Aquarium Changers
The single most valuable tool for the aquarist is the water changer. Invented by Merrill Cohen, Baltimore, Md., the water changer may have made the pump, heater, and filter almost obsolete. Here's how it works. You hook up the water changer to a dedicated water outlet. The outlet should enable hot water and cold water to mix in a single spout. By setting the proper temperature and drip, you can slowly add warm tap water to the aquarium.
The proper flow is, naturally, determined by the size of your aquarium. Ideally, a 20-gallon aquarium should have 2 gallons of water change every day. You can estimate how to do this by measuring the amount of water coming through the water changer.
A gallon jug should be used. Calculate the time it takes for the jug to be filled and that will be the standard for how long the water changer should be allowed to run. A 10% water change every day or two is ideal for almost all fishes. The water changer also removes the old water as the new water is added. Usually this fresh water, because it is slowly being mixed with old, established water, does not require chlorine neutralization.
