# Easier Water change?



## Sainty91

Ok so ive got my aquarium set up all working well. Its a 120L tank with an external canister filter.

What i was wondering was does anyone have any tips or tricks to make the 2nd part of a water change eisier and less shocking for the fish.

Obviously the good old syphon will still be used to remove the crappy water. My issue is with introducing the new water, i dont want to buy and expensive pump to get water from the bucket to the tank, nor do i want to just pour it straight in not only does the bucket get heavy but it seems like alot of stress for a simple water change.

so heres my plan.....i attatch a T piece to the inlet of the canister filter with the inlet from the tank on one side and the other side has a hose going into my new bucket of water.using stop taps i was going to (whilst the pump is running) open the bucket line and close the tank line meaning the water that was going through the filter and into the tank was now new from the bucket topping up the water leavels.



Sorry this was long winded but i tried not to be too confusing. i would love to hear your ideas and views on my plan?

Thanks

Dave


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## Gizmo

Dave,

Sounds like quite an endeavor! I've always propped the bucket on the corner of my tank (risky, I know), and just siphoned the water in that way.


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## mk4gti

I fill up 5 gallon buckets with tap water, treat it, then dump em into my 90 gallon, no stress no hassle. Sounds like your "eaiser" water changes are going to be much more complicated.


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## Sainty91

I know what you mean it does sound like a bit of a mission to begin with. My logic is that i already have plumbing under my cainet for the external filter. I just thought that if this works it would save a lot of time and effort and maybe help others out too.

I will be putting this masterplan into place next week so i will post some photos to see if it has worked or not.

you never know, this might be a revolution in water changing, HA HA not quite but anything for an easy life


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## igot2gats

Assuming $36 isn't that much, & you don't have a long distance to a nearby sink, I HIGHLY recommend this. When you put water back in, it streams it in a very non-high pressure way into the tank.

Def worth the money, IMO.

ANNNNNNND, there's a switch on it to stop the input of the water if your hands are messing around in the tank.

Pond Maintenance & Cleaning: No Spill Clean 'N Fill


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## Sainty91

Thanks for that, if my plan doesnt work im going to give one of these a try. though i may have to get an extension as im not close to a faucet.


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## mk4gti

Yeah i cant use one of those becuase the closest sink is in the bathroom and its a designer faucet with no way to screw that on, i would have to tap the pipe in the wall and thats no fun.


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## igot2gats

mk4gti said:


> Yeah i cant use one of those becuase the closest sink is in the bathroom and its a designer faucet with no way to screw that on, i would have to tap the pipe in the wall and thats no fun.


You don't have another sink that's within 50', 75', or 100'? 

I'd still plunk the money down for a longer one if this method would work by any means. WCs are a HUGE pain if you don't have a siphon, if you ask me.

This thing relieves you of any & all stress for WCs if you have the means to use it.


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## Sainty91

Ive just been looking at the taps where i live and i dont think i would be able to fit one of these. (i live in a military building and cant change the taps in my bathroom)

plus i cant find the python hose thing on any UK website  

the syphoning part wasnt the issue with my WC i actually find it theraputic, lol strange i know. 

i have cut my new pipes to fit onto my filter i just need to connect it up and give it ago.

the picture should hopefully explain what i want to do.


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## HUMAN1ESS

Make sure you treat the water before you run it through your canister. Don't want chlorine running through you bacteria!


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## Sainty91

HUMAN1ESS said:


> Make sure you treat the water before you run it through your canister. Don't want chlorine running through you bacteria!


I get my water from a friend who has an RO unit.

but good point to anyone reading this about protecting your filter bacteria


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## tinman

[email protected] said:


> Dave,
> 
> Sounds like quite an endeavor! I've always propped the bucket on the corner of my tank (risky, I know), and just siphoned the water in that way.


wow 

exactly the way i do my water changes 

and i think fish enjoy fresh water its not stressful for them i guess
they all swim into the new current and smile at me lol


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## M1ster Stanl3y

igot2gats said:


> Assuming $36 isn't that much, & you don't have a long distance to a nearby sink, I HIGHLY recommend this. When you put water back in, it streams it in a very non-high pressure way into the tank.
> 
> Def worth the money, IMO.
> 
> ANNNNNNND, there's a switch on it to stop the input of the water if your hands are messing around in the tank.
> 
> Pond Maintenance & Cleaning: No Spill Clean 'N Fill


so when how do you put in your chemicals to treat the water...since everyone i've read say not to add when there are fish in the water...


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## trouble93

I use to have a bunch of old maxi-jets power heads laying around. So what I did was took a piece of hose 5/8 ID put it on the end of the maxi-jet. When it was time to do a water change drop the maxi-jet into the tank and drain that out into a bucket on the floor. On the floor right next to that bucket was my new water. Took the maxi-jet out of the tank put it in the bucket on the floor plugged it in and pump the new water right into the tank. No muss no fuss and no holding a bucket up over the tank.


