The Puffer Forum

So I bought two 500watt heaters for my 200 gallon fahaka tank in an effort to save time during wc I hooked up a cold water line to my sump, I empty old water say 40% turn on water hook up and my sump pump and auto fill! Saves me about an hour as my old way was 5 gal buckets .... anyway I noticed my tank temp drops from 82* down to about 74* then about two hrs after the wc my tank is back up to 82* now my question is how bad am I stressing my puffer it is a 8* drop but not very long your input please

Really great way to compromise your puffer's immune system, leaving it open for disease--especially, ich. This is why we float bags of new fish to match the temp. Better to fill your tank with a hose, matching temp.

Ok, ill tap into a hot line and a cold line and run some ice maker hose to my tank that way I can get better temps. I just figured if I stay in his normal temp range 76-82* it'd be ok but off to home depot!!

Is there a heater in the sump? If so switch off return pump, empty sump, fill sump and allow to heat then switch on return pump. You may need to up the frequency of changes to equate to 1x 50% but if it only takes minutes its no hassle

Yea both my 500 watt heaters are in my sump only problem is my sump is like 20 gallons I think ill just run a line from each hot and cold I could maybe use my xtra 50 gallon fill it up the night b4 let the water temp rise over night then pump it in during wc... but 50 gal is only 25% and id have to find a spot so idk

Or use the 50g as your sump and change regularly? If it will fit?

If I can get iit through the doors it'll fit.... ill have to look online at ideas tto build it all my sump has now is bio balls its a wet dry filter I guess ii could use the old tower I just don't know anything about how to build sumps

Not sure about how much room you have but I thought I saw a Big Brute 96g wheeled trash can at Home Depot and it was all one molded piece and the wheels were set on the outside so there were no holes. I hide my smaller Big Brutes in a closet, this might fit in one too.

Sudden or fast temperature changes are stress, period. Make-up water should be as close as you can get it to tank temperature. An 8-degree difference is 'way too much. Fish in the wild may select cooler or warmer temps as available, but in captivity stability is much safer and IMO is in large part responsible for the much longer lives of well-tended captive fish when compared to their wild cousins.

How much is that 96 gallon? I have the room the tank is in my big empty basement so I could fill it the night b4 and put in my water conditioner and drop in my xtra heater next day just turn pump on and there's my 50% wc... think I am going to still do my 50 gallon as a sump tho figure more water and I can add xtra media

Why not just hook up a hose to the sink & adjust the temp before filling the tank?

I could just buy a new faucet, that'd be easier but then do I dose the whole tank with conditioner or just the amount I put in?

Entire tank. Are you using Prime?

Yea but I dose every 5 gallon bucket