Efficient water changing

[Lamie]

I have been changing the water of my tank with buckets. There is an easier way. But I'm not very technical. Any advice on how to use hoses connected to taps and how it works?
Anything advice appreciated on this

 

[Mick85]

To remove water i use a gravel vac with a long hose attached to it that runs out into the garden.

To fill water i use a Jai water changer (below) which attaches to a garden hose that plugs into an adaptor that's fitted to a tap in our laundry.

 

[FishHobby99]

I had to find a better way than buckets for my 90 G tank. I added ~20 feet of tubing to the syphon. Later bought a syphon with a 25’ hose and use both. Water runs to toilet.

I place a Coleman Cooler in the tub and run water that approximates tank temp. Condition and use a pump attached to hosing to return clean water to the tank.

 

[Lamie]

I had to find a better way than buckets for my 90 G tank. I added ~20 feet of tubing to the syphon. Later bought a syphon with a 25’ hose and use both. Water runs to toilet.
View attachment 144909View attachment 144910View attachment 144911View attachment 144912
I place a Coleman Cooler in the tub and run water that approximates tank temp. Condition and use a pump attached to hosing to return clean water to the tank.

Thanks how do you get the water from the cooler into the tank. Is it a pump? I'm not sure

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Had the same problem....emptying the tank is easy with a long hose to siphon out the window into the garden...water back into the tank - a submersible pump used for ponds in a bucket in the kitchen sink. Run the tap into the bucket at the desired temperature and add enough dechlorinater to treat the whole tank

 

[Colin_T]

Things you need.
20 meters of garden hose or clear plastic hose that fits on or in a plastic drink bottle.
A 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle.

• Cut the bottom off the plastic bottle and throw the bottom bit in the recycling bin.
• Remove the cap and plastic ring from the top of the bottle and throw those 2 bits in the recycling bin.
• Put one end of the garden hose into the top of the bottle.
• Roll hose out the door onto the lawn.
• Use bottle as the gravel cleaner to clean the substrate and drain the water out the door.

------------------
What you need.
Water pump.
2+ meters of plastic hose that fits on the outlet of the water pump.
U shaped pvc pipe that fits on the plastic hose.

• Fill up a plastic storage container, wheelie bin, spare fish tank, wine barrel, etc, with tap water. Add dechlorinator and aerate vigorously while you drain and gravel clean the tank.
• When tank has been drained, put water pump in container of dechlorinated water, and hang pvc pipe U over edge of aquarium. The U will be upside down when hanging on the side of the tank.
• Turn water pump on and let it fill the tank.
• Turn pump off when tank is full.

 

[Lamie]

Things you need.
20 meters of garden hose or clear plastic hose that fits on or in a plastic drink bottle.
A 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle.

• Cut the bottom off the plastic bottle and throw the bottom bit in the recycling bin.
• Remove the cap and plastic ring from the top of the bottle and throw those 2 bits in the recycling bin.
• Put one end of the garden hose into the top of the bottle.
• Roll hose out the door onto the lawn.
• Use bottle as the gravel cleaner to clean the substrate and drain the water out the door.

------------------
What you need.
Water pump.
2+ meters of plastic hose that fits on the outlet of the water pump.
U shaped pvc pipe that fits on the plastic hose.

• Fill up a plastic storage container, wheelie bin, spare fish tank, wine barrel, etc, with tap water. Add dechlorinator and aerate vigorously while you drain and gravel clean the tank.
• When tank has been drained, put water pump in container of dechlorinated water, and hang pvc pipe U over edge of aquarium. The U will be upside down when hanging on the side of the tank.
• Turn water pump on and let it fill the tank.
• Turn pump off when tank is full.

Great thanks

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Wow!
Just...wow!


Occam's Razor for me, every time. (Look it up and consider it educational. )

Bucket.
Syphon pipe.
Bare arms.
Conditioner.

It's a process to be done carefully and with thought and observation.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Wow!
Just...wow!


Occam's Razor for me, every time. (Look it up and consider it educational. )

Bucket.
Syphon pipe.
Bare arms.
Conditioner.

It's a process to be done carefully and with thought and observation.

Well, the old bucket is the simplest way but not the easiest! Not for me anyway, I have 120l to change out and put back in every week...hard work with a 10l bucket

 

[fishyfun&fans]

Wow!
Just...wow!


Occam's Razor for me, every time. (Look it up and consider it educational. )

Bucket.
Syphon pipe.
Bare arms.
Conditioner.

It's a process to be done carefully and with thought and observation.

my method too!

 

[ClownLurch]

Someone on here last summer mentioned a midlands firm were selling pythons at £60 inc p+p. I was on it within minutes. There’s no way I’d pay the £140 normally asked over here for one.
Id only that week started pricing up the bits reqd to make my own and that price was rising when various p+p was added. No brainer tbh.

 

[noobfish]

Attached a 30' hose to the gravel vac, drains to the tub.

Garden hose adapter on sink faucet (male), barbed hose end attached to another 30' hose (female), ball valve fitting on other end of hose (to allow me to turn water flow on/off at tank).
All fittings are brass or pvc. Hoses are 5/8" ID clear vinyl tubing.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Someone on here last summer mentioned a midlands firm were selling pythons at £60 inc p+p. I was on it within minutes. There’s no way I’d pay the £140 normally asked over here for one.
Id only that week started pricing up the bits reqd to make my own and that price was rising when various p+p was added. No brainer tbh.

Nope.
I can't see that taking off.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Nope.
I can't see that taking off.

View attachment 144925

You wally! ❤

 

[xxBarneyxx]

DIY python system.

You need:

• Hose pipe long enough to go from your tank to a sink.
• A T junction that fits your hose.
• A shut off valve that fits your hose.
• Whatever adaptor you need to fit your hose on your tap.

1. Now take a 5inch ish bit of of hose and fit the tap connector on one side.
2. On the other side put the T splitter so it is on one side of the upper part of the T.
3. Put the rest of your hose on the other side of the T splitter. This runs to your tank.
4. Tank another small bit of hose (say 5inch) and attach it to the bottom part of the T splitter.
5. Put the valve on the bottem part of this hose.

How it works:
To drain your tank.

• Attach the hose to the tap.
• Close the valve.
• Put end of hose into tank.
• Turn on tap until water comes out of the end of the hose (I would hold hose just above the water line to stop bubbling).
• Once water comes out the hose turn off the tap.
• Make sure the tank end of the hose is now underwater.
• Open the Valve. It will now back siphon the water you put in the hose and then the water from your tank.
• Once you have drained out what you want, shut the valve, turn on the tap and refill the tank.

Note!
This is still a gravity fed siphon. If your sink/drain area is higher than your tank then it may not work. However you can have the bottom part of the T section hose as long as you want. In theory you can have the sink upstairs and the tank downstairs. As long as the valve is lower than the tank, say on a long bit of hose out to the garden through a window, it will work.

Not sure I explained it very well but it is super simple, cheap to make and really speeds up water changes. You literally just turn a couple of taps.