Life just got easier

[esoxlucius]

At water change time during the emptying stage I had no option other than to run a long long hose, close to 40ft, from my fish room, down the hallway, through the kitchen, out of the back door and half way up the side ginnel of the house to the outside drain. All that hose needed when, as the crow flies, that outside drain is about 4ft from my tank, but of course a wall is in the way!!! Not to mention the awful draught flowing in through the back door, especially at winter. So......

I drilled a hole through the wall of my fish room and made it look nice. My water change hose is now about 10ft long, no more draughts, and subsequent moaning from the wife.

 

[A201]

Very resourceful.

 

[Matteus]

I have thought about doing something like this at my place but have always been once red about the winter air entering the fish room.

what is that a threaded cap on the outside?

 

[SuperNinja]

I did that for draining as well as refilling my tank and it honestly makes life a way easier.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Nice!

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Congratulations! I've never needed to do that or heard of anyone having to do that, but that you overcame this with DIY is great.

 

[jjohnwm]

I have thought about doing something like this at my place but have always been once red about the winter air entering the fish room.

what is that a threaded cap on the outside?

If you are actively pumping the water to the outside (as I need to do since my tanks are down in the basement) as opposed to simply letting it drain by siphon, you can drill the small hole in the wall or foundation, insert a short piece of water pipe with a threaded fitting on both inside and outside and screw a faucet into each side. Then attach hoses both inside and outside as required. Seal up around the pipe and you're done, with no cold air, bugs or other problems. It makes it very simple to utilize the waste water for gardens, flowers, etc.

Esox can get away with his set-up thanks to his balmy tropical location. That would be usable (or even accessible) for only half the year if I tried it. Even my solution requires careful attention to make sure the inserted pipe is angled downwards toward the outside, so that no water remains in it to be frozen and cause expansion and bursting. Need to keep the area dug out so as to be able to reach it as well.

 

[esoxlucius]

what is that a threaded cap on the outside?

That threaded black end on the outside is so I can screw that cap on when I've finished doing my water changes (you can see it on the floor).

The pipe going through the wall is angled slightly so if any water should get in the pipe it can't possibly dribble into the house!

And on the inside where that square white socket is, that black part where the pipe goes in is thick black bristles, a draught excluder if you will. The syphon pipe just pushes through the bristles. Then I go outside and pull it through enough to reach that drain.

This job had been on my to do list for some time, it makes water changes even more enjoyable than they were before! Lol.

Esox can get away with his set-up thanks to his balmy tropical location.

Yes, today is a balmy 15°c!!!! I'm out the back in my shorts making more planters.