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## verdifer

You could give the gravel/sand a quick hoover over try and not take to much water out and for the big water change empty your cannister filter and fill it back up to prime it then switch it back on, to do it that way it depends on how much your cannister filter holds, if it holds enough then you may be able to make it so you only need to pour a little water in where the fish are.

If you have sand where the rubbsh lies on top of it you could give the sand a hoover with the tube on the cannister that takes the water out that way only water from teh cannister will be replaced.


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## csingh07

trouble93 said:


> I use to have a bunch of old maxi-jets power heads laying around. So what I did was took a piece of hose 5/8 ID put it on the end of the maxi-jet. When it was time to do a water change drop the maxi-jet into the tank and drain that out into a bucket on the floor. On the floor right next to that bucket was my new water. Took the maxi-jet out of the tank put it in the bucket on the floor plugged it in and pump the new water right into the tank. No muss no fuss and no holding a bucket up over the tank.


+1 to this statement. Even if you were to go out and buy one, you can get one for less than $20 which is a great investment in my opinion. You can sit back and watch it slowly pump which is easier on you.


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## trouble93

csingh07 said:


> +1 to this statement. Even if you were to go out and buy one, you can get one for less than $20 which is a great investment in my opinion. You can sit back and watch it slowly pump which is easier on you.


Yea I have a bad back so lifting and holding a 30- 35lbs. bucket was out of the question. Now I don't even use the buckets. Since all my systems run off of sumps. I just drain the tanks down and pull the water right out from there. And the hose I use is long enough to pull water from the mix station and refill the sump. Kick the return pump back on and it's done. Maybe all of 15 minutes and that's with cleaning out the bottom of the sump with a shop-vac. Even if you had to buy the stuff new. A maxi-jet 1200 and 8 to 12 feet of hose $25.00 tops.


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## sivakv

I do exactly the way trouble93 has written. Use a spare internal filter/powerhead, connect a hose and pump water back in. Even designer taps you could get sort of flexible extensions that look like a funnel, if you are lucky you can get one that exactly covers the mouth of the tap, just need to hold it there and the other end anyway will be in the tank. 
A caveat on any approach, is to have a controlled pumping in of water, so that it neither makes fishes feel uncomfortable due to sudden high water current or disturb your decorations.

I personally follow both the approaches above.


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## jrman83

Sounds like the plan would work to tap into your filter inlet side. Theory sounds good. Like the powerhead ide and maxi-jets are very cheap priced.

I move about 60gal of RO water to all my tanks weekly the old fashioned way, with a bucket, and just pour it in.


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## Sainty91

I was trying to Fit all of this using spares i already had so providing the inlet tapping works ok i will have done this. Failing that the powerhead idea sounds like a winner. I will post pics and results as soon as it is in place.


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## JustinBarley

mk4gti said:


> I fill up 5 gallon buckets with tap water, treat it, then dump em into my 90 gallon, no stress no hassle. Sounds like your "eaiser" water changes are going to be much more complicated.


I totally agree!
That's way easier.


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## trouble93

JustinBarley said:


> I totally agree!
> That's way easier.
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________________________
> cleaners Melbourne cleaning services Melbourne house cleaning Melbourne


I guess if you call lifting almost 40lbs.atleast 52" from the ground to the top of the tank easier more power to you. I was always taught to work smart not hard, but that's just me.


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## csingh07

trouble93 said:


> I guess if you call lifting almost 40lbs.atleast 52" from the ground to the top of the tank easier more power to you. I was always taught to work smart not hard, but that's just me.


I agree. I would rather have a pump introduce water slowly and not cause too much disturbance instead of dumping a 5 gallon bucket of water into my tank. I am sure my corals would love that.


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## trouble93

csingh07 said:


> I agree. I would rather have a pump introduce water slowly and not cause too much disturbance instead of dumping a 5 gallon bucket of water into my tank. I am sure my corals would love that.


+1 just dumping that much water all at once will stir up all that gunk in your sand or gravel witch in turn will dirty the filter pads you just changed and stun your fish.


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## JustinBarley

csingh07 said:


> I am sure my corals would love that.


Corals in a freshwater tank?!?


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## trouble93

JustinBarley said:


> Corals in a freshwater tank?!?


No he was talking about that would effect his salt water tank.


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## danilykins

I just use a water pitcher I know it will take a while but its less disturbing. I also found this siphon from Aqueon that attaches to your faucet. SO you can let water go straight to your sink from your tank when you are cleaning AND when you refill it can take water from your faucet to your tank easily. 

