Water Change Advice

[Be4st]

Hi all,
 
This isn't your average water change question. What I'm after is slightly more technical. I am going to build me a cabinet/stand similar to the one here (strengthened a little bit due to tank size) and I plan on getting a 260L tank from here.
 
My question is.. Is there a water pump I can use to take water out of a barrel and put it into the tank during a water change? I only ask this because I would rather not have to do it by hand with the darn 1L measuring jug I am using now for my 50L... lol. I was thinking along the lines of using a water filter, but thought it may be quicker doing it by hand instead of threading pipes in and out of the cabinet.
 
Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Have a look at python water changes, they may be what you're looking for.
There are lots of different DIY options out there too.

 

[dredgy]

Easiest way would be to siphon it into the yard or directly into your sink. I don't know how people do it with jugs and buckets.
 
I've got mine set up with a pump to drain straight into the mains and refill from a tap. Absolutely effortless but might require a bit of DIY. 
 
There's a link to some pictures of mine how it's set up:
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/415158-setting-up-to-do-an-automatic-water-change/?p=3500006

 

[DaveIOW]

I pump my freshwater into and out of the tank with a power head.

 

[Be4st]

Nice handy work there Dredgy. I would love to be able to have it set up like that. I forgot to mention in my previous post, I have to add de-chlorinator to my buckets before I put water into the tank. I'm guessing a refill system like yours or Aqueon or Python would be a no-no in that case.

 

[fluttermoth]

If you switch to using any kind of hose system, you add enough dechlor for the whole tank's volume, before you start refilling.

 

[Be4st]

If you switch to using any kind of hose system, you add enough dechlor for the whole tank's volume, before you start refilling.

You mean add it to the tank with the fish before adding the tap water? I thought that would harm the fish if there was too much de-chlorinator in the tank and adding tap water that isn't treated would kill off the bacteria. Oh, and also the temperature difference of the tap water to the tank water

 

[KirkyArcher]

If you employ the tap to tank method of refilling providing you make your water change of 33% or less the existing water will buffer the temperature drop to a fair degree 

  making it easier for the fish to acclimatise too especially if the water flow into the tank is reduced to slightly more than a trickle feed. 

 

[fluttermoth]

If you switch to using any kind of hose system, you add enough dechlor for the whole tank's volume, before you start refilling.

You mean add it to the tank with the fish before adding the tap water? I thought that would harm the fish if there was too much de-chlorinator in the tank and adding tap water that isn't treated would kill off the bacteria. Oh, and also the temperature difference of the tap water to the tank water

The amount of dechlor you need for the whole tank isn't enough of an 'overdose' to cause any harm. The amount of chlorine/chloramine in our tap water is at a level designed to kill off loose, floating bacteria, not large colonies like the ones we have in our filters. I know many people who regularly do 50% water changes without using dechlor at all. It is best to switch off your filters when doing this though, just to be on the safe side.

And, as Kirky says, as long as the new water is added slowly (I might take a couple of hours to refill a 240l tank after a 50% change) then the fish can easily cope with the temperature drop.

I should add that this is for large (100l+), well established tanks. Smaller tanks, or those that are newly cycled (say less than six months) should be treated with a little more TLC (temperature matched water, each bucket dechlorinated etc).

 

[Ch4rlie]

I use a DIY python type system which I run to the bathroom, attached directly to shower thermostat taps and just do a trickle feed of water to the tank, although I find syphoning via gravity fed is pretty slow and not good for gravel vac so I use a universal pump to boost the syphon.
 

 
 
(Ignore the 5p coin in pic, thats just to keep the shower valve open as I use very slow water flow to refill tank) 

 
The valves on this blue tap connector is a boost as can control flows either direction. Only £2.50!
 
Am sure you can DIY something up with a pump from your barrel to your tank.
And a hose from tank to drain, sink or bath in my case for syphoning water from tank.
 
I do dose dechlor to tank volume now.
Previously I used buckets, and dechlored to the bucket volume of water. 
 
BTW I use an Ehiem 1048 Universial pump, not powerful but does the job very well for me.