Python water changer

[FishBearer9845]

Hi
Hope everyone and their fishies are going well.
I’ve been looking at the water change system that is a Python.
Is it overrated? Is it more hassle than it’s worth? Is it really time saving?
Looking forward to your responses. Thank you!

 

[Ch4rlie]

If you have small tanks that only require a few 10 litre buckets of water then no, probably not really worth it.

For the larger aquarium, then yes, I’d recommend one as it’s a real back and time saver as well as helps to stop accidents with buckets full of water!

I’ve accidentally spilled 10 litre bucket of water onto my carpet before, really really is not fun!! It’s amazing how much water goes absolutely everywhere!

DiY pythons is worth doing, much cheaper than some of the ones I’ve seen on eBay and Amazon (some go for really silly prices imho).

I made a DiY python hose buying hose attachments from local hardware stores or online for not a lot of money and 10 meters of clear hose from LFS , attached with a universal 600lph pump.

Used this for years for my tanks and certainly saved a lot of hassle for sure. You can get a more powerful pump if desired but this did the trick for me as it gave me time to do all the other little jobs that routine maintenances needs doing.

I would attach gravel cleaner to the end of the hose while the water was being pumped out of tank and do a quick substrate clean and picking up debris and dead leaves etc, I put the other end of hose into a bucket in the bath and clamp hose onto bucket to stop hose from falling out of bucket and let the water run from tank into the bucket, the flow from my 600lph pump is not overpowering as anything accidentally sucked into the hose like shrimps or small fish would stay in the bucket and while water would overflow from bucket to bath.

Simply net if any trapped shrimps and/fish from bucket and put straight back into their tank, no need to temp match water or anything like that, they’ll be fine to go straight back to tank.

And once that’s done I would then attach my python hose to the shower thermostat in bathroom so I could put in the exact temperature of water into the tank that I wanted, you’ll soon learn the exact spot where to adjust water temps on taps etc and once you’ve ironed out the little bits and pieces, well worth it.

Would normally take me just over an hour to do all the water changes of @70% and all the jobs done like filter maintenances on 4 or 5 tanks (two 100+ litres tanks and 3 nano tanks 20 to 50 litres).

I remember using buckets method before I got the python hose, took me a minimum of at least 2 hours to do all and that’s if everything went smoothly!!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I use one with my 150g. Definitely worth it--I don't know how I'd manage big water changes without it. But I agree with Charlie--if your tank is small (20 gallons or less?) 5 gallon buckets are probably easier.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I’ve accidentally spilled 10 litre bucket of water onto my carpet before, really really is not fun!! It’s amazing how much water goes absolutely everywhere!

I've done this Although I didn't spill it, I was carrying it from kitchen through the living room, mere steps away from the tank and putting it down, when the handle on the cheap plastic bucket snapped, dumping ten litres of water on the floor.
Luckily it's not carpeted, but there is a huge rug which got soaked, and the water seemed to triple in volume. I swear it was more than ten litres, despite only being a ten litre bucket. Everywhere. Had to move all the furniture, remove the rug to dry it out, panic mop the floor before the water reached the tank and went under the stand... it sucks!

Have been paranoid about buckets since then, lol. Might be worth getting a python just to avoid that ever happening again! Took hours to clean and dry everything.

 

[FishBearer9845]

Well I have a 60l, and 30l downstairs and a 60l cycling upstairs. Maybe it’s not going to be worth it after all

 

[AbbeysDad]

I agree that if you just have one or two small tanks, it may not be worth the investment (although if your substrate is gravel, you must have a gravel vac).
But for several tanks or one or more larger tanks the Python or something like it is almost required as hauling buckets makes it too much of a chore.
I just use the Python hose. I tried garden hose but it just kinks too easily. I have (pool filter) sand substrates, so I don't need to vacuum. I use an Ecoplus 396 submersible pump with quick disconnects to remove water from tanks through the Python hose either to a drain or the yard. For refills, I either use the same pump for prefiltered water (see My Nitrate Fight) OR I have a sink faucet adapter that temporarily replaces the strainer. The kitchen faucet has a lever to control hot and cold. Once I found the right position for proper temperature, I marked the location with a Sharpie and just set it there every time after.
It all works well and no hauling any buckets around!

 

[ClownLurch]

I bought the fitting that goes onto the tap on eBay last week for about £10 inc a converter to widen the tap options. Neither the fitting or the converter fits the kitchen mixer tap. I’ll be taking the mixer tap removable bit, the fitting, the converter and a garden hose off cut to a plumbers merchant later this week to buy whatever it takes.
I’m sick of the sight of buckets already
Well be getting a new under stairs toilet and hand basin soon. I’ll make sure it’s a mixer tap plus get an outside tap drilled through the wall as high as possible for python draining purposes into a water butt. Drain off into water butt through under stairs toilet window then pass fitting back through window to new mixer to fill. 4 buckets worth of water change and one of gravel clean. Sorted..

 

[FishGuest5123]

I couldn’t live without mine. I use it and everything from 5G tanks to my pond.

 

[AilyNC]

Omg there's a way to do WC without buckets?! I've to haul 15 litre buckets out into the garden. I'm always spilling it all over myself or the floor. I can only keep tank in the kitchen because I make sure a mess

 

[ClownLurch]

Omg there's a way to do WC without buckets?! I've to haul 15 litre buckets out into the garden. I'm always spilling it all over myself or the floor. I can only keep tank in the kitchen because I make sure a mess

Pythons are on eBay and Amazon. £140+ though. Buy the separate parts yourself.
I hadn’t realised tap safe could be added to tank THEN water added via hosepipe.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Here’s a thread on how to make a basic python hose, a bit dated but the general idea and tips are there. Adjust parts to suit your house tap set up and perhaps add a universal pump to help with getting water through hose if using long hose.

[Tutorial] Diy Python System

No more buckets water changes! AKA DIY Python system Hello everyone! The brief context of this tutorial is this:I have a 60L tank which is slightly on the overstocked side, though I plan on getting a much bigger tank in the coming months. For this reason, water changes have become a big thing...

www.fishforums.net

I am looking to see if can get another more up to date diy tutorial.

 

[FishBearer9845]

How are you getting on with it @ClownLurch

 

[ClownLurch]

How are you getting on with it @ClownLurch

Ha! I’ve just this minute sat down with a tea and am about to search for YouTube videos about using it before hopefully doing my first water change with it in half an hours time.
I’ll get back to you IF it fits our mixer tap.
If not I’ll pop along to a plumbing supply place with the mixer tap end piece and the outside pipe fitting which is where I intend to drain the tank and clean water into a water butt.
I shoulda checked them earlier I know but I’ve been busy. Last weekends water change was another bucket n jug job.

 

[mhancock]

I've got a small, unused, filter at the bottom of my tank. A garden hose, only used for water changes, fits snugly onto the output from the filter. Once connected this pushes water out of the tank and onto the garden. I then connect the end that was in the garden to a mixer tap, and the filter in the tank anchors the end of the hose in the tank while fresh water flows the other way. I do need to remember to put prime in the tank, not to switch the external filter on again straight away (make sure water dechlorinated), and keep an eye on temp of water coming in (a sensor in the tank by where the new water comes in heels 3 with this).

 

[ClownLurch]

Guess what? It doesn’t fit mixer tap but will fit external tap so I’ll set up two “tap ends“. Green python original for external tap/draining and blue DIY one for mixer tap/filling. Stroll along to plumbers merchants now.