WATER CHANGES
OK so today class iv decided to talk you through how to do water changes the easy way lol or at least how i find it the easiest.
If you have a large tank, or a high tech tank even you will know performing large water changes with buckets can become a chore.
Especially when your changing 300 liters a week like me lol
So here is how i do it
Iv put together a kit that's inexpensive and makes life so much easier. I couldn't live without it now
Components for this kit are as follows
A Hose
Must be long enough to reach from your sink to your tank.
It also needs to be long enough so it reaches from your tank to your garden.
The hose will also need a female hose connector at both ends
A Hagen Easy Clean Gravel Cleaner
With a female hose connector attached (this wont come with it)
These come in all kinds of lengths of sizes. I believe mines 24"
A FX5 Drainage pipe (Obviously only needed if you have a FX5)
I made this myself. Its basically a FX5 Aquastop valve connected to 25mm green pond hose.
I then fitted a reducer to reduce it down to a 12.7mm garden hose.
Then fitted yet another female connector to the end
A Double Ended Male Hose Connector
And Finally.....
A Hot and Cold Tap Connector
This is basically 2 tap connector, a 3 way hose valve and 2 short pieces of hose with female hose connectors at either then
OK so that the equipment
Right so first thing i do obviously is turn everything off.. Heaters filter etc etc
I get the hose, throw one end out into the garden and i connect the other end to the Gravel cleaner using the double ended male hose connector
Then i simply vac up any debris on the bottom of my tank. Simples
All the waste goes straight out into the garden
When im finish cleaning unfortunately not much of the tank has emptied.
Being a high tech tank i need to do 50%
Its time to get the FX5 Drainage pipe out
I disconnect the output hose on my filter and connect the drainage hose in its place
I then disconnect the hose from the gravel vac and connect it to the drainage hose instead using the same double ended male hose valve.
Then switch the filter back on and the filter starts emptying the tank for me, pumping all the water into the garden fertilizing my lawn
I normally make myself a coffee and have a sit down at this point lol
Then its just a waiting game until the tank is half empty, which doesn't take long
Once it half empty i turn off the lights and filter, disconnect the drainage hose and reconnect the filter output hose to the tank
I then disconnect the hose from the drainage pipe and clip it to the top of the aquarium
I now connect the tap connectors
Run the water hot and cold until you get the temperature right.
Once you are confident you do have the right temp, connect the hose to it (the end that has been in the garden)
And Hey Presto, the tank starts filling all by itself like magic
Add dechlor straight to the tank as its filling up (enough for the whole volume of the tank)
and make yourself another coffee
Once full remember to turn everything back on
Obviously i know not everyone has a fx5 filter so in this case just leave the gravel vac in the tank with the hose attached and let it drain itself that way
Thee end
I hope this makes you think twice about lugging buckets around
