Easiest Fatest Water Changes

[pkppv]

I know some of you out there have 200gallon tanks stocked with 100magnificent fish of all species and collies and behaviors and I envy you all. What I don envy is how hard it must be to change the water on such a large tank. How do you do it? I only have two small tanks and I still hate dragging my 2 gal bucket back and forth to the sink. There must be an easier way, that everyone is doing, and that no one ever told me about. What's your secret guys?



Fastest****

 

[Dieses Madchen]

On my 75g and my 55g, they are in my basement. I use a pump for my larger water changes and run the water either outside or to the drain in my laundry room. I then use my siphon and a bucket to get the gunk of my sand. I run the hoses from my laundry room into the tanks.....takes about half an hour each for my 55g and 75 gallon.

 

[Tolak]

Tanks drilled with overflows for water changes, hot & cold water lines run to the fishroom. Hang a hose on a tank & time it out. Fishrooms being a never ending project, I'm in the process of running water to each tank.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Why can't we all have a designated fish room like you tolak lol. I have fish tanks in just about every room of my house lol. 40g in the living room, 10g in the dining room, two betta tanks in the pass through window between the dining room and kitchen. three fishtanks in the basement haha

 

[OldMan47]

Unlike Tolak, I use a simple siphon and refill with buckets. It makes things go faster if you use larger buckets. In my own case it is 5 gallon buckets or I would never finish with 26 tanks to take care of. Refill is a breeze if you just place a board across the top of your tank like this.

 

[Tolak]

It all started with a 12 year old daughter & a 10 gallon tank. She'll be 31 in a bit over a week. They weren't always in one room, over time they tended to migrate there though. It takes years, they're very patient things, and sneaky.

 

[Proxo]

20g: Siphon into a drum, fill back up with buckets - pour water onto your hand in the tank to speed things up.
55g: Siphon right out the back door with a extremely long hose then stick the end of the hose that was outside onto the end of my kitchen tap.

Although the 55g is alot less work, i do find it takes longer. Might just feel longer because am sitting around waiting most of the time.

 

[Mowbz]

I cheat and use a powerhead to pump water about on the 75gal

I push a hose onto the front of it and pump it straight out onto the flower bed in the garden. I then fill the kitchen sink (belfast sink) which is quite big with roughly temp matched water, then pump it all back in (sink gets filled twice) About half an hour to change 200ltrs

 

[fluttermoth]

I syphon straight out to the drain and then trickle the new water in slowly with a long hose straight from the tap; you need to use enough declorinator for the whole tank, and add it before you start refilling if you use this method.

It is much slower than using buckets (I could do it faster if I had a mixer tap) but that's no problem, IMO, if you're not hsaving to lug dozens of buckets back and forth.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

It all started with a 12 year old daughter & a 10 gallon tank. She'll be 31 in a bit over a week. They weren't always in one room, over time they tended to migrate there though. It takes years, they're very patient things, and sneaky.

i am the same way. started out last year with a 10g for the kids....now we have a 10, 40, 55, 75, and a 65 that is empty begging to be setup.

 

[ZoddyZod]

probably the easiest way is with a 'python' hose connected directly to your tap and sink. It will both drain and fill the tank with minimum effort from your side.

I would use one, but the wife is not keen on 'dirty fish water' going in the sink, which is a fair comment I suppose.

 

[pkppv]

How do i go about attaching a hose to my sink head...

 

[Tolak]

Unscrew the aerator, it may take a pair of pliers if it hasn't been removed recently. Put a rag between the pliers & aerator, you don't want to scratch it up. Get an adapter from a hardware/DIY shop, it will screw into the faucet and allow the hose to be attached with the aerator removed.

 

[pkppv]

Oh ok, gotcha, so i should measure the diameter or something of the screw and go to the shop and tell them what i need? sweet! Thanks! Ill definitely do that

What might an adapter and say...30ft of hose...cost?

 

[Man of fish]

You could buy a 25 ft. Or 50 ft. Gravel vac. That comes with an adapter. 25-$25 50-$37. Here in the U.S. At least or at my LFS.