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Thread: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

  1. #1
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Over the years I have seen more threads than I can count that wanted to find a way to reduce water changes. I understand that this seems like a natural thing to want to do with someone beginning with discus. However, the truth is, water changes are very important. We feed a lot, we must change a lot of water, simple as that.

    I am not here to have that arguement, the reason I wanted to start this thread is to inform people of ways to make water changes easier and faster.

    This is a contributing thread, so I welcome other ideas/photos/explanations of how people are doing water changes.

    The goal is to get other people to cut down their water change time so that it doesn't seem like such a chore.

    I will upload a video showing my WC process but I will explain it here how it works:

    My setup, 75g w/ 40g sump.

    I drain/refill 60% of that water in 15 minutes. I know many members that wouldn't mind doing more water changes if all it took was 15 minutes!

    How Do I do it? In my case, it is a little more complex than most people would like to tackle on their own, but there are alternatives.

    I have a bulkhead where I drilled a hole in the back of my tank:

    75g.jpg
    You can see it behind the driftwood on the right. I then simply insert a 1" pvc pipe there with a screw on brass barb and a hose connects to that. These are the valves I use:
    hard plumbing 2.jpg
    The one on the far left is the one that is in the back of the bulkhead. That valve allows me to simply turn a valve and have the water drain to that point. That in turn is routed (via pvc) to my front yard.

    Another item that makes my water changes much easier is this little thing:

    This little Christmas light remote allows you to simply press a button to get water from one place to another via pump/hose.

    I age my water so when my tank drains, I fill it up via pump/hose and all I have to do is press a button. These sell for like $10 and are life savers instead of going down to an outlet, many times AWAY from the tank and stopping the power.

    This next piece isn't a necessity, but I have been using one for a very long time and it doesn't really break down and it is easy to clean:

    It is an Eheim round media sponge. It isn't anything fancy but this cuts down on my time for water changes because I don't have to go get a paper towel, and go throw it afterwards. It stays in my stand and all it takes is a good squeeze to be clean.

    Here are other ways to speed up your water changes:

    get a source of water closer to you.

    I tapped my house copper line and ran copper line to my room. I know this isn't an option for many, but if you are a DIY person and own a HOUSE (not apartment, lol), then you should consider brining the water source closer to you. It makes a world of difference. I simply turn a valve and my water hits my aging barrel and fills in 2 minutes (I have timed it)

    When I first started researching faster ways to do water changes, I researched submersible pumps. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, I simply wanted a faster way of doing it and landed on getting a Rio 1400 submersible pump:


    Now keep in mind, I am not adverstising this pump, it is simply what I used when I first started with more automated water changes. This pump is still around in my house and still works like the first day. You can buy this cheap on ebay and attach a hose and get water changes done much faster by simply placing it in the tank, attaching a hose and run it to wherever you want to dump it. I used this approach for many years and works like a charm. Just keep in mind, if you have sand it may affect the pump, but if you buy a cheap pump, it may not be as crucial to keep things out of it.

    For those using your water faucet to start a siphon and fill up a tank, consider getting a rolling aging barrel. This is a good practice for those that live in areas where the water conditions change dramatically during the winter months. Aging your water can save your discus many times. Here is a link to one of the cheaper places I have found that sells the barrel and roller:
    http://www.centralrestaurant.com/Rou...118p26261.html


    Of course you can find cheaper alternatives on craiglist or maybe a local sale at a home depot or what have you. The point is, aging the water gives a place to store your water and you can ditch having to rely on the facet to get water which is a huge waste of additional water. You can get water from outside with a safe water hose and drop it in cold to the aging barrel and heat and air it out 24hrs and it is ready to go.

    I understand that this may ADD time to your WC, but this is the one thing typically that I recommend for the safety of the discus, and the small added time for that isn't a big issue, or at least it wasn't in the past for me.

    If you happen to HAVE an aging barrel that is stationary but use a regular hose, add a drinking hose instead. They don't kink as easily and are safe for fish and drinking water:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o04_s00


    For years, many members here have been going over to Jehmco to purchase their pvc/pump setups. If you don't know about them, check them out here:
    http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_si...ium_drain.html


    For a little over $40 you can drain 300g in an hour, not bad. Of course you can always buy a submersible pump like I mentioned previously and achieve the same thing, but this is an already prebuilt system which many people really like.

    Now this next one sounds very silly but many may have considered it but haven't done it. Go with a larger sized hose and get water changes done faster!

    I know many are going to worry about a discus possibly getting sucked up by the larger hose since it creates a faster suction. Here's a part that will help you prevent that!
    http://premiumaquatics.com/search?se...ofile+strainer


    It is called a profile strainer. Use the larger hose and at the end of it, attach one of these strainers. Now you can clean your tank without having to worry about sucking the side of your discus off. I have walked away from my tank with the strainer on the hose while draining the tank without having to worry about one of them getting sucked up. AND, this lets you pick up feces and uneaten food just as quickly as without.

    Those are all the ideas I have for now, but I am sure there are tons more. Please share them with us.

