# Water changes (how long it takes)



## John Starkey (8 Aug 2009)

Hi all,
I did my fastest ever water change this morning,I did it in 50 mins,that's empying,glass cleaning,and refilling about 25% 25g roughly,when I look back and think how long it used to take I was well chuffed,
so I was wondering how long you lot spend on tank maintaintence each week ?

regards john


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## baron von bubba (8 Aug 2009)

i have a 240l and do a weekly 50% w/c, it takes between 1 and 3 hours depending on how much needs trimming.


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## chris1004 (8 Aug 2009)

If its just a water change then I also do a 50% weekly water change on a 250L tank (apox 200L of water after hardscape deduction) in about 20-30 minutes. I can clean the glass and one of my two filters in this time aswell without breaking into a sweat.


All I use is one hose which is long enough to reach from my planted tank in my living room, to both my downstairs kithen sink and the barrels in my fish room upstairs (not at the same time though). On one end is an adaptor which is identical to the spraybar adaptor from my main external filter (EX1200). So all I do is turn the filter off (using the filters output control valve) unplug the spraybar within the tank, plug my hose in instead, secure the other end into the kitchen sink (via a homemade bracket) and turn the filter back on. That gives me about 10 minutes to clean the glass make a coffee whatever. When sufficient water has pumped out I turn the filter off (using the filters output control valve) but leave the hose connected to the spraybar adaptor, take the hose, which remains full of water, upstairs and put it in a barrel of prepared water which has other barrels connected via syphons to it whereby they effectivly become a battery of barrels(again secured in place with homemade brackets). I then go back downstairs and unplug the hose from the spraybar connector and the syphon starts automatically as the hose is already full of water. This is then secured in place again with a homemade bracket and I finish my coffee or whatever else I was doing. All that is left is to empty the hose, coil it up and store it away when the tank is full. Job done in 20-30 minutes, aproximatly 100 litres in and out and not a drop spilt (hopefully, LOL).

Of those 20-30 minutes only about 2 of them are required for actually dealing with the water which does leave a fair ammount of time available for doing other things like a bit of light prunning or general tank cleaning and i have even managed to clean out both of my filters in the past in this time, one whilst it was draining and the other whilst refilling although I did break out into a sweat on that occation, LOL.   

About once a month though I spend a lot more time on tank maintenance. Typically this would include planting/pruning, cleaning lights, filter pipes, gravel , cabinet, etc, and anything else that needs doing. This can take quite a long time depending on how much there is to do. Sometimes just an hour or two but if I take on a rescape or have hardware to add/remove the job can take an undetermined length of time and has taken upto a whole day in the past on more than one occation.     


Regards, Chris.


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## Tom (8 Aug 2009)

50% is about a minute for me. Empty water to bucket, chuck water down loo, fill bucket, dump in tank


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## chris1004 (8 Aug 2009)

So perhaps the question should be how long per litre? 

which for me on a worse case scenario would mean 30 minutes divided by 100L = 0.3 of a minute or 18 seconds per litre
 Or a best case scenario of 20/100x60= 12 seconds per litre. 

I'll settle for somewhere between the two of around 15seconds per litre (in and out).

  






But wait there's more to this than meets the eye.   

It only actually takes 2 minutes or so of the 20-30 minutes to deal with the water directly so it now becomes,

 2/100x60=1.2 seconds per litre (in and out) of my direct time taken up.


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## Tom (8 Aug 2009)

In that case, I'm doing a liter in/out every 5 seconds or so! lol


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## George Farmer (8 Aug 2009)

Hi John,

I've three tanks right now -

60 litre biotope that takes 10 mins. per week,
a 25 litre planted nano that's 30 mins. every two or three weeks,
and a marine that 30 mins. per week.

The most I've ever spent is around 30 mins. *per day* on a hi-tech planted tank!


