Low cost yet efficient way of changing water in big aquariums

[saminator0107]

Hey all, i have recently acquired a 75G tank. My 2 previous tanks were a 30 gal and then a 15. This was a big step up for me. I am still using the good ol gravel vac and 5 gal bucket method. Which is fine, but as we all know when you get into the bigger tanks this method becomes just terrible. I am 22 years old, so i CAN do this method without too much of an issue, buuut i also want to save my back for when i get older.

 

This is the style of gravel vac i use for my 75:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005877534156.html?src=google&aff_fcid=257c96292f784693bc7e650af28c74a7-1709550502826-00326-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=257c96292f784693bc7e650af28c74a7-1709550502826-00326-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=24fac75329314a4c822929afd5d548a9&afSmartRedirect=y

 

NOTE: This is NOT the exact one i have, i got mine for free with my 75. Its just the same exact design, with minor visual differences.

 

I am thinking of buying a barbed fitting and attaching extra hose to the gavel vac and running it out of the window about 12 feet away.

 

Only thing is, this will not work for filling the tank, obviously. My bathroom is down the hall (Roughly 25 feet or so) from the tank. Does anyone have any methods that they use to fill their big tanks? I don't really want to spend over 100$ if possible. I have watched a few Youtube videos of a few methods that people use but i figured id still ask here. I also don't mind getting a little creative and making my own device. I could use a water hose through the window. Only problem is that the closest hose connection is in the front yard. I would have to run the hose OVER my fence, and then OVER a small shed, and THEN into the backyard then through the window. This is actually the method i used to fill my 75 but that was a one time deal. I'm thinking of buying one of those double garden hose attachments and just having a hose from the for the front and backyard. The only problem would be when in inclimate weather conditions, granted it almost never rains where i am at let alone sleets/snows, but still. I don't think anyone wants to get soaked out in the cold trying to change water on a fish tank.

 

This is what i am talking about:

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Morvat-Brass-Garden-Hose-Splitter-Heavy-Duty-2-Way-Hose-Connector-Fitting-MOR-BCONNECTOR-2-A/316286197?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D28I-028_010_WATERING-NA-NA-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PMAX&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D28I-028_010_WATERING-NA-NA-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PMAX-71700000104372722--&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA_5WvBhBAEiwAZtCU77s-uNzhycZ3pcsFuMZ39szx0y_u02V2l5XQltjzHBpaNi8ohwSCXhoCTWYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

So lets hear some water change set ups, shall we? Also, please feel free to share any insane or "automatic" water change setups you guys have. I find that kind of stuff very interesting, because I'm insane. (But aren't we all..?)

 

 

 

[Andy's Fish Den]

Get a python water change kit. It hooks to a sink and makes it easy to drain and fill. I have used one for years, and if I had to do the five gallon bucket method, I wouldn't have a tank bigger than 20 gallons. If you don't want to waste water when draining, you can just run the house into a bath tub or even out a window, letting gravity do its thing. 

https://www.amazon.com/Python-Aquarium-Maintenance-System-50-Feet/dp/B000255NXM/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3AT4S4TOB3O2N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.28jg1ABWj1kdShoaiEUpZMccgcb_m8F7hcdeCRfts4UYOJX8lOOuGaofx0ZdYWVJ1TJroNwcVQmwqMJ21VSa9AIrhy2IX0kzI9e8jvrk4i6HL9ug2BH8C9rNjJtSe0O2eQWsDLX92By-suSepcA4u3l9kmQUOIZONufH9Q2sn9-yQiK6llmUYqDe8V5IPVfGXa_N79Prgk7PQwI_9H9A3n87d5v71OeMWD-rA2sOMe-Txy_sOFeX17CLAZk8mZF_2e5ts2jcbvxy0vrlaG-erhG3COGwvDcoFSqBGPK18Bs.6lSCDCv7UuW56WPZEoL7lNNkYDHT4MFqAgRp4MXP3zE&dib_tag=se&keywords=python%2Bwater%2Bchanger&qid=1709551739&sprefix=python%2Bwater%2Bchange%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-5&th=1

