# What do you use for water changes



## Deano3 (9 Oct 2015)

hi everyone just curious to how and what you use for water changes, I have always used a small length of hose and just hovered it above the substrate picking up detritus and it drains into bucket, then to refill I have been getting the garden hose and connecting to my square mixer  tap with a hose lock attachment and adding the water into tank then purify.
Sometimes make a mess getting the hose out as must need new ends as the leak , a few people seem to be using he python system any recommendations as saves a lot of mess and is there to empty and refill 

Thanks dean


Thanks Dean


----------



## rebel (9 Oct 2015)

I use the famous lazylife(R) flow controller. It's a copy from tomm Barr who showed me his attachment.


----------



## Richard Dowling (9 Oct 2015)

rebel said:


> I use the famous lazylife(R) flow controller. It's a copy from tomm Barr who showed me his attachment.


Presumably by putting mains water directly into the tank with the dechlorinator you are technically diluting the dechlorinator with the rest of the original tank water and it may not do as good a job at treating the water?!?....Still I really like this idea in terms of using it as a syphon.

I just use a hose and a 25L screw top container to empty, then I fill with clean water and put it on the windowsill above my tank to syphon it in.


----------



## rebel (9 Oct 2015)

I just add dechlorinator to treat the whole tank. Small price to pay. Water changes are done in 15 minutes. Not a drop of water on the floor.

My water changes are about 80L so don't want to carry pails.


----------



## rebel (9 Oct 2015)

btw there is a cooler way of doing it but it's on another forum. Can I link here?


----------



## Clint Hewitt (9 Oct 2015)

Deano3 said:


> hi everyone just curious to how and what you use for water changes, I have always used a small length of hose and just hovered it above the substrate picking up detritus and it drains into bucket, then to refill I have been getting the garden hose and connecting to my square mixer  tap with a hose lock attachment and adding the water into tank then purify.
> Sometimes make a mess getting the hose out as must need new ends as the leak , a few people seem to be using he python system any recommendations as saves a lot of mess and is there to empty and refill
> 
> Thanks dean
> ...


I do almost the same as you, except I use the same hose for draining and filling, Iv'e attached a gravel vac/syphon to the end.


----------



## ian_m (9 Oct 2015)

This is what I use once a week....
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/water-change-heater-project.25877/

I pump the waste water out the window onto the front lawn given a rather large super well fertilised patch of grass.


----------



## 5678 (9 Oct 2015)

I put a NewJet pump into the tank and pump it out into empty 25l plastic jerry cans. I tend to fill 1 and then another to 2/3. 

I then use a large bucket and put the pump into that. I'll fill the bucket with RO and let the pump lift it back to the tank. 

Ideally, I'd like a smaller pump that would fit inside the jerry cans. Not managed to find one yet though!


----------



## Paulus (9 Oct 2015)

i put the gardenhose in the tank inside the washing machine tool:



 

Gravity does the rest and the water is for the garden.  When finished i connect the garden hose to the crane and fill the tank.


----------



## kirk (9 Oct 2015)

We use ro, and remineralize.    i window clean some times using a pole system so the kit pays for itself......I don't like the amount of waste water ro produces thought not very ecco.


----------



## James O (11 Oct 2015)

I use RO from my bro in law who's a window cleaner......free 

I syphon into 25l jerrys.  Then lift up the full Jerry with a tap on it to refil.

Gonna get an inline pump when I have bigger tanks but the 25kg lift is good for a rugby sized chap like me


----------



## pepedopolous (11 Oct 2015)

If DIY isn't your thing: -

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/...ment/water_exchange_and_floor_cleaning/102655


----------



## taytas01 (14 Oct 2015)

I have a 110ltr water butt + 4 25ltr Brums up stairs in a cubbyhole, I use a long hose with attachments for water but on end, drain the tank straight outside into the back yard ( watering all plants as it goes ) then connect upstairs and gravity does the rest to refill


----------



## flygja (15 Oct 2015)

I always wonder how you guys can live with using buckets for water changes. I hate carrying buckets filled with water. I use gravity siphon to drain water from my tank directly to the drain outside the car porch, then use the garden hose with patented fishbag-full-o-holes to refill. Dechlorinator added directly to the tank before turning on the tap.


----------



## Bacms (15 Oct 2015)

The problem I have with using the garden is the temperature of the water will be a good 5/6C degrees below the tank water 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


----------



## ian_m (15 Oct 2015)

Bacms said:


> The problem I have with using the garden is the temperature of the water will be a good 5/6C degrees below the tank water


Either heat the water first, I use my butt heater (!!) but before that used to boils pans of water and add to 40l buckets of cold water before putting in the tank, or just put cold water straight in, which is what a lot of people do. Fish don't seem to mind. When I do this, cold hosepipe straight into tank, in the winter the tank temperature drops to 15'C odd but fish seem OK.


----------



## Edvet (15 Oct 2015)

Bacms said:


> 5/6C degrees below the tank water


I think in nature fish will see these kind of changes too, and wither them. Me personally i don't mind them, i even let the garden hosen run for a few hours in the sump once a month, to make a large waterchange. Temperatures drop then, fish don't mind.


----------



## rebel (15 Oct 2015)

Edvet said:


> I think in nature fish will see these kind of changes too, and wither them. Me personally i don't mind them, i even let the garden hosen run for a few hours in the sump once a month, to make a large waterchange. Temperatures drop then, fish don't mind.


yep same here. I do a 70% change with 18C water. tank drops to about 22ish for a few hours.


----------



## Piotr Kaleta (28 Oct 2015)

How about this little fella :https://fishkeeper.co.uk/product/aqua-marin-water-change-pump


----------



## wilcox.sp (12 Nov 2015)

Piotr Kaleta said:


> How about this little fella :https://fishkeeper.co.uk/product/aqua-marin-water-change-pump


I used to use the buckets but know I attach garden hose to siphon and water the garden with it, then I have a new tap adapter,  get the temp correct connect hose up job done so much quicker and no mess either. BnQ had the hoselock adapters 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


----------



## NathanG (30 Dec 2015)

Paulus said:


> i put the gardenhose in the tank inside the washing machine tool:
> View attachment 2030
> 
> Gravity does the rest and the water is for the garden.  When finished i connect the garden hose to the crane and fill the tank.



That's what i've been needing.

I went a python DIY route.

Used-

Water change valve - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002DVTG4K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Karcher Hose - http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/karcher-primo-flex-garden-hose----20m-330506

Syphon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marina-Clean-Aquarium-Gravel-Cleaner/dp/B0002AQI8G

Tap adapter - http://www.diy.com/departments/hozelock-threaded-tap-connector/189837_BQ.prd

Still need a control valve and the washing machine tool.

I already had the syphon that was a pita to start and made a mess inside the tank doing so but at least it fit straight onto the new primoflex hose.

I need the extra length of hose so the python would come out at around £60 and not as robust.


----------



## Christos Ioannou (30 Dec 2015)

Hi I use this:
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bucket-less-water-changes.35942/


----------



## NathanG (31 Dec 2015)

NathanG said:


> That's what i've been needing.
> 
> I went a python DIY route.
> 
> ...



Can't seem to edit my post?

Just wanted to update on the aqueon flow valve. It leaks everywhere and does not screw onto the hozelock tap adapter. It comes with a tap adapter that works but not very robust. Maybe a waterbed fill valve like the python will work better.


----------

