Any easy way to do water change????

[noobF1]

Hello discus lovers!!!! Well i just got into discus and man are they time taking, i believe i spend more time with the fishes then my girlfriend. So i just notice that water change is important but yet so much work. Is there any kind of tool of some type that makes water change easy. What im doing is sucking water out into a 5 gallon bucket (3 total) then fill in water on the 5 gallon and have to lift the darn thing while holding it so the water can go in the tank (back killer if you know what i mean) How are you people doing water change??? I know there has to be a easy way around this. Thank you everyone!!!!

[dbfzurowski]

hey,
you can use a pump to bring water from storage tank or if you dont age your water get a garden hose and connect to faucet. I do that sometimes but I kinda like the extra workout so I try to stick with the buckets.

[DonMD]

My main tank is on the main floor. In the basement I have 3 large water barrels, one with a pump in it, along with a laundry sink. I plumbed a 1-inch and a 3/4 inch pvc lines from the basement up through the wall behind the tank (used flexible pvc), and now can change 100 gallons in 45 minutes (drain and fill) while I read the paper.

[hedut]

I use hose is much easier and straight from tap, I use 5 gln bucket to hold the water in the bathtub :) and use max 1200 or water pump to pump water to the tank just make sure you watch if not will be offer flow

[Disgirl]

I just siphon the water out the front door onto the lawn. Then refill from the kitchen sink faucet. Can do 65 gal. wc on my tank in 20 min. or less and not a single bucket involved. I can offer more info on my method if you need it.
Barb

[Greenheinie]

I use a python. It's the best investment I've made yet.

http://www.pythonproducts.com/aqprod.html

[Islesfan]

I use a Safety Siphon from Jehmco. Attaches to the Python but you don't have to waste water when removing water from the tank, as the power head moves the water for you. Then fill back up like a regular Python hose. Linky below for the one I use.

http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_siphon_aquarium_drain.html

[Moon]

I have a drip system. All my tanks are drilled for overflow. NO MORE WC. Just siphon out the poop.

[DiscusBR]

There is a YouTube video explaining how to do water changes using a pump:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqb4q1Lqst8

[JL15219]

I just siphon the water out the front door onto the lawn. Then refill from the kitchen sink faucet. Can do 65 gal. wc on my tank in 20 min. or less and not a single bucket involved. I can offer more info on my method if you need it.
Barb

Barb how do you a 65 gal wc in 20 mins it seems like it takes forever to do a 80%-90% wc on my 60 gal and I use a python wc kit to do my wc....I really wish I could do mine that fast that would be great!

[Disgirl]

I have a 1" inside diameter hose from Lowe's, used for ponds, and it drains water out of the tank very fast. To refill I use a 5/8" inside diameter hose to refill from the sink. On another tank I use a 2" piece of tubing meant for pond use to drain 35 gal in about a minute, right out the window next to the tank! It is all about the diameter of the hose. But with water going out so fast and with such suction you do have to be careful not to suck up anything more than water.
Barb:)

[Jhhnn]

My main tank is on the main floor. In the basement I have 3 large water barrels, one with a pump in it, along with a laundry sink. I plumbed a 1-inch and a 3/4 inch pvc lines from the basement up through the wall behind the tank (used flexible pvc), and now can change 100 gallons in 45 minutes (drain and fill) while I read the paper.

My own system is similar, more elaborate-

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?74240-Water-changing-system

Follow the link to photobucket, click on the water changing system allbum. I need to update it, but the concept hasn't changed.

*Invest* in the gear needed to create a water changing *system*- there are a huge number of possibilities, varying by the hobbyist's circumstances. It pays off hugely in the long run. I believe that the time, money, effort and ingenuity spent up front are well worth it...

I currently siphon clean 3 large tanks and change 150gals of water in under 30 minutes, and don't even have to pay attention much of the time... Fish that came to me healthy stay healthy, and thrive...

