questions regarding water changes

Yes, leave the fish in their tank.

If the media is left out to completely dry then everything will likely die. As long as it's damp it's safe. You'll have plenty of time to remove the water and fill it back up.

 

As long as it is not too drastic a drop.

 

Yes. You will want to add water that's as close to the same temp as you can get.

 

As my husband and I do plenty of water changes weekly, I have a suggestion. During the summer, we used a water hose from the front of the house. However, when it's cold outside, this obviously doesn't work. Your local hardware store should sell a connector for your sink faucet, and then get a hose to fit onto it (not too long, as you still have to store it and deal with the water that's left inside). This has worked for us during the winter, and it's relatively cheap compared to the sets that are made for aquariums and hook onto the faucet. You can match the faucet temp to the tank temp by feel, or if you're really fancy (we're not), you can use a thermometer. Ideally, however, a ten or fifteen percent water change should be enough, and shouldn't change the overall temp much if the temps are close. A ten dollar siphon and the setup mentioned above are the best for doing water changes, in my opinion.

 

Go to PetsMart, and get a python....you life will be much easier. It hooks to your faucet, and lets you vacuum your tank, and refill it.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754886" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2754886</a>

 

Have you looked here? <a class="postlink" href="http://www.newlands.ie/aquatics_and_pets.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.newlands.ie/aquatics_and_pets.htm</a>
From their website it appears like they have plenty of equipment...