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## Behold (8 Aug 2009)

I use a home made python and change about 1/3 of my water (500L) its not super fast on draining as I start it using the python then turn it off allowing gravity to do the rest. 

Then refill. All in all it takes about 1 1/2 hours. I clean the glass during the emptying... 

Done


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## aaronnorth (8 Aug 2009)

no longer than 1hour on my 240litre and that is trimming too. However, it took me 2hrs the other day


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## hellohefalump (8 Aug 2009)

To change 50% water of my 100gal, takes me an hour but doesn't involve a lot of effort.  That's with a hose pipe syphoning water out into the bath, then another hose pipe filling from the tap in the kitchen.  If I'm cleaning filters, I do it in the bath while the water is draining (I keep the plug in) so that doesn't take any extra time.  I don't do a lot of glass cleaning... I should though.  

However, my nano (12 litre), I can do in the ad break of Corrie!  That's with a hose (syphon) and a watering can.


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (8 Aug 2009)

Gang@Ukaps

Approx. 30mins, I shut off the taps on the outlet side of my filter, break the joint and attached a hose pipe to the joint, assist the water flow I switch on my filter which pump out the spent water, to refill I refit the joint on the oulet side of the filter, attached the hose pipe to the mixer tap on the sink, adjust the tap to obtain the correct temp and refill the tank - it takes longer to fill than to empty.

Paul.


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## Superman (9 Aug 2009)

In my 14 litre tank, it doesn't take long, maybe 5 minutes?!

In my old 180 litre tank, I used to do it with a hose and a pump, so whilst it was slow at about 45 mins, I didn't mind as effort was minimal!


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## squiggley (9 Aug 2009)

I usually take about 4 hours each late on a Friday and Saturday night to do 50% wc, trim and clean on my Osaka 155 anf Roma 125. Only because it distracts me from the neighbours who think it perfectly ok to come home from the pub at 11.30 and start partying until about 4am


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## AdAndrews (9 Aug 2009)

I have 2 running tanks atm:
15l- takes 5 mins if that
60l- 30mins once cleaned filter/glass etc.- longer if pruning!


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## LondonDragon (9 Aug 2009)

with my water changer its takes me less than 30 minutes to do a 50% water change in my Rio 125 and Rekord 60.

And most of that time is spent watching TV and waiting for the tanks to drain and fill up again! lol


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## JamesM (9 Aug 2009)

I'm still using the Jug + Bucket method  And I usually take my time... last week I rewatched Top Gear whilst doing a WC and Top Gear finish before I did. I can get it done in about 10 minutes if rushing though, afterall, its only 40 litres to remove and replace


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## billy boy (9 Aug 2009)

On my 250 litre takes about 30 min's and thats with useing the fx5 to empty and refill useing a 15 litre bucket    Was thinking off useing a hose to refill but to unsure of getting the temp wrong 
And my 35 litre cube takes 5 min's when just doing a water change.


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## John Starkey (9 Aug 2009)

Flyfisherman said:
			
		

> Gang@Ukaps
> 
> Approx. 30mins, I shut off the taps on the outlet side of my filter, break the joint and attached a hose pipe to the joint, assist the water flow I switch on my filter which pump out the spent water, to refill I refit the joint on the oulet side of the filter, attached the hose pipe to the mixer tap on the sink, adjust the tap to obtain the correct temp and refill the tank - it takes longer to fill than to empty.
> 
> Paul.



Hi Paul,I notice in your post that you say you use the mixer tap when refilling your tank,if you are using hot water straight from the tap then you are adding impuraties to your setup,hot tap water can contain dissolved solids from the boiler and this will harm your fish and plants,thos time of year I don't add any hot water back to my tank just cold tap water, but very slowly,I add hot water during winter but only boiled water mixed with cold,

regards john


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## JamesM (9 Aug 2009)

Never had a problem in 20 years adding hot water straight from the tap. Don't give Paul another thing to worry about John!


