# Water Changes - what is your technique?



## godkins (Feb 18, 2012)

I am interested in efficient quick water changes. I have a 75 fresh and I want to make sure my changes are completely safe. I am interested in reader techniques. 

How long does the de-chorinator need to work? How do you adjust the temperature. Do you let water sit for a day?


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## Cadiedid (Oct 26, 2011)

Good question, as I've been wondering how everyone does their water changes to make the process efficient and safe. I feel like I am among the minority schlepping buckets back and forth and making a mess, which is fine for all my 10 gallon tanks but once I get the 75 up I need a better plan. How many people use gravel vacuuming siphons or pythons, and do people use dedicated equipment for each tank to avoid cross contamination?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I do my small tanks with a siphon and bucket.The siphon consists of a rigid airline tubing and airline hose.This I place in the tank and drain into the bucket.It works great on the 29,20 long,tens and the five.The 55 I use an aquarium siphon to drain the water out the back door.

Adding back to the small ones,I have another bucket,a bit smaller where I can lift.This goes above the tanks via a shelf or the light,and another hose to siphon clean water back down.The dechlorinator,I add to the first fill bucket to ensure all the water is dechlored.The 55,I add the dechlor to the tank and then use my sink sprayer to fill back up.Its fast and effective.

The dechlorinator works instantly,and I no longer let my water sit overnight.Let me add all my tanks are planted,so i change half the water in each tank weekly.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

With all my tanks I use a python connected to the sink in the kitchen, it drains the water for me, then when returning water to tank, I put dechlorinator in each tank consisting of the entire amount of water the tank holds. I do 50 to 75 % of change on each tank.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I have my aquariums in a basement, so I drain to the floor drain. That's a luxury, and in the past, I used a sink.
I have a python, which I hook to a sink to refill. I could as easily drain the same way, but I dislike the water waste involved. I have old fashioned chlorine, and not chloramines, so I pour the water to splash, and leave it at that. If I change under 40%, there is no problem. For over 40%, I add dechlorinator. If I had chloramines, I would be obsessive about treating the water. 
I have soft tapwater, and keep mainly two types of fish, killies and livebearers. I add minerals to harden the water for the livebearers, with every water change. 
I watch the water temperature very closely when I add - chilling the fish is inviting Ich. It's something I have to watch, especially in winter when my cold water is seriously cold.
I do 25% weekly, minimum, on my tanks.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Pythons work very well when you have multiple tanks....just go from one to the next.


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## ArtyG (Jun 29, 2011)

The key component in my water change strategy is an adapter from Ace hardware that allows me to hook up a standard garden hose to my kitchen sink faucet thus allowing me to mix temperature . I carry no buckets. I use the gravel vacuum siphons that have been adapted with the proper sized clear plastic hose so they reach out the nearest exterior door. I add the API water conditioner during the refill. I try to do 75% change every 10 days. 
My fish are extremely healthy and my tanks, all of them, are overcrowded by most of your accounts. I rarely lose a fish except to old age. Not counting the thousands of feeder guppies and platties that pass thru.


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## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

I have set up a water change reservoir for my community tank. It holds 60 litres. I fill it up and and the dechlorinator. I have a small internal filter with a carbon cartridge and a heater in it as well and I let the filter and heater run for about a day before I do the water change so that when I pump the clean water in it is the same temperature as the tank - so no temperature drop. When removing water from the tank, I use a siphon and put the waste pipe out the window and the tank water runs on to my lawn. I have a pump in the reservoir that I use to pump the water back into the tank. I can do the entire water change in 10 minutes with this method, before I rigged up the reservoir it would take me almost an hour with a bucket... The set up cost me about the equivalent of about 80 USD and for me it was worth it.

My malawi tank is different, I can't get a container big enough to use as a reservoir but even if I could I would have no where to put it close enough to the tank, because it is a large tank but since they are hardier fish I just remove the water with a siphon to vacuum the gravel, with the water pipe running onto the lawn as well, I treat the entire tank volume with prime and then fill it up with the garden hose, that process takes about 30 minutes.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

I syphon the tanks out the door with a piece of garden hose, but then fill with buckets. I dont have threads on my kitchen sink, but intend on changing that soon so i can get a python.


