# How long does a PWC take you???



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

*How long does a PWC take you???*​
45 minutes1023.81%LONGER511.90%SHORTER2764.29%


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Hey everyone I am just wandering how long a PWC takes them.

If you have a 20g aquarium please reply and tell me

1. What percent PWC you do.
2. What do you use when you do a PWC.
3. How do you refill the tank.
4. What substrate do you have.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Couldn't vote as it doesn't take 45 minutes. More like 10 to do a 20 @ 50%. That is with gravel bottom, and using a hose to fill. The bigger the hose, the faster the drain. My delivery hose has a gooseneck that terminates in a tee so I can really move the water in if I want or need to.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

BillD said:


> Couldn't vote as it doesn't take 45 minutes. More like 10 to do a 20 @ 50%. That is with gravel bottom, and using a hose to fill. The bigger the hose, the faster the drain. My delivery hose has a gooseneck that terminates in a tee so I can really move the water in if I want or need to.


So you use a python? I WOULD LOVE FOR MY PWC TO TAKE 10 MINUTES!


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## Grumblecakes (Feb 20, 2011)

It usually takes me about ten min. Ichange anywhere from 10-70%. if I've just been feeding flakests lower than if they've been getting peas. Dirty water gets siphond into a old cat litter bucket. I premix a gallon of water with the tiny bit of salts and baking soda after each change. When do the change I add dechlor to treat the volume removed. Poor that in then I use a small hose to fill the tank from the sink. Pfs gets lightly vaced at the same time. I also use the hose to stir up spots the vac can't get into and the filter gets most of it.

Deeper cleanings done a few days after any filter maintence, rinsing sponges and gentle swishing media in old tank water. I end up with hair algae for a day or so after I clean the filters and the plecos make a mess of it.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

If you have pic's of the ITEM your using please put them up here.  I am lost on what *Grumblecakes* and *BillD* are using.


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## Norm66 (Mar 3, 2005)

I can do my 20 gallon and my 29 gallon, 50% changes in less than 20 minutes with a Python. I rinse filter pads and mix my additives (Kent Rift Lake essentials, baking soda & epsom salts and dechlor in a 1/2 gallon container with warm water) while the tank is draining then add it slowly as the tank refills.

My new 125 is going to take a little longer. I start a syphon and let it drain out into the yard right now, but obviously that's not a great idea in the winter so I'm going to rig up a drain down to the basement floor drain before cold weather gets here.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> BillD said:
> 
> 
> > Couldn't vote as it doesn't take 45 minutes. More like 10 to do a 20 @ 50%. That is with gravel bottom, and using a hose to fill. The bigger the hose, the faster the drain. My delivery hose has a gooseneck that terminates in a tee so I can really move the water in if I want or need to.
> ...


I don't use a python as it is too slow and wastes water. It isn't necessary in my situation as I drain to the basement floor drain. The gravel vacuum end on the python also doesn't allow for quick fills the way my teed gooseneck does.


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## Jmanolinsky (Jun 4, 2010)

Mine takes longer on my 60 gallon because I remove stuff and thoroughly clean the sand bottom and wipe down the glass with an algae scrubber. I do use a garden hose hooked to my kitchen faucet and drain it into the yard. I do my 28 gallon bowfront and 29 gallon tank together in about an hour. These are always 50-70% changes.


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

To do my 75 and 20 gallon nano reef combined takes like 20-30 max. The 20 alone probably only takes me 5-10 minutes.

I siphon with a garden hose that has a bottle on the end and then have to carry the water from the basement to dump. Both tanks are sand bottom. 25% on the 75, 10% on the 20. I refill via 5 gal buckets for the 75, 2 premixed 1 gallon jugs for the 20.










Note that I obviously do not cross over equipment between the two, except for one bucket that is never used for refilling and the saltwater is not dumped outside with the other water.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

*JoelRHale*, I do the same thing as you do to fill them up, but I don't have anywhere to store the water be4 I do the PWC. So I have to wait 5 minutes for the declorinater to do it's job.

Where did you get that bottle to hose connector?


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

Lowes, right next to their garden hoses. It's actually a shut off valve but most bottles have the same thread as a garden hose so it works out nicely. That whole system cost me about $5, just a cheap 6' hose, that valve, and I already had the bottle.

You can treat your tank water with dechlor and then add the water straight. I don't treat my water at all.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

I though the declorinater will kill beneficial bacteria in the filter?

Also when I did my PWC with sand, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I mixed the sand around, WITH THE FILTER OFF, and 45 minutes later it was still cloudy???

It's very different then gravel, also I didn't see any poop from the fish and I just wasn't sure where to vacuum. WHAT DO YOU DO?


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

I don't know about the BB thing, I've not used chemicals in a long time.

That is just the micro particulate in the sand. It will slowly get less and less as you do more changes. You'll siphon a lot of it out as you go. It won't hurt your fish. You can load up your filter with fine filter floss and remove it after the water clears, that will get a lot of it out of your tank. But definitely don't worry about it being harmful :thumb:


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Thank's so much!

What about, It's very different then gravel, also I didn't see any poop from the fish and I just wasn't sure where to vacuum. WHAT DO YOU DO?


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

The benefit of sand is it doesn't trap poop. I just vacuum everywhere. Doesn't hurt! Makes it look brand new too.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Do you move your sand 1 time a week?
Do you move your sand before or after you take out the water?


