Water Changes the Quick and Easy Way

[Booger]

but how do you get the conditoned water in there?
arent you putting pure tap when u change the water?
or do you add the conditioner while its filling?

how much conditoner do you use on average, and how much does it cost?

There is very little chlorine in my tap, so I toss a little cloram-x in the sump after I finish filling and call it good. I've never had a problem doing it that way. All the fish eat and act normally while the tank is filling. I forgot to put that little tidbit in my description.

I use about 2-3 lbs. of cloram-x/year. I buy a 5 lb. tub from Jehmco every couple years for $35. It's certainly not a big expense in the grand scheme of things. Good stuff.

 

[js302]

Set-up is hot.

Would be real good if you could put some pics of ur tanks ur personal gallery man?

 

[ridether]

I must say you have a great set-up.I would like to thank you for using your time and brain power. This tread will be useful for generations to come.

 

[Kieranuk]

I really like the idea but over here in the UK tap water is really cold and to get hot water it would have to go through a mixer tap which might be a prob as the hot water would come from a copper boiler. I do really like your idea though so hopefully I might beable to work something out.

 

[Idealconcepts]

Hey Booger - new to the board and like your idea for draining a large tank. I have large tanks as well and draining the water to do a WC takes a long time with a python, I have a 300gal, 135gal, and will be setting up a 180gal in the next few months.

Can I ask you a few questions with your equipment?

1. What was the reasoning for using 1.25in PVC? Would going larger to say 1.5in or maybe 2.0in drain even quicker or just make things more difficult?
2. What was the reasoning for using pond hose? My assumption is you could use any similar diameter hose such as clear vinyl or spa flex, am I correct?
3. Did you use the PVC glue to glue the pond hose to the ball joint valve and the PVC to the ball joint valve?
4. Did you just drill holes in the PVC so water would flow through it?
5. If the equipment is say at the middle of the tank instead of the bottom like yours, does this affect the flow-rate? (reason I ask is I have sand as substrate and wanted to keep it above the sand)


Thanks.

 

[Burbotman]

Those are the most awesome dimensions for a tank!

As for the idea, its pretty good. I believe a lot of people do similar things with a little variation. I hook my gravel vac up to a tube and it goes straight into the shower drain. Once i'm done that i hook a garden hose up to the faucet and fill again, no water wasted. I clean the sand once a week, but can change water through the sump whenever i want. Similar story here, ~30 mins of draining and filling here, while i'm waiting i clean prefilters and filters.

But yours is easier because you have no substrate.

And again, i love the dimensions of that tank

Ditto for me. I progressed from buckets to the python and then to the set up above.