Water Change with no pump

[prem]

Hi All
I am planning to add 3 more tanks (expanding :)) before doing so i want some advice on the most important thing when it comes to Discus Keeping... Frequent Water Change, what i would like to do is. I can manage to change water (50%) on a single tank (which currently takes me about 20 mins of my time to do one "48"x18"x18" tank)
but I doubt i can do the same if i expand. unless i have a way to do all of them at the same time. by now most of you who are reading might want to revert back with the "drip system solution" which will not workout in my case :( neigther does the overflow system work (nor do i want to drill my tanks)

in short what i am looking for is, I (as planned would) have 4 tanks of the same size, all i want to do is pump the water out by simply opening a valve let the water out (do the debris cleaning while this happens) then simply stop the ejection by simply turning the vale to off and open another valve to simply fill the water from top.

any advice or links that has the same or similar concept?
please advice
Thanks

[Elliots]

What you want I think involves PVC pipes, drilled tanks and stuff. To empty them why not one-two Pythons per tank? Pythons come with varied lenghts of hose. You apparently have the re-filling part down because you did not ask about it.

[Second Hand Pat]

No pumps right? If true sounds like you would elevate your WC barrow(s) (above tank level) and gravity feed your tanks via a elevated common pvc pipe with a valved tee for each tank. This handles the fill, not the drain which also is gravity feed without breaking the syphon which is a bit harder without a drilled tank.

[Ccraine]

I have two tanks with pvc overflows done in urajoeys style as seen on his you tube channel. I have no problems with them so far and it's been 6 months. Will probably switch all mine over now that I have had two of different sizes (One 40 gallon and one 30 ) for test run. I also haven't drilled my tanks because I know I want larger ones and I want to be able to easily Craigslist the smaller tanks when. I swap.

[prem]

What about waste and debris do they get collected?

[Ccraine]

Depend on height of pipe I have 2 one for surface skimming day to day operation and a short one for 50% water change

[prem]

@Ccraine can you post a pic please?

[Ccraine]

Sure it will be around 11 pm est ok

[Ccraine]

Hopefully but it will be an iPhone pic

[Ccraine]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/02/4ady3yve.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/02/edugy3yb.jpg

[Ccraine]

I was thinking that if you had three tanks you could set it up with one surface skimming overflow on left side of tank and a short overflow on right side. Plumb the longs together to run to sump . Plumb shorts to a ball valve for drainage. Then you could turn off filtration pump close a valve on long overflows . Open valve on shorts which would only drain tank to level of your choosing. Turn that valve back off and turn filtration pump on while adding refill water back into sump from storage container.

[Ccraine]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/02/ru6utedy.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/02/5ederabu.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/02/7ypegudu.jpg

[Ccraine]

http://http://youtu.be/65yVr7DiDls

Here is the link for video

[Ccraine]

Hope it helps