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

I drain with a length of vinyl tubing from Lowes, then use an adapter on my shower head and the same hose. This allows me to get the temp just right in the tub then just flip the valve to shower and fill it up. I actually got this idea from someone on this wonderful forum


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## jimsz (Oct 11, 2011)

Unfortunately I am one that has to use buckets to drain and refill. Since the sink that is the closest in the building only has a 2.5 gal hot water heater I have to warm my water as well!

The night before a water change I fill 2 - 5 gal buckets with water and drop a submersible heater in them drip in some prime and let them sit for the night. The next day I drain into other buckets with a siphon that allows me to vacuum at the same time and pour the old water down the drain. Then I manually pour the heated/treated water into the tank. I do this 3 days in a row for the water change and them repeat it the following week!

Pouring into the tank does cause a disruption no matter how I try and avoid.

I am thinking of buying a small water pump to drop in the buckets and have it pump the water


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I pour as much as 35-45 gallons in some of my tanks from a bucket. This is my RO water. There are numerous ways to deflect the water as it drops into the tank. I do the buckets first and then top off with a hose from the sink, so the water level is down quite a ways and the water drops a long distance. I use a strainer to pour the water into - same kind you would use to strain spaghetti. I also move it around alot as the water hits it because the slots in the strainer will still stir or dig holes in my substrate if I don't. If I am pouring smaller amounts, like on my 29g, I scoop the water out with a plastic pitcher and pour it into my hand that is poised at the surface of the water. Others may use things like saucers, but if the distance of the pour is big that can still make a mess. I have too much water to put in with my tank sizes so things like dripping or siphoning out of bucket is not practical for me. Bottom line, you just need to find something that works for you. I also carry and pour about 120 gallons from a bucket...still haven't gotten any type of pump. I enjoy the exercise that lifting 5g of water to my chest gives me. Keeps my arms looking fit


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## Subaru4wd (May 6, 2011)

For my 88gal I have a 20gal tote that I fill with water, then add the dechlorinator and then I let it sit:









Usually the water comming out of my tap is far too cold, so I fill the 20gal tote about 2/3 full... then i fill a 5gal bucket with hot water and add it to the tote. Then I let the tote sit for an hour or so to normalize the PH balance.

When the water is ready to go into the tank, I run a hose from the intake of my canister filter, into the bucket and let the filter suck the water from the bucket and filter the water into my tank.










you can see more on my build here: http://www.aquariumforum.com/f45/new-me-88gal-tank-build-14843-2.html#post103073

Before all this i use my syphon vacuum, and attach the end of the hose to my garden hose, and just run the hose outside... and syphon all the crap into my gardens. I guess it helps that my tank is only a few feet from my front door.

As for my 36gal, i just do 5gal water changes by dumping buckets by hand.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Using a Python, syphon 6" of total water out of the tank. Have water holding in a 55g drum in th garage at temperature. Using the Python and attaching the 55g drum pump, hook it up and refill the tank.


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## Subaru4wd (May 6, 2011)

So I got some interest in my water change setup in the Chat Room, and I came up with a diagram that further explains the process I have. Thought this might help some others.


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

i use a siphon and bucket, takes a while but it isnt that bad as theres 5 25 litre buckets. what we do is one of us siphones the water into the bucket while the other ferries the buckets too and from the toilet. once all the water is out i fill the buckets using the shower head so i can make sure the water is warm and i add the declor while my boyfriend re fills the tank. its so high up i get away with not being able to reach 

havnt done a water change on my new tank yet but you guys have given me an idea......as the tank is in the loft room i could hook up a hose to the siphon to go out the window and drain away in the guttering.


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## freeasabird (Mar 21, 2012)

I currently haul 5 gallon buckets. The hauling is not so big of a deal as is moving it back into the tank a half gallon at a time (and pouring very slowly at that). A member in another thread mentioned using a powerhead/pump to pump it from the bucket back into the tank. I just purchased this itemAzoo Powerheads (the 1200 model) and will report back once I receive it and have had the chance to use it.

Even if I ever got a python, I think personally I would have a hard time putting chlorinated water into the tank since I don't know how much exposure to chlorine and chloramine it takes before it harms a fish. I would probably use the python to fill the bucket right next to the tank, dechlorinate, and then finally pump it into the tank. This is probably me just being anal though after years of ignorance and poor treatment of fish.


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

I use buckets, but then again my biggest tank is 10 gallons.


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