[JL15219]

I have a 1" inside diameter hose from Lowe's, used for ponds, and it drains water out of the tank very fast. To refill I use a 5/8" inside diameter hose to refill from the sink. On another tank I use a 2" piece of tubing meant for pond use to drain 35 gal in about a minute, right out the window next to the tank! It is all about the diameter of the hose. But with water going out so fast and with such suction you do have to be careful not to suck up anything more than water.
Barb:)

Oh okay so I need to get a larger diameter hose thanks Barb!

[Jaws]

I have an idea that will make all three of us happy. You can spend more time with your fish and I'll spend more time with your girlfriend. I'm a nice guy and am always willing to lend a hand. Is she hot?

[BODYDUB]

hey,
you can use a pump to bring water from storage tank or if you dont age your water get a garden hose and connect to faucet. I do that sometimes but I kinda like the extra workout so I try to stick with the buckets.
That is exactly what I do from a pump that I ordered off of Ebay. I just drop the pump with a line attached to it and it does the work for me. No more filling 5G buckets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[santababe]

well i am a newbie but i will share my system which i think is fairly easy and gives you quality water with little or no mess. My approach is like painting lol preparation is 80% of the job. I have a house so if you are living in an apartment is more difficult. I place the tank on the lower level near an outside window and outside the window i have a 2" PCV pipe attached to the wall and runs out to the nearest drain. I then just use the python in the tank set it to level i want to drain insert the end in the PCV drain, i use the python as vacuum as needed otherwise i just make a drink and wait. Now i got an inexpensive RO unit and replaced the filters with better quality ones direct piped it to a Stainless Steel Cistern, which i keep out on my balcony (i live in hot weather climate it appears outside would pose little problem for you) then i run a PCV off the SS Cistern through the wall to the tank area (my pipe is at floor level) i installed a facuet valve and use clear 1/2" hose with an elbow at the to fill the tank at the end of the elbow i use a cheap kitchen sprayer to "de-gas" the water. I get aged balanced water easily. I work more than 60 hours a week and with this system can change my 150gal tank in less than a hour, i do one change while i shower and have coffee and another while i am eating dinner. The Cisterns look like this i prefer SS than plastic as i get more solar heating and there is some health effects i would like to avoid with plastic containers. www.aquatechnology.net/Water_Tanks

[John_Nicholson]

If you are in this racket long enough you will have all of your tanks drilled and pumped. It is nice to change water by just turning a valve.

-john

[dgblake2008]

I have a python. Connects to my faucet and creates a siphon when opened and acts as a hose when closed. Doesnt work for aged water though..

[noobF1]

Thanx for all the ideas people but i believe the pump will be best for me.

[uberdave]

I have a drip system. All my tanks are drilled for overflow. NO MORE WC. Just siphon out the poop.

I can attest to this system. Thanks to Joe I haven't done a water change in over a month now.

[tbone83]

its called a hose
i used to do the same thing with the buckets

[ericatdallas]

Okay, well thanks to this thread I learned about the Python system. I currently use a gravel vacuum into a bucket and then fill buckets with clean water to tank.

Rather than buying the entire system, does the Python or Aqueon systems work with garden hoses? If not, has anyone gotten it to work with just an adapter?

http://www.amazon.com/Python-Products-Part-Pump/dp/B001EUHZZS/ref=pd_sbs_k_3

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Water-Changer-Valve-Assembly/dp/B00176EQWO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1290876606&sr=1-1

I would just buy the whole thing, but I already have garden hoses all over the place and they are the right length. It also allows me to use the roll-up storage reels so I don't have to mess with the stiff tubing from the python. Not to mention, not to have extra equipment.

I do plan to look into some of the other systems mentioned here one day, but we'll see how serious I get about this hobby.

Another question... I'm thinking about putting tanks in the basement... will a python siphon up an entire flight of stairs or will I need a pump for that?

[Frankr409]

I can attest to this system. Thanks to Joe I haven't done a water change in over a month now.

I have also been using the drip system for years on my discus tank. I let out about 40 gallons of day (from a 100 gallon tank) into the sewer system, and replace the same quantity of pure r/o water through a float valve attached to the tank.

