Effective water changes?

[franchise513]

As i was doing a water change I was thinking there has to be a more effective way to do it then the way i am. I have to use those 5 gallon buckets from home depot and pump the water into the bucket and then repeat. When i get a tank bigger then a 55g I was thinking there has to be a more effective and easier way to do it, because when i get my 220g, that is 22 buckets just to get a 25% change each week. And thats not a very time efficent way to do a change.

So i was wondering what are your guys way of doing water changes? And im not trying to setup an automatic water changer or anything like that, because i know i will screw that up in some way. So any input would be appreciated

 

[Bb66cuda]

A long hose that will syphon outside or into the toilet works well.

 

[Slim2634]

Bad math there buddy. 22x5 is 110 so that would be a 50%. Either way alot of buckets. Use a python type system that hooks to a faucet and drain it to the sink. I made my own thing that hooked up to my shower head. I would drain my 75 into my bathtub and hook it up to my shower head and fill it back up. I could do a 50% water change in 15 minutes or less.

 

[franchise513]

Bad math there buddy. 22x5 is 110 so that would be a 50%. Either way alot of buckets. Use a python type system that hooks to a faucet and drain it to the sink. I made my own thing that hooked up to my shower head. I would drain my 75 into my bathtub and hook it up to my shower head and fill it back up. I could do a 50% water change in 15 minutes or less.

11 to take out the water, 11 to refill it... i know my math

and i have the whole siphon thing, but my siphon only does refilling not taking out, and when your adding water dont you add prime or water conditionor or anything like that?

 

[alotadollars]

i have a 10 foot siphon hose that i put out the window, and i have a hose hooked to the sink in the bathroom. so at one end i put the hose and the other end i siphon. dont take me much more then 20 min for my 240

 

[alotadollars]

oh i am on a well so dont need prime

 

[franchise513]

oh alright thanks alotadollars, and yeah i was just thinking of having some type of hose running to it, and i wish i was on a well, but i dont want to trust my water and lose a prized fish if you get me?

 

[Burto]

Currently my biggest tank is ~50 gallons, and I do water changes with a 5 gallon bucket the same way you do.
When I upgrade to a ~170 gallon tank, I plan on getting a 200 litre/50 gallon barrel (about $80AU new for drinking water grade) and an extension for my gravel vac so I can run it out the window or connect it to a garden hose so I can drain the water to wherever in the yard I need.
Then to refill, stand the barrel next to the tank, fill it with tap water and water conditioner, then use a spare 2000lph pump I have to pump the contents of the barrel into the tank.

 

[nfored]

You could make a drip system for around $100 bucks if you have chloramines, but since your on a well and likely don't have those you could make it for like $50.


You can hard plumb drain and fill lines to your tank, so all you need to do is open one valve to drain and one to fill. This is very fast and very easy.

DIY Python as mentioned like $35, faster and safer then buckets, I will never ever do buckets again, I will fill it up with a garden hose before I go back to that.

 

[Egon]

and i have the whole siphon thing, but my siphon only does refilling not taking out, and when your adding water dont you add prime or water conditionor or anything like that?

To drain: I syphon right to my plants/trees out side. That way you use the water twice and the plants love the fish water

For filling I just hose it in. I run the water first for about 2 min into the grass to get the old water out of the line. I've never added prime or anything after my water changes. I think it's a myth or very good advertising by the water conditioner companies. However, I never do more than 20%. I think if you did a 100% water change with straight tap water there might be trouble. Old military saying from back in the day: Dilution is the solution. So a 20% or less water change should be fine. At least this is true for me, I live in a very large US city. The tap water is very consistent from year to year. 30 years of fish keeping, no issues with tap water, ever. Of course I could of been using Prime for those 30 years and I would tell you Prime is the only way to go. Imagine all the money I saved...............