How do you guys change water in your bigger tanks? How do you adjust the temperature? Need suggestions

[HenryC]

I've been struggling with this, need suggestions on how to do it efficiently and quickly. Is there any machine that can help with this? The temperature of my water out of the tap in summer comes out at 90F-100F! Needles to say, I'm going to shock my fish if I pour the water change with these temperatures.

What I've been doing is prefill several jugs of water a night before and let them get to room Temp. for one day (down to 76-78F). But as I get more and more aquariums, this is getting very slow and cumbersome. I now have 5 jugs precooling almost every day, and that's not even enough for my current tanks. And with my 100g tank that I'm setting up soon for my oscar, I would have to have like 8 more jugs lol, which would be ridiculous. I need to find a solution.

In winter it is so easy cause I just mix water from the boiler, but I have no idea what to do right now in summer. Any suggestions? What do you guys that live in hot environments do? I've been thinking in getting 2 huge trash containers, one for siphoning the water changed and the other for pre-filling/cooling new water, and perhaps using a powerhead to pump it out in each aquarium after the siphoning. Anyone does it this way?

I've also been thinking in installing a big water cistern inside the fishroom so I can cool down and dechlorinate a huge amount of water for water change day and do all of my aquariums at once!

No matter what I think, seems it's a lot of work too! 😅

Any and all suggestions are appreciated!

Just an example, I usually fill these jugs and bring them inside during the day. They were at 95F, they take a long time to cool down.

Edited August 1, 2020 by HenryC

[RovingGinger]

I think a lot of people use the Python water change system that hooks up to a sink (inside, so they can choose a temp, generally). They put any treatment into the tank beforehand (chloramine removal, etc). I just ordered one because I keep spilling buckets, so no direct experience. 
 

I have your same question re: is anyone using a pump or a power head to move water especially IN to the aquarium. I’m hoping the python solves the problem though. 

[MickS77]

That sounds like the setup I have although mine is filled with RODI water. I have a 100 gallon Norwesco tank from a local dealer. I made a manifold for the drain, one valve so I can fill buckets and another goes to a pump. Its a Liberty Pumps 1/2hp water transfer pump. From the pump I used 1/2in Sharkbite connections and 1/2in Pex tubing to run a line up to the first floor. The Pex connects to a garden hose bib I installed under my kitchen sink. I attach an RV potable water hose to a make water changes. I also have shark bite check valve to prevent back siphoning. I control the on/off of the pump using a remote outlet switch.

It's been a reliable setup and pump for a few years now. I don't have a better picture of everything right now. 

[Daniel]

For the biggest tank, well water goes through the RO system then out into the white tank. Back when I was trying to breed Heckel discus I would used 18 M phosphoric acid to maintain a stable 4.5 pH. Thats what that blackbox in the upper right is for. Early on I did temperature mixing also, but not anymore. Now the water is heated inline.

In the current setup above, the big black Grundfos in the lower left moves room temperature RO water on to the big tank through pipes embedded the concrete slab foundation.

Over in the living room the water emerges from slab and then up through the inside the stand for the big tank. It is then piped through hidden emitters through a hole in the bottom of the tank.

At that point it becomes aged water in the big tank, and I use a Python to distribute it to my others tanks. I change 50 to 100s gallon of water a day by using a Python with the big tank as the source because it is so high up off of the ground. Everything else is downhill from there.

I added those on off valves to my Python setup and couldn't live with out them now.

Also critical is Amazon Alex. 'Alexa, set a timer for 5 minutes!' I know about how long it takes to fill each tank, so with Alexa's help, I have never had a flood due to forgetfulness.

Big cistern in the fishroom is the way to go. I think the most important part about water change water is that it be aged.

 

Edited August 1, 2020 by Daniel

[MattyIce]

I have a 500 gallon cistern with roof rain water collection, water comes out at about 65 in the summer 55 in the winter.  i use a pump and garden hose to get that to a 55 gallon drum in my fish room:



in the drum i have a 600 gph pump connected to PVC that comes up to a ball valve, it then splits, one side goes out to a barb connected to soft 1/2 inch python tubing the other to a ball valve directed back into the barrel.  
 

at the other end of the tubing i have this, for filling the tanks.  I have the second ball valve above for relieving pressure on the pump when I want to restrict flow using the ball valve on the filling wand.



I just fill the drum before i go to bed and the next day it is up to room temp, 74 and good to use. 

If you are thinking of doing something with trash cans, maybe this Aquarium Co-Op video will give you some ideas at around the 5 min mark:
 

 

[J. Mantooth]

I run a cheap pond pump in a bucket that sits under the faucet in my bathtub. I attach a 3/4 in. pvc hose to it, adjust the temp where I want it, let the bucket fill up, add water conditioner to the tank, then let it rip. I get the perfect temp every time. I made a tank filler head that hangs on the side of my tank with PVC pipe and a cheap 3/4 backflow valve from a hot tub supply store. Once it is close to done filling, I turn off the water and let the pump empty out the bucket, then I roll up the hose, put it in the bucket and put the whole thing away. I can do a whole water change on my 80 gallon in about 20-25 minutes, depending on how much I fiddle fart around with things. One of my 75 gallons is due for a water change tomorrow. If anyone is interested, I will snag some video. 🙂 I think the whole thing cost me maybe $50.00-ish?

[Daniel]

9 minutes ago, J. Mantooth said:

 I think the whole thing cost me maybe $50.00-ish?

Yes, I am interested in seeing video. I think my change system was about 50-ish too*.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Daniel
*but was able to roll it into the mortgage

[HenryC]

Thank you very much guys, it does seem a big water cistern is the way to go, kinda figured that sooner or later I would have to do something like that, especially when I put the oscar tank, a messy fish that needs BIG water changes. Now I have to figure out where to put it in the room lol! I need it to be inside in the A/C. Aging/cooling down water here is critical in the summer, I live in straight up desert! Temperature was 128 F the other day 🥵

Impressive system @Daniel!

[DaveSamsell]

3 minutes ago, HenryC said:

Thank you very much guys, it does seem a big water cistern is the way to go, kinda figured that sooner or later I would have to do something like that, especially when I put the oscar tank, a messy fish that needs BIG water changes. Now I have to figure out where to put it in the room lol! I need it to be inside in the A/C. Aging/cooling down water here is critical in the summer, I live in straight up desert! Temperature was 128 F the other day 🥵

Impressive system @Daniel!

If it was me, I would just do more frequent, lower volume water changes.  Water may dilute enough, temperature wise, to have no effects on the fish.  Some experimentation may be necessary, though.  Some folks have auto-water changers installed, larger containers or "constant drip' style changers employed.  Just some thoughts....  😀

[StephenP2003]

What if you passively or actively cooled the water as it passed through the python? I'm thinking a big fat radiator like the ones used in elaborate water-cooling setups for gaming computers. Or some other radiator... just that the PC ones are already made to accept fittings of various sizes and have streamlined designs. A slow-ish flow through one of these could be all that's needed to get the temperature low enough passively; otherwise, adding some cheap high CFM static pressure fans would almost certainly do the job.

[Brandy]

For rapid water cooling, there is also something like this:

It might be an idea worth investigating. 

[MattyIce]

47 minutes ago, Brandy said:

For rapid water cooling, there is also something like this:

It might be an idea worth investigating. 

In this same line of thinking, there is something called a Jockey box that might inspire some ideas: