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Filling a new tank with tap water

Ashlynch

Seedling
Joined
25 Aug 2020
Messages
5
Location
United Kingdom
Morning all, I am setting up a new planted tank. I intend on adding substrate, hardscape and plants before filling with water.
Can I use a hose pipe for this? The tank is 270 litres so if I can get out of carrying buckets that will be useful.
I dont have a mixer tap inside the house that is suitable for a hose attachment so my intention is to run from a cold water only feed directly into the tank and treat will API tap safe inside the tank. I understand the potential pitfalls of the hosepipe liner etc with regards to contamination so have secured the required length of sterile leach free hosing.
My concern is for the water temperature and the resulting impact on the plants. With cold water direct from the mains, will the plants suffer being temporarily plunged into the low temperature whilst the heater brings the temperature up to the required level. I have a heater rated at a maximum of 600l so it should be capable of raising the temperature at a reasonable rate.
If anyone has successfully done this with no ill effect on the plants please can you let me know.
Thanks and regards,
Ash
 
Yes a hose is fine, I use my garden hose.
Personally, I've never tried to use just the cold tap but I should imagine it wouldn't be appreciated, especially in the winter.
And if you plan on livestock the cold water shock will most likely kill them.

Could you rig up something like this from hot and cold, maybe different tap connectors if they are standard taps...?

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:D
 
This time of year I normally just add the cold tap water as IMO its within acceptable limits eg its above 20 degrees Celsius, I do use a TMV (Thermostatic Mixer Value) so once the water gets too cold it doesn't run, but in summer with the warmer tap water its flow is fine, so turn off the hot feed to the mixer
 
Thanks both, I don't have an external hot water tap unfortunately - that's a great setup you have there Tim, I haven't seen an external hot water tap before!
The temperature of the external cold water mains feed is approx 10-15c depending on the weather.

The only way I can think of filling it without resorting to a full on bucket fest is to use the cold water mains feed through a hose and supplement this with a few buckets of hot water to get the temperature up a few degrees more. Or not be so lazy and resign myself to a one off hour of bucket filling......
 
An internal mixer attachment is probably the way to go and I will have a gander on Amazon to see if there is something suitable. Also 10m closer to the tank which will be a good thing hosepipe wise.
Taps in the house are swan neck style with no flare at the outlet. I note the attachment on your pic has a securing nut on the top. Will have a look and see what can be sourced. I'm sure I'm not the first person to have this dilemma.

Failing that, like suggested above, a couple of buckets to get the heater in and going and a modest trickle of water from the hose over time.

On the plant vs low temperature front, I am thinking maybe not as much as an issue as I first thought in that if you mail order plants, often they come packed in a cardboard box and wrapped in newspaper. Going through unheated vans, delivery depots and then the postmans bag etc so might have been at a low temperature for a good few days before arriving through the letter box.
 
My taps are oval shaped so the push up connector with jubilee clip leaked and popped off I found this in b&q a tenner th ink it was
 
Great piece of engineering there Ian. I can imagine the wife's face now on hauling that into my dining room though.....
 
Bucket in sink, hot and cold tap running into it, pump (attached to hose) in bucket to pump warmed water to tank. Always useful to have a pump for water changes anyway, so it won’t be a wasted purchase.

I think this is the preferred and most cost effective/efficient option for me at present. With regular water changes it will pay for itself in effort in no time at all.
 
I have used this on my kitchen mixer tap for 2.5 years, works brilliantly

(Edit - looks like the link is not showing up - Google "Hozelock Kitchen Tap Connector")

The metal part replaces the end of the tap but it's hardly noticeable and unobtrusive. The plastic connector just screws on and off when you do a water change.

I have always dosed Prime for the full tank volume and then filled with water from the mixer tap straight into the tank with a garden hose, never had an issue.
 
I don't have an external hot water tap unfortunately
I kinda meant that if you don't have a mixer tap over the kitchen sink you could rig something similar up using a cold water tap and a hot water tap. I'm sure there are hosepipe fittings for just such an occasion.
 
I understand the potential pitfalls of the hosepipe liner etc with regards to contamination so have secured the required length of sterile leach free hosing.
Hi Ash,
what have you gone for? Reason I ask is I have some clear, braided hose which is meant to be that kind of thing and find I sometimes get black spots along the length no matter how hard I try to get the water out etc.

With regards to a feed, I'd have a look under your sink and if you have an isolator for both the hot and cold near your taps then a TMV (Thermostatic Mixing Valve) is such a convenient thing, it takes a little DIY knowledge to fit one but likely could be achieved using simple fittings requiring no soldering. All you would ever then need to do would be connect a hose to it, put that hose into your tank and turn it on. Do remember that you should treat the whole tank volume if adding untreated water directly.
If you want to know anymore then just reach out.
 
I have a barrel of ST treated tapster and sometimes RODI in the house out the way, its nice and warms as heated to room temperature and can add via syphon if no rush to the sump, or if in a rush pour some out in the garden (so many splashes on the floor in the paste) into a large measuring jug and add to the main tank.

a very small pump makes water adding and removal from a tank a much easier experience and no gulping down syphon water if using plain old pipe
 
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