I don't understand how people do water changes.

[hoppy hippo]

I want an aquarium and I've been researching it for a long time. I've read tons of internet and I have some pretty good books. But one of the things I can't wrap my head around is the practical procedure for doing a water change.

So I vacuum the gravel while sucking the water out with a hose, I get that part. But then how do I put new water in the tank? Like, physically, how am I supposed to do it? Lift the bucket up and pour it into the tank? I can't do that lol. A five-gallon bucket full of water is too heavy to lift up high enough to pour into the tank (not to mention it seems like that would make a huge mess).

A smaller bucket (say, two gallons) would be more manageable, except for the fact that I'd have to fill and lift it way too many times (I want my tank to be 75 or 90 gal). I can't use a hose to add the new water, because when putting water into the tank, gravity is working against the flow of water, right? Since the tank is at a higher level than the bucket.

Assuming I do not want to use a python thing connected to a faucet, how am I supposed to get water back into the tank? How do you all do it? How did people do this before pythons were invented?

Can someone please explain this for me, in a way that my simple mind can understand? :idea:

 

[Rbishop]

Before Pythons...buckets or pails was the most common, unless you plumbed a fill line to the tank. You could set the bucket on a stand higher than the tank and siphon it back to the tank, but buckets are not that messy.

 

[RisiganL.]

I do it the brute force way with a 5 gallon bucket for my 60 gallon. It is annoying, but you get used to it. Another way is to use a python system like Rbishop suggested. You can hook it up to a sink and it will pump water directly into your tank.

 

[Kaosu]

if you don't use a python ...you do it with buckets over and over and over again...and that is how it is done.

 

[axelrod12]

Besides a python or hose there isn't really much besides a bucket. In my opinion, for anything over 50 gallons, a python or DIY python is worth every penny spent.

 

[TL1000RSquid]

You can buy a cheapo pump to move the water for you its what I use when have to transfer a bunch of water from a barrel of RODI to my saltwater mixing barrel.

 

[Iceeeyyyy]

Get a large rubbermaid container or anything large enough to hold the amount of water your planning on siphoning out and let it age for a day or so then put in a pump with hose connected long enough to go back into the main aquarium and plug the pump in.... Just be sure all params and temp are equal as to not shock your fish or whatever it is you are keeping....

 

[OrionGirl]

Yep, pumps or buckets, or a python. I've done all three, for various size tanks. For FW, a python is definitely easiest if your water source is acceptable. For anything else, having a large holding tank to mix the water in and a pump to move it works quite well. Other option is to have a sump, and then the water can be poured into the sump--that prevents poured water from moving gravel or decorations around as it goes in, and means you're not lifting the water as high so can use a siphon.

 

[esoepr1976]

The old fashioned way is to haul buckets of water and lift them into the tank. Very messy/hard and time consuming. I have an aqueon water changer (another brand of python), that hooks directly up to my sink. It sucks the water from my tank and directly down the sink drain. then it puts the water from the sink directly back into the tank. It is a great investment, especially if you have large or multiple tanks. I know whenever I introduced a fish parent to this type of water changing when I worked at the pet store, they were extremely grateful!

Emily

 

[tanker]

I have a 100 and a 120. I use a laarge brute (50gal??) on wheels. I fill and drop in a heater and a small PH.

On WC day, I pump water out of tank to back yard and then re-fill from the brute with the PH. Refill Brute and next day do same to other tank. No buckets, no lifting.