (yes 9 individual tanks). :blink: Of those 4 are hospital/temporary tanks (3 of my 4 rescues and one as a hospital). The others are my normal tanks.

Normally I spread water changes out over a week. For instance I'll do my divided 10 gallon and my 4 gallon on Sunday. Monday I'll do my 2.5,3, and 6 gallon tanks. Then thursday night I'll do the 2.5, 3, and 6 again (I do 2x weekly on those tanks). Since my four gallon is planted I only do one weekly change on it. It takes me about an hour to 90mins to do water changes.. sometimes more if I take breaks inbetween.

Now that I have extra tanks I'm doing water changes every other day (100% for the 4 small tanks). To do the small tanks it takes me about 30 mins since all I do is dump out the old water and throw in the new. Once a week I rinse all the tanks and plants.

This week I was really bad. I didn't do any water changes so I'm having to do all of them in one night. To do all 9 tanks is probably gonna take me about 3 hours. Since I take my fish out to do water changes I have to wait for cups to become available so it takes a while.

So whats your water change schedule like? Do you spread them out or do them all at one time? 

I'm curious about people like me with LOTS of fish (its hard to believe I have 12 now :shock. How do you handle multiple tanks and water changes?


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

I have 8 separate tanks and I do them separate days. I do 4 Mondays, 4 Tuesdays and do another 100% water change Thursdays and Fridays. I have 2.5G's so I do two 100% water changes a week. Sometimes I can only do them once a week if I'm really busy, but I've been keeping up with it.  I've had 14 individual tanks before and that was crazy.lol Doing 4 tanks usually takes me an hour and a half because I have to remove the fish and the plants and decorations.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I don't know how you guys with all those tanks do it. Probably the real reason I don't have smaller tanks is all that maintenence. I have a whole house to clean, laundry to do, breakfast, lunch and dinner to make, dog to walk, cats to groom. I worked from 10 this morning til 3:30 on housework. That included an hour to vacuum four fish tanks, change their water, and fight with the freakin' diatoms on my plants.

Jackie, I salute you! And DQ too. And Bettaxfishxcrazy! And everyone else who keeps that many fish!


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Haha.. we'll since I'm at college I don't have a dog or cats with me. I don't have a job yet so I have plenty of time on my hands!

Usually if I can spread it out its not that bad.. its just days like today where I was bad and got behind that it takes forever!


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## Rain Drop (Jul 4, 2009)

I always do 100% changes, so about 20 minutes for each tank (I have three).


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## akjadestar (Mar 19, 2010)

I just have one 3 gallon tank and I do half changes weekly and it can take me up to one and a half hours... the hardest part of water changes is trying to get Venus out of the tank, which normally takes about an hour...


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

Submerge a cup into the tank and drop a piece of food above it. Once your betta goes in for the kill, you do the same and scoop it out harmlessly.


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## TeenyTinyTofu (Feb 7, 2010)

Before yesterday, I just had Tofu, who's in a 5 gallon cycled and filtered tank. So I did partial (50%) water changes on him once a week.

Now I have Taco and Tuna, who are very sick, so they'll get 100% water changes every 2 days. But in less than a week, they'll be going into a filtered, divided 10 gallon.

I don't think I could handle doing a ton of water changes every couple days for a very long time. I tend to procrastinate too much, LOL. Not to mention I have a hectic lifestyle.


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## s3kshun62 (Apr 15, 2010)

I have 2 tanks...my 2.5 doesnt take more than 5 minutes to clean. My fluval....well...since it has a small opening..it takes longer...when all is said and done...45 minutes...including time it takes for water to reach room temp


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Takes me about 2-3 hours to do all six of my tanks.

Crank up the radio and have fun is what I do!!! LOL


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

It's not easy, especially if you're getting ready to go on vacation and EVERYONE"S water needs changed.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

yeah, I don't know if anyone is brave enough to take care of my fish... LOL

Most of mine have weird problems! Like Oliver who is partially blind... that kinda scares people off from feeding him.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Ugh.. Well I got distracted and didn't get the big tanks done. Luckily I have no classes tomorrow so after I go get shipping supplies for the girlies I can devote a few hours to tank cleaning.

