Python, shrimp, prime, chloramine?

[eraserbones]

How do y'all do your water changes?

Currently when replacing water after a waterchange I fill buckets one at at time, add Prime to each bucket, and then gradually siphon water from the bucket into the tank. I'm doing 10-15% water changes, and running the new water into the tank over about a 20-minute period. Very cautious.

Now I'm thinking about buying a Python. That would let me change more water, more often. Lots of people with Pythons seem to just run water straight into the tank -- the Prime bottle seems to even support this practice, recommending that I add a dose appropriate for the volume of the entire tank before adding in fresh water.

I can believe that people with fish-only tanks don't have much problem here -- but with shrimp, this process makes me nervous! Is the chloramine really deactivated so quickly that letting a bunch of poisonous water slosh into the tank has no ill-effects?

Also, relatedly -- I live in Minnesota, so during the winter the tap water is very cold. Is there any rule of thumb about how much I can let my tank temperature drop over a given length of time without causing my shrimp distress? (An alternative is to run a mix of hot and cold water out of the tap, but then we have the whole copper-from-hot-water-pipes problem.)

[pturley]

edit

[badflash]

I saw a post from Mustafa that said he adds prime to the tank, then adds the tap water.

I'm not willing to risk that though. I use a python to remove water I'm disposing of, but not to add water.

When I do water changes I have a 30 gallon rubbermaid garbage can I fill with water and add my dechlorinator to it. I have a sump pump in the can with a garden hose attatched. This can be used to full the aquariums after I recirc long enough to be sure it is all mixed up.

When I use the python it dumps to the 30 garbage can and the sump pump pumps it to the washing machine drain. All my stuff is in the basement and the drains are off the ground by about 4' so I have to use this method.

[YuccaPatrol]

I add my dechlorinator directly to the tank and use the python to fill the tank without any problems.

[argblarg]

I add Prime and then fill using the Python.

One time a while ago that I forgot to add Prime to my RCS tank, they started moving funny after about 10 minutes and then I realized what I had done. I added the Prime and they were back to normal within about 5 minutes.

[crazie.eddie]

I use Stress Coat in my shrimp tanks and add it before or just when I start adding water. No problems either way. I have prime, but don't use it with shrimp, I use it mainly with either Discus or my L046 zebra pleco tanks.

[YuccaPatrol]

I just bought my first bottle of Prime. I've been working on a gallon jug of another product for the past year and a half, so I figured I'd switch to the more concentrated Prime that everyone here seems to like so much.

I'll have to bring a new pipette home from the lab to measure 1ml though.

[badflash]

Most of the plastic droppers you can get from the pet stores for giving medicine have calibrations at the 1/2 ml levels. They only cost about 10 cents and work really well.

[Neonshrimp]

I have used Stress Coat and Prime and both have done a good job so far . I have only been using the prime for just over a month though.

[argblarg]

If you have a Walgreens near you, in the pharmacy they will give you free syringes if you ask. I got a few 5 ml ones so I didnt have to dip my test tubes in the water. I use one for dosing Prime now and it works great.

[Neonshrimp]

That is great to know Thanks for the tip argblarg!