h2O changes for big tanks

[Undawada]

I dream of having a huge tank, 120 gallons or more... but I've always wondered how people with such large tanks manage their water changes.

I have a 30 gallon, and I prepare two 3 gallon buckets for a typical water change. That's 20 percent of the volume, about right for a weekly water change in my experience. To change the same percentage in a 120 gallon tank, I'd have to put aside 8 of my buckets... seems a little much.

Maybe more frequent, smaller water changes?

Maybe larger buckets? This wouldn't work for me as I have a set of stairs in my way.

My question is posed to those people lucky to have huge tanks : What system do you use for water changes?

 

[yhbae]

Python will help significantly. You can try to look up on this device to satisfy your curiosity...

 

[CFC]

I change around 50% of the volume of my 200 gallon tank over a week, 25% on the weekend and the rest done in smaller daily water changes when i vacume the bottom.

If you are using a good conditioner then there is no need to leave the water to sit for a while as its effects are instant, i use a hose connected straight to the tap to refill the tank when doing water changes and just add the conditioner as i go, it obviously works as i have highly sensative fish like catfish and rays which are all doing fine.

 

[Crystal]

I hink my old roomate used new cleaned garbage containers, at least i remember seeing them around with water in them.

 

[canarsie11]

Get a python

 

[Silly me]

I have a 250Gallon tank but I have a overflow setup with pipeing and a tap.. and its on a timer when I start a water change I push the time switch and in 15 - 30 min it change about 50% of the water on the water stops and the tank look clean, ta da

 

[canarsie11]

I have a 250Gallon tank but I have a overflow setup with pipeing and a tap.. and its on a timer when I start a water change I push the time switch and in 15 - 30 min it change about 50% of the water on the water stops and the tank look clean, ta da

That is very cool.

 

[Undawada]

Looked up the python no spill system on the net... looks really cool, but it looks like it refills directly from the tap. Doesn't that mean the water temperature could be too cold, and how do you dechlorinate?

 

[canarsie11]

Add declorinator right before you add water

 

[Tropjunky]

put the dechloninator in the tank it's hard to OD on it. but i'd use a power heand or a pump to move the water.

 

[canarsie11]

put the dechloninator in the tank it's hard to OD on it. but i'd use a power heand or a pump to move the water.

? Its hard to............

 

[Aquascaper]

I have an external filter with a 4-way valve on the tank's outflow pipe. When I do a water change I just open the valve to divert the water into a waste bucket instead of the filter. When that's full I turn the valve again which then draws fresh water from a pre-treated bucket into the filter and then into the tank. When that bucket is empty and the tank is full I turn the valve back to the normal position and the tank drains/filters as normal

All done with Hozelok connectors