If you wanted to not use the r/o unit and had another way to reduce water hardness, you could make a huge carbon bomb out of pvc and do the same thing that the r/o does.

I love this system, and the nitrates are crazy low. I monitor water quality primarily though an e/c meter and always have a nice discus friendly number.

There is not an easier, safer, back friendly system to use.

[Jennie]

It does not work with G hoses. Already tried that BUT you can go to plumbing store and alter the faucet atachment to make it work.. I had to do this after going through the cheap ones sold with python

[Yboat]

I have a draing fitting on my sump. just screw in the garden hose and open a valve. I refill from brute cans.

[Jhhnn]

Pythons waste a lot of water when draining a tank, and they're also slow. Better, if you can, to just use the hose as a siphon to some lower point, the lower, the better. Some people use squeeze bulb siphons like this to start the flow and to get the detritus in BB tanks- standard python hose fits snugly-

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5/R-100372238/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I extend the tube for deeper tanks, and they're surprisingly durable, so far. The lower the far end of the siphon, the faster it'll work, even with something like the Jehmco safety siphon. Putting the tube in the bathtub or shower stall or out the door or window to an even lower level works- I met a guy who raises angelfish who sticks the drain hose in the toilet, closes the lid to keep the tube in place...

The usual method with aging barrels is to pump up to the tanks, and there is a wide selection of pumps available. I pump against a head of ~10-1/2' with danner mag 9.5's, but they get really slow at 12', so select a pump that'll meet your needs...

[underwaterforest]

Pythons waste a lot of water when draining a tank, and they're also slow.

I wholeheartedly agree Pythons are a waste of money and water. I drain my 95 gallon tank with some 3/4" hose that is powered by a mag drive 1800 pump. It takes about 7 minutes to drain (90-95%) and about 20 minutes to fill due to the low water pressure in my house. I don't age my water anymore since my tap doesn't have much pH drift and I haven't noticed it effect the health of the fish.

I can't believe that I purchased a python they just don't work and active pumping or a good height drop is much better for getting a good siphon.

Alex

[Jhhnn]

I wholeheartedly agree Pythons are a waste of money and water. I drain my 95 gallon tank with some 3/4" hose that is powered by a mag drive 1800 pump. It takes about 10-15 minutes to drain (90-95%) and about 20-25 to fill due to the low water pressure in my house ( I don't age anymore since my water doesn't have much pH drift). I can't believe that I purchased a python they just don't work and active pumping or a good height drop is much better for getting a good siphon.

Alex

Nice to see that you've put it all together. The one good thing about pythons is that people who can fill from the tap can get the temp right at the sink, then switch the flow to the hose and the tank.

I change entirely too much water at one time for my water heater to keep up, and I have chloramines, so the conditioning/ heating/ aging process works well for me because I have it all set up to drain and fill tanks in a parallel process, saving a lot of time. Filling the aging barrels takes some time, but I don't have to monitor the process at all, other than to start it. It's worth the time, money and ingenuity for hobbyists to make an investment up front wrt water changing. That varies, obviously, but I see it as a key ingredient to good husbandry and personal enjoyment...

[Discusgeo2]

I can do 100% wipe down, drain and refill 8-100 gallon tanks in about 30-45 minutes with no one bothering me. All my tanks are drilled with 2 inch bulkhead fittings and I have a swimming pool pump that refills them all at the same time from a 1300 gal water tank. I start filling the first 2 farthest from the pump and work my way forward. By the time the last tank is filling I am right at the switch ready to shut the pump off and close the last valve. My small 29 gallon tanks are filled with a smaller 1200 GPH pump and after I drain them I turn on the pump and those get water from a 210 gallon water storage tank

[underwaterforest]

The one good thing about pythons is that people who can fill from the tap can get the temp right at the sink, then switch the flow to the hose and the tank.


On my water changer I have a piece of copper pipe with an instant read lcd temperature strip that way I can get the temp right on while filling. Feeling the water with my hand to get the temperature right seems downright barbaric compared to dialing in with the temperature strip.

