[Padres1234]

I have a 29g tank now and have been used to having a 10g. The water changes used to be easy. I have those 5g water bottles that you get filled up at the store.

A 50% water change was easy, it was just one of those big bottles and I was done.

I just did my first water change on my 29g. I drained 3 of those 5g bottles one at a time. Then filled them up one at a time and put it back in the tank. It wasn't hard, I was just curious if there are better ways to do it.

How do you guys do it?

 

[latchdan]

I have a 40b so a little larger. I drain 3 or 4 5 gallon buckets and carry then outside and dump in planters or lawn. I have spare 10 gallon tank and some extra 5 gallon buckets that i set up the night before a wc to heat/mix my water. I use a fountain pump to suck the water from buckets/10g to my 40b.

 

[nyskiffie]

First things first, go find yourself one of these.

http://www.livingdirect.com/on/dema...w83a2c621/products/viewlarger/ADAPTER_vl2.jpg

Then, go down to the hardware store and get a hose which is long enough to go from your sink to your tank, and a set of adapters which will let you hook it onto your new quick release.

Drain into the bathtub/toilet/sink and then refill without carrying buckets. You will never go back.

 

[Diana]

I use a garden hose and a fountain pump to empty most tanks.

1) Siphon (any style) into a 5 gallon bucket or larger plastic storage bin (not water bottle- top needs to be open)
Use this water to clean the filter. Larger filters take a couple of 5 gallon buckets to clean.
2) Put fountain pump in this bin/bucket and attach garden hose. Drain to outside, anywhere in the garden. Turn on pump.
3) Keep on siphoning, vacuuming the floor of the tank.
By siphoning it into a bucket there is a safety factor of saving a fish that might have gotten into the siphon.

Alternate:
Put a very coarse sponge over the intake and pump or siphon directly outdoors. In my situation the water will gravity feed to about 1/3 of my garden. The rest of the garden is too close to level with the tank, or even a bit higher. Need to pump it out to fertigate the plants in those areas.

In my greenhouse I have set up a drainage system. Water drains to a tub and has a sump pump which pumps the water out to the vegetable garden.

In all these scenarios filling is via garden hose or tubing. I prep the water in a Rubbermaid Brute, with the wheels. Then pump from the garbage can into the tank. I use different pumps for small, medium or large tanks.

Basic concepts:
No bucket brigade.
Water can be prepped ahead of time, and can be aged if needed, or at least well aerated and mineral additives dissolved.

 

[MtAnimals]

I siphon enough out of my 55 with a hand siphon to water the wife's houseplants,then I use a python that I've had for years.I used the python on all the bigger tanks,and just let a piece of airline drain the 5's into a jug.When I ran just the 55,I tried the water bottle method,and it was just too much work.

I also should mention I'm on a well,and no water prep needed.GH/KH both run around 5 degrees.Gotta love mountain water.

 

[Txaquarium]

It's whatever you are comfortable with. For 3 years I was doing water changes with a siphon and 5 gallon buckets on my 60 gallon. I finally bought a python and a small pump and haven't looked back.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I just use a 25' garden hose - I clamp it to the cabinet door and stuff my gravel siphon tube into the 5/8" garden hose that runs out to the lawn. I have a sink attachment for the hose, but sadly I have high nitrates in my well water so I have to prep water in 5g buckets. I use a nitrate filter I made using an old API Tap Water Filter cartridge filled with API Nitra-Zorb. I also collect reclaimed water from my basement dehumidifier and the air conditioner (when they run). I treat this water with Seachem Replenish, Neutral and Alkaline regulators. I dump a mix of the treated water into an 18g rubermade bin and use an EcoPlus (369 gph) submersible pump to pump it into the aquarium.

 

[Lonestarbandit]

Drinking water safe hose 50 ft and a waterbed fill/drain kit
(Sold for way more money as a python adapter - marketing again sigh....)

From someone who has to do water changes for 3 x 55g and a 20g

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[No.92]

Get one of these and hook it up to your water outlet outside. Makes cleaning and refilling a breeze. No more need for breaking your back lugging buckets back and forth or spilling water all over the place.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...arium+hose&dpPl=1&dpID=41W22N72R7L&ref=plSrch

 

[AbbeysDad]

Get one of these and hook it up to your water outlet outside. Makes cleaning and refilling a breeze. No more need for breaking your back lugging buckets back and forth or spilling water all over the place.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...arium+hose&dpPl=1&dpID=41W22N72R7L&ref=plSrch

A Pyhton like device is great, but I'd be reluctant to use a cold water only supply line for the refill - my cold water is around 50F!

 

[Lonestarbandit]

Why would that necessitate cold water only it hooks to your sink tap?

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[Doogy262]

Why would that necessitate cold water only it hooks to your sink tap?

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Yea,I'm curious too,been using a python for a discus tank at 82' and no problems.

 

[No.92]

A Pyhton like device is great, but I'd be reluctant to use a cold water only supply line for the refill - my cold water is around 50F!

Yes like the other poster said it does hook up to the sink as well so you can always go that route.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Why would that necessitate cold water only it hooks to your sink tap?

The suggestion was to hook it to the water faucet (silcock) Outside.

 

[jrill]

Python

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[Lonestarbandit]

The suggestion was to hook it to the water faucet (silcock) Outside.

Oh, I don't like that idea. :surprise:
Far simpler ways to get the job done.

 

[No.92]

Oh, I don't like that idea. :surprise:
Far simpler ways to get the job done.

Honestly I can't see it any simpler. I do this every time. There is a thing to unscrew to suck water out of the tank and then when you are done you can screw it back in and it redirects the water into the tank. I don't do crazy water changes like 50%. Never felt a need to. There are healthy bacteria that you want to leave in the tank so I only do max 25% changes and it doesn't alter the temperature of the tank thatmuch. Never had a problem with it.

 

[Freemananana]

I have an aqueon water changer and did 50% on a 130g system weekly. Just gravity siphon water out and add it from the tap to the tank.

 

[Goomie]

I use a simple vinyl siphon hose and a bucket that's ~7.5G, make the boyfriend dump the old water in the lawn, refill the bucket with temp correct water and treat with a Seachem PH balancer as our water is extremely alkaline. That's on a 15G though.

The 48G column.. We have e a vinyl hose that goes about 15 feet, so we siphon out the door. Then use the same bucket (7.5G) to refill the tank. Of course we have to use a smaller bucket to scoop the water in. It's time consuming but not that tedious in nature... If our water was closer to the PH I wanted I would get a python but it's not realistic.. Unfortunately...

 

[Dead2fall]

I made a hose with an eheim quick disconnect. I just disconnect the siphon (intake) side of the filter, plug my hose in, drag the other end out the door and done. For filling I just connect the same hose to the tap outside and let it pump back into the tank through the intake tube.

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