# How to make water changes easier



## Chris1983hull (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi all any tips will help, I'm running a tetra-Tec ex700 filter is there any way I can use my filter to remove and replace the water using a three way valve and where on the net may be able to purchase some thanks for looking at my querie :thumb:


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## frank1rizzo (Mar 14, 2005)

I just use a 40ft garden hose. Put one end in my planter outside, and the other end I hold against the output jet of my canister for about 4 seconds. That starts the siphon for me. I drain into the plants outside, and when I am ready to refill, I just hook the end of the hose sitting in the planter to the hose connection that's right there (I have the quick connect setup so its east to remove/attach the hose.) Fill the tank back up, and roll the hose up. Easy as pie.


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## Chris1983hull (Oct 31, 2011)

I have thought of that but with living in the uk our incoming water temp is on average between 10Ã¢â‚¬Â¢c and 15Ã¢â‚¬Â¢c I was told to replace water of the same temp as not to shock fish with colder water or does it make no difference thanks for reply :thumb:


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## frank1rizzo (Mar 14, 2005)

that's too cold. You'll need to get a python, or get the connections to hook the hose up to a sink.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

You could certainly use a water tank to hold the water for the next change. A day or so before the change, put a spare heater in there, and use a small pump with a length of hose to circulate the water.

When you are finished siphoning, grab the end of the hose and pump that water into the tank.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

A python or Aqueon water changer attaches to a sink or hose, and both vacuums and fills. You can adjust the sink to a good temperature. People built their own with water bed fill/drain kits, too. Attaching to the canister doesn't let you vacuum.

It fills and drains kind of slow, but beats threading garden hoses through windows or carrying buckets around!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

CITADELGRAD87 said:


> You could certainly use a water tank to hold the water for the next change. A day or so before the change, put a spare heater in there, and use a small pump with a length of hose to circulate the water.
> 
> When you are finished siphoning, grab the end of the hose and pump that water into the tank.


This is EXACTLY what I had setup on my large reef tank. My tank sat next to my garage wall and outside the garage I had a LARGE plastic barrel. I had a RO/DI unit on my sink in my kitchen with a small diameter line running outside to this barrel. I had a small float valve in this barrel that when the water fell below the float valve it would trigger the RO/DI unit to fill the barrel back up. The barrel had a PVC pipe running to my sump under my reef tank. I had a float valve in my sump as well. When the water in my sump fell below the float valve it would trigger a small pump in the large plastic barrel to send in water directly to my sump.

This came in handy for two reasons.

1. I had a MASSIVE amount of water loss due to evaporation because I was running very powerful double ended HQI metal halide setup with a lot of watts for my corals. So instead of continuously checking my water levels and adding fresh water(no salt because salt does not evaporate) everytime it was low I set up this system for around $200 give or take.

2. When doing water changes this set up was VERY VERY VERY handy!! I would unplug my float valve in both my sump and in the barrel outside holding all my fresh water from my RO/DI unit. I would then add my salt to that barrel and get the salinity right and allow a power head I always had running in the barrel to stir up the freshly added salt. I would then hook up my python hose to my faucet and do my water change leaving the sump pump on. Doing it this way allows the water in the main tank to stay full while draining water only from my sump. When that water was gone I would then drain some from my main tank making sure to turn off all my pumps, calcium reactors, protein skimmer and heaters connected to my sump so they didn't burn up. When I was done draining the water for the water change I would then turn back on everything including the float valves and the salt water that was freshly mixed in my plastic barrel would then flow back into my sump and the fill up the sump and my tank at the same time. After that happened the barrel in the garage would be dry but the RO/DI unit would kick in and fill up the barrel again with just plain fresh water as stated in 1. above.

You could do the exact same setup Chris1983hull except you would obviously not add salt and you probably don't have a sump. So your setup would be a little bit simpler. I know it may sound complex but really it is not. I could help you if you wanted.

Can you not get a python or aqueon syphon hose and hook up to your sink? Do you have hot water coming out of your tap? This is what I use and the cost was around $50 US dollars. It makes water changes a snap.


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## olliesshop (Nov 21, 2010)

brinkles said:


> A python or Aqueon water changer attaches to a sink or hose, and both vacuums and fills. You can adjust the sink to a good temperature. People built their own with water bed fill/drain kits, too. Attaching to the canister doesn't let you vacuum.
> 
> It fills and drains kind of slow, but beats threading garden hoses through windows or carrying buckets around!


I use the Aqueon 25 foot water changer. I've been using it for about a year now, with no problems. I do 50% water changes in my 125 gallon tank once a week and make sure to put in Prime to de-chlorinate the water. I also make sure I have the water at the right temperature, usually within 1/2 degree.

