Water changes

[Rubberducky]

I did my first water change tonight......What a PIA! I have no issues with filling it back up, it was the draining part that took forever. I'm guessing about 60 minutes to drain 50 gallons. What am i doing wrong? I'm using a Lee's ulmate gravel vac with 50' of hose. Any suggestions? I'm contemplating some sort of pump to help with the draw downs.

[Orange Crush]

My python takes forever to remove water from my tank too, I'm guessing that it has to do with the water pressure from the faucet you use.

[Offpath]

If you can get a wider hose for draining it will actually go a fair bit faster.

[Pardal]

I have five tanks two of them 55 gallons and doesn't take that long in my daily WC. make sure that the level on your drain (exit) is lower than the tank if it goes down and then again up to a sink it will take forever , but if your drain goes to the floor level ie the garden or patio it will go quicker. also ensure no kink in your drain hose. I actually only use my pump to fill up , not for draining.

Julian.

[shoveltrash]

that's very slow......perhaps an inline pump would help?
I just use a 3/4" pvc pipe attached to cut off garden hose, and siphon out the window LOL. it goes pretty fast.

make sure that the level on your drain (exit) is lower than the tank+1

[joanstone]

I use a shorter length siphon/hose to siphon from the tank into a trash container. I have a pump with a long length of tubing/hose in the trash container pumping the waste water into a sink. It's easy to maneuver the siphon for cleaning and it drains fast.

[Maria Ashton]

I use a manual syphon to get the water flowing, change around 60 - 70 gallons a time and it takes me half that time. Maybe try a manual syphon?

[seanyuki]

I use a siphon hose to suck up the mess at the bottom ......then use a water pump to drain the water using plug and play garden hose.

doing water changes at this moment
http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo232/aiseanyuki/DSCF0546.jpg


http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo232/aiseanyuki/DSCF0544.jpg


http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo232/aiseanyuki/DSCF0545.jpg

hth

[nwehrman]

The height of the tank to drain is what matters if your tank to sink is almost level it will take forever... I can drain a 75gallon thru a garden hose in less than 10 minutes if I go out the window to yard... Takes 3-4 times as long to sink.

[Rubberducky]

I have five tanks two of them 55 gallons and doesn't take that long in my daily WC. make sure that the level on your drain (exit) is lower than the tank if it goes down and then again up to a sink it will take forever , but if your drain goes to the floor level ie the garden or patio it will go quicker. also ensure no kink in your drain hose. I actually only use my pump to fill up , not for draining.

Julian.That is the problem. The drain is about 40' from the tank, and is at about the same height. I can let it fly out the window in the summer, but not in the winter.

[Rubberducky]

I use a shorter length siphon/hose to siphon from the tank into a trash container. I have a pump with a long length of tubing/hose in the trash container pumping the waste water into a sink. It's easy to maneuver the siphon for cleaning and it drains fast.I think this might be my solution. Any suggestions on a particular pump? I have a trash can, and will p/u a maual siphon today.

[Skip]

+1.. yes.. what is a good water pump ?! like what kind of rating/gph am i looking for?

[Rubberducky]

I have a gravel substrate. I wonder if there is a pump that I could use that will speed up the gravel vaccum process, but not not strong enough to actually suck up the gravel?

[Cambik]

I have a gravel substrate. I wonder if there is a pump that I could use that will speed up the gravel vaccum process, but not not strong enough to actually suck up the gravel?

I use a quietone pump and it allows me to vaccum the gravel.

[judy]

I am a huge fan of my Jehmco Super Safety Siphon. It has an in-tank pump and drains real fast. Then just unplug the pump and attach the hose to the faucet and it fills just as fast. Takes ten minute to do the whole job. I do, however, have to use a siphon to clean the tank bottom.

[seanyuki]

+1 agreed with Judy........the Jehmco Super safetty pump works fine,,,,,,,,.

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

hth

[Skip]

sooooo

the

JSSP-QO1200

Safety Siphon
powerhead drain
w/296 gph powerhead
$32.75

is what you recommend?

[judy]

That one's probably dandy, too, but mine is the JSSSP-FGHT Super Safety Siphon 580 gph pump w/ 3/4 “ Female swivel Garden hose adapter $51.25

I love it. WCs are an absolute piece of cake. I even leave the garden hose snaked out and sitting in the second sink in the kitchen (though I do coil it up and put it away when company's coming).

[Skip]

which one takes the standard water hose attachment that you connect with.. either?

[seanyuki]

Hey Skip........personal choices for water changes.......and Judy suggested a great way using the Jehmco method using a water pump lah.........at home my pumps are rated over 750 gph......quick & simple lah and pictures to prove lah...............what I am using at home now are flws........all for drainage Ehiem 1260 and ......Quiet One 4000 for two display tanks........................transfer from 125 gallons heated/aged tank using Mag Drive 950.............doing this way for months............this is my daily routine .

[judy]

which one takes the standard water hose attachment that you connect with.. either?
Mine comes with the garden hose adapter, the one you mentioned does not. What I really love about them is that you can swivel the pump to take down the water as much or as little as you want... so position it mid-tank for a fifty percent change, then go make a quick omelet for lunch, and when you hear sucking from the fish room, you know it's time to refill (but pay attention at that stage!!!;) ).