A week from Saturday my betta numbers will be increased by at least two if not 4.. my water changes are going to be hectic for a little while LOL


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

Oh. I have one tank. One divided 5 gallon tank. It will eventually become TWO tanks, though (can't wait, hehehe...) 

Well believe it or not, it takes me THIRTY MINUTES. For just one tank, haha. But for two reasons 
1) I take my sweet little time, jamming out to the radio blasting at I-will-be-deaf-in-3-years volume. 
2) It's upstairs, and my kitchen so happens to be downstairs. I can only afford to take a 1/2 gallon pitcher safely up and down, and I usually take out 50% each water change. So 2 1/2 gallons...up and down the stairs I go. But: EXERCISE. YEAH! Haha  

If circumstances were different, it would take about ... 10 minutes, maximum. I would love to busy myself one day with water changes. But I'm going to regret it, aren't I? Hehe.


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

28 and 10 gallon.

The 10 gallon can take as long as half an hour.

SO can the 28, but because I pour in the water at a faster rate, I can manage a water change with it in 15 minutes.

If i'm taking my time, I get both done in an hour. 

But I ussually base all my water changes around small projects to do with the tanks. such as remodel, fertilization, checking plants, inventorying shrimps, checking chemicals, etc. 

Because of that, I will occasionally devote two to three hours at a time to my fishies during a water change. It is relaxing for me, so I enjoy it more than resent it. It also sort of kicks me into maintenance mode, and I start doing other things that are necessary around the house, such as cleaning the kitchen, and dishes, and feeding the bunnies, and what ever else I've been procrastinating on.

I find refilling tanks can be done in a very relaxing fashion by taking 2.5 gallon Purified drinking water cartons, Cutting off a portion of the top. Filling it with water, applying the water conditioner, letting it sit a minute, and then let it enter the aquarium at a very slow trickle from the dispenser tab partially open.

This is a really cool trick that just spans the water change at a slow rate, lets the animals adjust to any temperature change and gives them sort of an entertaining drizzle to swim through while it goes on. The trickle is sort of a relaxing background sound as well.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Alana said:


> I just have one 3 gallon tank and I do half changes weekly and it can take me up to one and a half hours... the hardest part of water changes is trying to get Venus out of the tank, which normally takes about an hour...


 
Why do you have to take Venus out of the tank if you're only changing 50% of the water? I don't take any of my boys out of the 2.5 gallon tanks when I do maintenance.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I only do 50% changes on my bigger tanks but I take my fish out as well. I find its less stressful on my fish to be in their cups instead of getting bashed around by the gravel vac and the heavy flow of pouring water in. It also allows me to fix little things like plants or decorations without the fish feeling like they're being chased. I


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

1fish2fish said:


> I only do 50% changes on my bigger tanks but I take my fish out as well. I find its less stressful on my fish to be in their cups instead of getting bashed around by the gravel vac and the heavy flow of pouring water in. It also allows me to fix little things like plants or decorations without the fish feeling like they're being chased. I


I recommend water dispensers to store your water, and to trickle it back into the tank. Those 2.5 gallon Sparklett's drinking water bottles (or your local grocer's variation) have a snazzy pull tab that lets you vary the rate of water trickle. 

Put it on top of a bucket, and just let it flow slowly back into your aquarium. It also gives a fun little game to your betta to swim in the bubbles.


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## a123andpoof (Apr 10, 2010)

I have a 3 gallon and it takes like ten minutes to do a 25% water change. I have to go upstairs to get the water, and I use his little cup to take the water out and carry it to the laundry room. I need a better system haha and it took about an hour to do a 100% water change. I needed to adjust plants and clean the rocks from bits of food I couldn't get out with a net.


