Water Changes In Big Tanks

[CrystalClear16]

I am curious - how do you guys with large tanks carry out water changes? In your opinion, at what point should you get an automatic system?

I was thinking about this today while cleaning my 125L. I can only lift about 25L of water, meaning that at the moment I have to do two trips to empty the water, and two trips to refill it. Obviously this is not much of a bother and takes only takes me about half an hour, but I imagine big tanks take ages!

So do people with big tanks use the usual method of syphoning into a bucket or is there another way? How long does it take?

 

[toshapetriji]

Well I would love a bigger tank and here´s how I would do it.

A long pipe to syphon the water directly outside. Then another pipe to refill directly from the tap.

just gotta convince the OH that we need a bigger tank.

 

[Wills]

Ive done buckets upto 90g but I got a water pump today and it was tons easier. Just syphon off to a drain outside then use a pump to get the water back into the tank from a large bucket.

Wills

 

[Davo86]

As said pretty much above:

Use a length of hose to syphon the water to a drain outside
then use garden hosepipe to fill back up

 

[Ben M]

the only reason i don't have a hose that goes into the drain is what if i sucked up a fish. i'm thinking of getting a hose to fill it though.

 

[Gilli]

I have a 250L tank. I do my weekly water changes with a gravel vac (one of the ones you shake up and down to start) and ive attached about 5 meters of tubing bought inexpensively from Ebay which is long enough to reach my loo. I gravel vac and water change in one and then just flush the loo! There is a little loss of suction but not much, and every other week I do the bulk with that then a quick bucketload with the ordinary gravel vac with normal length tube for an extra thorough clean. I just refill with buckets - takes me about 20 mins and its a lot cheaper than a Python!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Carrying 25l from the bath downstairs to the garage in two buckets, where the 5x2x2 is, is great exercise... When it involves about 7-10 trips (siphoning off is simple, gravel vacuum is left releasing water into drain)

Or for more stamina, accidentally do a massive overdose of Easycarbo when using it for the first time and then do an emergency 60% water change (yes, this was me a week ago)!

 

[Tolak]

Water out;

Into a can with a pump;

Water in;

 

[Harlequins]

i have a 55 gal tank and its normally 6-7 (10 litre) buckets weekly,i don't mind the removal has i clean the sand weekly,its the filling up thats annoying...

 

[elisew]

I have recently upgraded to a 360ltr tank and I use a syphon to draw the water out and have started to use the garden hose to refill. I was carrying buckets before but as I have to now use a step ladder to reach the top of the tank it`s not a good idea to be lifting buckets at the same time.

I have had to start doing 2 water changes a week so that I`m not putting too much cold water straight into the tank in one go. I really don`t want to shock the fish

 

[star4]

I have 3 400l tanks 1 350l tank 2 300l tanks 1 170l 1 180l (plus turtle tank) I use a pump to empty the tank but my re-filling is by bucket. I have stupid taps with bars on so I cannot fit a hose. I do at the moment one tank a night I can gravel vac, glass clean 50% empty & re-fill my 400l tank now in 45 mins. I am actually quicker re-filling by bucket than by hose

 

[CrystalClear16]

You guys use garden hoses? How do you make sure it is at the right temp?

I hadn't thought of syphoning straight outside/in the loo. Though I would be worried about sucking up a fish I guess generally in big tanks you wouldn't have fish small enough.

 

[justjon]

The other thing is, wouldnt running straight from the tap with a garden hose mean you're basically putting chlorine into the tank, aswell as cold water which could lower the temp?

Just curious, if I did have a tank that size i'd personally get a big plastic drum/tub that could hold a fair amount, pump into that with a hose, dechlorinate, then pump from that into the tank.

 

[minxfishy]

Easy, python system, water sucked out via pressure from the tap (syphon) down the sink, gravel vac at same time, flick the switch on it and re-fill via the same hose, either from cold or mixer tap. You dechlorinate as you fill, double dose on a large change, chuck the dechlor in prior to or during refilling.

 

[elisew]

The other thing is, wouldnt running straight from the tap with a garden hose mean you're basically putting chlorine into the tank, aswell as cold water which could lower the temp?

Just curious, if I did have a tank that size i'd personally get a big plastic drum/tub that could hold a fair amount, pump into that with a hose, dechlorinate, then pump from that into the tank.

Adding dechlorinator (prime) is what removes the chemicals in the water. My hosepipe is connected to a feed on the cold water pipe so it`s the same as using cold water from the kitchen tap.
As long as it`s approx 25% (I think) water change there shouldn`t be any worries about shocking the fish using cold water instead of same temp.
I was doing approx 40% wc once a week using same temp water in buckets but I`ve now started doing approx 20-25% twice a week instead, there`s a lesser amount being changed but more often now.