Is there an easier way to make a WC?

[Vegas]

No need to fill up the hose with water, or suck on the tube, or use a pump. A siphon will begin as soon as an unbroken water column in the hose is lower than the surface of the water in the tank.

So all you have to do is fill up the gravel vac with water then lift it with the base higher than where the hose connects. You will see that the water quickly runs into the tube. As soon and the water in the hose is lower than the top of the tank put the gravel vac back into the water with the base higher so that the air escapes and it fills with water. Then just let it drain. The force of the water falling from the tank is more than enough to push it over the edge of the bathtub.

Do the gravel vac when the tank is mostly full because the amount of suction will decrease as the level in the tank falls. The less difference in height there is from surface of the tank to the end of the hose equals a decrease force driving the water through the siphon. This is why if you have a long hose and can run in down some stairs you'll get a lot more suction.

Ahhh. I will try that next water change! Thanks

 

[chinnp]

The best method I've found is this:

1. The night before take a big 55-60 g tub and fill it 3/4 with water. Put it in the middle of the floor in your fish room and put an air stone in it. The chlorine will dissipate from the water over night.

2. Hook the python up to the faucet and start the hose draining. Drain the water directly into the bathtub (which is way lower than the tank obviously.) Drain the old water from all your tanks this way.

3. Drop the electric pump into the tub of water and fill the tanks back up out of the tubs.

It takes me about 45-60 mins to change the water in all 5 of my tanks.

 

[James0816]

Next I want to set up a storage container, with a pump and hose, to hold the excess aquarium water to use to water my house plants.
Beasts

I'm actually building one of these this spring. Will also be incorporating an irrigation system for the outside flower beds.

 

[Beasts]

I would do anything for a Python but can't get one around here unless i go for a 3.5 hour drive to the next biggest city. I would say just be happy you have one...i'm still syphoning the water out into 2- 5 gallon pales and going back and forth from the sink.

Wouldn't Pythons be available from someone over the internet?
Beasts

 

[loaches r cool]

Bigals should sell them, but I know there canadian site's prices are usually substantially higher.

 

[stasia8756]

Sounds like you have it made. I still do buckets because none of my taps have adapters on them for python and we haven't done anything about changing them. The largest tank I have is a 38 so I use smaller buckets(3 gal or so) to do the changes and it goes pretty quickly. The other tanks are easy enough to do with buckets, but if I had anything larger I would have to have a python.

 

[rowedder]

Auto Water changer

Here is my automatic water changer for my 210 gallon, it dumps about 40-45 gallons of treated RO water into the tank about every 32-35 hours. If you want more information just contact me.