Hope this helps a little


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

olliesshop said:


> brinkles said:
> 
> 
> > A python or Aqueon water changer attaches to a sink or hose, and both vacuums and fills. You can adjust the sink to a good temperature. People built their own with water bed fill/drain kits, too. Attaching to the canister doesn't let you vacuum.
> ...


I have the aqueon 25ft as well. Love it.


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## Chris1983hull (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi got hold of a 25m hose reel and mixer tap connector earlier on today and omg wot a doddle changing the water tonight plus the added bonus of water at around 25Ã¢â‚¬Â¢c from the tap thanks for all your help happy cichlid keeping =D>


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

I use a python and run it outside during warmer weather or to my kitchen sink. I have a pvc attachment that I connect my python to and the pvc hangs inside my tank. There is a submersible pump attached to the pvc. I kick the pump on and it sucks 90g out of my 180g tank in about 6 minutes. I use this time to clean my glass front and sides with a soft sponge.

I don't have to vacuum my sand. I use 2 6080 Tunze Streams to agitate the water 4 times daily. The Tunze's are on an auto-timer and kick on for 15 minutes 4x daily. The current picks up any poop and the smallest bits of uneaten food and my dual 2217 eheims located at each end of the tank do the rest of the work. Since sand is dense, little to no debris goes farther than the surface.

When I add my water it comes straight from the tap via the python. I add Prime and watch the temp to make sure the water is not too cold or too warm. I have a Lifegard Big Digital Temp monitor.

Afterwards I add the homemade Cichlid Buffer Recipe that can found here in the library. It consists of epsom salt, baking soda and Instant Ocean sea salt. I add these ingredients in amounts based on the new water added. I do a 50% weekly water change in under 1 hour.

Hope this helps.


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## Jmanolinsky (Jun 4, 2010)

All that is really needed is a garden hose with ball valves on each end and an adapter for your kitchen faucet that allows you to attach the hose to it. Using the hose, syphon the water from the tank to outside. Hook the hose to the faucet and refill. Pretty simple and dirt cheap.


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## chagoi (Dec 29, 2010)

A python works well. I used one for a long time.

I have a 180 Hap,Peacock,Yellow labs,Clown's & some cats. It's in the wall so you can't see the back. It has a working sink under it & a 45 Gal durm next to it. A sump under it, pumps to 2 cans up to the tank. W/C turn a valve on each canister & 1 in sink that back flushes the canisters,sump and about 5 Gal's from the tank. Or I can just siphon water from the tank. Many will disagree ( that's fine) but I treat the water in the 45 drum befor I pump it to the tank temp,declor,GH,KH & PH.

Someone posted . about pothos roots in the tank water to bring down nitrates.THANKS. I put some in my sump 3 weeks ago . They went from about 22 to about 3. If I ever learn how I'll post some Pics (I'm old)


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## rich_t (Nov 26, 2009)

olliesshop said:


> brinkles said:
> 
> 
> > A python or Aqueon water changer attaches to a sink or hose, and both vacuums and fills. You can adjust the sink to a good temperature. People built their own with water bed fill/drain kits, too. Attaching to the canister doesn't let you vacuum.
> ...


50% water change every week? Wow... I used to do about 25-30% when I had my 50G set up.

I only did about 10% weekly changes on my 90G saltwater tank.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

rich_t said:


> olliesshop said:
> 
> 
> > brinkles said:
> ...


I do at least 50% every week. I just started this after doing 35-40% every two days for the first few months the tank was set up. I know some people who do 80% every week.


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## rich_t (Nov 26, 2009)

13razorbackfan said:


> rich_t said:
> 
> 
> > olliesshop said:
> ...


Times sure have changed. Back when I had my tanks up and running (about 20 years ago or so) the prevailing wisdom was to do 20-40% weekly changes depending on how many fish were in the tank.


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## olliesshop (Nov 21, 2010)

Yeah, basically I do 50%, since that's the advice I got from this site over the last year. I started with 10%, but folks said it wasn't enough to keep the nitrates under control.

Also, it's critical to use something like Prime ... http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html, to de-chlorinate the water. I also use some Seachem "Lake Tanganyika" salt ... http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/TanganyikaBuffer.html and a certifed digital thermometer from ... Tech Instrumentation (A150QCERT Min/Max Digital Thermometer with High/Low Alarm and Long Form Certification).

All the best !!!


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## aggriffin3 (Aug 15, 2009)

Can someone tell me how they go about de-chlorinating the water using the python or similar product. Do you just put the de-chlorinate drops directly into the tank as it is filling up?

Thanks in advance

Art


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Dose enough for the whole tank, not just the water you're adding, as you start filling. 3 capfuls of Prime take care of 150 gallons for me, that stuff doesn't take much!

