# Using Garden Hose..



## Boomr99 (Dec 19, 2007)

Can I use regular garden hose for draining and filling a tank at water changes? I'll be setting up a 180 gallon tank soon and it'll be about 15 feet away from a sink and floor drain. I was thinking of doing my water changes with a garden hose, just put one end in the tank, go to the other end, start the siphon and let it drain into the floor drain. I could vaccuum the sand with it too. Then I could fill the tank back up by connecting the hose to the faucet on the sink.

Is garden hose safe?
I also have one of those white houses from my camping trailer that's supposed to resist mold and mildew, would that be better?

PS. I don't want to use a python because I think it wastes alot of water.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I am using the white drinking water safe hoses for my water refill & drain. A lot of people use new regular hoses but I wanted to avoid any potential for additives that may be in regular hoses.


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

I occassionally use a garden hose for filling up my tanks. I still do bucket brigade for emptying because I want to make sure that if I accidentally suck up a fish I can just grab it out of the bucket and put it back in the tank.


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## PaulineMi (Apr 3, 2008)

I use a garden hose that was labeled safe for drinking water. All's been well and there have even been babies hatched in the tank.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i do the exact same thing, just with a long clear plastic python brand hose. got it at my lfs for free. they had one of their old ones laying around


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## Boomr99 (Dec 19, 2007)

Thanks guys. Sounds like it's safe to use.
How do you get the syfon started on such a long hose? Just use your mouth and suck?


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

Suck IT!


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

Boomr99 said:


> Thanks guys. Sounds like it's safe to use.
> How do you get the syfon started on such a long hose? Just use your mouth and suck?


Totally safe to use. I've been using a plain ol' garden hose for awhile now, no problems. By far the easiest way to go.

I drain into my bathtub with the drain closed, that way I can make sure no babies have gotten sucked up accidentally. Thus far, I haven't seen a single youngster get sucked up, so it's probably not necessary, but it's still not a bad idea.

To start the siphon, you need to remove all the air from the hose. That's it. Some people use their mouth and suck, but I've never had any luck with that method. I hook it up to the sink, put the far end in the tank, turn the faucet on, wait for the air bubbles to stop, turn the sink off, kink the hose, unhook it from the sink, put it in the bathtub, unkink, watch it drain. BTW, you'll probably need an adapter to make it fit the sink faucet.


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

Boomr99 said:


> How do you get the syfon started on such a long hose? Just use your mouth and suck?


I place the discharge end of the hose in my tank and leave the other end hooked to the outside spigot. I then turn the water on at a slow rate until the hose is filled and not discharging air. Then it's a simple matter of disconnecting from the spigot and running that end out to one of my trees. No sucking involved and it gets the flow going every time. No adapter needed either.


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## Sin in Style2 (Feb 6, 2004)

I use a LEEs gravel vac that comes with 5ft of clear tubing. I sliced the end with 2 "V" cuts (not the vac end) then stuff it into a garden hose. Run the hose out the basement door to the flowerbed. Allowed me to gravel vac easily and start a syphon from the tank.

I dont trust tap water straight to the tank so i remove the vac end and use the tube on a RIO pump in a 50g tote. Kick the pump on and pump it into the tank. Hook the hose up to the outside spigot back flush the old water then bring the end back in to refill the tote. Just makes me feel better knowing the water sat for 48 hrs and saves me money on conditioner


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

I also used to just pull on the other end of the hose and put it in the floor drain by the boiler. I now use the powerhead in the tank. I stick the end of the hose up against the powerhead jet and instant syphon. It usually takes about 5 seconds to get going but it does the trick.


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## algae eater (Jul 29, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> Thanks guys. Sounds like it's safe to use.
> How do you get the syfon started on such a long hose? Just use your mouth and suck?


I have a 55 gal tank. It is about 25 feet from the front door and also about that far from the kitchen faucet. I purchased some extra tubing like what is on my Eheim pump. The tubing is attached to my vacuum and I run the hose out the door for my draining of the tank. It only takes one good suck to get the syphon going. I then take the same hose and hook it up to the faucet and fill the tank. It is quick and no mess from the buckets. The faucet is also better because you can regulate the temperature of the water. In the winter the garden hose water is pretty cold.


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## sirdavidofdiscus (Dec 8, 2006)

As long as the hose is potable water safe it's safe for aquarium use. Other hoses maybe safe also but I wouldn't risk it. As for the siphon. If you put one end of the hose in the tank ,and the drain is lower than the tank, as soon as the hose section from the end in the tank to a level below the the tank is filled with water the siphon will start. You do not need to fill the entire hose with water first. I've connected a hose to a utility sink and filled it only half way with water leaving the other end in the tank, disconnected the hose from the faucet, and put the hose in the floor drain. As long as the tank end is in water at a level higher than the outlet end that will be enough to suck the air out of the tank end of the hose and start the flow.


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