[saminator0107]

On 3/4/2024 at 5:30 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

Get a python water change kit. It hooks to a sink and makes it easy to drain and fill. I have used one for years, and if I had to do the five gallon bucket method, I wouldn't have a tank bigger than 20 gallons. If you don't want to waste water when draining, you can just run the house into a bath tub or even out a window, letting gravity do its thing. 

https://www.amazon.com/Python-Aquarium-Maintenance-System-50-Feet/dp/B000255NXM/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3AT4S4TOB3O2N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.28jg1ABWj1kdShoaiEUpZMccgcb_m8F7hcdeCRfts4UYOJX8lOOuGaofx0ZdYWVJ1TJroNwcVQmwqMJ21VSa9AIrhy2IX0kzI9e8jvrk4i6HL9ug2BH8C9rNjJtSe0O2eQWsDLX92By-suSepcA4u3l9kmQUOIZONufH9Q2sn9-yQiK6llmUYqDe8V5IPVfGXa_N79Prgk7PQwI_9H9A3n87d5v71OeMWD-rA2sOMe-Txy_sOFeX17CLAZk8mZF_2e5ts2jcbvxy0vrlaG-erhG3COGwvDcoFSqBGPK18Bs.6lSCDCv7UuW56WPZEoL7lNNkYDHT4MFqAgRp4MXP3zE&dib_tag=se&keywords=python%2Bwater%2Bchanger&qid=1709551739&sprefix=python%2Bwater%2Bchange%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-5&th=1

Awesome! I will look into this. This might just work. And yes i will probably drain the water out of a window, im sure the grass will appreciate the nutrient rich water, lol.

[Tony s]

Python systems work great. Unfortunately they don’t always connect to some of the sink or tub faucets. Especially unique ones from Koehler. I still use the bucket method for outbound.
for inbound- For tanks that need RO water, I use a gray plastic trash can with attached wheeled dolly, A small sump pump, and a food safe garden hose ending in a python hook. Really easy to use and you can install a valve at the end to reduce water pressure. Stopped the water from blowing everything around in your tank. Spent around 120 initially. Then figured out that the pump didn’t have enough lift to get up to the second floor (by inches😕). So upgraded the pump. If you’re not going up. Should work great. The wheels are great as you can move the can into an out of the way space.

Edited March 4 by Tony s

[reefhugger]

I attached a divertor valve to my shower head and screwed in a hose adapter.  I can use  hot and cold water to get the temperature  just right, flip the valve and use the hose to fill up the tank.  I got a fairly lightweight hose and use it only for the fish tanks.  It rolls up nicely to put  in a closet.  I also have a garbage can on wheels I use to syphon the tank water into...then it goes onto my garden beds.  I'm an old lady and this whole setup is kind to my back.  And it was pretty cheap to assemble.

[FLFishChik]

After doing my own research and watching some comparison videos between Python and hygger, I went with hygger for 2 reasons. first reason (and major factor) was cost. Hygger was less expensive than Python and came with more features. Second, the adapters. I have odd faucets in my home and needed to be sure that I wouldn’t need to spend more money on purchasing another adapter for the python because the consensus seemed to be that a lot of people were having to buy adapters separately to fit their needs.

Heres the Amazon links to both if you want to compare between the two to see what would work better for you

https://a.co/d/0wfvDhs

https://a.co/d/6m286uL

I also highly recommend watching Bentley Pascoe’s video on YouTube comparing the two

Edited March 4 by FLFishChik

[TOtrees]

One concern as I read your post is about water temperature. If you're using or thinking of using hose water for refilling, that's usually unheated. What's the difference between the hose temp (after a few minutes of running) and the tank temp? Does hose water temp change seasonally? Is your climate/region tropical, temperate, or cold? What % of water will you be changing? Will it ever be higher?

