Doing water changes on large tanks :)

[scrappinjaime]

I've read thru hundreds of posts for hours about this subject. I recently have upgraded my 45 gal discus tank to a 125 gal. I also have a 55 gal goldie tank. I currently have a python but for it to have decent suction I have to run my hot water and cold water. Needless to say, doing this I have no hot water to fill my tank after draining it. It also wastes a ton of water.

So, I want to find a better way of draining. I have looked at the safety siphon from Jehmco, which is very enticing but how would I vacuum my tank? I think this will also work for filling my tank. I have a planted tank with sand. So I would not be gravel vacuuming but I still need to get the gunk out. The other question is with the Jehmco, or similar pump with it stick to the tank how do you keep it from sucking your discus in to it?

Does anyone have advice for me? I don't use RO and I don't have a water storage tank. Thank you in advance, Jaime

[Platylover]

Can you just run the python to your toilet using gravity? That is what I do. Then I connect to faucet to fill.

[aznvi3t916]

Where do you live at? If you're in the US, you can run to any hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes, or even Walmart, and pick up some extra hose line for much cheaper. Look for "clear vinyl" hose in the plumbing department. Bring along your hose if you want to match up the size. Don't know exactly how much cost now because the price depends on the hose thickness. I think it's somewhere in the range of like $0.18 - $0.28 per foot. I bought mine a few years back, something in the range of $30 for 100-ft.

Then pick up a "hose connector" or "hose repair" from the garden department for like $2-$5. Connect your new hose extension together and run it all the way outside the house to the garden hose. Those pipes have more water pressure than in the house so it can create more suction force to pick up the debries better.

I usually drain my tank water into the front lawn or the fruit and herb garden in the back yard. Once done, just reattach the hose to the faucet inside your house and run warm water back into the tank.

While you're in the garden department, swing by the fertilizer isle and check out the price on the "Alaska Fish Emulsion Fertilizer". $7.50 for a 4-oz bottle!!! Take a guess at what's in it. Yeah, the same stuff you're draining down the pipe every week. You've been flushing money down the drain my friend. LoL....my herb garden is growing like weed and my fruit trees are flushing with fruits all thanks to the "emulsions" my fishes are release every day.


The items to buy are kind of like these:
http://m.lowes.com/mt/www.lowes.com/pd_17171-104-SVGE20_4294822036_4294937087_?productId=3131127&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_TubingHoses_4294822036_4294937087_?page=4&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

For the hose connector/repair piece, run a quick Google search for "Claber 8621 Mid-Hose Repair Kit for 5/8 Hose". Look for something similar to that.

[shoveltrash]

I have all of my tanks strategically placed by exterior windows........
I gravity siphon with short hose & connected pvc - for vaccuming debris this works great, right out the window! (and I've added a rain barrel so that I can use the water for gardening)
a clamp on the side of the tank to hold the hose lets me walk away during draining & filling.

[YSS]

Draining your tank using python via tap water pressure should be your last option. Gravity or a water pump is a better option. I use two hoses to drain my 265G tank into my toilet. Takes about 30 to 45 minutes to drain and another 45 minutes to fill the tank.

[Skip]

Can you just run the python to your toilet using gravity? That is what I do. Then I connect to faucet to fill.

exactly what i do.. :)

but now.. i added a pump to push the water out

[ExReefer]

I use safety siphon from Jehmco on my 125G and on other tanks. My python hose is hooked up to the safety siphon. I then use a 5gal bucket and another small hose to siphon the bottom of the tank. I have my water current set up to push all the waste to one corner. It takes about 3 mins. to siphon out the waste. The remaining waste is located inside my AC110 sponges. Those get squeezed out in the bucket. Another 3 mins. and that happens every other WC. I watch TV too during the draining and filling process. I no longer use canister filters on discus tanks - too much time and effort to clean them out. AC110's all the way.

[scrappinjaime]

Where do you live at? If you're in the US, you can run to any hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes, or even Walmart, and pick up some extra hose line for much cheaper. Look for "clear vinyl" hose in the plumbing department. Bring along your hose if you want to match up the size. Don't know exactly how much cost now because the price depends on the hose thickness. I think it's somewhere in the range of like $0.18 - $0.28 per foot. I bought mine a few years back, something in the range of $30 for 100-ft.

Then pick up a "hose connector" or "hose repair" from the garden department for like $2-$5. Connect your new hose extension together and run it all the way outside the house to the garden hose. Those pipes have more water pressure than in the house so it can create more suction force to pick up the debries better.


