43 replies to this topic

[BengaBoy]

like Johnno I have a pipe, pvc, shaped a bit like the fill pipe below, to loop over tank so drains to exact requirements -while that is draining I vacuum with a 2nd hose.

 

for filling I use this:

 fill pipe 1.jpg   37.88KB   16 downloads

 

outlet is just at desired water height - when I can't hear the splashing I know tank is full.

didn't think of the smoke alarm idea ... cool

[Delapool]

You guys are masters!

In mine I'm swirling the gravel vac around getting dead leaves and muck; when filling I'm still netting little dead leaves and if I'm really bored I'll drag the ladder in to re-arrange the plants.

[Departure]

I use a garden hose and heater suction caps to hold the hose in the aquarium at the level I want to drain, to get the siphon going I just hold the garden hose over the canister filter outlet and it primes up pretty quick, once its primed I use the hose to suck up debris from the bottom then use 2 spare suction caps  to set the level of the hose, then come back when it loses the siphon, I also use the the same suction caps to hold the hose while I fill it. I normally add half the dechlorinator before filling and the other half when I am about half way with filling. 

[LexAgate]

I use a siphon, to start it pump it up and down to get water to flow through it and gravity does the rest! Then place the hose into the clip on the side of my tank then leave it, I'll make sure it's clipped in the right spot so I can guesstimate on the % of water I'm removing, after about 15 mins I'll come back and the siphon would have stopped because of the depth in which it was clipped into my tank! Lastly I turn the filters off get my garden hose fill it up then treat it, filters back on, working perfectly, easy peasy!!!

Edited by LexAgate, 13 December 2016 - 12:09 AM.