# How do you fill your tanks?



## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

When you've got that big tank to fill at start-up... are you bucketing it or is there a better way to do this? And the reverse too - how are you making those 25% water changes?


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## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

I use buckets for my 30 gal and a watering can for my 10 gal planted so it doesnt rip plants up.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Super safety siphon with a pump to drain the water. Fill with garden hose. 60% wc in my 100 gallon cube 3 times a week. I do 50%+ wc in all my tanks each week. The biggest ones are a 125, 100, and 46 all done the same way.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Ditto 2wheelsx2. The pump is great for a big tank because gravity drain is just too slow. I use it on my 400 and a 25% WC alone is 100 gallons. I can do that drain with the pump in less than 20 minutes.


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## hi-revs (Nov 3, 2010)

^^ thats what i do as well on my 125.
initial fill with garden hose.
50% wc 2x/wk with python from the tap. Easy and safe no-spill


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## Plumberboy (Jun 2, 2014)

I fill with garden hose, but drain with large diameter hose into a 45 gallon drum. My pump sits in the drum and discharges into drain. Any tanks that sit on the floor, i just drop the pump into. I am a sponge filter guy, so as the drum is filling and draining, i am squeezing and cleaning sponge filters as I go along. Makes it super fast, but gotta pay attention!!! I've had so many floods now, that I have been booted outa the house and into the garage. Little does 'the Boss' know, this suits me just fine anyway!:bigsmile:


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## Sargasso (Apr 21, 2010)

I use a submersible mag pump with 20 feet of tubing attached, and a large Rubbermade tote that just fits under the bathtub faucet. Let it fill, dose if necessary, drop in the mag pump and plug it in.

It's quick, splash free, and inexpensive. Great option for condo-dwellers.


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## knucklehead (Dec 27, 2013)

what submersible pumps do you use and what diameter of hose do you get? I've been considering doing this since my water changer broke...


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## Sargasso (Apr 21, 2010)

Picked up a used 500gph pump from a member, then went to home depot for 3/8" tubing. It helps to submerge the tip of the tubing in hot/boiling water for a minute before fitting it to the pump outlet.


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## Plumberboy (Jun 2, 2014)

I use a Little Giant 1/6 hp pump. 1 year warranty, but i seem to get 2-3 years outa them. And thats changing about 900 gals a week or more. Great little pumps for $100 or so, and come with garden hose adapter. Probably over kill for 1 or 2 tanks.


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## Lars (Jul 22, 2012)

Python was my single best investment. It's slow to drain my 90g and 75g, but I hook it up and let it drain while I do some aquascaping and cleaning the filter.
With my new 210g I am seriously considering a pump like the others who commented here.


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## Plumberboy (Jun 2, 2014)

I 'HATE' those plastic python/waterbed fillers. It is such a waste of good clean water, to drain your aquarium. And so slow to drain without water pressure. I use em to fill only ( actually made a solid brass version that will last forever) and drain into the drums or right onto the lawn. If your in a condo, apartment, whatever. Gravity drain into toilet, tub, sink, or for some of u, the hot water tank pan drain, is faster and less waste of water. Then fill from kitchen sink. Those pythons come in 50' lengths, and u can add to em too.


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## Plumberboy (Jun 2, 2014)

The python hose itself. Fantastic. Couldn't live without it!


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

220 gallon tank...50 foot python...start siphon with running water...turn off running water let siphon take its time...use python to clean gravel bed...clean filters while tank is draining...set new water temperature at the tap...fill using python and add prime as it fills...done in an hour for a 50% water changes...shorter time for smaller water changes!...I also connect output hose of one of my FX5 filters to my outdoor storm drain and let it fly until I drain 1/2 my tank...faster than siphon...use this method when I am in a hurry!


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

I use a python hose and shutoffs with a submersable mag drive pump

To drain a tank I put the pum in a net sock and immerse in tank with hose conneted and in drain or outside to container.

to add water I keep a barrel of water handy in fish room
drop in pump and fill /pump to tank

To fill from kitchen sink I put a 3 gallon bucket in the sinck and start a slow stream of water
put pump with hose attached in bucket
thak other end of hose and make sure the shutoff works

hold the shutoff open in the sink if the pum is under water plug it in and adjust the flow and temp so the the bucket never quite fills with the pump rumming and valve open

shut off valve/shutoff to stop the flow of water, the bucket will overflow into the sink

put the sutoff end into the tank to top up and open valve to refill tank

HINT I use a large plastic clamp to hold the hose into my tank so the water jet from incoming water does not blow it out


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

I also use a pump. I used to use mag drive but now I have a big eheim and it has thin slots. Fish can't get sucked in. I use a rubber garden hose attached to laundry tub to fill but I have a carbon block filter it goes through first. You get them at Canadian tire. Blue. Rainwater company. It removes things and chlorine. Yes a clamp is important to avoid flying hoses or hoses falling out of buckets or Rubbermaid etc


Sent by tapatalk in north Burnaby


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## Plumberboy (Jun 2, 2014)

Draining for me is not an issue. Filling is. Gonna try a Delta or Moen single lever shower valve instead of a faucet. Pipe full diameter 1/2" hot and cold into it, then just have a hose fitting coming out. Mount it just above the sink. That should allow maximum gpm, and easy temp adjustment. Watts used to make a mixing valve with a thermometer on it that woulda worked perfect. But discontinued them for some reason. If I ever get around to building one, I'll post some pics.


