DIY water change overflow??

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catfish52

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 8, 2010
15
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Maryland USA
Setting up a new fish room in a corner of the garage and I want to simplify WC's. I can't run fixed plumbing or floor drains out there, so I plan to use my Python from the adjacent laundry room as the fill hose, as I have done for years. What I'd like to do is set up an overflow system that allows me to drop in the Python and let it run while the tanks simply drain out as they reach the overflow level and I don't have to "mind the hoses" which many of you can relate to. My thought is to use a DIY PVC overflow in each tank, hard plumbed over to the window with an attached hose that I can just drop out the window so that even if I get distracted I won't overfilll a tank. I'm thinking 1" PVC should be large enough to keep up with the fill rate, so I'd need comparably sized flexable hose to mate up with it. How flexable is flex PVC?? Would a short length of that, say 5-6 feet, be flexable enough or is that stuff actually pretty stiff?? Surely some of you folks have done something similar, perhaps with automatic WC setups. All suggestions welcome:)
 
The only problem with that is that you will never know how much water you are changing. This idea is excellent for a constant drip changing system, but I don't think it is wise to substitute "true" water changes for the idea you speak of.
 
Hello Piscine. Well, you're right in that I won't know exactly how much I'm changing out each time, but with my typical well pressure and using the Python fill hose it takes about 20 minutes to replace 50-60% of my water in a 75USG tank which is my norm. If I let er ride for anything beyond 15 minutes I can be pretty confident that I've done a significant WC. One of the points to my building the fish room is to simplify maintainence, thereby making it easier and quicker to do more frequently. With all the tanks in one room that should make it fairly painless and the fish will reap the benefits. Wish I could automate the whole thing, but it's not practical to run hard plumbing out there and I really don't mind doing it manually, just trying to streamline things a bit.
 
catfish52;4722121; said:
Hello Piscine. Well, you're right in that I won't know exactly how much I'm changing out each time, but with my typical well pressure and using the Python fill hose it takes about 20 minutes to replace 50-60% of my water in a 75USG tank which is my norm. If I let er ride for anything beyond 15 minutes I can be pretty confident that I've done a significant WC. One of the points to my building the fish room is to simplify maintainence, thereby making it easier and quicker to do more frequently. With all the tanks in one room that should make it fairly painless and the fish will reap the benefits. Wish I could automate the whole thing, but it's not practical to run hard plumbing out there and I really don't mind doing it manually, just trying to streamline things a bit.
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Well, if you're getting well water, then that's different from us who have to use Prime after every water change. I think Piscine's concern might have been dosing to remove chlorine and chloramines, but that isn't a problem for you.

I think it's a good idea, although inevitably some of the new water will also be drained, so its effectiveness won't be comparable to removing x amount of water, and replacing it with x amount of new water.
 
Good point about the mixing of new and old water. Guess I'll just pump in new water a little longer to compensate. Yeah, being on a well does simplify things a lot. Just pump it out of the ground and into your tanks, no problems!! I'm lucky to have a good well. It seems to agree with my fish (FW) with no adjustments whatsoever.
 
I use a well also. Its nice! lol

I was just fixing to post again about losing some of the new water with the old, and that is very true. You also have to consider what could go wrong without you there, and how much damage it could do in 15-20 minutes, or however long you planned to let it run.
 
I'm not actually planning to leave it run unattended. I'd likely be cleaning glass or rinsing out prefilter sponges and be in and out of the room while the water was running, or maybe just sitting in a chair drinking a cup of coffee watching the fish!! lol When I picked up my 5th tank last Spring, 3 75's, a 56 and a 40 breeder total now, the wife said she wanted her house back, so either the fish had to move into the garage...or I did, so I chose the fish!! lol
 
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