If you're changing 10% water or less (tank size doesn't really matter), then your incoming water has to be WAY colder than tank water to cause a shift of more than a few degrees. For example, let's say you have 70 gallons in the tank (after removing 5) at 78F. You add 5 gallons at 55F (picking a number). You can calculate (before doing the water change) that this will give a final temperature, after mixing, of 76.5F. So that cold water injection only shifted the tank temp by 1.5F. 

There's an easy/good calculator here for this here: https://rechneronline.de/chemie-rechner/mix-temperatures.php You can solve for final temperature as in the example above, or solve for volume amounts (eg "my tank is 78F and my tap water is 55F; how much water can I change if I need final temp to be within 5F of the starting temp?" A: could be up to 16.3 gallons). 

Anyways for all these reasons, most folks either prepare their water ahead of time (minority), or add directly from a bathroom or kitchen tap that can provide the desired temp (majority). To do the former, you need one or more buckets, space for them to sit, and possibly a way to move them from a to b. Also a pump that suits your specific tradeoff between high volume (fast and efficient) vs not blowing up the substrate with a cascade and whirlpool of incoming water, and a way to switch it on and off efficiently. An advantage of this method is that overfilling accidents are more rare (bucket empties before tank can overflow) 🙂. 

For the latter (fill from tap), you need something like a python or a simple hose, that can divert water from your source to the tank. One of the best non-python setups I've seen (read about) is to splice and mount a valve into the hot and cold water lines under the cabinet of a nearby source (eg under bathroom sink or under kitchen counter). This avoids the need to use an adapter on the actual sink faucet. Here's an example from another forum, so I'm only dropping the pic not the link:

In this pic you can see where the hot and cold water comes from (tees to left and right of the sink drain), the temp mixing valve (above the mounting wood), the on-off valve (red handle), the coiled hose, and the 1/2" CPVC spray bar attaches to the hose, at the tank.

[saminator0107]

On 3/4/2024 at 6:59 AM, TOtrees said:

One concern as I read your post is about water temperature. If you're using or thinking of using hose water for refilling, that's usually unheated. What's the difference between the hose temp (after a few minutes of running) and the tank temp? Does hose water temp change seasonally? Is your climate/region tropical, temperate, or cold? What % of water will you be changing? Will it ever be higher?

If you're changing 10% water or less (tank size doesn't really matter), then your incoming water has to be WAY colder than tank water to cause a shift of more than a few degrees. For example, let's say you have 70 gallons in the tank (after removing 5) at 78F. You add 5 gallons at 55F (picking a number). You can calculate (before doing the water change) that this will give a final temperature, after mixing, of 76.5F. So that cold water injection only shifted the tank temp by 1.5F. 

There's an easy/good calculator here for this here: https://rechneronline.de/chemie-rechner/mix-temperatures.php You can solve for final temperature as in the example above, or solve for volume amounts (eg "my tank is 78F and my tap water is 55F; how much water can I change if I need final temp to be within 5F of the starting temp?" A: could be up to 16.3 gallons). 

Anyways for all these reasons, most folks either prepare their water ahead of time (minority), or add directly from a bathroom or kitchen tap that can provide the desired temp (majority). To do the former, you need one or more buckets, space for them to sit, and possibly a way to move them from a to b. Also a pump that suits your specific tradeoff between high volume (fast and efficient) vs not blowing up the substrate with a cascade and whirlpool of incoming water, and a way to switch it on and off efficiently. An advantage of this method is that overfilling accidents are more rare (bucket empties before tank can overflow) 🙂. 

For the latter (fill from tap), you need something like a python or a simple hose, that can divert water from your source to the tank. One of the best non-python setups I've seen (read about) is to splice and mount a valve into the hot and cold water lines under the cabinet of a nearby source (eg under bathroom sink or under kitchen counter). This avoids the need to use an adapter on the actual sink faucet. Here's an example from another forum, so I'm only dropping the pic not the link:

In this pic you can see where the hot and cold water comes from (tees to left and right of the sink drain), the temp mixing valve (above the mounting wood), the on-off valve (red handle), the coiled hose, and the 1/2" CPVC spray bar attaches to the hose, at the tank.