Amazon.com: Aquarium Water Changer - 25 ft.: Kitchen & Dining


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## M1ster Stanl3y

danilykins said:


> I just use a water pitcher I know it will take a while but its less disturbing. I also found this siphon from Aqueon that attaches to your faucet. SO you can let water go straight to your sink from your tank when you are cleaning AND when you refill it can take water from your faucet to your tank easily.
> 
> Amazon.com: Aquarium Water Changer - 25 ft.: Kitchen & Dining


My question with this is when do you add you chemiclas to remove chlorine if its faucet to tank.


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## trouble93

M1ster Stanl3y said:


> My question with this is when do you add you chemiclas to remove chlorine if its faucet to tank.


 Good question!!!


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## hayderrr

Hello,
I required this type of information because I also want this type of help to change the water of my aquarium. I faced alot of trouble to change it. So, I am heartly thankful to you to providing this type of infomation.

thanks!!
_______________
 decorative art


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## trouble93

hayderrr said:


> Hello,
> I required this type of information because I also want this type of help to change the water of my aquarium. I faced alot of trouble to change it. So, I am heartly thankful to you to providing this type of infomation.
> 
> thanks!!
> _______________
> decorative art


 This is why we all come together to help each other. Although my main tanks are saltwater I still have two freshwater tanks up and running. In a saltwater tank water changes are a most bi-weekly, but in the freshwater tanks I do them monthly using the same method. And for me the way I out lined using a power head and hoses work well. No muss no fuse.


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## blue water

Sainty91 said:


> I was trying to Fit all of this using spares i already had so providing the inlet tapping works ok i will have done this. Failing that the powerhead idea sounds like a winner. I will post pics and results as soon as it is in place.


 why not buy a aqueon water.I have 75 gal tank using this unit for 2yrs.It attaches to water faucet,they supply adapter,just put suction tube in tank, turn faucet on and tank.There is an push on or pull off attached to adapter to use to either full or drain tank.

the aqueon unit is called aqueon waterchanger.hope this helps


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## blue water

blue water said:


> why not buy a aqueon water.I have 75 gal tank using this unit for 2yrs.It attaches to water faucet,they supply adapter,just put suction tube in tank, turn faucet on and tank.There is an push on or pull off attached to adapter to use to either full or drain tank.
> 
> the aqueon unit is called aqueon waterchanger.hope this helps


 while i fill tank with tap water iat the same time add chlorine remover.


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## 3x100cart

Most sinks have a cap that can be screwed off/on the bottom of the faucet outlet allowing threads to be seen(not noticeable) and you should and your local hardware store should have adapters to take those threads to reg. hose threads then you can by stock flex plastic hose $.25/ft US the length you need to run from the sink the go to the local fish store they should have a tee has two hose ends top and side and a drain switch on bottom which allows water to flow from sink out bottom so you can test temp

you can attach it to your sink test water temp. then switch to send it down hose to tank no lifting involved 
when your done remove all roll it up and stash away out of sight and reattach decrotive cap on sink 

This of course does not work if you treat your water first 

*NOTE* it can also work to clean tank if hose is in tank water when switch is not set to fill it creates suction pulls dirty water to sink and now you never need to touch a bucket again


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## trouble93

3x100cart said:


> Most sinks have a cap that can be screwed off/on the bottom of the faucet outlet allowing threads to be seen(not noticeable) and you should and your local hardware store should have adapters to take those threads to reg. hose threads then you can by stock flex plastic hose $.25/ft US the length you need to run from the sink the go to the local fish store they should have a tee has two hose ends top and side and a drain switch on bottom which allows water to flow from sink out bottom so you can test temp
> 
> you can attach it to your sink test water temp. then switch to send it down hose to tank no lifting involved
> when your done remove all roll it up and stash away out of sight and reattach decrotive cap on sink
> 
> This of course does not work if you treat your water first
> 
> *NOTE* it can also work to clean tank if hose is in tank water when switch is not set to fill it creates suction pulls dirty water to sink and now you never need to touch a bucket again


In theory this would work well, but you said yourself it's no help to those who add supplements to there water.


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## 3x100cart

trouble93 said:


> In theory this would work well


It does work well the only small issue I had was the suction for cleaning was lower than when you would just go straight to bucket 
however my tank is tall so siphoning to bucket had lost of help from gravity and I had a 40 ft run to the sink so I think that was the cause 

I no longer use it because I do not do water changes and pulling it all to add a couple of gallons is more work than a bucket 

but I never added chemicals


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## trouble93

Just let me say this there are so many ways of doing things in this hobby be it fresh or salt water something that works for you may not work for me and vis versa. I have found that a simple pump and how ever many feet of hose you need is the easiest way to pull water out of the tank. Then take that same pump to replace that water weather treated or not back into the tank. The post title is "Easier Water Change" So this doesn't count for a hobbyist that doesn't do water changes nor for a hobbyist that do not add anything to there water before adding it to there tank. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel here. We just want it to role.


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