Compatibility between big tank and lazy people.
- Thread starter toffee
- Start date
12 Volt Man;3441551; said:
I don't own a monster tank so I am just winging it here.
Assuming that 4ft python tube can vacuum a foot print of 6 sq inch at a time. A 1000g tank probably have a foot print of say 8ftx4ft? or 4609 sq inches.
Well, the owners were lazy or busy, they probably end up hiring help to do it. That's just my take.
toffee;3441619; said:haha you sir are not the lazy ones!
No, I am not lazy, but with out a python, I would never even think of owning the tanks that I do. And in addition to the python my husband has done some plumbing projects in this house that will make any new owners scratch their heads for a long time. I have a hot/cold water mix hose spigot in the kitchen just for the python to attach too. (Love my hose spigot BTW!) I don't need to use a sink faucet adapter.
I also have a salt water tap! Its a PVC pipe that runs between the basement and kitchen with quick connects at each end. I hook up a Sump pump in the basement and plug it into a "magic outlet." The pump gets tossed into a 70 gallon drum of salt water that I mixed earlier. Then upstairs I hook up another hose to the quick connect under the kitchen sink an I hoook up a light switch on a cord. The plug on my "light switch is a round one requiring a quarter turn and activates the "magic outlet" in the basement. This way I can stand next to a tank holding the hose that is connected to the pump as I flip the switch and turn the pump on. I can move 50 gallons of salt water from the basement to the kitchen in about 6 min with out spilling a drop!
I don't see how it takes someone 2 hours for a few tanks if you're using a python. I don't have any big tanks (will soon though) so maybe its harder than I think but I don't see how, the python makes it so simple. Even if I had 6 55-180g tanks I don't think it would take me anymore than an hour to gravel/WC all of them. I don't mind though if it would, I think its kind of fun to have my arm in the tank with the fish swimming around my arm. I'd love to have a huge tank/pond that I'd have to swim in to gravel vac.
I have a 120 gal and a 150 gal and it takes me about 1.5 hours a week to do w/c and gravel vac but i love it, kind of relaxes me after a long day in the office.
Sawyer;3442637; said:
I think you are overestimating how fast the water drains in a big tank. On a 70 gallon tank, I vacuum all the gunk out of the gravel and then set a stove timer for 10-12 min. The stove timer is so I don't forget the tank is still draining. If I vacuum for 10 min and drain for another 10 min... that is 20 min just to reduce the water level to about 50%. Filling takes another 10 min or so... That is at least 30 min to do a 50% water change on a 70gallon tank with a python. It takes a LOT longer to drain the big tanks.
Perhaps you are only planning to do 10% water changes? Your fish would thank you for doing larger volume changes.
sostoudt;3441562; said:to fill up, hook a hose up to your faucet or shower. buy a clamp, clamp hose to side of tank(so it flows in to the tank). sit back relax.
thats how you do it.
I could be missing something here, but how do you dechlorinate the water in this process?
it takes me 3 or so hours per big tank(i have four).It take almost an hr just to fill.Sawyer;3442637; said:
I do 25% twice a week (gravel vacing both times) on my current tanks.
Yeah, maybe I am overestimating how long it takes.. but even if it does take several hours a week for big tanks at least if you have a python you aren't doing much work, since it pretty much drains and refills itself (aside from gravel vacuuming)
Yeah, maybe I am overestimating how long it takes.. but even if it does take several hours a week for big tanks at least if you have a python you aren't doing much work, since it pretty much drains and refills itself (aside from gravel vacuuming)