I usually drain my tank water into the front lawn or the fruit and herb garden in the back yard. Once done, just reattach the hose to the faucet inside your house and run warm water back into the tank.

While you're in the garden department, swing by the fertilizer isle and check out the price on the "Alaska Fish Emulsion Fertilizer". $7.50 for a 4-oz bottle!!! Take a guess at what's in it. Yeah, the same stuff you're draining down the pipe every week. You've been flushing money down the drain my friend. LoL....my herb garden is growing like weed and my fruit trees are flushing with fruits all thanks to the "emulsions" my fishes are release every day.


The items to buy are kind of like these:
http://m.lowes.com/mt/www.lowes.com/pd_17171-104-SVGE20_4294822036_4294937087_?productId=3131127&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&pl=1¤tURL=/pl_TubingHoses_4294822036_4294937087_?page=4&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

For the hose connector/repair piece, run a quick Google search for "Claber 8621 Mid-Hose Repair Kit for 5/8 Hose". Look for something similar to that.

I'm sorry to be such a dummy on this but I have a couple questions. I don't suppose you have a picture of the way your outside hose is set up? I understand the clear vinyl tubing and hooking the adapter up to the faucett outside. I'm confused on the part of where the water drains outside to flowing into flower beds? With the adapter you twist it and the water drains but how do I drain it to a designated area instead of just straight down? Make sense? Thank you so much for your help :)

[aznvi3t916]

I'm sorry to be such a dummy on this but I have a couple questions. I don't suppose you have a picture of the way your outside hose is set up? I understand the clear vinyl tubing and hooking the adapter up to the faucett outside. I'm confused on the part of where the water drains outside to flowing into flower beds? With the adapter you twist it and the water drains but how do I drain it to a designated area instead of just straight down? Make sense? Thank you so much for your help :)

Sorry, I don't quite understand your question. What do you mean by straight down? Water run through the hose only has one place to go, wherever the outflow is placed at.

For me, being that my hose is 150-ft long, there's enough tubing to reach anywhere in my garden. I just simply toss the outflow to which ever location I feel like needing a good drink of fish fertilizer. One day I'll put it at the herb garden, another day I'll put it at the flower bed and another day I'll put it at the base of my fruit trees. Nothing fancy, no special pipe system or modification to direct water.

[Trier20]

With my upstairs tanks I just get a piece of long enough to reach a window and go out a bit I'll start a syphin and toss it out in the yard and let it drain and refill with the python. Does that help?


---
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-Brandon

[jbuck]

I have all of my tanks strategically placed by exterior windows........
I gravity siphon with short hose & connected pvc - for vaccuming debris this works great, right out the window! (and I've added a rain barrel so that I can use the water for gardening)
a clamp on the side of the tank to hold the hose lets me walk away during draining & filling.

Lol I like that idea but I may get in trouble in the winter time for creating an ice hazard! :)

[dprais1]

Where do you live at? If you're in the US, you can run to any hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes, or even Walmart, and pick up some extra hose line for much cheaper. Look for "clear vinyl" hose in the plumbing department. Bring along your hose if you want to match up the size. Don't know exactly how much cost now because the price depends on the hose thickness. I think it's somewhere in the range of like $0.18 - $0.28 per foot. I bought mine a few years back, something in the range of $30 for 100-ft.

Then pick up a "hose connector" or "hose repair" from the garden department for like $2-$5. Connect your new hose extension together and run it all the way outside the house to the garden hose. Those pipes have more water pressure than in the house so it can create more suction force to pick up the debries better.

I usually drain my tank water into the front lawn or the fruit and herb garden in the back yard. Once done, just reattach the hose to the faucet inside your house and run warm water back into the tank.

While you're in the garden department, swing by the fertilizer isle and check out the price on the "Alaska Fish Emulsion Fertilizer". $7.50 for a 4-oz bottle!!! Take a guess at what's in it. Yeah, the same stuff you're draining down the pipe every week. You've been flushing money down the drain my friend. LoL....my herb garden is growing like weed and my fruit trees are flushing with fruits all thanks to the "emulsions" my fishes are release every day.


The items to buy are kind of like these:
http://m.lowes.com/mt/www.lowes.com/pd_17171-104-SVGE20_4294822036_4294937087_?productId=3131127&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&pl=1¤tURL=/pl_TubingHoses_4294822036_4294937087_?page=4&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

For the hose connector/repair piece, run a quick Google search for "Claber 8621 Mid-Hose Repair Kit for 5/8 Hose". Look for something similar to that.

