How do people do water changes?

[Fishkeeper123]

I have been successfully taking out water from my aquarium with a gravel vac and water suction tool. However I have been using a 14l(4 gallon) bucket to add water back into the tank. The problem is that when I add the water it causes my gravel to go everywhere and can even cause my plants to move. I’m curious on what everyone else does to add new water into there tank and whether there is an alternative piece of equipment I should be using.

 

[Magnum Man]

I use a diaphragm RV type plumbing pump, to pump water out of a plastic holding tank, that I run my RO water into

 

[Fishkeeper123]

This is what I use currently. I know it’s a gravel cleaner but it takes in loads of water really fast. https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/biorb-...39989&indexName=magento2_livedefault_products

 

[Essjay]

I use a bucket to refill and I use a home made 'colander' to pour the water through. Because there are a lot of small streams of water rather than one big one, the substrate is not disturbed. I can't lift the bucket high enough to just pour water from the bucket so I use a 1 litre jug to ladle it from the bucket to the tank.

My 'colander' is a 170g Total (Fage) yoghurt pot with as many holes as I could fit in the bottom by stabbing it with a knitting needle

 

[MaloK]

I use a 3 step ladder with a tote on the last step, I put the 4 gallons bucket (I use the ones for Margarine) that are 14 liters. on the top and use a tube and gravity. ( I'm lazy)... When installed the buck is high enough to drain the water completely.

Once you mark the levels of water on your buckets, you can draw in one step, add your new water straight up to your water line, nothing left in the bucket less effort not having to hold it mid air to pour.

I also use mini clamps, modified with a piece of hose and cable ties to hold tubes in place. So when vacuuming I don't have to worry they go off the bucket.

 

[connorlindeman]

Once you get a python, you never go back.

 

[CassCats]

I change the water using a 50 foot pvc siphon hose from the hardware store, drain from the tanks directly to my bathtub (I'd do outside, but I'm 2nd floor on an apartment building, so people would be getting water dumped on them if I went outside with it lol. Sometimes I'll hook up the hose to an internal pump and pump the water out instead of just using gravity. Depends how I'm feeling.

I refill using a garden hose hooked up to my kitchen sink. I have the output of the hose falling either against the glass or against hardscape so it disperses the water pressure.

 

[MaloK]

Once you get a python, you never go back.

It depends on the size of the operation. It's a little overkill for many aquarist.

But I agree, Once a python get you, you never come back.

 

[Essjay]

Maybe I could persuade my husband to allow all that "bacteria laden" water to be drained into his precious garden with a hose but I would not be allowed to use a hose connected to a tap in a sink anywhere in the house to empty a tank. I should never have tried to explain that bacteria remove ammonia and nitrite from the water . If I spill tank water anywhere I have to use an anti-bac cleaner on the area.

As for filling, I can't use hot tap water to warm the water and refill with a hose as we have a heat only boiler with a header tank in the attic. I have to use buckets and boiling water from a kettle to warm the refill water.

 

[Magnum Man]

so those of you with chlorinated water... are you running chlorinated water directly into your tank, like "like from the sink" and letting the dechlor mix with it in the tank??? in theory that should work, but I was always worried, about chlorine sensitive residents getting too much exposure before it blended enough to work

 

[connorlindeman]

so those of you with chlorinated water... are you running chlorinated water directly into your tank, like "like from the sink" and letting the dechlor mix with it in the tank??? in theory that should work, but I was always worried, about chlorine sensitive residents getting too much exposure before it blended enough to work

Yup. I dose the whole tank with dechlorinator and then fill. Never had issues even with shrimp or more sensitive fish.

 

[MattW]

I fill my tote with chlorinated tap water then add my dechlorinator, swirl it around and leave for 5 minutes. Probably overkill but I like to be sure.

 

[MaloK]

I use as much dechlorinated water as I can for most of the maintenance, to save on Ro/Di. Sometimes a good filter cleanup needs more water than the tank contains.

I use Nutrafin Aqua+ and when I mix it in, it foams for 3 seconds and it's done. The chlorine odor disappears instantly.

 

[powerdyne6]

For my 75 Gallon I have a Python attached to my sink. Water automatically comes out then I reverse the flow to refill. It also works as a great gravel vac. I can also match the temperature of the tank water to the water going in.

I add Prime de-chlorinator as the tank is refilling.

 

[Magnum Man]

I don't have chlorine water here, but used to have it, and always avoided the "python type" kits ( back in the old days those were called waterbed fill / drain kits )... as I did not want to add the chlorine remover directly to the tank... I don't know how safe they were 30 years ago though...