Water Changes on “larger” tanks

[EricksonAquatics]

As I’m starting my journey into a bit of a tank upgrade (and with Amazon prime day approaching) I’m wondering what y’all’s thoughts are on doing water changes on slightly larger aquariums. The new tank (29g) is upstairs and nearest bathroom is a little ways down the hall (not crazy far). I’m a shorty so dragging 5g buckets down the hall and back 800 times doesn’t sound ideal😂

Is the python my best bet? Or too big of a rig for a 29g? Any other methods that have worked well for people?

Thank ya!

Edited July 15 by EricksonAquatics

[HelplessNewbie]

I cannot use python on my bathroom faucets and my tanks are higher than the faucet. Not sure if height makes difference with puthon usage. Anyway, I just got extra long hose that attaches to the short gravel vacuum-siphon I already had. I make sure it reaches from the tank to the bathroom tub, and drain tank water that way.

When done, I fully drain the hose, then I connect it to a powerhead in a small dipper at the bathroom sink, with the other end clipped securely to the tank. I ensure the faucet runs enough so that the dipper stays filled while the powerhead is running.

[Airborne 82nd]

I don't think it would be over kill I love mine. I drain 35 to 40 gals. every week to ten days. You may need to tweak it a little I bought the 25 foot and cut 5 to 8 ft. off. The bottom of my tank is level with the top of the sink and I run the hose along the back of my couch so the water flows down hill all the way. This saves alot of water no need to run water while draining. The higher you set your tank the faster it will go and if the hose goes down to the floor then back up at the sink the slower it will go but it will still work.

[Pepere]

I use a python on my 2, 29 gallon tanks.  Certainly not overkill in my estimation.

I have them in my bedroom which is right next to the bathroom.  Rather than use faucet water to drive the suction of water out of the tankI simple put the end of the hose in the bathtub for gravity siphon.  
 

for filling I attach the nozzle onto the kitchen sink.

Some day I hope to get the livingroom remodeled and put in a 75 gallon tank.  When I do that I am planning on plumbing in a drain into the cabinet that I can slip a gravel vac hose in to for clean8ng the substrate and also hard plumbing a siphon to the drain with a vacuum break at the right level somI can simply turn a valve todrain waterto the 50% mark for water changes. And I plan on having a water tank in the v

basement with a pump in it to flip switch to fill up the 75 gallon with preheated pre treated water…

 

I am a big believer in investing to make water changes easier… To my mind much easier than dealing with the results of trying to avoid water changes..

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Python is the way to go. I use it to refill my 20-55 gallon tanks (29’s included). Height of tank being above the faucet isn’t a problem, and I keep my water pressure pretty low, so you should be good to go there. 
 

I can’t imagine doing half my tanks without a Python. It was a gift to me about 4 years ago, and I use it every single week. 

[Tony s]

On 7/15/2024 at 5:45 PM, HelplessNewbie said:

I cannot use python on my bathroom faucets

I had this problem with a couple of mine when first starting. The way I figure it out is completely crushing the end of one. now we spend about 50x the cost of the python. 😪

[EricksonAquatics]

On 7/15/2024 at 7:18 PM, Pepere said:

I am a big believer in investing to make water changes easier

I totally agree. I enjoy doing water changes but I think doing buckets after buckets on this new guy will kill that. And my guess is python will cut down on time as well!

If it doesn’t fit on your faucet is there an adapter available to make it work? Or kind of a lost cause? @Tony s did you ever find a solution for yours?

[Tony s]

On 7/15/2024 at 9:50 PM, EricksonAquatics said:

did you ever find a solution for yours?

I haven't done it yet. It was a designer faucet with Mickey mouse shadows on both handles. Last I looked ebay had one for 1200$. Yes, my wife was less than pleased 

[Tony s]

On 7/15/2024 at 5:20 PM, EricksonAquatics said:

I’m a shorty so dragging 5g buckets down the hall and back 800 times doesn’t sound ideal😂

Yeah, I did that for a while as well. I need about 30 buckets to cover everything. I now use a brute trash can and a submersible sump pump to get it upstairs. (hauling 12 buckets at a time finished that idea off 🤣) This is the second pump. the first pump only had 14 feet of lift. the top of the tank was at 14'6". I would have thought I'd get some reduced flow. but they are not kidding. 14' was max.

[lefty o]

a 29 is borderline overkill imo. if you dont want to carry buckets though, its a win. for me 40 and under ill do with buckets, but anything bigger needs a python.

[Tony s]

On 7/15/2024 at 5:20 PM, EricksonAquatics said:

I’m a shorty so dragging 5g buckets down the hall and back 800 times doesn’t sound ideal😂

That's the other thing that I didn't like about buckets. 5 gallons sounds fine but hefting it to the top of a tank is absolutely no fun. And if you're not careful, you usually manage to rearrange something in the tank that you really didn't want to.

[daggaz]

I've got a powerhead in my 50 gallon and can hook a hose directly to it to drain the tank, using the UGF as a filter to keep from sucking up my fish.  But I never do this, because I don't do any regular water changes.  Instead, I throw out about half a kilo of frogbit every week.  Man that stuff grows fast.

[beastie]

I dont know what a python is, as they are not sold here, but I went to a hobby store, in the garden section I bought a hose adapt thing ( I bought four before I managed to catch the correct one to fit my faucet). I use a 10 m garden hose (and need to buy a longer one, as I got a new tank and it just wont reach).

I connect the thing to my faucet, put the other end of the hose in the tank under water. I fill it until the hose is full, unhook it from the sink, keeping my finger on the hole and take it outside to my drain/water collection. Is a bit annoying to walk over the house with it, but at least I utilize the water in the garden. Once I remove the finger and put the hose down, gravity does its thing and the water flows out. To fill it, I go back to the sink

I recently filled up my new 100l tank with buckets, as the hose wont reach, and I know a workout is needed sometimes, but I nearly died and water was also everywhere :)) 

 

[johnnyxxl]

I have the hygger syphon.  I also have an 80 gallon tank.  I like the system a bit nicer.  Easier to show someone how to use.  

[govsfabshop]

I love the python setup, it is a little slow for bigger tanks but i try to schedule in my water changes when i can finally relax and really pay attention to the tanks so a little extra time wont hurt! It would be just fine for a 29 and beats the heck out of buckets!