Best Way To Chage 90% Water

[cheerycherry]

Soon im hopefull my fishless cycle will be done then of course Ill need to do a massive water change because of the nitrates and wondered what the best way to do it would be?

Since doing the cycle ive done 2 large water changes due to the cycle stalling and seriously using a 10 ltr bucket is no fun!!
Anyone have any good ideas on what to do?

 

[thecodfather]

umm a nice hose pipe would be the obvious choice for me straight out the door towards the drain
but i appreciate some people live in flats and this is not always an option,or get a 50 litre drum
like you would use whilst camping....

ceri

 

[Schmill]

I recently bought a nice long (and cheap ) hose from B&Q and a couple of hoselock connectors, (because the 'own brand' ones were out of stock). I'm intending to put a hoselock on my gravel vac hose, and also on this hosepipe. Then I hopefully will be able to connect the hosepipe and the gravel vac together to syphon the water out of the tank, and then connect the same hose (via the hoselock connector), to my tap for refilling. Of course I have yet to find out if this will work - lol
I also picked up a cheap garden water butt from B&Q the other week which is where all my lovely nitrAte rich water will be syphoned to. Ideal for the garden

 

[cheerycherry]

I thought a hose pipe too but what about getting the water back in there WITH dechlorinator?

 

[Schmill]

Dump the dechlor into the tank, and THEN add the water. If doing a large change then I'm tempted to dump in half the dechlor to the tank, add half the water needed to refill it, the dump the other half of the dechlor into the tank and carry on filling the tank, (obviously don't actually 'stop' filling the tank, thats just when I would add the dechlor)

 

[Attilauk]

I thought a hose pipe too but what about getting the water back in there WITH dechlorinator?

just add the dechlorinator straight to the tank, the water coming out of the hose should mix it around nicely. i've never had any problems doing it this way

 

[thecodfather]

as said above hose pipe straight to tap with hose lock connectors or copper pipe and tape(only kidding) then add the declor as described add a bit fill a bit,add a bit fill bit.i know i only have a small tank at the moment but have thought about this ready for when i have a larger tank.

ceri

actually if i get a new 4 ft tank the where it will need to go i have the hot and cold water pipes running in the corner T-piece springs to mind lol.....

 

[petertr]

I recently bought a nice long (and cheap ) hose from B&Q and a couple of hoselock connectors, (because the 'own brand' ones were out of stock). I'm intending to put a hoselock on my gravel vac hose, and also on this hosepipe. Then I hopefully will be able to connect the hosepipe and the gravel vac together to syphon the water out of the tank, and then connect the same hose (via the hoselock connector), to my tap for refilling. Of course I have yet to find out if this will work - lol
I also picked up a cheap garden water butt from B&Q the other week which is where all my lovely nitrAte rich water will be syphoned to. Ideal for the garden

I tired that - the pressure goes nuts and blows the gravel vac off!


I gravel vac with a 10 meter hose to the external drain, then remove the vac, and reconnect the end of the hose to the tap, and refil.

Its a doddle.


Oh, and I add my dechlor before I start adding water.



One consideration for you since you've just cycled the filter (and I may be wrong here) - but your tap water is probably very cold, so if its on internal filter, make sure you don't kill the bacteria!

 

[raptorrex]

actually if i get a new 4 ft tank the where it will need to go i have the hot and cold water pipes running in the corner T-piece springs to mind lol.....

why would you need to do that? all my water changes are done with cold water. there seems to be evedence that, not only does it not do any harm, but many feel their fish enjoy and possibly benefit from it!

 

[thecodfather]

actually if i get a new 4 ft tank the where it will need to go i have the hot and cold water pipes running in the corner T-piece springs to mind lol.....

why would you need to do that? all my water changes are done with cold water. there seems to be evedence that, not only does it not do any harm, but many feel their fish enjoy and possibly benefit from it!

it was just an observation,notice how i put T-piece springs to mind not T-pieces lol
would just be easier to be able run a pipe straight from the tap/T-piece straight in to the tank
what with all the plastic push fit piping on the market these days


ceri

 

[cheerycherry]

I recently bought a nice long (and cheap ) hose from B&Q and a couple of hoselock connectors, (because the 'own brand' ones were out of stock). I'm intending to put a hoselock on my gravel vac hose, and also on this hosepipe. Then I hopefully will be able to connect the hosepipe and the gravel vac together to syphon the water out of the tank, and then connect the same hose (via the hoselock connector), to my tap for refilling. Of course I have yet to find out if this will work - lol
I also picked up a cheap garden water butt from B&Q the other week which is where all my lovely nitrAte rich water will be syphoned to. Ideal for the garden

I tired that - the pressure goes nuts and blows the gravel vac off!


I gravel vac with a 10 meter hose to the external drain, then remove the vac, and reconnect the end of the hose to the tap, and refil.

Its a doddle.


Oh, and I add my dechlor before I start adding water.



One consideration for you since you've just cycled the filter (and I may be wrong here) - but your tap water is probably very cold, so if its on internal filter, make sure you don't kill the bacteria!

Yes im hoping the filter which is internal will be done cycling soon...how do you mean about killing the bacteria?

 

[rabbut]

If the filter dries out, the bacteria in it will die. Keep it wet

I use a hose for my by-weekly 50% waterchanges, and it's re-filled direct from the cold. If you are being cautious, double dose the dechlorinator before you start and you'll be fine

All the best
Rabbut

 

[raptorrex]

actually if i get a new 4 ft tank the where it will need to go i have the hot and cold water pipes running in the corner T-piece springs to mind lol.....

why would you need to do that? all my water changes are done with cold water. there seems to be evedence that, not only does it not do any harm, but many feel their fish enjoy and possibly benefit from it!

it was just an observation,notice how i put T-piece springs to mind not T-pieces lol
would just be easier to be able run a pipe straight from the tap/T-piece straight in to the tank
what with all the plastic push fit piping on the market these days


ceri

thing is you only need one pipe, there is no need for hot water!

 

[Behold]

actually if i get a new 4 ft tank the where it will need to go i have the hot and cold water pipes running in the corner T-piece springs to mind lol.....

why would you need to do that? all my water changes are done with cold water. there seems to be evedence that, not only does it not do any harm, but many feel their fish enjoy and possibly benefit from it!

Yup i agree. All cold. my fish come and play in it. on a 30 - 40 % change i see about 4 degrees drop and have never had an issue.

I use a genuine python i built from python spares and used underground pond pipe (reinforced so does not crush fold ETC)

This cost about 15 quid

Turn the tap on to syphon. once started i then stop the tap and it just keeps going. then when done as said i dump about 1/2 of dechlore in then half way through the other half with a little after in different bits of the tank just because. never had a mini cycle..

 

[thecodfather]

actually if i get a new 4 ft tank the where it will need to go i have the hot and cold water pipes running in the corner T-piece springs to mind lol.....

why would you need to do that? all my water changes are done with cold water. there seems to be evedence that, not only does it not do any harm, but many feel their fish enjoy and possibly benefit from it!

it was just an observation,notice how i put T-piece springs to mind not T-pieces lol
would just be easier to be able run a pipe straight from the tap/T-piece straight in to the tank
what with all the plastic push fit piping on the market these days


ceri

thing is you only need one pipe, there is no need for hot water!

i know,and it will only be cold that im using i did say its an observation and that i would be using T-piece not T-pieces maybe i should have been more clear and put connected to the COLD WATER SUPPLY....


ceri