How Do People Put Water Back In Tank After Water Change ?

[ClownKnifeMommy]

5 gal bucket, with the de-chlor already added, big plate on the bottom of the tank to keep from stirring things up, lift and pour! Works great for me, never have to adjust gravel or ornaments.

 

[karneval]

I've always had small tanks (20 gallons and under), so I've just always used a one gallon jug, filled it in the sink, added dechlorinator, dumped it in the tank, and gone back to fill it again. Takes forever, but gets the job done.

 

[andywg]

Out: Pump attached to hose

In: Hose attached to cold mains tap

Simple, swift, effective (unless you forget you are filling up...)

 

[tenohfive]

At first, I'd test my strength and hold the bucket above tank level and use hose to get it back in, same as on the way out. Then I thought "bugger this" and just poured it in-but carefully-from the bucket. Scares the fish half witless if you pour it in too fast.

 

[rchambers]

I use a 24 litre bin with mine. I lift it into the tank slowly so it displaces the water then I tip it up and lift it out, hardly creates any current if you do it right.

 

[rabbut]

2gal bucket for one, hose for the other

 

[WillyRBeek]

It depends on how big your tank is, but if it's roughly the same size as mine(25 gallon), I bought 2 water jugs for water coolers from the grocery store, 1 for the dirty water, 1 for the clean water. I fill the clean water one up first and bring it up next to the tank, then I use the hose I bought from the pet store that stirs up the gravel as well to drain about 20% of the water from the tank(Or roughly 1 water jug) into the dirty water jug, then as soon as I do that I dump the fresh stuff in then take the old water out back and dump it.

Takes me roughly 10 minutes and there's no mess.

 

[ALEXF]

gravel vac and bucket.

 

[xvf]

I tried using a bucket, but I have a fairly tall tank and spills were too frequent. I now use a 1.5 gal plastic watering can with the rose removed. Far easier to hold and control! Cost £1 from Wilko IIRC.

To drain, I alternate between a basic gravel cleaner and just pulling the quick-release off my Eheim Pro2 canister filter.

 

[OscarWilde]

I have a large (15G) camping water container. I fill it up in the bath and then put it on a chair so it's higher than the tank and siphon it back in until it's light enough to hold up and then hoy they rest in.

 

[Anguilla82]

Bucket to take water out, while the hose from outside puts water back in.

 

[iankent]

only done it a few times so far, so still learning the tricks, but hose and gravel vac into 25L water bottles, then refill using 25L bottles pre-dechlorinated - luckily theres a little shelf thats just the right size for the 25L bottles about 30cm higher than my aquarium perfect!

p.s. it takes a while, but at least I dont have to do anything but wait, and it doesnt disturb the fish or plants!

 

[doresy]

From day one of water changing I use this method

Equipment
2 x 30lt carbouys (plastic containers with screw cap), step ladder, short bungie and a gravel vac.

Gravel vac the water from the tank into carbouy (lower than tank)

Place other carbouy with new, dechlorinised water at top of step ladder (higher than tank) and secure through handle to ladder with bungie.

Syphon new water back into tank.

3 tips with this method I'd like to add.

1) Before starting to gravel vac the old water into the carbouy have a litre or so of water already in the carbouy so you end up taking slightly less water out than you put in to allow for water loss as condensation between water changes.

2) Mark the carbouys as old and new, that way the same one is used each time to collect the sludge.

3) If you have a spare heater (I use a small 50w) it can be placed in the new water carbouy during the night before water changing to bring it up to temperature thus minimising stress to fish during water changing.

Simple method.....longwinded explination