Water Change Method - with sump

[Sabbath78]

Hope this is in the right section.

I've been trying to wrap my head around this for a while now and it's starting to get on my nerves lol. I'm trying to plan details of a future Discus set up to save issues later and I'm stuck at the best and easiest way to do water changes. I want to make it as quick and easy as possible while not having to mess about with buckets and what not. Ideally I'd be able to turn some valves, drain the right amount, then replace it.

The tank should be 60x24x24" with a 40x18x18" (approx) sump, connected via a weir running a Herbie system. Clean water will come from an HMA, go into a 220 litre food safe barrel where it can be heated, aerated and whatever else, then pumped into the tank from there. I can fit a drain from the system that goes outside. So essentially I'll be able to change 220 litres at a time. That's the maximum amount I have room to store, my tapwater is crap and I don't trust it.

Getting the water into the tank isn't a problem. Getting the water out of the tank easily, quickly and with minimal effort is what I'm struggling with. There will only be so much I can drain until the water level drops to the overflow in the tank, and only so much I can remove from the sump. I know I can stick a syphon into the main tank and run it to a sink (and when needed I will) I'm just trying to minimise my chances of slacking off water changes. There's probably something simple I'm overlooking, but figured I'd ask for suggestions.

Hope that made sense.

[AquaticNerd]

I've used submersible pumps to pump water out of the main display, hooked up via potable water hose and emptied into a drain. This worked great for my discus tanks that were bare bottom, as I could halfway empty a 110g setup in about 3 minutes. It only took another 5 or so to swap the pump to the storage container and fill it back up. To fill, I made a U-shaped filler out of PVC that I could just hang on the tank and attach to the hose so all I had to do was let 'er rip.

You could also consider drilling a drain port at the bottom of the aquarium with a screen attached. Plumb in some pipe, a ball valve, and out to the drain and you have a way to just open a valve to drain the tank.

Of course, both of these methods really only work for bare bottom aquariums and don't really help you out if you're planning on gravel/sand/planted, etc.

[Vanman]

Drill the back side of the main tank and plumb it to where ever you want the waste water to go. Then plumb a line from the storage tank to refill. All you have to do is turn ball valves and turn a pump on. I use union ball valves. They turn much easier and can be repaired.