Easiest Fatest Water Changes

[pkppv]

anddd do i need a specific hose? Like would a rubber house contaminate my water or am i being paranoid?

 

[Tolak]

If you bring the aerator with they will be able to match it up. The aerator creates a nice even water flow, without it water comes out of the faucet like an outdoor spigot.

Around here garden hose comes in 25 foot & 50 foot lengths. A little extra length is nice to have, you can route it so it isn't a trip hazard. Adapters are around $5, the hose depends on the quality desired. A cheap one might be $10 or so on sale, a heavy reinforced outdoor commercial hose will be better than $50.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

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.

The best place for "dirty fish water" is the garden! Greatest fertilizer I've ever found.

If you bring the aerator with they will be able to match it up. The aerator creates a nice even water flow, without it water comes out of the faucet like an outdoor spigot.

Around here garden hose comes in 25 foot & 50 foot lengths. A little extra length is nice to have, you can route it so it isn't a trip hazard. Adapters are around $5, the hose depends on the quality desired. A cheap one might be $10 or so on sale, a heavy reinforced outdoor commercial hose will be better than $50.

I went with a cheap "lightduty" hose, and spent about $10. Your pricing is dead on Tolak.


The best move I ever made was buying the accessories to attach a garden hose directly to my kitchen sink. I also use the same hose to empty the tank, but it takes a little finagling.

 

[pkppv]

How does one get a siphon started on a 50ft hose..?

 

[Man of fish]

I assume same way as a smaller one but it prolly takes longer.

 

[tmh0921]

I use a 'python' hooked directly to the sink tap to syphoning then refill....it's very important to make sure the sink stopper is NOT in the drain when doing this though

 

[pkppv]

I use a 'python' hooked directly to the sink tap to syphoning then refill....it's very important to make sure the sink stopper is NOT in the drain when doing this though

What's a python? Is it a pet store kinda thing or a hardware store buy?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I get a syphon on my hose by a trick I invented myself due to my extensive knowledge of fluid dynamics and fluid pressure.

First, I have a 5 foot piece of hose, that I attached a female hose coupling to. This is placed into the tank and filled with water. Then, while that is submerged I attach a 25 foot piece of garden hose to it (the end of the 25 foot hose is now INSIDE the tank water as well, but barely). THen, I place my thumb over the end of the short hose (so that no water can escape) and with the other hand, I lower the connection of the short hose and the long hose into a 5 gallon bucket (in case of a small leak) with my other hand. Now, inside the 5 foot hose is water, which is going to flow DOWN according to the pressure differential. I move my thumb from the end of the short hose and voila, instant syphon without getting any water into my mouth! The other end of the 25 foot hose is run into my flower garden in front of my house ahead of time and the water flows as quickly as I want it to. The 5 foot of hose is enough that I can still get down to the bottom of the tank, while the other end is still in the bucket. This allows me to do a thorough vaccing of my sand while syphoning out the water.

(I do have to confess that one time while my eyes were diverted, one of my glofish did get sucked up and out into my garden and I found it too late. I've been extremely careful about that since that time and haven't had any issues. Fingers crossed now of course.)


To refill I attach the same hose to my kitchen sink and turn it on (being careful of course to dechlorinate for the full volume of my tank, not just the amount being replaced).


A python is a device you attach to a spigot (like your kitchen sink) and has a garden hose attached to it. When you turn on the water and open all the valves, the water flowing through the device creates a suction and pulls water out of your tank. Then, when you want to refill your tank, you just switch the lever on the bottom so that it stops water from flowing through, and the water from your sink is diverted through the hose into your tank.

 

[pkppv]

How well does this python suction work? Sounds like a lot of wasted water unless the tap is only used to start the suction and not at all times

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I've never used it for that exact reason. That's also why I came up with my contraption, it also saves me money in gardening as my fish water is used in my garden it saves me money there and I don't have to buy fertilizer for the front flower bed anymore. It comes free with every water change. Plus, it makes me more likely to stay on top of my routine maintenance with my tank because doing a water change gives me a double benefit, instead of just pouring it down the drain.

 

[pkppv]

and the winner is....eaglesaquarium!!!! i got a 50ft hose today and rigged it up as described...the only thing i havent done yet is cut the length of hose that you said was 5ft. Is there a significance to 5 feet? i have a 3ft long tank and the lid is 52inches from the ground. What should my short hose length be?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The significance is that it is long enough to get to all the points in my tank and have the other end sitting in a bucket so that any leaks don't make a huge mess, but short enough that I can easily submerge it all in the tank. But, I bought it as a 5 foot piece of hose before I figured out the whole water change thing. Any length should work for you. I put my bucket on a chair to make sure that it works the way I described. If my hose were any longer though, it would be tougher to get submerged and filled. If it were any shorter it wouldn't reach the bucket the way I have it situated. But, if it were shorter, I could just use a table to sit the bucket on instead. It takes a little finagling, but you will find what works best for you. (Get a hose that is longer, as you can easily cut it to shorten it... extending it is much more difficult.)

 

[pkppv]

Just a thought, as an attempt to contribute to your technique, as a thank you for helping so much: why not put a fine net over the opening of your hose (just like the usual fish catching net on a stick), or maybe panty-hose. Then you wouldnt lose any more fish! but it may slightly affect your flow rate.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Thanks. I thought about it, but I need it to be more open on the bottom to pick up the muck sitting on the sand. I just need to stay vigilant. It was my own stupidity in allowing myself to be distracted that caused it. It hasn't happened since. Thanks for the advice though, I am always looking to find better ways to do things.

 

[Tolak]

The fish will get sucked to the net, and the net will get sucked up the hose. Slide a piece of foam over the hose.