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## oppai (Sep 14, 2011)

Python myself. Works like a charm and clean filters etc while draining and filling.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

For my sw tanks, I pull out 2 x 55g barrels and premix the saltwater. Then I use 2 siphon hoses on each tank to drain and then use 2 hoses with MJ 1200s and Eheim compact pump to pump new sw back into the sumps. Just did massive water changes on both my systems. I only use a pump for siphoning dirty water from my sumps, cause the sumps are too low to easily start a proper siphon with the "sucking" method.

For the fw cube, I siphon then have a special attachment that allows me to connect my hose to the bathroom sink. Test the temperature and fill 'er up. Add Prime and its done. I usually siphon the fw dirty water into 5 gallon salt buckets to use in my greenhouses and garden.


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## Daryl (Jun 1, 2010)

I have a gravel vacuum that I can just plunge up & down a couple times to start a syphon right our my front door and into the garden or on the lawn.

Water bed pump thing on the bathroom sink to fill it up. I do 50% water changes every Saturday (but sometimes I'll go two weeks, admittedly).

I only have a 75g so it's not that big of a deal.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

I use 1.5 pvc pipe with a 1.5 hose attached to is and I can drain my tank in a few minutes. I'm lucky my tank is near a sliding door i can drain the water out side. I do 50 % wc on my 210 3 time a week.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Straight from the RO. Dump in from a 5g bucket or use a little billage pump


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## smccleme (Aug 20, 2012)

If you have large water changes to make each week, setup up a continuous change system (lots of sources online, or I can provide details for a setup with or without as sump). It makes keeping fish 100% more enjoyable. No buckets, hoses, spills, drills, water conditioning, weekend hassle etc. As I've stated in other threads, on my 155g the only maintenance I do is squeeze out the poret foam every couple of months. On the 125g that has canister filters, I clean a filter once a month (there are two), that's it. I stir up the substrate with my hand from time to time when I add zucchini. The powerheards force everything else into the filters constantly.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

For me 

90G: Python to drain/fill water

2 saltwater tanks, an Apisto tank, and shrimp tank: I have 3 5G buckets 1 peat moss filtered water, 2 salt water. use gravel vaccum to drain water then put bubble wrap in the tank and pour water in using small bucket.


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

Thanks for the responses everyone... going to distill this into something that works for me, but wow - I have a totally new level appreciation for your dedication to the hobby. All of a sudden keeping up with my 50 doesn't seem like that much work...


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

My newest project is an auto water changer for my mini reef. It will do a 50ml water change every hour.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

bonsai dave said:


> I use 1.5 pvc pipe with a 1.5 hose attached to is and I can drain my tank in a few minutes. I'm lucky my tank is near a sliding door i can drain the water out side. I do 50 % wc on my 210 3 time a week.


This is the best answer. A larger diameter hose/pipe will beat a larger pump every time. When I used an FX5 with 1" hose to drain my 125 I could do 75 gallons in about 4 minutes. With a 900 GPH pump and and 1/2" garden hose it take me 2x as long.


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

Yes large bore piping helos drain fast.

I have a 5hp shop vack with a 3 inch hose I use for cleaning the sluge out of my ponds.
It will suck up through 4 feet of water.

When I was emptying my 90 gallon I put the SV outside and hooked up a 20 ft lenghth of 3" conduit pipe I had

When tuned on it evacuated the 90 gal and 4 to 5 inces of gravel and 'stuff' that accumulated over 4 years in less than 5 min.

It took longer to set up<G> 
I dump all water from water changes tank cleening into a setteling barrel/pond/container for review later incase I sucked up and eggs/fri/fish/plants that I wish to keep.


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## bc_sunrise (Dec 29, 2013)

Does anyone who posted here have a pic of what clamp they use to hold the hose for either the tank or the outflow?

Myself I got good advice to locate the 75g near the bathroom and at 5' high, so I get a hand from my partner once a week to hold the end of the 1" inner diameter PVC hose into the bathtub drain, myself holding the tank end. For filling I put declorinator in a 1 gallon jug right inside the tank and fill from the showerhead. Again, my partner turns off the hose when full.

Any thoughts for particular clamps to remove the need for a helper? It only takes 30 min to drain 30% and refill but would be nice to do it alone.

BTW does anyone know a good source for larger diameter hose? I had a heck of a time searching for my existing hose and the new tank has to be located just 2 feet further than it can reach..


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I use a set of these. Depending on the rim of the tank, I need different sizes. Mastercraft Spring Clamp Set, 14-pc | Canadian Tire


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

You can find these at most $ stores
http://www.yardstore.com/prodimg/14904.jpg


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## mysticalnet (Apr 22, 2010)

Get a python from jlaquatics!


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