Innovative and efficient ways for large volume water change

[ESOX]

This thread is basically for the bigger tank owners as I'm interested in hearing how you perform LARGE VOLUME water changes...Not substrate vaccuming. I'd like to know who's got some innovative and efficient ways to do this. Keep in mind that innovative and efficient don't always coincide.
Do you use an electric pump?
Do you use a large diameter drain hose?
Do you do it from the sump?
Do you have plumbing rigged from your tank to a drain?
What's your method of adding new water and do you heat it?
I want to hear how you guys do it.

 

[moxxommox]

at present i use about 20 ft of 2 inch hose and drain it (put some pvc pipe to suck up the poop) and then use the tap top fill up the tank

I am looking at getting a 60lt drum to store water in and going to use a pump to pump the water(RO)

 

[ercnan]

My 125 has an extra "intake tube" that runs to a condensate pump behind the tank. This tube has a ball valve inline.
To drain, I just open the ball valve since once the siphon is started, it's always there as long as the tube stays submerged in the tank. The tank water gets pumped up to groung level (tank's in the basement) and out to the flowers.
To refill, I add Prime directly to the tank, and open a small fill valve that is tapped into the water supply via "ice maker" line.
I do not heat the fill water, just control the fill rate to let it mix on it's own.
I basically sit and watch the process, only having to open/close 2 valves and add prime.

 

[hillbilly]

Before I got "smart" and added drip to my tanks, I used a 500gph pump that I attached to a water hose, and quickly drained it out the door. I then used the hose to refill. I use well water for my tanks, so I don't worry about chlorine and such.

 

[Greenaveli]

i use 1.5 tubing straight out the door to the drain. I put an 1.25 tube on the faucet adapter for the python and fill the tank. Planning on setting up adrip system soon.

 

[FishGoneWild]

How much do you guys spend on this these water pumps to transfer water? I need a water pump that can pump water 6ft up to fill my tank. I was told I could use a Rio powerhead and attach a tube to refill water from a clean trash container. Any suggestions and price on how much? I'm getting tired of hauling 5 gallons water bottles to refill.

 

[Nic]

i drop my lil giant utility pump in my tank and let it rip i can drain 100 gallons from my tank in about 4 min... now im working on a faster way to fill it up......

 

[rallysman]

Drip system They're actually just as (if not more) efficient than regular water changes. Some argue that the small amount going in gets diluted requiring you to use a larger volume of water overall, but IME it's about the same. It's easier to maintain certain levels instead of trying to lower them.

Search for drip system.

 

[dragonfish]

I drop in a submersible pond pump(Home Depot) drain out the window. Put pump into a filled barrel and start refilling with dechlorinated water.

 

[FishGoneWild]

I drop in a submersible pond pump(Home Depot) drain out the window. Put pump into a filled barrel and start refilling with dechlorinated water.

How much is this pump and what size hose does it take?