DIY python setup

[Theplatymaster]

Ive been thinking about purchasing a Python system to make water changes easier (and less water on the floor) for me, for a while. However the only issue is they cost like $60. Does anyone use a DIY system?, i was thinking about doing one, but wanted to see what others were doing first. Please post pictures. I saw @AllFishNoBrakes has an interesting one.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Theplatymaster

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Lol, was about to respond here. Before I had my Python I had a water pump and then pvc parts/vinyl tubing to still use buckets. Pump was in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket and drew water through the tubing and out the pvc head into the tank. Some others here have done basically the same thing, but with cooler/better water fillers made from pvc. 
 

My suggestion would be to just get the Python. By the time you buy the pump, fittings, pvc parts, tubing, etc and then your time building, testing, and fine tuning you’ll spend the same amount of money if not more, and way more time. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/2/2023 at 5:00 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

My suggestion would be to just get the Python. By the time you buy the pump, fittings, pvc parts, tubing, etc and then your time building, testing, and fine tuning you’ll spend the same amount of money if not more, and way more time. 

Agreed. Python tubing is good stuff and it works. It's perfectly fine. Can be improved, but it's pretty decent compared to a lot of other products.

[lefty o]

you can buy all the parts, but whatever tubing python uses is the bomb. my python is over 25yrs old, and ive replaced a couple of the fittings, but the tubing is great. 

[Tommy Vercetti]

Here is mine. Valves on both ends of the hose. After filling tanks, i close the valves so that the hose stays full of clean tap water. This provides the siphon on the next water change. I Just hang the hook on the tank, put the other and in my bath tub, open the valves and the siphon starts by itself. Then I attach the hose to my sink in my laundry room and adjust the water temp and fill up the aquariums.

[sanford]

On 2/3/2023 at 2:55 AM, Tommy Vercetti said:

Here is mine. Valves on both ends of the hose. After filling tanks, i close the valves so that the hose stays full of clean tap water. This provides the siphon on the next water change. I Just hang the hook on the tank, put the other and in my bath tub, open the valves and the siphon starts by itself. Then I attach the hose to my sink in my laundry room and adjust the water temp and fill up the aquariums.

Was the flexzilla hose chosen for a specific reason? Is it really kink free?

[TeeJay]

Right like @AllFishNoBrakes said. By the time you piece together everything you need with the higher cost of goods now you pretty much better off to buy the python. Unless you don't want something that hooks to the faucet. I just use a pond pump in my 5 gal bucket. Went to the hardware store and bought a 5 ft long piece of hose and got the tank filler 9000 off of Etsy for the end of the hose that goes into the tank to flow the water in a little more gentle. It was like 10 bucks.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Pump, 1/2” hose (same size as Python), water diffuser (same one as @TeeJay), and lid prop. (Both are on Etsy.)

Drop pump in tank to take water out. Most times I just siphon manually instead of using this. But when I pump out, I just send the water right out the sliding glass doorway.

To put water back in, dechlorinate the tank. Put a bucket in the sink, fill to top using digital meat thermometer to check temp. Drop pump in bucket and run hose to tank.

Leave faucet running to keep bucket full and turn on pump.

To figure out which pump to buy, distance to tank, height of tank, and faucet flow rate are factors. When in doubt go one size up. Here’s how I figured out which pump was best for my setup.

You see a green connector w/ switch in my photo here. That’s because this was a Python and it came with that switch. But most of the time I don’t even use it.

I quit using the Python because the faucet hookup wasn’t quite right, and it wasn’t practical to go outside to the hose faucet when I want to do maintenance. You don’t really have a way to control temp when using a Python.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Tommy Vercetti]

On 2/4/2023 at 6:57 AM, sanford said:

Was the flexzilla hose chosen for a specific reason? Is it really kink free?

It was. I chose flexilla hose for the color. It is bright day glow green and easy to see so that no one is likely to trip on it in our house. 

 

Kink free? I would give it a 7 out of 10 in that regard.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Tommy Vercetti

[sanford]

@Tommy VercettiDid not even consider the colour as a feature, but that makes perfect sense.  & out of 10 is not too bad I suppose.  Thanks for the insight.

[arjin101]

I went to my local ACE and they have a waterbed (yeah youngsters it was a thing) refilling pump.  It's the same thing as the python sink attachment.  Was about 5 dollars.  I used it for years until the dog ran through and got caught on the hose and busted it off.  That's a story for another time. lol

[mynameisnobody]

Personally I prefer a clear hose so it lets me know when it needs a good scrubbing. I clean the inside of all my hoses and intakes periodically. The green hose would make it a guessing game if I got all the muck out. Just my preference. 

[sanford]

On 2/5/2023 at 9:32 PM, Mynameisnobody said:

Personally I prefer a clear hose so it lets me know when it needs a good scrubbing. I clean the inside of all my hoses and intakes periodically. The green hose would make it a guessing game if I got all the muck out. Just my preference. 

How long are your hoses?  Mine is 50ft and I can't imagine how I would scrub it.  Would love any advice on how to clean longer hoses (or hoses in general).

[mynameisnobody]

@sanford 25’ and I use a flexible scrub brush meant to get inside piping. I lay the hose out straight in my yard and run it through with a hose. 1 pass and you’re good to go. It’s either this or eventually end up with black hoses from the mold. 

[jwcarlson]

On 2/6/2023 at 7:28 AM, Mynameisnobody said:

@sanford 25’ and I use a flexible scrub brush meant to get inside piping. I lay the hose out straight in my yard and run it through with a hose. 1 pass and you’re good to go. It’s either this or eventually end up with black hoses from the mold. 

Do they make really long flex brushes like that?

 

Re: DIY Python, you can certainly do it and maybe save a couple bucks.  But the hose and the system is just... quite nice.  That said, for my "permanent" install, I used regular garden hose from the wall down to the sink in the basement and then I have a couple different python ends depending on which tank I'm changing water in upstairs.  Then some valving and hoses to connect to the refill pumps.

Edited February 6, 2023 by jwcarlson

[mynameisnobody]

@jwcarlson No idea, I tied the brush to steel fish tape. You can easily trim to size and you can do up to 100’ with no issue. Obviously this is a dedicated tool only used for aquarium cleaning purposes. 

Edited February 6, 2023 by Mynameisnobody

[sanford]

@mynameisnobodyI had no clue that fish tape existed,  Thanks for this revelation.

[mynameisnobody]

@sanford here in Florida, black mold is a very easy thing to get going. Hence, my cleanliness of anything touches water. 

[lefty o]

On 2/11/2023 at 9:24 AM, sanford said:

@mynameisnobodyI had no clue that fish tape existed,  Thanks for this revelation.

a fish tape is for pulling wires through conduit etc, not for taping up your fish!