    My goal is to possibly only show you one new thing above that you didn't know about and implement it to your routine and reduce your water change time.

    I remember the bucket brigade, and believe it or not, I pulled my back out once lifting a very heavy barrel full of water that left me in bed for over a week. Now all I do is turn vavles and press a button and no lifting involved. It made my wife happier because I am not putting my body at risk and she is also happy because water changes are no longer a thing that takes hours, simply a few minutes.



    Edit 1-9-16


    Sry, no audio. Tried to find a track long enough to last the whole video and failed and didn't know how to loop a single song to span the length of the video. I'll try to figure it out later, going to catch the playoff games now
    Last edited by rickztahone; 01-09-2016 at 04:29 PM.

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


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    Registered Member XAnhLe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Thank you Ricardo this is very helpful!!!

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    Registered Member Tshethar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    +1 Extremely helpful! Thanks for putting this together; personally, I think this might serve newcomers like me as a sticky in an appropriate section somewhere.

    Taking seriously the advice on the forum about frequency and quantity of water changes basically translates into thinking about this kind of stuff--otherwise I don't see how most of us with other responsibilities can manage the work reliably over time. But you all have convinced me it's worth doing the planning up front, and this is just the sort of thing people need to see.

    I bought vinyl 1" O.D. tubing over the summer and a large submersible pump, and have been figuring out how to build something out of PVC to accomplish what I see going on with the Jehmco units. Haven't engineered it yet but will keep following this and may either order from them or try to build. Thanks for the link to the strainers!

    One thing I learned about the big vinyl--it moves water much more quickly than my python hose, but was extremely inflexible and difficult to work with when I got it. Watched a youtube video that suggested heating the stuff in a clothes dryer for 10 min, and then laying it flat. It made a big difference. Jury's still out for me about whether it was an ideal choice, but I think it at least has a chance to work for me now.

    Some of the recent ideas for eliminating microbubbles with low-micron filter socks (and possibly other material like sponge, etc.) might also help people do water changes as well....

    Thanks again!

  4. #4
    Registered Member mee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    rickztahone, great thread to start, and I think you have posted pretty much the best possible way to do things in the ideal situation. I am going to post my similar but much simpler method, but need to point out I have exceptional water where I live with no chloramines, and virtually no chlorine.

    Items I use

    1 5 gallon bucket
    1 pump (forgot brand, but similar to the rio rickztahone posted
    1 wide guage clear hose (about 1 1/2" diameter) (safe type)
    1 hose that fits perfectly on the pump nozzle (safe type)

    Tanks 1- 80ish gallon tank, 1- 60ish gallon tank 1- 40ish gallon tank (I live in Japan and sizes are usually off by a few gallons.)

    What I do..

    1) Put the bucket in the sink and fill it with the pump in it (can be cold water for initial fill)
    2) Run large guage hose out sliding glass door into a small flower pot (prevents erosion in my small yard, and acts as a fry saver just in case)
    3) attach the pump to the large guage hose. This is not a perfect fit but the wider part that attaches the nozzle goes almost tightly inside. I have to position the hose just right to get it flowing fast enough for a full syphon , but there is minimum drop from my sink to back yard, so others would likely have an easier time.
    4) once full syphon takes effect, I take the hose off the pump and block it with the palm of my hand
    5) walk over to my largest tank (all big fish) and first suck up all the poop and junk, then leave the hose in while I then...
    6) put one end of the blue hose into the same tank, and plug the other onto the pump in the bucket
    7) turn on the water doing my best to match the flow into the bucket and flow out of the bucket (doing it correctly will waste zero to very little water).
    8) since the flow of the larger hose is so much greater the tank still drains quickly (5 minutes)
    at that point, one by one drain the other tanks, and by the time that is done (5 minutes) the large tank is about 30% full again, and I can either let it fill all at once, or my preferred method it to fill each tank about half way and then one by one top them off. The fill is considerably longer than the drain, but the whole process is about 45 minutes for a total of 180ish gallons. I can put the fill hose safely in drilled holes on top of the big tank and sit back and watch, and recently realized I can plug it into the top tubes on my sponge filters and it holds. Alternatively you can use a strong clamp.

    When each hose is done, raise it up as high as you can and wind it around your arm/hand, in doing so you will drain it completely into your tank or backyard, and have less mess. I always have one of several aquarium specific towels on the floor for any potential spills, drips, splashes, etc... My up coming fry is drilled very low, and I will be using rickztahone's method for draining it.

    Hope this helps someone

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    Registered Member dprais1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    buy these

    clamp.jpg

    they come in super handy in preventing hoses from falling out of tanks, etc. closing the lid on your hose to keep it in place is one of those "It worked fine for me until...."

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    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    OP updated with video of a 60% water change.

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    +1!
    I have about a dozen of these. Couldn't live without it in my discus room!

    Quote Originally Posted by dprais1 View Post
    buy these

    clamp.jpg

    they come in super handy in preventing hoses from falling out of tanks, etc. closing the lid on your hose to keep it in place is one of those "It worked fine for me until...."

