Big tank water changes 400+

[Paul_MTS]

I'm in planning stages of a 580 gallong tank and i'm pondering on how to make water changes easiest.

I was thinking of putting a drain hole along the bottom somewhere where I could plan a dead spot for all the crap to settle then I would just need to open a valve and let all the waste out.

Or maybe I should just stick to the old syphon tube and pump out the window!?

How do you do yours!?

 

[MilitantPotato]

You could buy vinyl tube from a hardware store, or buy a python and hook either up to a water bed/external pump and power drain that puppy.

If you're doing a wet/dry system you could always drill a hole and put a bulkhead for a garden hose and drain the sump that way.

There's probably better ways but I'm drawing blanks at this time of the morning.

 

[rallysman]

If you dont want to worry about water changes you can always install a drip system. I've got one setup and its been working flawlessly, and the nitrates are at a steady low rate, they dont fluctuate like they would with large water changes once a week.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27474

 

[Paul_MTS]

Thanks for the ideas, I'll deffinately be putting a few drainage points in the sump mainly to keep it clear of sediment which is what I'm finding my main set up is getting alot of now.

I don't really want to do away with water changes just make it effcient as possible.