Water changes and aged water

[Abercrombie6202]

Okay how would i do the water changes and aged water? I was thinking about doing my water changes every Sunday and Wednesday. Would i keep the aged water in buckets? If so how many buckets and how big would the buckets have to be? (i have a 75 gallon, water changes would have to be between 25-50% right?) Also how do i get the aged water from the buckets into the aquarium, becasue water IS REALLY HEAVY!!?

[ronrca]

Well, buckets may work with a pump to pump water from the buckets into the tank. I was 60G barrels to age my water. The volume required for the aged water is dependant on your tank volume. The number of buckets you need depends on how big your buckets are. For example, 25% of 75G is around 20G. If you are using 5G buckets then you will need 4 buckets.

What I would do is good to Walmart or Home Depot and look for their Rubbermaid or similar containers. You will be able to find some big containers like 30-50G+ for a reasonable price. Go to Big Als and pick up a pump (Rio's are reasonable, Mags are best). Find some hose/pipe (Home Depot) and there you go! Look thru the diy section for some ideas! ;)

Aged water is basicly water that has been heated and aerated for 24 hours or until the C02 has dissapated!

Btw, are you not buying young discus? Twice a week water changes may not be enough for good growth. Just curious!

[Carol_Roberts]

Yes, pumps, hoses and water storage containers will make your life much easier. I use the pump to circulate (age) the water and to pump it to the tanks. You can buy pumps and Rubbermaid containers at Walmart. Maybe hose too - check to see what INSIDE diameter size hose you need for the pump you buy.

Juvenile discus grow best in clean water. I do daily water changes of 25 - 50 %

[Luca]

My question is, can you put a pump inside a tank to pump out the old water??? or would this be too noisy/intrusive for the fish?

[oodi]

Hi Luca,

We bought an in-line pump, to use in conjunction with the Python for pumping water out of tanks... we tried it one time, and the pump hasn't been used again since. It was more trouble than it was worth, and did not save us any time.

The best method we have found, is to buy 1/2" hose from the hardware store, connect it to the Python, and get it long enough to run from the tank, out the door.

HTH,

Judi
:)

P.S.: other siphon brands may require different hose size.

[Luca]

Cool - i have a really long hose on my siphon (not familiar with python, can be left "ready-to-go" or something?) but yeah it can go out the door which is useful, well pretty much, my girlfriend didn't notice when she moved the siphon and the end came "inside" which left a "big" mess and i was "not" happy :-\

[oodi]

Luca,

I can sympathize... been there, done that!

Judi
:)

[Carol_Roberts]

I also have long hoses that I run out the door or into the bath tub.

[Luca]

Great suggestions guys, thanks

[Tristanyyz]

I used to hook up my mag pump, inline, to remove water from my tank, but I also found this tedious work.

I dont mind filling tanks, but beyond syphoning poop, which is mandatory maintenence, I dont really enjoy draining water from my tank.

I used to spend a long time just looking or staring blankly at the irrigation systems at home depot. My girlfriend thought I was crazy. I was thinking to myself, "how can I adapt this technology"...like the Apollo missions to get a man on the moon, don't invent technology, just adapt existing technology to suit your purpose. I think i made Neil Armstrong envious!

I will post how I did it in the DIY section. But I set up a system that automatically empties 75 gallons out of my 150 gallon tank. With a irrigation timer, and the assistance of an anti-syphon irrigation valve with selenoid, I slowly drain my tank over a 400 minute cycle during the course of the day, while i am at work. When I get home, the cycle has just ended, the fish are completely calm and happy in half a tank of water.

I plug in my pump, and in half an hour its full, and my fish are expecting to be fed, cause thats what we do around here!

[crazy4discus]

sup abercombie yeah i do the same as everyone esle i went to wal mart and bought a 50 gal rubbermaid for 13-14 bucks... and i use a pump for my water to age it and to pump it in my tanks when i do water changes to make it much easier for me... and leave a heater in there so it can be at the same temp as my tanks.... and i leave 2 airstones in there and age it for 24 hours then i do my water changes then add prime.... thats how i do it

[Abercrombie6202]

I understand what everyon is saying, but what is this pump, is it called a submersable pump, etc... where should i buy one?

[ronrca]

Go to Big Als and pick up a pump (Rio's are reasonable, Mags are best). These pumps are submersible, some can even be used both ways, submersible and inline! ;)

[Luca]

What's the difference in time that takes to fill a tank with a Rio compared to a Mag? Is there some kind of automatic shut off so it will stop after so many gallons or if the water level in the storage container gets too low?

[Larry Grenier]

It's not the brand but the GPH (gallons per hour) and restrictions you put on it that make a difference. if I were to put a pump in my tank with the fish it would be the Mag but for pumping water out of a barrell it would be the cheaper Rio. I moonlight with an aquarium maintenance firm and have been abusing the same already used rio for over 5 years mostly pumping water out of a barrell and into the tanks.

Also remember that many folks on this board have more tank volume than many pet stores so the more automated the better. It's OK do do a little manual work if you only have 1 or a few aquariums.

[ronrca]

Luca,
Yes, you can get automatic shutoffs for high or low water levels. For high water levels, one of the most common and simplest devices are called float switchs/valves similar to what you have inside your toilet tank. Or you can use compact ball cocks, again a device used inside your toilet tank. There are many more different types of devices that you can use.

Low water level would require a valve with an electrical output like a solenoid valve to shutoff the pump. Check out the diy section for some ideas. Also, check out some plumbing places. Im sure that can give you some more ideas. ;)