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How To Easy Water Changes Big Tank?


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#1 poeticwinter

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Posted 07 February 2014 - 10:02 PM

Wonder what is best to drain out the water to the bathroom? im thinking to using long hose and use gravity. but not sure it will work to pump out the water out of the tank. i have 200 L fish tank, what i need to know is easier way to drain the water out without doing lifting bucket or sucking out the hose air through mouth

 

cheers guys



#2 Westie

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Posted 07 February 2014 - 10:17 PM

Garden hose attached to gravel vac and drain on to the front of back lawn is how I drain my big tank

#3 dori

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Posted 07 February 2014 - 10:56 PM

Garden hose attached to gravel vac and drain on to the front of back lawn is how I drain my big tank

how do u start the siphon? 



#4 sandgroper

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Posted 07 February 2014 - 11:29 PM

I use a spa pump, 19mm garden type hose and a large type rubbish bin for water storage. All hoses have taps on at both ends to keep it primed, you place the drainer end in the tank, open all taps and switch on the spa pump. The water is pumped on to a garden bed, then to fill i close the taps change over hoses and open it back up. Switch it back on and fill it up, it all takes about 1 stubby but i wish it took longer. I drain about 300lts and fill again. 



#5 malawiman85

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 07:07 AM

Use a power head if, for whatever reason, you cant use gravity. I just stick a hose on the outlet of a 1500ltr internal power filter. 8nly had to do it a few times.
I fill up with a hose straight from the tap, chuck some water conditioner in and BAM! Water changed!

Edited by malawiman85, 08 February 2014 - 07:10 AM.


#6 shane78

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 11:24 AM

I connect my gravel vac straight to hose, turn the hose on just enough to let water in tank then disconnect hose from tap will start siphoning



#7 Cawdor

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 01:23 PM

I use one of these:

web.XU1pic-CP800.jpg

 

connected to 18mm hoses. one end connects to the plumbed outlet of my tank to start the syphon, once water flows the pump kicks in.

When it's done I shut a valve in the hose, move it to the next tank, open the valve and the pump starts again.

 

My 1500L tank takes about 15 min to drain 50% and I don't have to do anything except watch. No lugging buckets around.

And all the water goes onto my lawn.



#8 Ronny

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 01:31 PM

Go to Supercheap or any kind of auto store and ask for a jiggler hose. It's a spring loaded marble that allows one way flow to start the siphon. Otherwise, if the hose is going to your bathroom, connect it to a tap with the other end in the tank. Turn the tap on, and half fill the hose, disconnect it and the water will flow out and start your siphon that way.

Edited by Ronny, 08 February 2014 - 02:15 PM.


#9 Bombshocked

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 02:26 PM

I fill up with a hose straight from the tap, chuck some water conditioner in and BAM! Water changed!

 

or I chuck some water conditioner in, fill up with a hose straight from the tap, and BAM! Water changed!?

 

Edit;as ronny said you can put hose in turn on tap untill a little water trickles from the end then just stick it in your tank and disconnect the hose from the tap


Edited by Sir_Anubias, 08 February 2014 - 02:27 PM.


#10 Fox

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 08:24 PM

20mm hose with a hose clamp and a 2ltr coke bottle as the siphon (cut the bottom off) & have a tap about 1/2 a mar from the coke bottle, wallah you have a heavy sucking gravel siphon.
Turn the tap off fill the bottle with water from tank and dunk in tank turn tap on and it will start to siphon.

If you don't understand I can post pics or vid ;)

#11 fuggers

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 12:05 AM

2ool isnt that big. the easiest way i have found is to get a round plastic tub/bucket like the one you make home brew in put a hose connection at the bottom.

put it on a chair and connect to a hose that runs outside then just use an ordinary short syphon cleaner into the bucket and gravity does the rest. no spills or issues



#12 dazzabozza

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 12:54 PM

I have the exact same setup for my tanks. Siphoning alone was way too slow for my liking.

 

I use one of these:
web.XU1pic-CP800.jpg
 
connected to 18mm hoses. one end connects to the plumbed outlet of my tank to start the syphon, once water flows the pump kicks in.
When it's done I shut a valve in the hose, move it to the next tank, open the valve and the pump starts again.
 
My 1500L tank takes about 15 min to drain 50% and I don't have to do anything except watch. No lugging buckets around.
And all the water goes onto my lawn.



#13 slink

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 02:23 PM

Where do you get them? And how much?

#14 Cawdor

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 03:31 PM

I got mine from Bunnings, $99. Had mine for a while now after seeing the pump at Daz's place :)

Money well spent, it saves me so much time and hassle, the automatic stop and start feature is really good too, something other water pumps don't have. I used a large Eheim pump before and had to turn the pump off and on everytime I changed it to the next tank. Now it just turn a valve and the pump stops and starts by itself.



#15 slink

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 03:36 PM

Do you have photo's of how you have it setup?

#16 Cawdor

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 04:41 PM

This is the pump with connectors for the 18mm hoses.

 

IMG_0120.JPG

 

This is one of the hoses, I use this one to connect the tank to the pump. Because it's rippled it's a bit more modified than a normal 18mm garden hose.

It attaches to the bottom bit of the pump. I use another 18mm hose to attach to the top bit, and that hose goes from the pump out onto the lawn.

IMG_0121.JPG

 

I start with the big tank, which has a separate plumbed connector for attaching hoses. The main reason is so I don't have to prime the pump, gravity does this for me.

IMG_0122.JPG

 

Once I am finished draining the main tank, I use the valve on the hose to shut it off. I then disconnect it from the tank bit and attach it to the bit below, which just hangs over the tank wall of all the smaller tanks.

I open the valve again and the pump kicks in. The white valve you see below is redundant, I don't use that one at all. I just haven't taken it off the attachment :)

I hope that makes it a bit clearer of how things work.

IMG_0123.JPG



#17 Westie

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 09:48 PM

it takes me about an hour to drain 40% and fill again in my 6 footer. I might have to invest in one of those pumps. 



#18 CubanB

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 10:59 PM

Meh each to there own. I like waiting for it to siphon out and just refill from garden hose.

More time to look at my fish :)

#19 bigjohnnofish

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Posted 10 February 2014 - 12:56 AM

i drain my 8x3 with a 1 inch hose (50%) in about 20 min.... but i do use the hose to suck out left over bones and smashed snail shells and any left over scraps of fish etc all out onto back lawn... if im in a hurry i add a second 1 inch hose... does job in under 10min... and if im busy doing other stuff i use a piece of conjute bent into a U shape with correct depth to extract only 50% of water... connected to 1 inch hose... so when its syphoned 50% of water out it stops on its own.... and then when im ready i come back and add hose from water resorvoir and turn tap on to fill... takes hour and a half to fill... set alarm on my phone and then go and do other stuff... come back when the jobs done :)



#20 AXIS

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Posted 10 February 2014 - 09:18 AM

yeah Garden hose for me.

 

I used to just suck on the end to get the siphon going which worked well enough, but I've worked out a better way these days. I leave one end of the hose attached to the tap, and turn it on and fill the hole up with water.

 

Then turn off the water, and bring the hose to the tank, while holding the end of the hose at head height, so it stays full of water.

 

then put the hose in the tank, walk back outside and disconnect the hose from the tap, and chuck it on the grass. the water flowing out of the hose has more than enough power to start up the siphon, and away the water goes with no sucking.






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