This is going to be brutal as I take the steps from fish tanks with plants to planted tanks....

I have tanks all over the house. 50% in each is gonna take me hours!

EI method calls for this, I know, is there a dosing regime that calls for lower % changes? Been looking, don't see any...

Or alternatively, what could I build that'd work a lot faster (and easier on the water bill) than a python for water changes? Some way to hook up a powerhead in a line or anything?

The python works for me, I actually enjoy doing water changes..... thats with big tanks all over the house.

not necessarily a different regime, but lower lighting. EI calls for so much ferts to keep up with the higher light. if you're keeping lower light tanks, then you shouldn't be dosing EI. are all your tanks planted, high light, and EI dosed?

I also got many tanks in the house.

I just use a big hose, and drain them straight to the back yard.

I'm bad. Haven't done a WC in ages...except on my AquaSoil tank that I'm following closely. But when I do, it's closer to 30-40%.

Use the Python to fill. Use the Python as a siphon hose to empty.

You might want to look in my Guide at my Water changing device. If you build one for each size tank you can siphon the water out of each tank unattended.

Could you direct link me, please? I couldn't find what you were referring to in your guide.

I use a DIY python on my 90g,55g, and 29g. Takes about 1hr and a half to do 50% pwc on all 3.
I also use a big rubbermaid container to gravel vac into while the python is draining tanks, then when the tanks are down to 50% i put python in the rubbermaid to suck out the gravel vac waste.

50% here on my fish tanks and will do the same on my planted tank when its up. I use the python as well, i live in a doublewide so i just drop the hose out the window to water the flowers and go from tank to tank. I need a breather mid way to wait on the hot water heater to catch up.

Water changes are the magic in the hobby for fish, with that being said i have to go make a little magic in my 65 gallon cichlid tank my red devil looks a bit ticked with me.

Jason

I have a self priming pump that pumps out at 3.7 ghp. I love it and it saves me time and water. I have the python hooked up to it for pumping out the tank and another pump for pumping in the r/o

http://rexgrigg.com/hard.htm

Scroll down to the DIY section.

I use a python on my 90g and a bucket for my 25g usually. The python is cool, because you just hook one end up to the faucet and the other in the tank. To drain my 90g by 50%, it takes approx. 20-25 min I think, plus another 10-15 to refill. Since it's so easy, I generally do 20-30% every 3-4 days, instead of 50% once a week. I figure it's less shock to the fish. The coolest part is I can just sit at watch TV or do something else (I generally set a timer to remind myself!). There's been once or twice where I've waited too long when refilling and got a bit of an overflow ;P Beware of that.

i got an old fluval that i hook up to my python works great and save a ton of time.

Ryan, do you find that you're losing a lot of water with the python? My house doesn't have very high water pressure, so I probably lose more water down the drain than I take out of the tanks. Same with refilling. My water bills are already pretty high, so I switched to this product. No water loss. I do what was mentioned above, just run the water out the window into my flower bed.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...70_11948_11948

You should not lose any water while filling the tank.