Python water waste during water changes

[Nana Finopolis]

So, I'm feeling a little guilty with the water I'm wasting when doing my water changes using my Python. I've tried using gravity and putting the end outside but I don't get the same suction power. I've been considering using a pump but you can't gravel vac with it. I thought I might manually gravel vac into a bucket or garbage can and pump it out of there. Any other suggestions I'm not thinking about? For those that use pumps, what specific pump do you use?

[MJV Aquatics]

I use a (pool filter) sand substrate instead of gravel as nothing gets down under like gravel...so I haven't touched the sand in 8-10 years! I use an inexpensive submersible pump for water changes...fast and efficient.

[AquaAggie]

@Nana Finopolis I don’t have a solution but I have a python. In there videos I feel like they talked about how there isn’t that much excess water loss when you leave your sink running.l, but have not tested this. Once I get a syphon going I just turn the sink off. I have never gotten much suction either way. I have stopped gravel vacuuming very much at all and use a smaller caliber aqueon gravel vac to do areas I need to. Mostly along the glass where you can see it. I wish python made a smaller diameter end to help with just this problem. 

[Koi]

I'm the same way with not wanting to waste water. I even stopped using the plastic T that you use to connect to the faucet since mine started leaking. I still connect the hose to my faucet but I use a brass quick connect directly to fill my tanks.

As for draining my tank I use a 1/2 HP transfer pump that I connect a garden hose to the output leading out the house to water my lawn/garden. Even with a 50 ft hose its still strong enough to push 40 gallons out in around 5-10 minutes. The pump stays outside of the tank and I prime the motor by filling the python hose with water before turning it on. I plug the motor to a Kasa wifi timer so I have an easy on/off switch close by.

Since the water pumps pretty fast I have a metal screen that conveniently fits into the gravel vac so that way If I'm not paying attention I don't suck up any fish. I can only gravel vac thick carpets with this though, anything else would be torn out the substrate. For areas I can't really get close with the gravel vac I use a turkey baster to disturb the top layer substrate and pull the mulm out while the pump is running.

If you keep smaller tanks this might not really work for you though and it is a little pricey. But for the time I save on my bigger tank, It's well worth the investment. When I like to do more detail work I connect the gravel vac with the 10 foot hose attachment and do a regular siphon straight into a bucket. The shorter the hose you have the more siphon pressure. Also my tank is 2 ft above the ground so gravity does most of the work for me as far as speed goes.

Siphoning directly to a trash can with a pump inside is a fast way too. But if you don't want to allocate a trash can just for water changes you can gravel vac in portions. If I don't feel like hauling buckets I just gravel vac enough for one bucket and then pump the rest of the water out. And on my next water change I gravel vac a different area.