Empty Tank With Filter

[mattyvx]

Hi everyone,

I have a Eheim 2217 external filter in a 120 gal (550ish Litre) tank with an EF2000 from AllPondSolutions on its way.

I was wondering, does anyone use their filter to help with water changes pumping water OUT the aquarium?

What i'm thinking is if I put a T piece on the output pipe with a tap on it which in normal operation will be closed.

When I want to do a water change, close the tap to the tank & open the tap the tap on T piece which is plumbed to the drain then sit back and watch the water drain with no siphon or trailing hose!

Any reason why this wouldnt work?



(Next project would be to plumb in a water feed from mains so I can fill it up again)

 

[OldMan47]

I am sure that pumping with the filter's impeller will slightly speed draining but why bother. If I want to drain 50% of the water in a large tank, I can run a few feet of hose from the tank to a drain point and just start the siphon and watch it. When the tank is down to half, it is time to stop the siphon and think about how to refill it. I do not need any kind of pumping action to get that to happen. The siphon is readily started with a half dozen rapid oscillations of the suction tube and gravity takes care of the rest.

 

[mattbleasby]

Personally i think its a great idea. but is it needed really?

But in terms of your idea. Awesome! It will make life alot easier

 

[JoshuaA]

On my planted tank I normally give the first 10% of a WC the chance to remove some dirt from leaves etc and trim things with my scissors etc.

I turn my filter off I then just lock the Aquavalve or the filter intake valve whatever you want to call it. Hover it over my bucket open the valve wait until enough has gone out close valve and place back onto the filter.

no priming necessary as I haven't stopped the siphon, I find this much easier to do as it uses the filter intake strainer to drain the tank rather than an open end hose... my ram gets a bit too curious of my siphon and I'm afraid one day he might get too close for comfort, hence why I just use the filter now.

Edit: You will be able to do exactly what I do when that APS 2000LH comes.

 

[mattyvx]

Is it really needed... I guess no but it will make things a little easier for relatively little effort.

No uncoiling hose etc, just flick a switch and the jobs done with no drips or hoses trailing through the house!

I'm going to have the same system to fill up my tank, water from the tap is > PH 7.5 so ideal for Malawis which i'm thinking of adding to the tank.

I'm an engineer by trade so I guess efficiency is in my blood!.... plus the cost of setting something like that up is around £10.

Thanks for replies!

 

[Miles_hot]

I'm an engineer by trade so I guess efficiency is in my blood!.... plus the cost of setting something like that up is around £10.

you can't help it - we understand

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I use the outpipe of my FX5 filter to remove water out of my 120 gallon tank in the garage, as the hose reaches the drains by the garage door and re-setting the outpipe is simple. I've recently started using the FX5 inpipe to hover up any debris that my gravel filter cannot remove (a case of too short a pipe to reach the tank floor and then leave the pipe outside the tank long enough to be lower).


Good luck with the 2000EF, its a great bit of kit for the money, even though priming is not as simple as on my other externals.

 

[Tolak]

I'm an engineer by trade so I guess efficiency is in my blood!.... plus the cost of setting something like that up is around £10.

you can't help it - we understand

I can relate to that, my parent's had to hide tools from me when I was a kid. I have just as much plumbing going on in the fishroom as the rest of the house, if not more.

I say go for it, and use the same hose with a switching system at the other end to fill the tank via the spraybar. You can get electrical relay valves, hook these up to Christmas light remote controls, and change water from the comfort of your recliner.

 

[This Old Spouse]

[/quote]

I can relate to that, my parent's had to hide tools from me when I was a kid. I have just as much plumbing going on in the fishroom as the rest of the house, if not more.

I say go for it, and use the same hose with a switching system at the other end to fill the tank via the spraybar. You can get electrical relay valves, hook these up to Christmas light remote controls, and change water from the comfort of your recliner.
[/quote]

How does everybody deal with dechlorinating when you fill your tanks directly from the tap?

 

[Tolak]

Squirt it in before refilling. I squirt it in afterward, as most of my tanks are drilled with overflows for water changes. You can also run carbon filtration inline to remove disinfectants.