Project Flipper

[Jamesthecat]

I was bored with no forums to peruse...

I needed to do a water change and remembered the last one where I got soaked, the fish were traumatised and my little doggy looked like he had just returned from a scuba diving lesson.

Ive been looking at the Python and a DIY version but the taps here are weird and I don’t like adding non treated water.

So - I present to you *** Project Flipper ***

Its a bespoke ‘all in one’ water change system with waste extraction.

Or to the layman - a dustbin with a pond pump.

Project Flipper is wheeled to the tank...
Syphon takes out around 100l
The Old Flipperooni is wheeled to the back door and the extension cable plugged in.
The pump is 5500 LPH so clears the bin in under a minute
Fill bin with freshwater and add treatments
300w heater heats her up and a digital thermometer on the side let’s me know where It is
Wheel back to the tank and whip out the hose to fill tank but dialled down a bit

ta daaa

 

[EllRog]

Where would you rate it out of 10?

 

[Jamesthecat]

Build quality 2
Ease of use 8

I was struggling doing a 125 litre change and it was going everywhere.

This cuts an hour and half water change down to 45 mins and it’s a lot cleaner with more relaxed fish as it’s just a gentle flow in the corner

 

[EllRog]

Build quality 2
Ease of use 8

I was struggling doing a 125 litre change and it was going everywhere.

This cuts an hour and half water change down to 45 mins and it’s a lot cleaner with more relaxed fish as it’s just a gentle flow in the corner

Then its a worthy invention! D.I.Y jobs are always the best, nothing more enjoyable than creating some sort of gadget to make your life easier! Good job

 

[Jamesthecat]

Then its a worthy invention! D.I.Y jobs are always the best, nothing more enjoyable than creating some sort of gadget to make your life easier! Good job

Thanks

tbh i felt that something was going to happen, either I was going to slip carrying buckets or drop something as I’m rushing.. this way it’s nice and relaxed

 

[2tank]

@Jamesthecat what are thoose pots in your tank.

 

[FFGuest6357]

Love the idea! Wouldn’t work for me as that has way more capacity than I need for my 22gal. But if it takes the stress out for you and this fish, then we’ll worth it.

 

[Jamesthecat]

@Jamesthecat what are thoose pots in your tank.

Terracotta pots

 

[2tank]

Terracotta pots

thnx

 

[Colin_T]

I had friends that did the same thing. One friend used his wheelie bin and a garden hose. Another had a huge plastic wine barrel in his fish room. They would fill these containers with water, dechlorinate it and aerate it for a day so the temperature was close to the tank's temperature. Then use a small water pump to fill the tank. No mess, no spills, and reduces the time by at least half.

I had triple tier stands in my fish room and used the top row of tanks for water holding. I would drain the lower tanks with a 2 inch diameter hose I ran out the door and refill the tanks with the water from the top tanks. I could do a fish room with 40 tanks in less than half a day.

 

[Jamesthecat]

I had friends that did the same thing. One friend used his wheelie bin and a garden hose. Another had a huge plastic wine barrel in his fish room. They would fill these containers with water, dechlorinate it and aerate it for a day so the temperature was close to the tank's temperature. Then use a small water pump to fill the tank. No mess, no spills, and reduces the time by at least half.

Over Xmas when I’m getting stuff setup for the bigger tank I’m going to put this together.Project Flippertook about an hour and looks like a drunk penguin put it together.

Project Flipper II ‘Revenge of the Orcas’ is below

My method for my old 100l tank didn’t translate too well for a 450l tank and I’ll need to be even more organised for a 780 litre. This is just a trolley with some tubs and a bit more professional but you can get all the bits from BnQ

 

[Jamesthecat]

This is pretty much what’s been ordered .. deposits put down for Xmas, 2 overflows , sump usual stuff

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Build quality 2

*When I buy something from Amazon.com that came from China...* ^

 

[mcordelia]

This suggestion may or may not work depending on where you live, but in my former life when I had my 55gal, I had probably 100ft of tubing and just ran the tubing down the stairs into the basement drain. The suction I got on the gravel vac was something else.... I then would let the tube run empty when I was done taking water out, and I had a faucet adapter for filling the tank (used the same 100ft tube). The only pain was when I was done filling, I had about 97 feet worth of water in the tube, so I would leave the faucet end attached with the water off, and then I would just take the tank end back down the stairs to the basement drain and let it drain itself out.

With my next tank that I'm working on setting up, my plan is to siphon water right out the front door onto the front lawn (have to figure out some kind of styrofoam block or something to help with heat loss in the winter...), and then do a similar thing of draping tube across the house to fill the tank. I think your approach (bins vs. tap) depends on how much processing of the water you intend to do as well.

Interested to see as this evolves!

 

[eatyourpeas]

I just need something that includes an elevator...