I change enough water to keep nitrates around 20ish myself. It really depends on what's in the tank, and how much they're being fed.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

aggriffin3 said:


> Can someone tell me how they go about de-chlorinating the water using the python or similar product. Do you just put the de-chlorinate drops directly into the tank as it is filling up?
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Art


I add it after I fill my tank and right before I turn my filtration back on. Like another poster mentioned I add prime for the whole tank not just the water I replace. I usually replace between 35% - 60%.


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

rich_t said:


> Times sure have changed. Back when I had my tanks up and running (about 20 years ago or so) the prevailing wisdom was to do 20-40% weekly changes depending on how many fish were in the tank.


That is because back when you had those tanks (like myself) nitrates were not thought to be a big worry at all. Recently they have suspecting that nitrates do effect fish more then first thought.

I am not so sure about that thou, I mean our fish did fine back in the day. I still don't go overboard with water changes. If nitrates are around the 40 I am happy enough and the fish are lively as ever.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

Nodalizer said:


> I mean our fish did fine back in the day. I still don't go overboard with water changes. If nitrates are around the 40 I am happy enough and the fish are lively as ever.


Some species of cichlids would not survive such dirty tank conditions for long. Ich or similar non-fatal illnesses will surely spring up and either require medication to cure or kill the fish. 
The benefits of keeping cichlids for 30 years and keeping up with every new technique and bit of knowledge that comes along has been that i can really see the difference in mdern aquarium keeping compared to ( as my children call it) the olden days.


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

Number6 said:


> Some species of cichlids would not survive such dirty tank conditions for long. Ich or similar non-fatal illnesses will surely spring up and either require medication to cure or kill the fish.
> The benefits of keeping cichlids for 30 years and keeping up with every new technique and bit of knowledge that comes along has been that i can really see the difference in mdern aquarium keeping compared to ( as my children call it) the olden days.


Well they haven't as of 15 years of keeping, and i've kept a fair variety overs the years .. thou i guess they might one day.

Can't say I have ever had a deseased fish in one of the tanks I keep, the kids have from time to time... and I wouldn't call 40 nitrates "such dirty tank conditions". Its a fairly normal nitrate level for a healthy tank.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

I agree, I have only been doing this for about 9 years, but I have never had ich on my 50 and I shoot for 40 or under, hardly what I would call dirty.

Back when I was playing with plants, they would suck that 40 out so fast that the plants did not make it, they took it to 0, but that was too clean for the plants.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

I am very specific with my words like when i use the word "some" and yes, 40ppm nitrate is filthy depending on your point of view.

Try and keep Discus, sand sifters or cyps at 40ppm and see what happens.  
Mbuna? No problem...


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

Number6 said:


> Try and keep Discus, sand sifters or cyps at 40ppm and see what happens.
> Mbuna? No problem...


Kept them all, not a problem.

But, I only kept a school of 6 in a "well planted" large tank for the discus. So obviously the waste didn't come to 40ppm after 20-40% weekly water changes and the plants doing there job. But I have known many people to keep discus in tanks with 40ppm. Some people do not like nitrates over 10or20, I personally do not like large regular water changes and think they stress fish more then nitrate ever has. What you get into with a large water change is a cycle, you need to keep doing it because that large water change has caused extra ammonia to be created, meaning the next water change has to be also large to keep the levels in check.

Anyway, this topic was not about how toxic nitrates are, my tangent was to explain to an old hobbyist the reason why times have changed.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

Number6 said:


> I am very specific with my words like when i use the word "some" and yes, 40ppm nitrate is filthy depending on your point of view.
> 
> Try and keep Discus, sand sifters or cyps at 40ppm and see what happens.
> Mbuna? No problem...


I have never tried, but my understanding is you need magic to keep discus alive. 

On the other extreme, I helped an attorney at my wife's office yesterday, he was on vacation and told her to ask me to stock his tank. He had a single enromous blood parrot and a 6" upside down cat in a 35 gallon hex. Gravel and rock substrate. "Every other fish died, I don't know why" He pays a guy to clean it "once a month."

Guess what the nitrates were? I don't know either, but it was WAY darker than 160. My daughter asked if the tube had blood in it. I bucketed the parrot and cat, did a total water change and flushed the gravel several times, got it to 40ppm after about an hour.

I stocked it with some tiny stuff, Accei, baby yellow lab, a baby frontosa, a baby peacock. I gave the big fish to the LFS and told them they came from very high nitrate water. At laast report, they were fine.

I will maintain it and use it as a grow out tank for my new 100, any time anything breaks 3 inches, they get re homed to my place. Now I have a 100, a 50, a 35 hex, and a 10G hospital tank, I should be able to shuffle for agression pretty easily. He's going to pay me to take care of it and for his stock/chemicals, not much but I can throw it towards defraying the cost of this ridiculous hobby you guys got me into.

