Large Tank Water Change Troubles

[catfish4ever]

I am hopefully getting a new large tank soon, I was wondering, with large tanks over 125 gallons how do people do water changes? Surely buckets are too time consuming, how can you refill it? I am aware of using a hose but how can you temperature match a hose to the fish's needs?

 

[sawickib]

Well in tanks of that size doing 10-20% of the water change doesn't effect the tank temp much and if it does it's minimal. I use a python hose which are outrageously priced, you can always DIY one though.

 

[fluttermoth]

I regularly do 40 or 50% water changes, with straight cold tap water. As long as you run the new water in slowly, over a period of a few hours, with the tank heater on, the temperature drop won't hurt your fish.

I do add a few buckets of warmer water if the weather is cold.

Doing water changes with a hose and cold water is much slower than using buckets, but it's a lot less strain on the back (and knees!), so it's finding what works best for you.

 

[DrRob]

I have a convenient plumbing point not far from my biggest tank, which has a direct drain plumbed as per a washing machine drain. It makes draining down simplicity as it's simply a couple of valve changes to divert the pump into the drain line.
 
Refilling still requires a bit of carrying. I tend to lug 25 litre jerry cans, which is less trips, and then leave them slowly trickling in from the top of a step ladder on a slow syphon.
 
Prior to that I used a long hose to drain the tank, a short syphon can be used to start it up with a t-piece and 2 valves, get the syphon started with the short tube then close that valve and open the valve to the long hose and you have a long slow syphon.

 

[Chad]

I have two 35 gallon Brute trash cans. I have the new water in one and drain out water into the other. I use a pump to pump water out of the tank into the can and then also to pump the new water back into the tank. I then wheel the Brute to the bathtub and drain it out, dry them both off, and done.
 
My tank is 210 gallons with 40 gallons of sump under it.

 

[pauloblade]

I do 50% weekly on my 500litre. Got it down to 20 mins, used to use buckets which took forever. All i do is long length of plastic hose from tank into garden to drain, then to fill up, piece of garden hose from kitchen sink mixer tap straight into tank. Couldn't be easier.

 

[SouthernCross]

I literally use my garden hose and run it out my back door into the yard. Just put the plastic vac attachment on a bare end of hose. Then when I've drained what I want I just hook the other end of the hose up to the tap and fill it back up.

Living in australias don't ever really have to worry about the water being too cold luckily.