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    MVP Oct.2015 discuspaul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Ricardo, you should be extremely proud of this post !
    Very, very helpful, and I'm sure it's one subject many discus hobbyists would not take on & explain well the way you did.
    I for one am very impressed.

  9. #9
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Thanks Paul . Anything to help fellow discus hobbyists

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

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    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Great thread Ricardo. Perhaps I can offer some helpful tips. I gravity drain all my tanks and use either 2/3 or 1/2 (interior diameter) vinyl hosing. I use the 2/3 hose when simply draining and/or vacuuming the BB tank. The strong suction of the end of the 2/3 hose works well for sucking the junk from the tank bottom.

    When I vacuum sand I use one of these. I use my 1/2 hose instead of the six foot hose it comes with.

    71E255OcpkL._SL1500_.jpg
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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    Registered Member MaviYesil's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    To me, not the water changes, but heating the aging tank is a big deal.

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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Ricardo,

    Nice post. Anything that makes water changes easier is a good thing and I like your approach.

    I just want to add the following so that any beginners here don't go away with the wrong impression. Changing water is absolutely important, however it is not the entire answer to keeping discus healthy. It's just as important to make sure that feces and uneaten food are removed on a regular basis. Also, wiping down the glass and cleaning the decor is also important.

    I'm certain that you already know this, but I didn't when I was a beginner. Hope you don't mind my addition here.

    Paul
    Last edited by afriend; 01-10-2016 at 03:14 PM.

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    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Quote Originally Posted by MD.David View Post
    +1!
    I have about a dozen of these. Couldn't live without it in my discus room!
    be careful with these, especially with the cheaper variety, i had one break, when flying past my face and stuck into the drop ceiling.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Ricardo, great video.

    Pro tip for those viewing: you can get youtube to speed videos up to 2x speed by hitting the gear icon during playback -- they seem to have added this some time recently. It turned your 15 minute water change into 7.5 minutes; can't beat that!

    The sticking point for me is where to put the aging barrel. Unlike you, I don't have the luxury of sitting it right next to the tank.

  15. #15
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

    Quote Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat View Post
    Great thread Ricardo. Perhaps I can offer some helpful tips. I gravity drain all my tanks and use either 2/3 or 1/2 (interior diameter) vinyl hosing. I use the 2/3 hose when simply draining and/or vacuuming the BB tank. The strong suction of the end of the 2/3 hose works well for sucking the junk from the tank bottom.

    When I vacuum sand I use one of these. I use my 1/2 hose instead of the six foot hose it comes with.

    71E255OcpkL._SL1500_.jpg
    The upgraded hose makes a big difference. Back when I had gravel (a long time ago), the suction side of this contraption worked great at getting gunk out. Now-a-days, a simple hose does the trick for me with the low profile strainer like mentioned above. You run the risk of possibly sucking the side of a discus, but I am very careful when doing the bare suctioning.

    Quote Originally Posted by MaviYesil View Post
    To me, not the water changes, but heating the aging tank is a big deal.
    I don't think it is a big deal, but I do think it is expensive, lol.

    Quote Originally Posted by afriend View Post
    Ricardo,

    Nice post. Anything that makes water changes easier is a good thing and I like your approach.

    I just want to add the following so that any beginners here don't go away with the wrong impression. Changing water is absolutely important, however it is not the entire answer to keeping discus healthy. It's just as important to make sure that feces and uneaten food are removed on a regular basis. Also, wiping down the glass and cleaning the decor is also important.

    I'm certain that you already know this, but I didn't when I was a beginner. Hope you don't mind my addition here.

    Paul
    This is a very valid point, and I am glad you brought it up. I do mention cleaning the tank walls, but cleaning debris/feces off thet ank floor throughout the day is a huge part of keeping discus healthy. One time, I fed BH in the morning, I came home later that day and noticed a piece of BH that I had missed earlier in the day after the vac. They could have eaten this and possibly could have gotten sick. Carelessness can get your discus sick.

    Thank you for the addition. This thread is here to help in all facets of changing water and maintaining a clean enviroment for discus. The more advice/techniques, the better.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack L View Post
    be careful with these, especially with the cheaper variety, i had one break, when flying past my face and stuck into the drop ceiling.
    Also, I will add, these clamps have metal in them and they do rust over. If you notice in the video I use a clamp, but I remove it before the water gets to the top.

    Quote Originally Posted by MattArmstrong View Post
    Ricardo, great video.

    Pro tip for those viewing: you can get youtube to speed videos up to 2x speed by hitting the gear icon during playback -- they seem to have added this some time recently. It turned your 15 minute water change into 7.5 minutes; can't beat that!

    The sticking point for me is where to put the aging barrel. Unlike you, I don't have the luxury of sitting it right next to the tank.
    This is a very cool tip. I actually didn't know that. I am going to try it now. However, I wish I knew how to loop music on the video to make it a better viewing experience. It is quite dull and boring at the moment, but I simply couldn't figure it out.

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

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