Pumping water changes up stairs and outside?

[govsfabshop]

Hey hey all,  the wife and I are under contract for a real nice house out here,  it is on septic but the basement is below the septic entrance and without a sewage pump we can't drain anything down there yet, I've seen folks just put a pump in the tank for water changes, it is a walk out basement so I got to thinking what about adding an in line pump into the python and just pumping the water out to a cheap sprinkler or something to atleast make use of the fish water in the yard. Anyone done anything similar? There is water plumbed down there so filling isn't an issue, I'd just rather not bucket the water changes for 255gals worth of tanks currently!

 

Photo of the raphael, just because he was out and about this week!!

[lefty o]

i think many people do something similar. if it were me id get a big rubbermaid type of trash can, and a simple sump pump. drain tank water into trash can, sump pump kicks on and pumps water out to where ever your hose goes.

[TOtrees]

I like @lefty o's suggestion. It simplifies the water change aspect, and takes a lot of risk out of the process by making the wc and pumping water up and out separate tasks. Plus you don't have to worry about right-sizing the pump, ie you can just get a sump pump as suggested, which is simpler, more robust and more powerful than anything made for aquarium use. I love wireless switches for this, not smart plugs, but one step back from that in technology, like a plug adapter with on/off inside, and a hand-held remote switch, that doesn't work through the house wifi (google "wireless remote switch").