so nobody told me about pythons?

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Maybe you already know this?
Once siphoning begins, it is not neseccary to keep the tap water running (depending on how much lower the sink is than the tank).
Pythons have been around for at least 4 decades, I started using them in the 80s.
I believe they were originally invented to drain and fill water beds (popular in the late 60s and throughout the 70s.
I stopped using them when I realized I could use the gravity flow from my sumps to reroute tank water to my garden, by opening a valve, it would send hundreds gallons of old water from 5 tanks per sump, all at once outside. (I usually had 3 sumps all plumbed to the2" line heading outside to Semi-permanent plumbing in summer, old water went from the sumps in the fish room straight to the veggies.
It really saved at lot of time, with 20 tanks, over 1500 gallons, and used water twice.
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Just by opening the red valve above, old tank water was automatically sent outside.
Old water could also be sent to rain barrels, and ponds.
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I don't use a python, I just put 10 meter pvc hose on the end of my gravel vac. Throw it out the window or run it out the door and suck on it to get the siphon going.
To refill, just a fitting that screws onto the kitchen sink and connects to the gravel vac hose with a garden hose adapter. Easy.

Been using this for something like 17 years?
 
mine
I don't use a python, I just put 10 meter pvc hose on the end of my gravel vac. Throw it out the window or run it out the door and suck on it to get the siphon going.
To refill, just a fitting that screws onto the kitchen sink and connects to the gravel vac hose with a garden hose adapter. Easy.

Been using this for something like 17 years?
mine is something like 3 feet long lol
 
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I learned about this, but my dad doesn't want me to buy one cuz he thinks it is "overkill". Kelly Aquatics told me about them in a PM. Pretty sweet. I enjoy water changes, honestly, and listen to audiobooks while doing one. I use a Gravel Vac for my WC. Turns out Pool Filter sand is half silt, so when I rinsed the sand out for FREAKING 45 MINUTES when I decided it was a good time to put it in. BUT MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT FOR ANOTHER 45 MINUTES. 2 days later the tank cleared up, and every wc I have been using the gravel vac so i can suck up some silt :). Btw, Pool Filter sand is not good sand for fish tanks
 
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Caribsea sands are very good, sourced from nature and not just crushed rock like the Petcos house brand Imagitarium. A little on the pricey side normally a dollar a pound.
I have heard good results from pool filter sand if you rinse it well beforehand.

I would not use Imagitarium sand if you have fish that root around in the sand. Its sharp edges killed off 9/10 Cory cats I got.
 
As far as the python goes. I got one in 1988 and still using the same one today.
 
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Back in 95 when I was in the Army, I finally got moved into NCO barracks. One man rooms with a communal bathroom. So I was finally able to sat up a tank. It was one of them 40gal tall tanks with eight African cichlids. The owner of the store informed me on the merits of getting a Python.

Like duanes duanes said after you get the siphon going you can turn off the water. I disconnect it from the faucet attachment and run the hose outside to the plants.
 
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