Question: Water change - adding water

[Coldnorthtoy]

When I do my water changes, I've been pouring the (dechlorinated, room-temperature) water from my 4-gallon bucket directly into the tank. I aim it at my glazed terracotta plant pot plate so as not to explode the sand everywhere, but I've noticed a few things:

• 4 gallons of water is effin' heavy;
• any junk in the tank gets horribly stirred up by the water flow;
• I sometimes miss the plate and send sand everywhere;
• the floating plants (water wisteria) get caught up in the 'whirlwater;' and
• 4 gallons of water is effin' heavy.

I haven't actually found many descriptions of how this is 'properly' done, and it would be nice for newbies (including me!) to be able to find the info... So:

How does everyone else add water to their tanks?

 

[Kaysie]

That's how I do it, but I have a 5 gallon bucket

 

[lollypop]

I have a shyphon that has a hand activator/pump that starts it off. I use that to take water out, and to fill my buckets, and then heft the bucket up, rest it on the side/top of the tank and use it to put clean water in.

It's not too slow and goes in gentle enough not to disturb anything, as I aim it at the glass.

 

[Coldnorthtoy]

That's how I do it, but I have a 5 gallon bucket

...I may have had the sarcasm valve on 'full' when I said "effin' heavy." Mostly just trying to elicit a better solution - or at least something different I can try.

 

[Traxolotl]

i take a 1 gallon and make tons of trips until my tank is filled

 

[danchristopher]

Yep, pretty much the same thing I do with my 3 gal bucket. My tank+cabinet is quite tall so I heave the bucket up on top and then stand on a stool which allows me more control to pour the water in slowly and thus creates much less water movement. Also, because my tank is tall it makes it harder for the water flow to hit the ground and stir stuff up, which helps

 

[Coldnorthtoy]

i take a 1 gallon and make tons of trips until my tank is filled

A 1 gallon jug?

FYI, these are my buckets:

It's worked well so far; they're graduated in one-litre increments from 1 to 15.

I use one to hold the incoming 'new water' while it warms up - it comes out of the tap at about 9 degrees celsius - and I use the other as the waste water bucket. Having matching buckets is handy, as all I have to do is fill the waste water bucket to the same line as the new water bucket, and I know I'll end up back where I started.