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## billy boy (9 Aug 2009)

I have always added hot water to get the temp right! If you fill with cold water only, Thats bound to take in temp way down  :?


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## John Starkey (9 Aug 2009)

billy boy said:
			
		

> I have always added hot water to get the temp right! If you fill with cold water only, Thats bound to take in temp way down  :?



billy boy adding cold water to your setup in summer will only affect your temp if you add it to fast,but saying that on a smaller tank than mine then it could be a problem,

regards john.


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## John Starkey (9 Aug 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> Never had a problem in 20 years adding hot water straight from the tap. Don't give Paul another thing to worry about John!



Hi James,
most hot water tanks are made from copper,plus the pipe work can contain all sorts of contaminantes,I have known friends in the past who used to do the same and lost fish as a result,maybe you have just been lucky?

Regards john.


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## JamesM (9 Aug 2009)

I've lived in three houses (new and old) in the last 20 years and kept fish in all of them. Now I can't say I've never lost a fish due to a water change, but I can't say I have either. My shrimp certainly don't mind a heavy water change using hot water from a tap, and at one point I easily had over 300 in a 70 litre. And do you see any unhealthy plants in my tank atm?


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## John Starkey (9 Aug 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> I've lived in three houses (new and old) in the last 20 years and kept fish in all of them. Now I can't say I've never lost a fish due to a water change, but I can't say I have either. My shrimp certainly don't mind a heavy water change using hot water from a tap, and at one point I easily had over 300 in a 70 litre. And do you see any unhealthy plants in my tank atm?



no unhealthy plants James,buy your house has fell down,  ,

regards john


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## JamesM (10 Aug 2009)

john starkey said:
			
		

> JamesM said:
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Luckily I have some bricks to start building a new one! 

And its a good job I'm not a lorryist, or I'd be far too busy murdering prostitutes


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## John Starkey (10 Aug 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> john starkey said:
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Jesus Christ James that's a bit harsh isn't it,you shouldn't tar all
lorry drivers with the same brush,you get weirdos in all walks of life including this forum 

John .


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## JamesM (10 Aug 2009)

john starkey said:
			
		

> Jesus Christ James that's a bit harsh isn't it,you shouldn't tar all
> lorry drivers with the same brush,you get weirdos in all walks of life including this forum
> 
> John .


  Relax John... you obviously don't watch Top Gear


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## chris1004 (10 Aug 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> john starkey said:
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I watch top gear but must have missed that one. I also drive a lorry for a living so pray tell cause at the minute I'm finding it quite offensive.

Regards, Chris.


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## JamesM (10 Aug 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-RIdEI2 ... re=related


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## billy boy (10 Aug 2009)

chris1004 said:
			
		

> JamesM said:
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Are you serious   I to drive a lorry for a liveing and i am sooo not offened


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## Bis (10 Aug 2009)

I am new to this forum and was reading this post chain which is quite interesting. I have a 560 litre discus tank set up in January this year. I cange 240 liter of the tank water every day and it takes me about 50 minutes.  :silent: 
I use a 80:20 mixture of RO : HMA water and at the same temperature with that of the auqrium water.


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## plantbrain (11 Aug 2009)

Amount of pruning, scape design etc influences this(gardening), 
This has Nothing to do with a water change however

Water change itself should take just a couple of minutes in actual labor/time.

For small tanks, the bucket and drain is a minute or two with a good sized siphon hose.
For larger tanks, a DIY hose with a U shape PVC "hook", adapter to the bath/shower just takes set up time for the drain and then refill.

During that time when you wait, gardening etc can be done.
But the water change itself is still only 2-3 min of labor to add the hose and start the siphon/refill.

Most of the labor is cleaning filters, trimming, gardening etc.

Total labor per week for my 180 Gal, 120 Gal, 2 x 60 Cubes and the 20 ADA is about 2 hours.
Total weekly time for a 350 Gal of a client's : 1.5 hours.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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