Thanks for all the good info. My 75 is set up as a native aquarium with some green sunfish, so temp isnt really a big issue as these guys are insanely hardy, probably even more than guppies. I tested the water from the creek i trapped them from. It had 2.0 PPM ammonia, and they breed and do just fine in there, and have been for years. Its actually one of my secret fishing spots. So with that being said, i dont think the temp dropping a few degrees will affect these guys much. They can put up with conditions that are 10x worse than my aquarium is. Also, i dont plan on keeping these fish in there forever. They will eventually outgrow the tank. I will release them back into the same creek. Within the next few months i will be ordering Warmouth Sunfish from a trusted NANFA breeder. His warmouth dont really get over 8", so i should be able to put 2-3 of them in there. This info was from the email i recieved from the breeder, his words, not mine lol.

On 3/4/2024 at 6:38 AM, FLFishChik said:

After doing my own research and watching some comparison videos between Python and hygger, I went with hygger for 2 reasons. first reason (and major factor) was cost. Hygger was less expensive than Python and came with more features. Second, the adapters. I have odd faucets in my home and needed to be sure that I wouldn’t need to spend more money on purchasing another adapter for the python because the consensus seemed to be that a lot of people were having to buy adapters separately to fit their needs.

Heres the Amazon links to both if you want to compare between the two to see what would work better for you

https://a.co/d/0wfvDhs

https://a.co/d/6m286uL

I also highly recommend watching Bentley Pascoe’s video on YouTube comparing the two

Thanks for the useful info. Hygger seems to be the route i will go if i end up doing a system like this, for the same reasons you stated. How long have you been using the hygger? Just wondering about long term usage and how it holds up to wear and tear over time.

On 3/4/2024 at 6:04 AM, reefhugger said:

I attached a divertor valve to my shower head and screwed in a hose adapter.  I can use  hot and cold water to get the temperature  just right, flip the valve and use the hose to fill up the tank.  I got a fairly lightweight hose and use it only for the fish tanks.  It rolls up nicely to put  in a closet.  I also have a garbage can on wheels I use to syphon the tank water into...then it goes onto my garden beds.  I'm an old lady and this whole setup is kind to my back.  And it was pretty cheap to assemble.

Thanks for the useful information. I might go this route if the previously stated hygger/python systems do not work for me.

On 3/4/2024 at 5:57 AM, Tony s said:

Python systems work great. Unfortunately they don’t always connect to some of the sink or tub faucets. Especially unique ones from Koehler. I still use the bucket method for outbound.
for inbound- For tanks that need RO water, I use a gray plastic trash can with attached wheeled dolly, A small sump pump, and a food safe garden hose ending in a python hook. Really easy to use and you can install a valve at the end to reduce water pressure. Stopped the water from blowing everything around in your tank. Spent around 120 initially. Then figured out that the pump didn’t have enough lift to get up to the second floor (by inches😕). So upgraded the pump. If you’re not going up. Should work great. The wheels are great as you can move the can into an out of the way space.

Thanks for the help. Luckily my 75G is a native aquarium, so i dont really need RO water. My house is single story, so i shouldnt need a massive pump, just one enough to keep the water moving at a decent rate. I have seen people use a big plastic tub, fill that with water then place a fountain/pond pump inside that tub to fill the tank. Ill probably extend the tube on my gravel vac to go out the window for draining the tank. 

[jwcarlson]

I have a 75 on the main level of our house and I ran a hose up through the wall and down to the basement utility sink.  I mounted a splitter (similar to the one you linked, but with 6" long hoses coming off of it) up on the wall behind the sink.  Then ran a short length of hose down from one side into the sink.  The other side of the split has a 10' length of hose that connects to a submersible pump.  At the end of each water change, my splitter valve is in the "drain" position.  So, when I start a water change I just need to get the siphon going.  It's my discus tank so I can just let it go after I clean the bare bottom quick.  