Oh, sorry, hijack over.


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## stricd (Mar 18, 2008)

Somebody mentioned that the python was time consuming - how long does it take (time/number of gallons) to do a change?

Also, I have always used buckets with all the chemicals premixed, with the assumption that this would be less stressful to the fish than letting everything mix in the tank. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

No idea on the python.

Buckets are of course the best option allying you to get the water as close to the tank water as possible so they do not notice much of a change except fresh water.

But in saying that .. I have used a hose to fill my tanks for many years. They are suppose to love the temp change, and the massive airation seems to get them active, another thing I find is they play in the current and forrage for any food waste I missed, when I add cichlid salts they like to swim in the current too .. must give them a sensation much like a bath i'd imagine (lol, salt bath).

So to each his own I guess.. I just find a hose easier for me, and my fish are used to it now and love it.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

How slow it drains depends on the height of the water in the tank vs. the height of the end of the hose where the water is draining out. Maybe 20 mins/50 gals for me.


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## Jmanolinsky (Jun 4, 2010)

"What you get into with a large water change is a cycle, you need to keep doing it because that large water change has caused extra ammonia to be created, meaning the next water change has to be also large to keep the levels in check."

Do you care to explain how a large water change causes more ammonia to be created?

Thanks,
Jman :thumb:


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

I am limited to buckets... At least I get a little exercise. My tanks are more than 50ft from the nearest tap with hot/cold and also in the basement 8 ft below the lowest sink in the house. The tanks also are not in a fishroom environment so water spillage isn't acceptable. I'll have to be creative, climbing up a step stool with a 5 gal pail may one day lead to an accident :roll:

Now if I could get that laundry tub installed in the basement.... then a python would be a godsend.

I also must haul the old water upstairs to the sink as well, ok not in summer as I can toss it out the walkout basement, but in the winter that won't be an option.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

skurj said:


> I am limited to buckets... At least I get a little exercise. My tanks are more than 50ft from the nearest tap with hot/cold and also in the basement 8 ft below the lowest sink in the house. The tanks also are not in a fishroom environment so water spillage isn't acceptable. I'll have to be creative, climbing up a step stool with a 5 gal pail may one day lead to an accident :roll:
> 
> Now if I could get that laundry tub installed in the basement.... then a python would be a godsend.
> 
> I also must haul the old water upstairs to the sink as well, ok not in summer as I can toss it out the walkout basement, but in the winter that won't be an option.


If you get a large rubbermaid garbage can, (you can even get a caster base so it will roll around if you like). Then you can fill the barrel with a garden hose from far away using a ball valve, and then use a submersible pump to get the water into the tank after you have conditioned it and adjusted temperature. Safe and easy.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

skurj said:


> I am limited to buckets... At least I get a little exercise. My tanks are more than 50ft from the nearest tap with hot/cold and also in the basement 8 ft below the lowest sink in the house. The tanks also are not in a fishroom environment so water spillage isn't acceptable. I'll have to be creative, climbing up a step stool with a 5 gal pail may one day lead to an accident :roll:
> 
> Now if I could get that laundry tub installed in the basement.... then a python would be a godsend.
> 
> I also must haul the old water upstairs to the sink as well, ok not in summer as I can toss it out the walkout basement, but in the winter that won't be an option.


If your tanks are in the basement, you must have a floor drain to drain the tanks to. Adding a set of taps, even without a laundry tub, is fairly simple, and would take care of your problems.


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

Jmanolinsky said:


> Do you care to explain how a large water change causes more ammonia to be created?


I think we have derailed the thread enough, hence why we stopped talking about it.



> If you get a large rubbermaid garbage can, (you can even get a caster base so it will roll around if you like). Then you can fill the barrel with a garden hose from far away using a ball valve, and then use a submersible pump to get the water into the tank after you have conditioned it and adjusted temperature. Safe and easy.


Now thats using your head to make a heavy job lighter hehe


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

BillD said:


> skurj said:
> 
> 
> > I am limited to buckets... At least I get a little exercise. My tanks are more than 50ft from the nearest tap with hot/cold and also in the basement 8 ft below the lowest sink in the house. The tanks also are not in a fishroom environment so water spillage isn't acceptable. I'll have to be creative, climbing up a step stool with a 5 gal pail may one day lead to an accident :roll:
> ...


No problem disposing of the water, the hardest task is climbing a step stool with a 5gallon pail and tipping it sloooowly into the tank +) I manage and I don't mind the exercise. Dragging the old water upstairs to the laundry tub is a null issue really as I only need to do it 3-4 months of the year (I'm in the shwa BillD)


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