Spend a little time setting up your own system and you will get everything you desire in a water changer. I feel the pythons are mainly there for people who don't like to DIY projects.

http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae177/paganfx4/Fish%20Tank/waterchanger002-1.jpg
(http://s969.photobucket.com/albums/ae177/paganfx4/Fish%20Tank/?action=view&current=waterchanger002-1.jpg)

[greekmystique]

I'm chuckling as I read this because I have to admit that I threw my back YESTERDAY filling a 29 gallon tank with a bucket! I've taken powerful narcotics and I can still only crawl to the bathroom. I'm 28 years old and I'm confined to the couch today like a cripple so please do whatever you have to do to get the water into your tanks sensibly and safely. Especially if your girlfriend is at work and you need something from the kitchen lol! Discusgeo is living the dream, I salute you sir!

[ericatdallas]

So now I have some serious water changer envy :P

Anyway, from this thread, some other things I read I decided to get a garden hose repair kit that I will put at the end of my siphon. I'll also put a quick release on it and the the complementary part on a garden hose which will lead outside.

I bought a faucet adapter (my faucet looks like the aerator comes off but it looks stuck on there pretty good so I'll have to fight with it to get it off). I'm going to cut a 25ft GH (b/c that's the shortest I could find) and add another hose repair kit and quick changer piece on it.

That way I can siphon out, release, faucet in, release, clean-up. Since I'm adding a second 75G it'll be a real time saver.

As for the pump, I may eventually get there. As you all probably know, this hobby is expensive and I've just gotten back into it, so I'm starting from scratch. I have a lot of other things I have my eye on (new hood and more fish). At least I'll save on NOT buying the Python like I almost did. It did seem like a rip-off although you can get them for half the price online over the LFS. Although I think I would rather have the money for a down payment on a pump....

thanks for the info!

[Yboat]

take a rag and wrap it around the fitting. Take a pair of pilers or channel locks and remove it. If you damage it, don't worry about it, they are cheap.

[ericatdallas]

take a rag and wrap it around the fitting. Take a pair of pilers or channel locks and remove it. If you damage it, don't worry about it, they are cheap.

Too late :) I already destroyed the aerator... it's just not coming loose. I'm sure if I try harder it'll eventually come off... I've just been using a pair of needlenose pliers because I've been too lazy to look for my good tools (we just moved and so I have tools spread all across the house...)

[aalbina]

I've heard that we should be careful with using newly purchased garden hoses. Sometimes the vendors put an anti-fungal product in them to control fungal growth. Might need to run a chlorine/water solution through it first - anyone else heard that?

Adam

[Yboat]

never heard of that, but if you are worried about it. you could get one of the white hoses that it used for RVs, they are FDA approved for drinking water.

[saltydog]

I feel like my method is pretty easy however I am not performing multiple water changes a day or even one a day for that matter in my 180 planted tank. But I use a couple of large rubbermaid trash cans that are filled weekly or 2x a week with RO water and i have a Mag7 that I use to pump water with a 60 foot hose to my auto top off container that is under my stand. As i am doing this i am draining water from the display tank out into the yard and then the auto top off fills the sump. This takes all of maybe 20 minutes. I do have to stop the syphon on the display at times for the auto top off to keep up. I think i need to get a smaller drain hose.

I am very interested in the drip method though if someone could explain in more detail. I would need to figure out the distance though of my RO filter in relation to my tank which is about 60 feet away. Pics are always helpful. i am a very visual person :)

[James McGuire]

Hi all this is my first post on Simply Discus!
I avoid all the hassle by having a constant drip set up of filtered water going into the discharge side of my sump and an overflow into the household sewer on the inlet side of the sump.
The water is filtered with 1 sediment and 2 carbon and 2 DI cartridges.

Pat

[aalbina]

never heard of that, but if you are worried about it. you could get one of the white hoses that it used for RVs, they are FDA approved for drinking water.

That's exactly what I use! Just finished plumbing my new refilling pump system tonight - works like a charm.

Total cost about $80. Still need to buy a remote on off switch and the total will be just under $100.

Adam