When the water is done draining, I flip the valves and drop the submersible pump into the aging barrel and start the pump.  It takes a bit more than 15 minutes to pump up the aged water.  So I set a timer.  When that's done I go back downstairs, flip the valves to drain (for tomorrow) and then refill my barrel from a python attachment with a length of hose that hangs up off the wall when I'm done.  It's pretty efficient and fairly limited "hand time".  It's not far from automatic.

The vast majority of my tanks are in the basement, so I normally run the water to the floor drain with a long python tube (through a course sponge pad to keep any algae and what-not out of the drain.  My 125 down there would take forever to drain by normal siphon, so I have "backup" submersible pump that I drop into the 125 and pump that back into the sink.  Then reverse it to refill from the barrels.  On the smaller tanks I still do a bucket drain/refill, but only because that's the quickest way to do it.

It's helpful to use little pieces of tape to mark water levels.  To get a rough idea I measure the height divide the capacity by height to get gallons per inch and then measure down to how many gallons I want to change.  It's pretty accurate and if you need to make a little adjustment you just move the tape up/down a bit for next time.  Also start timing how long some of the tasks take so you can walk away from the tank during some activities and then set up easy-to-use timers on your phone.  

[saminator0107]

On 3/4/2024 at 7:26 AM, jwcarlson said:

I have a 75 on the main level of our house and I ran a hose up through the wall and down to the basement utility sink.  I mounted a splitter (similar to the one you linked, but with 6" long hoses coming off of it) up on the wall behind the sink.  Then ran a short length of hose down from one side into the sink.  The other side of the split has a 10' length of hose that connects to a submersible pump.  At the end of each water change, my splitter valve is in the "drain" position.  So, when I start a water change I just need to get the siphon going.  It's my discus tank so I can just let it go after I clean the bare bottom quick.  

When the water is done draining, I flip the valves and drop the submersible pump into the aging barrel and start the pump.  It takes a bit more than 15 minutes to pump up the aged water.  So I set a timer.  When that's done I go back downstairs, flip the valves to drain (for tomorrow) and then refill my barrel from a python attachment with a length of hose that hangs up off the wall when I'm done.  It's pretty efficient and fairly limited "hand time".  It's not far from automatic.

The vast majority of my tanks are in the basement, so I normally run the water to the floor drain with a long python tube (through a course sponge pad to keep any algae and what-not out of the drain.  My 125 down there would take forever to drain by normal siphon, so I have "backup" submersible pump that I drop into the 125 and pump that back into the sink.  Then reverse it to refill from the barrels.  On the smaller tanks I still do a bucket drain/refill, but only because that's the quickest way to do it.

It's helpful to use little pieces of tape to mark water levels.  To get a rough idea I measure the height divide the capacity by height to get gallons per inch and then measure down to how many gallons I want to change.  It's pretty accurate and if you need to make a little adjustment you just move the tape up/down a bit for next time.  Also start timing how long some of the tasks take so you can walk away from the tank during some activities and then set up easy-to-use timers on your phone.  

Nice method you got there, and thanks for the info. Only thing id need is a basement, lol. Thats similar to the setup i was thinking of doing. 

[jwcarlson]

On 3/4/2024 at 7:31 AM, saminator0107 said:

Nice method you got there, and thanks for the info. Only thing id need is a basement, lol. Thats similar to the setup i was thinking of doing. 

A power head like the ACO power head works well, a vinyl tube can slip over the end and you can use that to pump water out or a bigger pump (this is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X05G1A/).  Power head works well for smaller tanks, you wouldn't want to drop this big pump in anything smaller than a 55 probably.

Edited March 4 by jwcarlson

[saminator0107]

On 3/4/2024 at 7:39 AM, jwcarlson said:

A power head like the ACO power head works well, a vinyl tube can slip over the end and you can use that to pump water out or a bigger pump (this is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X05G1A/).  Power head works well for smaller tanks, you wouldn't want to drop this big pump in anything smaller than a 55 probably.

Sweet, ill keep that in mind. Didnt even think about using a powerhead until now.