In my experience the tubing I got from homedepot kinks very easily compared to the tubing that comes with the siphon kit.
I have seen big boxes at a few pet stores that sell the tubing in bulk-more expensive but better.

I used a brass tubing connector.
-first time i used it the cheaper tubing was kinked, pressure bulit up in the tube while refilling tubes came apart at connecter.........wet floor, carpet, couch etc
now I wrap the darn think with tape and no more problems even if kinked.
--UNLESS i hook it up to my pond pump that has more pressure behind it AND i step on the tubing then....wet floor, carpet, couch and walls, windows and doors

[Eddie]

I have all of my tanks strategically placed by exterior windows........
I gravity siphon with short hose & connected pvc - for vaccuming debris this works great, right out the window! (and I've added a rain barrel so that I can use the water for gardening)
a clamp on the side of the tank to hold the hose lets me walk away during draining & filling.

This is exactly what I do.

[aznvi3t916]

In my experience the tubing I got from homedepot kinks very easily compared to the tubing that comes with the siphon kit.
I have seen big boxes at a few pet stores that sell the tubing in bulk-more expensive but better.

I used a brass tubing connector.
-first time i used it the cheaper tubing was kinked, pressure bulit up in the tube while refilling tubes came apart at connecter.........wet floor, carpet, couch etc
now I wrap the darn think with tape and no more problems even if kinked.
--UNLESS i hook it up to my pond pump that has more pressure behind it AND i step on the tubing then....wet floor, carpet, couch and walls, windows and doors

It has to do with the tube thickness you buy. I haven't had any kink in mine yet. Then again, I bought the $0.28 a foot tubes instead of the $0.18 per foot. That's only a $10 difference for a long 100-ft tube. In fact, my extension tubing is actually thicker than the Lee's syphone that I attached it to.

Plus getting the better quality (more expensive) connector would hold the hoses in place very securely. I used a connect of the same design as the Claber that I posted. It works very good, no drip yet. I've only been using mine for about 3-yr, but my brother has one that he's been using for almost 7-yr now. Still no leak at the connect yet.

[dprais1]

It has to do with the tube thickness you buy. I haven't had any kink in mine yet. Then again, I bought the $0.28 a foot tubes instead of the $0.18 per foot. That's only a $10 difference for a long 100-ft tube. In fact, my extension tubing is actually thicker than the Lee's syphone that I attached it to.

Plus getting the better quality (more expensive) connector would hold the hoses in place very securely. I used a connect of the same design as the Claber that I posted. It works very good, no drip yet. I've only been using mine for about 3-yr, but my brother has one that he's been using for almost 7-yr now. Still no leak at the connect yet.

sounds good. i got wghat they had and the guy in the sept suggested, who then tried to sell me a 125 gal tank he had inhis basement for pennies. well a dollar a gallon. anyhow not all hoses are created equal.

[eaglesfan3000]

I use a transfer pump to drain and fill on all my tanks. My tanks are all barebottom even my sons gold fish tank, so it makes it a ton easier.

[mirador]

HI

By the way.My most indispensible fish tool is a 5 foot length of the big Ehiem about 1 inch hose.Unlike "hardware store hoses" it neither kinks nor is clumsy and heavy.It moves water fast..usually to a 35 gallon roll away roughneck garbage can. I also have a 180 gallon "soft piped " to the basement floor drain. Takes a short time to 1/2 empty tank and then I pump water up from my storage area ( in the base ment ) with an Iwaki hi pressure pump which I did happen to have lying around. So all is pretty fast and easy there.You do have to watch,though,that you don't take out too much water or over fill the tank upon the refill stage if you get distracted by a good show on TV or something

[walt3]

i use the sink water flow to start the flow then just turn off water and let gravity do the rest. at the level i want i just turn on the water, adjust for temp and flip the switch. add my prime to the tank and read a magazine while it fills. been working for over 1 year now. good luck. ita a aqueon , python type system. walt

[Poco]

I use mag drive pump, works both in-line and submerged. It works really well for me.

http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/mag-drive-18-water-pump.html

[scrappinjaime]

I use mag drive pump, works both in-line and submerged. It works really well for me.

http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/mag-drive-18-water-pump.html

Can you give me a little more detail about the mag pump? Since you don't have to put it in a tank do you hook a small hose to one side and attach the vac to and the other hose goes out side? Is it loud? I have a transfer pump but wow is it loud :) I love my aqueon but the suction is horrible. I have a newer house and it doesn't have good water pressure. I tried the gravity drain and that was super slow. With a 125 gal and a 90 gal I need something quick :)