Water Changes , How Do You Do Yours......

[cynic]

Its a thought thats occured to me, i have been changing the water happily on the little tank, its only 60L so 10-20% fits in a bucket. Meanwhile a second bucket (both exclusively for the fish i might add)that has been sat for a bit with tapsafe is then used to put the water back.

Simples...

The NEW tank is going to be nigh on 260L, 10% of that is a darn sight more than a bucket! and if a 50% or more is needed considering this is going to need doing regular i figure i'd see what other people do with their larger tanks. Any hints or flaws worth knowing...

 

[fishyfeet]

i use a hose, and pump the water out the patio doors directly onto my plants and then attach to the garden tap, and refil slowly whilst adding prime conditioner to the tank, ive been doing this years and cant say ive seen any problems, di

 

[Malawi MaD]

i use a hose, and pump the water out the patio doors directly onto my plants and then attach to the garden tap, and refil slowly whilst adding prime conditioner to the tank, ive been doing this years and cant say ive seen any problems, di

Can be a nightmare at times.Drain water out through my hose pipe into the garden then connect the hose up run conditioned water through the RO system and my pond heater (always add slightley cooler water) but the pond heater keeps it at a steady temp not shocking the fish what so ever.

 

[Dan-CR4]

I got an 180 litre and as I live in an flat/apartment thats on one level I use a home made python system, cost me about £15 all in to make. All i do is connect hose to tap in bathroom, other end in the aquarium, turn tap on, once bubbles stop and water is slowly flowing into tank turn tap off put hose in bath then water starts to flow from the tank down the plug hole. I got a sand substrate so just hover the hose over the sand in a circular motion to pick up any unwanted poo. easy takes about 10 minutes to empty my 33% water change and another 10 minutes to fill. no back breaking lugging buckets of water.

also the wife has got the same setup for her coldwater fish, so has no excuse and say she cant carry the buckets of water

 

[da7thson]

Got a 125l. Use a 10L bucket and do between 2 and 4 buckets a week using the gravel vac. Then use the same bucket to measure putting the water back in (using cold water from the tap + a little out of a boiled kettle to balance the temp + de-chlorinator [either king british or aqua+])

Andy

 

[Ziggs180]

I have to prepare my water 2 days in advance because of PH issues. I usually fill a 5 Gallon bucket near the top, and leave it inside and throw some prime into it. 2 days later, i take another bucket and begin to siphon water from the tank into said bucket. I take the other bucket, and place a Bilage pump into it, and siphon the water from the bucket into my Aquarium using a small Garden hose through the Bilage pump. Process usually takes about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on if i have to prune plants or rearrange things in the tank.

 

[fishyfeet]

so should i but i had three tanks and change 25 gal a week, you trying doing that with buckets, and i have done it for many weeks, until my back had had enough, im only a little girl

 

[CezzaXV]

I've got a 60L and I just do it into a bucket, though I've been considering getting a longer hose on my siphon then just siphoning it out the window.

 

[kyleb2003]

Oh so easy for those with the little aquariums! Similar to some already mentioned, I have 240l and do 50% per week. It's right next to the window so I syphon straight out and have a hose with an adapter that fits to my kitchen sink to refill using the method others described above. Very easy to do with a few bits from B&Q and makes a huge difference to your happiness if you have experience using buckets.

 

[Tizer]

200 litres every weekend gets drained out, tis around 50%. I use a hose, to drain and refil. Pretty easy really.

 

[Aqua Tom]

50% each week from my 180 litre. 10 meter hose to drain out & syphon the poo straight into the drain, then same hose attached to my shower to add temperature matched water.

Gona be a chore when I put my 400 litre in

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I have a 20g bin that I dump water into from the tank and then I dump the bucket outside. I add water through the hose. That is on my 40g tank. I havent figured out how I am going to do the 55g but I have time to think as it has not been set up yet

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Currently by a 15l and 25l bucket and gravel syphons, which is hard work when doing 50% water changes on the 240l, yet alone the 560l downstairs in the garage!

Definitely feeling the urge to invest in a ~200l water butt (with stand and base tap), a ~25m hosepipe and one of those universal tap conectors to hook up to the bath taps...

 

[Spurry]

I'm so glad this has been asked i was wanting to know the same, but the bit i was not sure on was refilling
can i just fill from the tap and add my prime to the tank after as now i have 180lts

before i used buckets with the prime all ready in....

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I alternate approximately 30 (sometimes 40) tanks on a 2 week cycle, doing half of them in one week and the other half the next week..... up to around 90% water is syphoned out with a hose which has a cut off base of a 2 liter bottle submerged (to lower the suction velocity) and the open end covered with a silk stocking to prevent inadvertant entry of a fry or other fish.....

Once the tank is empty,.... I just refill directly from the tap (with a hose)...... I have learnt to enquire from our local city (town) water treatment department if they have dosed the water recently.... then I'd rather delay for a day or 3... Another important thing which I often forget, is to switch off the submerged heaters before emptying the tanks.... with detrimental effects obviously.....

This cycle works for me.... (and have for around 40 years of keeping fish)......