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

Move it how? Like stirring it up? I normally just siphon the sand and then agitate the sand with my hand as I make the sand flat and even because siphoning tends to make mounds.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

So you stick the siphon I'm the sand? 
Doesn't the sand get sucked up?


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

If you use something like the bottle it reduces the suction of the siphon and it will pull the lighter waste products and the tiny particles that make your water cloudy into the siphon, leaving your sand behind. It just takes a certain touch :thumb:


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## Supragsx (Jun 12, 2011)

I have city water (not sure it makes a lot of difference in this post). I have the shut of valve like the blue and black on in the pick that JoelHale posted. I do the same but start the syphon then connect to the garden hose and let it drain on the yard. I live in AZ btw. To fill my tanks back up I have milk jugs under my tank stands for each tank. They are pre filled and declor is in them days in advance. When I use a jug it gets refilled ad the declor goes in then. This way my water is room temp and ready to use. Takes me about 15-30 min if I do all 3 tanks it's 30 min. I have a 110 55 and a 20L. I normaly will do the 20L and 55 the same day then the 110 the next day but some times the 110 has to be done early.

I got the valve at a LFS on clearance for .25 cents it was normaly like $2 so I got 2 just to have a extra.

If u need to add salt or any other chemicals u can do it (as long as it will keep the effect on the water) when u fill your jugs.

I have sand in the 20L and 110 and 1/2 landscaping rocks in the 55. The sand is a lot easier to keep clean since most everything is right on top.

Hope this helps.
I like the milk jug since they are free(paid for when u buy milk) and can be used when water gets low from evaporating. I top mine off every couple of days.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

How do I clean the coke bottle to use it for siphoning?


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

Just rinse it with water. There's nothing in coke that would be dangerous to fish in microscopic amounts I don't think. If you're concerned I'd buy a big bottle of water and use that instead. That way you only know RO or Spring Water was in it.


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## Pizzle (May 24, 2011)

When I fill the tank I like to dump a big ol' five gallon bucket of water onto my rock pile. It washes the poo out of the rock pile.


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## Petromagne (Jul 12, 2011)

I've never timed it, but it must take at least half an hour. I have a 210 gallon tank with a sump, and I probably drain about 25% of the water using a garden hose. I siphon it from the tank to my bathtub. Sometimes I'll also go through with a more traditional siphon to clean up the sand. I put the declorinator in the sump and fill through the sump from the shower. It just takes a long time to drain 50 gallons of water and add them back in. My 20 gallon tank probably doesn't take 10 minutes to do a 25% water change.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

JoelRHale said:


> Just rinse it with water. There's nothing in coke that would be dangerous to fish in microscopic amounts I don't think. If you're concerned I'd buy a big bottle of water and use that instead. That way you only know RO or Spring Water was in it.


I decided to use a water bottle but how do I get the sticky off, that keep's the wrapper on???


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Sorry for double posting, 

Well I got a 40-80 GPH pond pump that I will use to fill up my tank's from the 5 gallon bucket.

So if I am right and I set the pump to 60 GPH it will take 5~ minutes to fill up my tank, which I only change 5 gallon's. Now all the water can declorinate at the same time and that save's me 30-40 minute's.


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## BelieveInBlue (Jul 17, 2011)

Takes me lik 20-25 minutes to do 2 20 gallon tanks. I do ~25% on each tank and i use a python (best freaking thing i ever bought  soooooo worth the 30 dollars i spent) and i just put enough dechlor for the entire tank in and fill straight from the tap without mixing in a bucket, never had a problem with that.


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

I just pulled the wrapper off. You could leave it on if you wanted. I really don't think it will do any damage. I used Sam's Choice water bottle and it really didn't seem to me like there was even that much glue on it to begin with.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

JoelRHale said:


> I just pulled the wrapper off. You could leave it on if you wanted. I really don't think it will do any damage. I used Sam's Choice water bottle and it really didn't seem to me like there was even that much glue on it to begin with.


Thanks man. The test will be saturday or sunday.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

The test has been done. The result's are 20 minutes!!! Thank's everyone for all the help. The pond pump worked great and had a perfect flow.

one question though,

I used a water bottle to vacuum the sand like *JoelRHale* does but my bottle was getting squashed by the force of water, so it's not like gravel vacuuming where you keep it there, is it???


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

Yeah, you need to keep an eye out for sturdy bottles  you really only need to scrape the surface though since detritus stays on the surface. I just push it in like 1/2" and then occasionally stir the sand.

Fiji Water and VOSS (the liter glass bottle) both make good bottles for this application.


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

I change 50% of the water on both of my 20s every week. It take me maybe 10-15 minutes for each one. I use a bio-orb pump/siphon. It works great!


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Ok well I just did my 2nd PWC with the bottle method but it's not picking up all of the poop and plant trash!?!?!?


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## JoelRHale (Apr 22, 2011)

What's the diameter of the hose you're using? The wider it is, the more powerful it sucks. Maybe also stir up your sand too.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Ok so i guess i have to use a garden hose


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## iwade4fish (Jan 5, 2009)

One inch hose to drain, dual garden hose to fill..100gallon takes >10 minutes to change 40-50%.
Filter? Spray the floss and sponges out once a month....3 minutes.

No need to wait the 5 minutes for dechlor, dump in tank, turn on hose.


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