PYTHON CLEANING WITH MONSTER TANK?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
H

Hendo

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 7, 2013
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Boston
Hi all, I have been running a 75 gallon SA cichlid tank for a little over 5 years now. Recently I have been searching for a 240-300G tank, my dream is to have an arowana and p.bass.
I use a python cleaning system to do the WCs. I usually try to vacuum every square inch of gravel in the tank. Vacuuming every square inch is no quick chore. My main concern with going for a huge tank is the time it is going to take me to vacuum the gravel. Do you guys with huge tanks feel this is legitimate concern? is it very time consuming to vacuum your gravel? do you use a different cleaning system bc of this? thanks for any input
-Tom
 
You could just paint the bottom of the tank whatever color substrate you want and go bare bottom. Id recommend that or using sand. You don't need a 3" thick bed of sand either. But python is still helpful for water changes.
 
Pythons honestly suck for me. They drain wayyyy to slow, I bought drinking safe hoses from walmart for around 10 bucks a pop at 25 feet.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-10-Fresh-Water-Hose/14504300
Kinda like this one but the blue one just cause its longer. From that I bought an hose attachment to my 1200 gph pump and water changes are a breeze and my lawn gets a nice watering lol only part that sucks is my kitchen's water pressure is a bit weak and it takes what seems like forever to fill up! Weekly maintenance on my 220 and several other tanks(110,75's,55's,and a couple ten gallons) doesnt take very long the way I do it!
 
Danielcho said:
Pythons honestly suck for me. They drain wayyyy to slow, I bought drinking safe hoses from walmart for around 10 bucks a pop at 25 feet.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-10-Fresh-Water-Hose/14504300
Kinda like this one but the blue one just cause its longer. From that I bought an hose attachment to my 1200 gph pump and water changes are a breeze and my lawn gets a nice watering lol only part that sucks is my kitchen's water pressure is a bit weak and it takes what seems like forever to fill up! Weekly maintenance on my 220 and several other tanks(110,75's,55's,and a couple ten gallons) doesnt take very long the way I do it!
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thats a a great idea! So your pump is not submersible then? I have a pump I could attach hoses to. Does the pump ever get clogged with debris or pull up gravel?
 
I don't have a massive tank....yet. but I've been looking at all the massive tanks here and they all have bare bottoms or sand I think just for that reason. Vacuuming gravel is a PITA!!! I'm getting tired of it in my 125. Can't ever get it completely clean!!! Worse water quality in my opinion.

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Hendo said:
thats a a great idea! So your pump is not submersible then? I have a pump I could attach hoses to. Does the pump ever get clogged with debris or pull up gravel?
Click to expand...

Never does! It is not a submersible pump and its a bastard to prime haha. I do have a bit larger gravel but I do use the python hose connector that adjusts flow to make sure i dont suck up gravel and I do have some wire mesh so even if I do have it set too hard that gravels not going anywhere! But normally I do tone the flow down considerably and then go throughout the tank and clean the gravel and then let her ripe on full flow and drain the tank!
 
I have 3 larger tanks--2-180 g and 1-300g and also several 55g and smaller. I use a python and have a sand substrate. I love to do the water changes as that is the best time to really investigate what is happening in your tank, and it's quite relaxing if you are not in a hurry. The best part is when you fill the tank back up to watch the excitement of the fish. This tends to be the time that triggers spawning. Think of this as bonding time, and not a chore and then it will not feel like it takes as long as it really does. LOL
 
A bare bottom with considerations made to flow and pickup, then its a non-issue and you don't need to touch it at all. Eventually everything will find its way to the pickup tubes.
 
I had bare bottom and it is easier but gravel or sand looks better IMO. I hook my python up to a BA utility sink in my basement so by the time im doing vacuuming its ready to be filled up. It all comes down to the water pressure its hooked up to I think.
 
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