How do YOU clean your tanks?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
First I feed at least 4 hours before water change.

15' DIY 2" Diam. black/plastic flexible laundry hose threaded to a 90* elbow to a 15" piece of pvc... drains 150 gallons in about 5 minutes tops (out the window to the yard)... Python from the sink to match the temp and fill'er up. Add 4 caps of prime and 3 more when the tank is filled and the sump is where I want it.

Thats my weekly routine
 
West1 said:
First I feed at least 4 hours before water change.

15' DIY 2" Diam. black/plastic flexible laundry hose threaded to a 90* elbow to a 15" piece of pvc... drains 150 gallons in about 5 minutes tops (out the window to the yard)... Python from the sink to match the temp and fill'er up. Add 4 caps of prime and 3 more when the tank is filled and the sump is where I want it.

Thats my weekly routine
Click to expand...


Do you have any trouble starting a siphon on a hose that big?
 
i use 1 and a quarter pvc pipe called the "quick drain" got it from a thread on this forum. put the pvc in my 120. start the siphon and i stopo it when the desired amount of water is reached. i do about 40 gallon water changes every week the pvc take the water out in about one minute. then i use a a garden hose attached to bathroom sink to fill it up.
 
I use a syphon connected to a long irrigation hose to drain to the yard. Then I take a 30 gallon rubbermade tub and stick it into the bathtub to fill with room temp water. I dechlorinate while filling and then use a small pump to bring the water back to the tanks. On the end of my fill hose I have a on/off valve to prevent having to sprint to turn off the water before overflow happens hahaha. Super efficient and easy system I do say. And I am not wasting precious water like all these python people 8)
 
I sipon into a bucket that I poured 2, 1 gallon milk jugs of water into and then marked with a sharpie to let me know how much water I took out. It makes for alot of trips when doing the 120 lol. For Christmas I asked for a bigger bucket.
 
I syphon water into my garden and water the plants then use the garden hose to refill. Simple, fast, eco-friendly and cheap.
 
aaronb said:
Do you have any trouble starting a siphon on a hose that big?
Click to expand...

I just realized I said 2" Diam... its 1.5". No I have no trouble... I wrap my hand around it (not to fond of tasting dry fish water from last week Lol) and take a deep breath... there she blows out the window!
 
does anyone have step by step instructions on making a DIY siphon from PVC and a wide hose? i want to make one to make water changes go by quicker.
 
I use an old sump pump attached to a garden hose and run it all the way out to my front yard. I turn on the power to start a siphon and then turn off the power after a few seconds. The water will still be draining. Then I get a gravel vac and bucket to clean the sand. After I'm done with gravel vacuuming, I turn on the power to the pump again. It takes me about 20 minutes to drain about 150 gallons. It's not nearly as fast as West1's method, but this way was easy for me to hook up and pretty much free since I had a spare pump and a lot of extra garden hose laying around in my garage.
 
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