Innovative and efficient ways for large volume water change

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
For my setup, I use a 'T' fitting & a valve from my main return line and use Drips to remove the water from my setup into my Quarantine tank. I use 2 sets of drips, 1x 0.5 Gal / Hr & 1x 1 Gal / Hr, if my nitrates get over 50 ppm I use 1.5G/Hr, over 20ppm i use 1G/Hr, and the reste of the time I'm at 0.5 G/Hr. Been running like this for a while and no death since. For filling up, I just use a float valve and in-line carbon filter to remove chlorine.
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currently I have a magnium 350 running on my 150g. I have a "T" w/a ball valve and a hose conection. I just hook up the hose and let it siphon, then hook the same hose to the tap and fill her up...
 
I just hook up to the FX5 with my homemade hose drain it out the door then hook it up to my shower and fill it up takes nothing to do and no buckets yes lol. Here is a pic of the hose.

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ESOX;1119281; said:
These are all great ideas. I have a 720 gal tank and together with the stand it's about 7 1/2 ft tall and water changes are a pain to say the least.
Right now I'm just using long vinyl tubing (1" inside dia) siphoning to a drain or out the window. It does the job, not super fast or anything but it drains pretty decent. I am thinking about adding a pump to the draining portion but wondering if it's worth the effort.....probably is when I'm pulling 250 gallons out at a time.

To refill I have a flow diverter valve off the shower head in my guest bathroom. Looks like a "Y" with a little valve handle on it. When I want to use it to fill up the tank I hook up a garden hose (got an adaper->pipe thread to garden hose thread) to the diverter and run the shower (usally the bath faucet actually) til I get the temp I want and then turn the valve handle thus diverting the water from the shower head to the garden hose going to my tank. Once again, certainly not the fastest but it does the job.

Lots of good info here so far, keep it coming!
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with a 720 gal tank i would seriously consider a drip system. rallys has a great system and a long thread about it to boot.

how long does it take to do a 25% w/c on the 720?

im interested in your set up.
 
This is AWESOME!!! I knew there would be some slick methods out there but you guys are blowing me away here! So many different ways to accomplish something we all do! Can we get this stickied??? I think a lot of MFKers (including myself) can learn alot from this. Very impressive. Thank you all for responding and please keep it going.
 
hmt321;1122815; said:
with a 720 gal tank i would seriously consider a drip system. rallys has a great system and a long thread about it to boot.

how long does it take to do a 25% w/c on the 720?

im interested in your set up.
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I would consider a drip syetem too if someone would answer my earlier question on telling me about it lol. I suppose I can get off my lazy ass and "search" for it too.

As far as a 25% w/c is concerned.....the draining is actually pretty quick and I do have an extra pump that I plan on throwing into the equation if I want to do say a 40-50% w/c when my fish (and bio load) get larger. The time consuming part is the refill. The water flow going back into the tank is no where near as fast as the draining. I'm not giving up on it yet though as I believe it was my thriftyness (aka CHEAP) that is my undoing. The diverter I bought was a cheap crappy plastic one that reduces the flow pretty bad, even on the shower setting. I even thought to myself when I had it in my hands at Ace hardware "I'll be bringing this one back I just know it." Unreal. Thousands spent on the set up and fish and I'm trying to save 5 measly dollars.
Anyways, it serves it's purpose as it puts my desired water temp back in the tank.
Let me give you an actual time frame when I get a better diverter next week.
 
that the python works just fine for me. however i saw the earlier post of hooking it up to the water heater. good idea 1 im gonna give it a try. also the home depot pump looked good too. great ideas and set ups guys!
 
rallysman;1123536; said:
here is the info on mine:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27474&highlight=inexpensive+drip
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80209
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69707

I haven't done a large water change on my 265(first tank I put on drip) for well over a year. Nitrates never fluctuate, the fish act better, and never get stressed from water levels and parameters changing.
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WOW!!! Thanks for posting this in here! This definitely looks like something I want to try. My only problem is that here in Phoenix there's no basements. :cry:
I'd have to get really creative on draining.
 
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