[Pepere]

I will be renovating the livingroom before I get a 75. The room will be gutted to the studs and rebuilt. I plan on installing a drain next to the tank and a holding tank in the basement directly underneath.

I plan on plumbing an overflow siphon from the tank to the drain so all I have to do to drain to 50% will be open a valve and it will drain to that level and stop,  I will also have a drain plumbed in to the tank stand that I can slip an end of a gravel vac down in to so I can gravel vac without buckets.

 

refill will be flipping a switch on the wall to turn on a pump.

 

[Tony s]

On 3/4/2024 at 8:39 AM, jwcarlson said:

this is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X05G1A/)

Very close to mine. i went with food safe garden hose with that so i could stick a garden hose valve on the python end. the first one i had had a 14' lift. the tank was 15' to the top. omg, do you have any idea how annoying that was. was glad my daughter was nowhere close.

[lefty o]

On 3/4/2024 at 5:30 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

Get a python water change kit. It hooks to a sink and makes it easy to drain and fill. I have used one for years, and if I had to do the five gallon bucket method, I wouldn't have a tank bigger than 20 gallons. If you don't want to waste water when draining, you can just run the house into a bath tub or even out a window, letting gravity do its thing. 

https://www.amazon.com/Python-Aquarium-Maintenance-System-50-Feet/dp/B000255NXM/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3AT4S4TOB3O2N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.28jg1ABWj1kdShoaiEUpZMccgcb_m8F7hcdeCRfts4UYOJX8lOOuGaofx0ZdYWVJ1TJroNwcVQmwqMJ21VSa9AIrhy2IX0kzI9e8jvrk4i6HL9ug2BH8C9rNjJtSe0O2eQWsDLX92By-suSepcA4u3l9kmQUOIZONufH9Q2sn9-yQiK6llmUYqDe8V5IPVfGXa_N79Prgk7PQwI_9H9A3n87d5v71OeMWD-rA2sOMe-Txy_sOFeX17CLAZk8mZF_2e5ts2jcbvxy0vrlaG-erhG3COGwvDcoFSqBGPK18Bs.6lSCDCv7UuW56WPZEoL7lNNkYDHT4MFqAgRp4MXP3zE&dib_tag=se&keywords=python%2Bwater%2Bchanger&qid=1709551739&sprefix=python%2Bwater%2Bchange%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-5&th=1

agree, id do up to 40gallon tanks with a bucket, but after that you really need a python or something similar.

[Tony s]

I did hookup a hygger to a downstairs faucet at one point. It works great, but I find I like to do it slower than that. I missed being up to my shoulder in the water and puttering around. apparently, that's my therapy. that's one of the reasons I don't mind algae on glass. I kind of find it soothing in some way. so went back to buckets on emptying.

[Tanked]

In my city I pay $3. for every $1. worth of water that I pour down the drain. So I am still using 5 gallon buckets to move the water in both directions.  The rim of my 75 is 60" from the floor.  An electric fountain pump allows me to refill the aquarium without lifting the bucket over my head.  At only 130 gph. my fountain pump allows me to do other things while the pump is working, and it doesn't blow the substrate away even in the 29 gal.   If  you have the space, I would use a 30 gallon wheeled Rubbermaid garbage can. and the  electric fountain pump, A DIY hooked pvc pipe and shutoff valve allows me to walk away.  I don't use one, but a check valve wouldn't hurt. I already know that my 75 requires 3 gallons per inch, and the buckets are measured as well. 

I don't know how high powerheads will lift water, but they may pump the last inch or two of water that my pump leaves behind. 

[Tony s]

On 3/4/2024 at 11:54 AM, lefty o said:

id do up to 40gallon tanks with a bucket

one of the reasons i went to the hose. i can now reach everything, everywhere. (14 tanks over my entire house covering most of the flat surfaces, my wife is really understanding, mostly, sometimes...) so, no more buckets for fill up😅. really the lifting of buckets is no good. even for a 10g. and 8 buckets into a 75g is just killer