water change Idea (TIP)

[Haas]

I saw a previous post asking about doing water changes in large tanks. I have decided to show how I do mine. First you will need to go to your local home depot or similar hardware type store.
Buy your self the necessary amount of clear tubing and an adapter that will fit your water facet and also fit the hose. This should cost you less then $20. Depending on how far you will need to travel from your tank to water facet.

Everything you need:
http://www.rhdomain.com/fish/water-change-1 copy.jpg

Put hose in tank:
http://www.rhdomain.com/fish/water-change-2 copy.jpg

Make sure you have enough hose:
http://www.rhdomain.com/fish/water-change-3 copy.jpg

Suck end of hose until you see water coming and then remove your mouth or you will end up drinking fish water:
http://www.rhdomain.com/fish/water-change-4 copy.jpg

I usually try to do a 15% to 25% once a week:
http://www.rhdomain.com/fish/water-change-5 copy.jpg

When finished draining water, attach hose to facet and turn on water until tank is full. Also be sure to add some water conditioner while you are filling tank and make sure your not filling your tank with hot water, cold will be fine.the addition of the new cold water gives the fish the sensation like they might have after a rain fall in the wiled:
http://www.rhdomain.com/fish/water-change-6 copy.jpg

[Pootspete]

Quite a set up you have there Haas. I am sure some will benefit from your pictures and explanation.

[valerie]

I looked into making my own DIY python but around here the tuing cost more then if i were jsut to buy the 25foot python at the LFS

[csmaster]

If you find a local industrial suppliers, they should sell clear pvc tubing pretty cheap :)

[downloader]

Hey Val try home depot its 12 cents a foot

[Cichlid Woman]

It's so easy!--and cheap. What do you do about vacuuming your gravel, though? And thanks for sharing such a simple and effective setup.

-- Pat

[fishlips]

Hey haas, If you fill the tube first then disconnect the end from your faucet it will drain without needing to draw on the hose with your mouth. Yuckie fish water!

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Cichlid Woman
What do you do about vacuuming your gravel, though? -- Pat I got this little gadget and it works great! It runs off an aquarium air pump and is very effective. My Rena 300 puts out a lot of air, so I had to turn it down a little bit when using the vacuum.
http://pic4.picturetrail.com:80/VOL59/715239/1209351/17058804.jpg

[ArkyLady]

I've been eyeballing those magnum filters with the built in gravel vac. Been thinking about buying just one pro model and using it between all my tanks. Would this cause any problems? Not sure about possibly transmitting diseases or something with this method. I would't use it in my quarantine tank, just my established healthy tanks.

Thanks for the post and great details Haas! :)

[Haas]

I do use a gravel vac but not on every water change...

BTW here is a full pic of my tank:

http://www.rhdomain.com/fish/Tank-dec29-02 copy.jpg

[Jeremy S]

Originally posted by Haas
BTW here is a full pic of my tank:


How big is your tank?

[Haas]

Originally posted by Jeremy S


How big is your tank?

240 Gal 8x2x2

[valerie]

Nice tank.What kind of fish are in there?

Downloader: I tried home depot and revy and totem and every other store in town. I can't remember exactly how much the tubing cost around here as I priced it out 2 years ago. But it was quite more for the same diameter tubing the python uses. So i jsut got the python.

[Twilight]

You could use a baster bulb at the end.....squeeze till you see water. With a smaller vaccum hose I have.......... I just stick the whole baster in the end and squeeze. Works fast.

After you vaccum your tank that would be a good way to refill it...using the long hose....making sure the water temp is close.

"These lips never touch a hose."

[Orbitorly]

Wow!:eek: What a great looking tank, I wish I had the space and money for one of those.

[Shelly]

Hey I'm new to the boards..
Haas...That looks like a great tank ya got setup!
And thanks for sharing the pictures, it shows a very clever way to change the water, and looks pretty easy.


:cool:

[Richer]

I'm with valerie, I priced out the possibility of make my own "python" type device... turns out it would have cost me more just getting 50 feet of hose compared to the entire python setup. So I went the retail python route.

-Richer

[kzuk72]

I really dig that setup.
I'm gonna look into that.