How Do You Change Tank Water?

[WyldFya]

I do 50-75% water changes regularly, I just use a long hose and a gravel vac for several tanks, and pumps for others.

Just a side word, NEVER uproots plants and gravel vac a planted tank. You are robbing the plants of their nutrients, and causing stress to the plants. Simply pulling detritus off the surface is enough.

 

[Idealconcepts]

For my larger tanks, 300 and 135 (and in the future the empty 180), I constructed a 1.25inch pvc pipe that connects to a 25ft pool vac hose. The PVC pipe is elbowed side ways and caped with holes drilled so water rushes in but fish are too large to be sucked it. I can drain half the tank in about 5 mins on the 300 and about 3 mins in the 135, its cut down on clean time drastically. I got the idea from one of the fish boards, it might have been this one. I just need to figure out how to refill the tanks quicker, it takes any where from 20-35 mins to refill the tanks. I remove about 50-75% of the water in both tanks once a week and vac twice a month. The UGJ (under gravel/sand jets push alot of the waste into the filter intakes. For my smaller tanks all under 80, I just use the python.

 

[Booger]

Here's my method (although this tank is about to come down). I come from the school of discus, so I believe in large, frequent water changes. The easier you make it on yourself, the less you'll put it off. I'm hoping to fully automate my next tank to facilitate daily water changes. Food for thought: Even highly polluted natural bodies of water are exponentially "cleaner" than any hobbyist tank.

You have to be a little creative. This weekend I'm helping my budding plumb his 75 for easy water changes. He drilled it and installed a 1" bulkhead about 3/4 of the way down the back panel. Add a little pvc pipe and a ball valve, and he'll be able to drain 75% of the water in his tank in about 2 minutes by turning a valve. I'm trying to convince him to use a thermostatic mixing valve and plumb a "refill" line to the tank, so then it would be 1 valve to drain and 1 valve to fill. Just takes a little thinking and sometimes a little plumbing.

 

[me_wee_todded]

pure genius^^

 

[rkc772]

i do a 100% on my 10 gal tank.. with leichardti's in it, but it only happened once.... for my 60 gal tank i do a 80-85%... i drain the water to the level the fish can take and add water slowly....(cold temp right now). growth on fish is really fast! i got sensitive fish in it... like gold nuggets and leichardti's too. in my opinion if the fish adapts to it go for it. but it would be wise to do a 25-35% water change.... i just do it too much.. and it can be risky.--- did i answer your question though?

 

[Dr Joe]

Here's my method (although this tank is about to come down). I come from the school of discus, so I believe in large, frequent water changes. The easier you make it on yourself, the less you'll put it off. I'm hoping to fully automate my next tank to facilitate daily water changes. Food for thought: Even highly polluted natural bodies of water are exponentially "cleaner" than any hobbyist tank.

You have to be a little creative. This weekend I'm helping my budding plumb his 75 for easy water changes. He drilled it and installed a 1" bulkhead about 3/4 of the way down the back panel. Add a little pvc pipe and a ball valve, and he'll be able to drain 75% of the water in his tank in about 2 minutes by turning a valve. I'm trying to convince him to use a thermostatic mixing valve and plumb a "refill" line to the tank, so then it would be 1 valve to drain and 1 valve to fill. Just takes a little thinking and sometimes a little plumbing.

With a mixing valve when do you dechlor the water, doing a 75% W/C with chlorinated water is more than just a little risky to the fish, we're talking gill damage here.

Dr Joe

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