"How" do you fill up your aquarium?

[zoraak]

... That may sound like a very silly question, but it has been bugging me for a while now. I request you all to explain how you fill up your aquarium after water changes, what you use, and how easy it made your water changes.

Please don't say "I use a bucket"...

 

[Boggle]

No bucket, but I do use a watering can, lol...

I think you'll find a lot of people use a python to make pwc easier.

 

[Tolak]

I uze a bukit. I really do, 5 gallon buckets, BUT... I have a power head with 6 feet of hose to pump it into the tanks. I'm working on something similar to a python that uses some water safe garden hoses, a faucet, and a drilled bucket fitted with another garden hose to make my life easier. Thank god for hardware stores!

Tolak

 

[zoraak]

is it possible for a powerhead (175 g/ph) to pump water 3 feet up? Anybody has used a drill pump to fill up the tank?

I don't mind bringing the bucket near the tank, because I’ll treat the water, getting it from the bucket to the tank is the most tedious part - especially when you have three tanks.

 

[yhbae]

I do use python. Get the temperature right (just use my hand - you learn to get them right over time), then straight into the tank while adding water conditioner.

If your tap is not far from the tank, why not do the same?

 

[MXPX4318]

I now use a python, before I used a bucket and a plate, (float the plate on the water, pour water onto the plate to keep it from disrupting the tank so much), it was suggested to me in a book I read (and yes the plastic plate was (note the was) just for the aquarium.)

 

[cutechic]

I use the laundry sink to fill up a 5 gallon bucket with water, dechlorinate the water while it's in the bucket, and slowly pour the water from the bucket onto my hand (so that the water from the bucket doesn't disturb the substrate or the fish) into the aquarium.

 

[Timmy]

For small (10%) water changes I drain with a hosepipe and top up with the same hosepipe straight into the tank. For larger (20%) water changes I have a 10 gallon container that sits next to the tank. I fill it with the hosepipe, bring to temp. with an old heater and then pump it into the tank with an old power head. The power head easily lifts the water 4’, can’t remember what the power head is but it is quite a meaty one.
I have not used a drill pump but, just guessing, I would expect it to struggle, but I am just guessing.

 

[The-Wolf]

A bucket for me and a syphon to empty
the bucket into the tanks.

 

[Bryan]

I was told buy a few local pet stores that there is no chlorine in the local water (Hawaii). so I just use a 5 gal bucket (clean, only used for this) and syphon through a 1/4" clear tube, I just add a little stress coat to the bucket and never had any problems.
If I'm in a hurry, in the 55 gal tanks I just pour it from the bucket, just go real slow.

A lot easier than when I was in Grand Rapids, MI where the chlorine was high.

 

[clutterydrawer]

I...uhh...I use a bucket, a siphon and two tables:

I used to have trouble getting the bucket high enough to siphon from, that's wehre the tables come in.

 

[yhbae]

The bucket method works ok for me, up to 15g or so... Larger than that, you really should think about using something equivalent to python. I will never go back to buckets for larger tanks!

 

[enchanted]

I did the bucket thing on my 55 Gallon, that got old real quick.

I now use a Python and simply add the dechlorinator/stress coat as I am adding the water.

I wouldn't go back to a bucket ever after using a python.

 

[Lateral Line]

In most cases, I run a pipe from my RO unit to the tank and let it run in slowly. If I'm using a different type of water, then I have to say I use a bucket!

 

[PedroPSK]

I'm going to have to agree with ddreams.
I have a 90g, a 75g, a 55g, and a 10g. Water changes with anything other than a Python would take way too long!
I (obviously) do one tank at a time. Vacuum/clean as water come out. Add some dechlorinator then switch the valve and put water back into the tank from the faucet. Basic and simple but effective.