Oh, and I had mine fitted with a ball valve for an extra five bucks. I can leave the pump in all the time if I want, just turn the ball valve to the off position so the pump doesn't gravity-drain the water. Flip it open when I want to do a WC, then turn off the faucet tap, flip it closed again, and disconnect the hose from the faucet when I'm done. Right now, the pump sits almost all the time in my TV room grow-out tank and I just take five minutes to WC before bed. SOOOOOOOO easy!

[ericatdallas]

I use MJ1200
GHT adapter
PVC elbows
PVC parts

and it's about $20 (if you buy MJ1200 on sale). I forgot who's design I stole, I think it was jimg, jhnn, sean's, johns, turq's, joe bub doe, or probably a combination of all of them or someone else's entirely... regardless, not my idea but works quite well.

Basically, just attach some PVC to an adapter and then to any good water pump. Some of the really good pumps have threaded adapters already.

I also am using some Azoo's (not recommended, but so far they're doing an okay job). I think some other people also use utility transfer pumps. I thought about these, but they're more expensive. I would rather spend as much and buy 5x MJ1200s and reduce cross-contamination between tanks or just have extras BUT they are faster, portable and more versatile in my opinion.

Actually, looking at the Jehmco, it looks the same.. except if you do it yourself, it's a little more customizeable to your exact needs.

[Rubberducky]

I use a quietone pump and it allows me to vaccum the gravel.

Which model do you have? How long does it take you to vaccum 50 gallons of water?

[ericatdallas]

I use a quietone pump and it allows me to vaccum the gravel.

How are you using it? Are you using it externally? I've been hesitant to try this b/c I read some people having problems with external use. I have a QuietOne 3000 that I thought about doing that with, but it's currently in my 'water storage/aging barrel'.

Also, how are you preventing it from sucking up the gravel? Do you put screening over the intake?

[judy]

I use MJ1200
GHT adapter
PVC elbows
PVC parts

and it's about $20 (if you buy MJ1200 on sale). I forgot who's design I stole, I think it was jimg, jhnn, sean's, johns, turq's, joe bub doe, or probably a combination of all of them or someone else's entirely... regardless, not my idea but works quite well.

Basically, just attach some PVC to an adapter and then to any good water pump. Some of the really good pumps have threaded adapters already.

I also am using some Azoo's (not recommended, but so far they're doing an okay job). I think some other people also use utility transfer pumps. I thought about these, but they're more expensive. I would rather spend as much and buy 5x MJ1200s and reduce cross-contamination between tanks or just have extras BUT they are faster, portable and more versatile in my opinion.

Actually, looking at the Jehmco, it looks the same.. except if you do it yourself, it's a little more customizeable to your exact needs.
Jehmco used to have a diagram on its site somewhere that tells you how to build your own, and it may still be there; I didn't look. But I am all thumbs with stuff like this so I have to spend more money on stuff other people make.

[Cambik]

I am using the Quietone 1200. (just looked at the box). I have the pump laying on the floor connected to a spare python tube I had. It was a tight fit but got on it. Then I connected the out flow of the pump to a cheap hose I purchased and can drain it out in the yard or elsewhere or in the house. Its not the fastest option but I don't waste water using the python to vaccum. i do however fill the tank with a phython. Hope that explains it. So as long as I don't try and scoop the gravel it hasn't sucked it up. It also seems to have at least the same amount of suction as i did using the phython to vaccum.

It works so that I can vaccum the entire 55 gal tank and it puts me at about 75% water change or so.

[Chicago Discus]

I use a siphon to pump the water and waste out of the tank into a 45 gallon plastic waste can while it pumps to a drain with a pump at the bottom, I also put a shut off switch on the pump cord so I can turn it on and off easy. It works pretty good but when I move my fish room downstairs I'm installing bulkheads on all the tanks to make it easier.

[Darrell Ward]

Yeah, I also copied John's design at JEHMCO a few years ago, except I'm using a 795 gph pump with 3/4" pipe. I also have a smaller one made from 1/2" with a smaller pump for smaller tanks, but I'm not running any tanks under 150 gals. at the moment. I attach mine to a garden hose, and run it out the door. You cound also run it to a drain if you had to. You can find all the parts, except maybe for the pump, at any home improvement store. If you're not pumping water out, and into your tank, you're wasting a LOT of time. I also attach my siphon to the garden hose with an adapter, no buckets. It goes right out the door.

[Bud]

I drilled my 75,installed bulkhead and glued a tee to that,teed off my main drain line,ran that to the back of my tank(with a petetrap of course),ran a flexible sump hose from my tank to my now drain in the floor.Whan i vaccum I just leave the hose stuck in the tee on the bulkhead to keep draining,then throw in a quietone 1200 with its hose also in the bulkhead tee.It drains in 12 mins(timed it).Still not satisfied looking to fully automate that sucker!

[Rubberducky]

Today I did an 80% WC in just under two hours, I have definately got to invest in some pumps.

[Rubberducky]

Jehmco Super Safety Siphon has been ordered, hopefully I can get these water changes to less than 45 minutes!

[Rubberducky]

Jehmco Super Safety Siphon has been ordered, hopefully I can get these water changes to less than 45 minutes!I'm down to about One hour and fifteen minutes on an 80% wc.