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## Noko (Jan 10, 2010)

My water changes take less than five minutes for each tank. Now, if I suck up a fish, it will take an hour for me to get over it. Them silly girls are too curious.

My fry tank takes the longest to clean becuase I do a 100% water change on it. I have to collect all 18 fry and put them into betta cups (Platy fry and still small enough to fit into three cups). After all is said and done, it take about 30 minutes for the fry tank.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

For the flow back in, I pour into the Lee's three way breeder and it flows into the tank through the slats on the side. That breaks up the flow completely. Of course Tango sits right under it. He's got NO fear though. The others get out of the way.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

5-10 minutes, tops. But it USED to take a lot longer.


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## ecoprincess (Jul 16, 2009)

Tinthalas Tigris said:


> 28 and 10 gallon.
> 
> 
> I find refilling tanks can be done in a very relaxing fashion by taking 2.5 gallon Purified drinking water cartons, Cutting off a portion of the top. Filling it with water, applying the water conditioner, letting it sit a minute, and then let it enter the aquarium at a very slow trickle from the dispenser tab partially open.
> ...



Would love to see a pic of this!


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

Ask, and you shall receive!

2.5 gallon water container. 1 ml per gallon of conditioner = 2.5 ml! (I do close to 3 just to be safe).

I chop back part of the top of the container and fill it in the sink after adding the water conditioner.

I ussually wait a full day after filling the containers, just to make sure ALL the chlorine and chloramine have been conditioned out.

Then I let it slowly trickle back into the aquarium. This always attracts the bettas over to it, and they explore.

in this case, (last picture) he decided to smile. (Silly.. he grabbed a pellet from the water line and decided to show off).


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)




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## ecoprincess (Jul 16, 2009)

AWESOME!!!  

Great idea you had! Thanks for the pics!


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

:lol: Probably the most use you'll see the majority of dictionaries get, these days! lol


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## Starbright (Apr 26, 2009)

Wow! ^^^ That IS useful!! I'll def keep that in mind 

As for me, my 10 gallon and 2.5 gallon water changes take no time at all! In fact, the most time consuming part is waiting for all the water to come out. I have bathrooms literally a RIGHT next to my tanks... 3-5 steps away (each with bathtubs). I just take a bucket and siphon out the water! 5-10 minutes each.

Sometimes after I'm done cleaning, I feel kinda like I want to keep cleaning tanks but I can't since I only have 2 at the moment... so I just change the water every other day to keep me occupied.

*I was wondering*: for 100% water changes, can I take out my betta and then just siphon out 100% of the water? Or do I have to clean the gravel too >.<


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

I've never done 100% before, but I would imagine siphoning through the gravel completely to get all the ____ out. That would be considered "cleaning the gravel" wouldn't it? Not like it would add an extra second, hahaha.


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## Starbright (Apr 26, 2009)

Haha that's true. But I mean like taking the gravel out and rinsing it. My 2.5 gallon tank isn't cycled so I've been doing 25%, 50%, and 75% water changes... but I was wondering if I could just siphon out 100% O: The thought never occurred to me before! 

100% water changes with my 2.5 gallon takes like an hour >.< My mom gets so mad if I have to spend more than 5-10 minutes maintaining a tank... she thinks I'll be "studying" in my extra time.. HAHA.


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

Oh gosh. Ditto. "Don't change their tanks, go study!" Meh. My grades are good enough, LOL. I'm not one to strive towards the high-end, haha. 

I would probably have the impulse to (after taking all the water out with the siphon) put some tap water in, swish it over and over and over, and consider the gravel cleaned - and do it once a month or so. Fill it up with tap water, and just treat the entire tank with the conditioner. Since you're not cycling, no harm will be done.


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## Starbright (Apr 26, 2009)

That's a good idea xxabc! I'll try doing that during my next water change


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

I just realized that's what I do with my friend's 1.5 gallon. Lol. She's not cycling it so it's SWISH-SWISH all around with the gravel every time I go and help.


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