Building my own python.

Hurley

Hurley

aka Bunny13
Oct 2, 2005
1,644
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Baltimore, Maryland
www.freewebs.com
I was at my LFS looking at the pythons and thinking to myself how easy they would to make. In doing some research I came across Leopardess's article on building your own python. I like the idea, especially since I need a very long python(100 ft.) and don't want to spend the money. I figured that the savings will be better the longer I go anyway. The only problem I had with her design is that my tanks are in the basement and the only faucets in the house are upstairs so I cannot rely of gravity to help empty my tanks. I assume that the waterbed faucet adapter Plan-B was talking about will fix that problem or I could go out and buy the replacement part for the python.

I just wanted to make sure I have all the parts before I head out to buy them this way I won't have to make 2 trips.


I need:

1 of those waterbed faucet valves or python valve
100ft of tubing
I would like some sort of shut-off valve
4 hose clamps

am I missing anything? <-----I have never seen a python in real life nor have I seen one work so I am going off of how I think it would work and from what I have gathered from pictures and posts.

Thanks!
 
I have the actual Python. One of my 20 gallons is floor level and the other is sink level. My drain is on the same floor, but even with the water bed adapter and good water pressure, the floor level tank will not drain with the Python system. The sink level tank drains fine. I just wanted to warn you that even with the water bed adapter, gravity is necessary. I'd ask around to see if anyone else has been successful draining up a floor before you invest dollars into making one!

Still, the Python systems, DIY or not, are good for filling tanks and may be worth it for that alone.
 
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If all you can use if for is refilling, then I'd just get a brass faucet adapter and two 50ft garden hoses with a gun/nozzle like you'd use to wash your car.

I can't see a python draining up a flight of stairs even if you had massive water pressure at your faucet. The price of 100ft of tubing has to be more than 100 feet of garden hose.
 
Does anyone else have any experience with emptying a tank up hill?

Hmmmm... well emptying the tank isn't the time consuming part, but filling it is so maybe I will go with the original DIY idea becuase I think it will be worth it. I like the idea of the gun nozzle for the hose, that way I can stop the water. Thanks for the advice and idea!
 
Alright, it is built. It was really simple and really cheap. Unfortunantly, it leaks. I have hose clamps around each side of the connector between the 20ft long tubes but it is not enough. I have them tightened to the best of my ablility so it there anything I can add that will be safe for my fish, flexible, and water tight to stop the leaking?
 
Now if you could tap the bottom of your tank and put a spigot in the you could use the weight of the water plus the vacuum from sink Faucet to get the water out.. You would be rather easy with the right tools cut a circle at bottom of tank then add a spigot seal it and there you go.... You could even make it with a screen and have it under your gravel line and pull excess poo and food out of the gravel... Wouldn't work for sand though......
 
Bunny13 said:
Alright, it is built. It was really simple and really cheap. Unfortunantly, it leaks. I have hose clamps around each side of the connector between the 20ft long tubes but it is not enough. I have them tightened to the best of my ablility so it there anything I can add that will be safe for my fish, flexible, and water tight to stop the leaking?
Click to expand...

Duct tape?
 
i know that duct tape solves 99% of lifes problems (super glue usually solves the rest) but IME duct tape doesnt work with water, haha. what kind of "connectors" do you have between each piece of tubing? are they barbed fittings? with my diy python i have a 50' garden hose and a 25' garden hose connected w/ a 5/8ths i.d. barbed fitting with hose clams and it has yet to leak after having it for over a year. if you want you can try some aquarium safe silicon (although im pretty sure just about any clear silicon is aquarium safe) on each side of the fittings and clamp them with teh hose clamps. after that i'd give it a few days to a week or so to make sure that its completely dry and there arent any possibilities of any harmful residues remaining or anything of that nature. HTH.
 
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