Water changers

[Slaphppy7]

I once started siphoning and realized the hose had slipped out of the bucket while I was pumping water.

The few times I do siphon into a bucket (to catch potential fry/shrimp that got accidentally hoovered), I place the hose onto a chair (or something similar) next to the bucket, hose end pointed downward into the bucket, so this doesn't happen

Most times, I'm siphoning into my garden or flower beds, though...old tank water = highly nutritious for plants

 

[Rocky998]

Meanwhile, I'm concentrating on vacuuming the sand while the puddle is forming under my feet.

So true and my mom is like: "MOP THE FLOORS"

 

[Uberhoust]

Whatever you do I can tell you that wet dry vacuums are not recommended.

 

[Rocky998]

Whatever you do I can tell you that wet dry vacuums are not recommended.

When it's wet/dry that doesn't mean you can suck up a pool

 

[Uberhoust]

Actually a wet dry vac will suck up a pool quite well. You put the hose in the water, pull up 10 gallons and empty it. Some vacuums even have a special valve to empty the water. They are used by a number of pond management people here.

In a fish tank system the water is over the vacuum, it will fill the vacuum but now you have started a siphon with a 2" to 3" pipe. Even a few seconds of this siphon will flood your floors.

 

[Rocky998]

Actually a wet dry vac will suck up a pool quite well. You put the hose in the water, pull up 10 gallons and empty it. Some vacuums even have a special valve to empty the water. They are used by a number of pond management people here.

In a fish tank system the water is over the vacuum, it will fill the vacuum but now you have started a siphon with a 2" to 3" pipe. Even a few seconds of this siphon will flood your floors.

Yah those types would work, I guess I'm thinking of like those LG vacuums that say their wet/dry lol

 

[Richie30]

I use a fluval provac and a long hose.
I dont have a garden so the hose goes in the drain.
I use this to clean my gravel and water changes, filling up is a garden hose from the tap.

 

[1L19]

For my 55 gallon I use a Wayne transfer pump, two hoses, fine holed intake (comes with pump as does the green intake hose) and a garden bubbler on the other end when I put the water back into the tank. It takes about 5-7 minutes to drain the tank. Might be worth considering. Due to physical limitations I can't lift or carry full buckets so this little system is a life saver.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CPZTEK/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[Uberhoust]

Does anyone know of a portable auto shutoff that I could put on a hose. A couple of times I have had the water just start to overflow the 1st tank while I was working on another tank.

 

[1L19]

Does anyone know of a portable auto shutoff that I could put on a hose. A couple of times I have had the water just start to overflow the 1st tank while I was working on another tank.

If you are using a pump then yes you could rig something up... similar to the float valve thing in the back of your toilet. Don't know of any faucets or hoses with any sort of build in shutoff but there could be something. Still you'd have to wire it to a float valve or something in order to trigger the shutoff.

 

[Uberhoust]

I have always thought about a float valve but they are bulky and will require some calibration, would be difficult to move from tank to tank.

I use a garden hose attached to city water to fill my tanks.

 

[plebian]

The biggest problem with Python water changes is the amount of water they waste. They rely on the water from the faucet to create the siphoning effect. It takes at least as much water to do this as the amount of water that's being siphoned.

To put it more clearly, removing 30 gallons of water from the tank will requires AT LEAST 30 gallons from the faucet. How much water is actually wasted depends on the length of the hose and the difference in height between the aquarium and the sink.

Unless the sink is nearby and much lower than your aquarium, you'd be better off running a hose to a floor drain, or to an outside location.

 

[Benji k]

I just use siphon but is there an easier way to get the water bank into the tank then lifting the bucket.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I use a python with a faucet attachment (you can get that at any hardware store and install it with a wrench) for water changes, but have to use a shorter siphon/buckets for vacuuming the sand, since my python doesn't drain fast enough.

@Uberhoust A wet-dry vac isn't worth crud for water changes, you're right, but it is GREAT for doing the final drain/clean out when tearing down an aquarium to start over.

 

[plebian]

I just use siphon but is there an easier way to get the water bank into the tank then lifting the bucket.

It depends on your situation. Some people keep a 55 gallon drum nearby and use a pump to transfer water from the drum to the aquarium. You could do the same thing while keeping the drum outside and just running a hose from the drum to wherever your tank is located.