Python, python, python

Not a snake, a no spill and fill water changer, my daughter bought it for Fathers day for me, this is going to make WC so easy, no more lifting buckets ,wow!!  here's a link, links do not work on this forum......

I made my own python a few years ago, using a hose several hozelock type connectors etc. You start it yourself by filling the hose with water from your tap, then switching off the tap, putting the hose in your sink, drain, toilet or whatever, then the tank empties itself. I fill using the same hose, attached to a HMA unit. Essential piece of kit if you have multiple tanks and a 6ft monster tank.

Would have been a lot cheaper doing it that way peachers, when do you put your de-chlorinate in, as the water goes in or after?

Brian1 wrote:Would have been a lot cheaper doing it that way peachers, when do you put your de-chlorinate in, as the water goes in or after?

I thought I had replied to this, but missed it , sorry. I have a HMA filter, I fill the tank with water from this, it dechlorinates for me. Before I got that, I would add dechlorinator to the tank as I start adding the water. So I have a short hose which goes from tap to HMA filter, then my python "copy" is attached to the output of the HMA using hozelock connectors, and that goes into the tank. Its essential if you have multiple tanks and a bad back!

Thanks for your reply peaches, I am adding half DE chlorinate at the start, and the rest as I finish filling, I am adding enough for the whole tank, would you say if that's ok.........

Brian1 wrote:Thanks for your reply peaches, I am adding half DE chlorinate  at the start, and the rest as I finish filling, I am adding enough for the whole tank, would you say if that's ok.........

Yes as long as youre adding enough, as you say. Might as well drop it all in at first though. I am not sure how long the process takes, but someone told me it was fairly instantaneous. Are you using Seachem Prime? Its the best and most economical in my opinion.

According to an article in Practical Fishkeeping, it takes 2 minutes for all chlorine to be eliminated and 5 minutes for chloramine. A few years ago I wrote to my local water board and found they dont use chloramine in my supply just chlorine. I dont know if this is till the case, but my HMA takes care of both of them and a lot of other bad stuff too. In an ideal world I would aerate water overnight, but in practice I actually only do this for young fry. There is a lot of debate about all these practices on the internet, if you google it. Some people even turn their filters off if adding water straight to the tank from a python. The idea being if the chlorine gets to your good bacteria, youve lost it. I am sure this isnt the case. Chlorine in our supply is just enough to take care of bacteria in the pipes on the way to our taps. There isnt sufficient chlorine in it to continually keep killing all bacteria, otherwise we wouldnt need to use disinfectants when cleaning up, we would just use tap water. Swimming pools add chlorine to the water, because once again, in tap water there isnt enough chlorine to continually keep killing germs.

A fellow fishkeeper with a fish house lives about 5 miles away. He had an aquaintance with a water board employee who actually came to his house and measured the amount of chlorine in water coming out of his tap. He pronounced the level to be low and safe for aquatic life, and now this person doesnt use a dechlorinator. I would be sceptical about his claims if he didnt keep winning prizes at our local fish club shows. I wouldnt take the risk myself though.

Thanks peaches that info is much appreciated............