Home Made Python.

[ncjharris]

Ahh thank you! Now i shall make one

Is it possible that when emptying the tank if you attached another section of hose to the y section, rather than pouring the water down the sink you could water the garden?

[snapback]900635[/snapback]​

Yes, it will. In fact, assuming your garden in lower than the fish tank (i.e its not a window box on the third floor!) then it will give you a better flow of water for vacuuming the bottom of the tank!

As for the dechlorinator, bloozoo is right - I add it as the water is coming in - if I am doing a large water change (around 50%) then I add it in two goes.

Glad to see people are interested!

 

[daddyfish]

Over Here in the U.S they use Hose Connectors to attach the peices of Hose together, The Hose Slips over a Barbed Fitting, You Screw a What I Call a CAP that has been put on the Hose First before fitting the hose onto the Barb Fitting, it Clamps down on the Hose to keep it from Slipping off of the Barbed End.
Both of these Ends have a Male Fitting on One, The THREADED Tube Like End that Screws into the Female End that has a recessed Threaded Insert.
Your Snap Connection is Quite Unique thou I must Admit, But if you can find one Over there, Here they put in between, Two of the Connections, Between the Male, Female Connections, We put a Small BALL Valve Connection to Shut Off the water in between Emptying and Filling while running back to your Sink to Shut off the Water.
The Connection to the Faucet is done by a Simple Peiece that turns on and off at the Bottom of the attachment that allows when Open the tank to be drained, and When Closed it Back Flushes into the tank filling the tank with Clean Fresh Water

But I must admit it is a Very Masterful DIY Project.

I know the writer of this post has already seen How one of these are made Over Here.

But I went ahead and tried to Explain it for those of you that May Not Have. I Hope this was Informative.

 

[Mr.September15]

Go on ! Waste your time - you know you want to

No, seriously - it would be extremely helpful to a lot of people if you share your knowledge and know-how

Edit: and what the heck is your sig about

I so dont get it

Its like a Haiku poem ...

 

[ncjharris]

Links to pictures updated.
Glad to hear people are still interested in this!

 

[Tangerine]

Gonna try this at the weekend but thought this here might be more elegant for the tap end.

 

[hoarp001]

excuse my ignorance, but what the f*^%k is a python?!

 

[ncjharris]

A python (other than a snake) is a bit of kit that allows you to empty and refill your tanks without using buckets, so in theory elminating the hassle, mess and spills when you usually cart water backwards and forwards.
It uses a tube and the water pressure for the mains to suck water out of the tank.

A real one is here, but they are expensive and not easy to find in the UK, hence the reason for the home made one!

 

[Lost Cause]

If you read some of the American groups, then they go potty for the python. I've never seen so many people so consistently praise a product. So thank you for this wonderfully written DIY guide !

The genuine python does seem to get a fair bit of criticsm though for some of its parts breaking too easily. No chance of that with our Hozelock stuff ! Also, the python website says that square shaped taps are not compatible with the connector - so another thumbs up for this project.

However, the original does include a proper gravel vac attachment. This is a key item for me, as my gravel gets quite messy. Have you hooked one up yourself (and can share the experience), or do you not bother ?

Thanks again. Brilliant thread !

 

[hoarp001]

im abit confused...

So starting at the tank you have a bare end of hose going to the Y connector using one standard hose connector.

Then one branch of the Y connector has a pipe coming off, with a standard connector

and one branch with a stop connector....

which end attaches to the tap? the stop connector or the normal one?

When you empty the tank do you keep the other one attached?

 

[Bex]

The stop connector is used for when you want to put water back into your tank, connect it to the Y connector so no water comes out and it all goes into the tank. You take this bit off so the Y connector is open when you want to siphon out of your tank.

So, 1 hose from tank to Y connector, 1 (short) bit of hose from Y connector to tap, and 1 bit with the stop connector from the other bit of the Y connector.

We made one of these and it defo works. The only tricky bit is fiddling around with the tap when you want to siphon, but once you get the hang of it it's a doddle!

 

[T1KARMANN]

mmm sound a bit expencive to do the way stated

i just got one of the normal gravel cleaners that you move up and down in the tank to get started and took the hose that comes with it off and replaced it with a longer hose job done

then to fill the tank just attach the same hose to the main water

much easyer and it didnt take 6 paragraphs to explain it

but you did get a trip to B&Q out of it and thats always a great place to visit on a sunday

 

[Lost Cause]

mmm sound a bit expencive to do the way stated

i just got one of the normal gravel cleaners that you move up and down in the tank to get started and took the hose that comes with it off and replaced it with a longer hose job done

then to fill the tank just attach the same hose to the main water

much easyer and it didnt take 6 paragraphs to explain it

but you did get a trip to B&Q out of it and thats always a great place to visit on a sunday

Aye, well there may well be merit in that method also.

However, the title of this thread is, in fairness, 'Home-Made Python'. i.e not a general discussion on the best way to get water in and out of your tank



Interesting suggestion nonetheless though

 

[Bex]

True, but it's always fun making a much cheaper version of the real thing and it actually working. Especially if your not great at these kind of DIY things.

 

[hoarp001]

I dont really understand why you neeed all this Y splitters and endstop stuff, surely a pipe from the tank to the sink would be fine, as you could siphon th ewater out in to the sink, then plug it onto the tap to put it back in again...

 

[ncjharris]

However, the original does include a proper gravel vac attachment. This is a key item for me, as my gravel gets quite messy. Have you hooked one up yourself (and can share the experience), or do you not bother ?

Luckily, the gravel vac we had for our old tube fit on the end of a garden hose - with a bit of brute force!
I was trying to find a picture of the one I use but can't - its the standard plastic one with the inside that moves to top to allow the water to come through and be filtered. It works well.

I dont really understand why you neeed all this Y splitters and endstop stuff, surely a pipe from the tank to the sink would be fine, as you could siphon th ewater out in to the sink, then plug it onto the tap to put it back in again

The 'Y' splitters and the like are on there to allow you to use the force of the water to create the initial suction to start the water flow.
You are correct, you don't neccesarily need them if you have other means of getting the water flow started (battery pump, large lungs etc!)