# What's your excuse?



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Not to quote a fitness model Mom of 3 kids...if you watch the news.

Okay, so I just finished water changes on all 3 of my shrimp tanks (29g, 2-20g) and it took me about 27 minutes total. I change 50% on all 3, have to mix RO/tap, adjust the temp as necessary, and this is carrying the water to the 3 tanks in buckets. I did use a python type rig to de-water them. Even got them all wiped down and stuff put away in that time.

So...what % do you do for you smaller tank owners and why is 50% not your weekly goal if it takes less than 10min from start to finish?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

My 11 tanks take me about 2 hours to do all of them, does that work?


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

I almost always do 50% weekly. I mean, why not? Cleaner water = happier :fish10:


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## Protues55 (Dec 26, 2013)

See my thread about the Sins of our Children. No, really, I will do regular water changes once I am up and running! Promise! *r2


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

It used to take my a good part of each of my two days off to do my changes. And I did buckets, well still do. But I got a bigger siphon and more buckets, now I can do my 11 tanks in a couple hours! And all at 50% so I'm out of excuses, other than, I don't want to!


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

50% at a minimum weekly for my 700 gallons of FW tanks!
inkmaker ;"change as much water as often as possible"
You don't have to be" in St Louis "I don't think!


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## lonedove55 (Jan 25, 2012)

I just finished a water change on 2 tanks tonight:
70% on 38 gallon: 30 minutes
50 % on 26 gallon: 35 minutes (had to fiddle with plants also in this one)
On both tanks, I vacuumed the gravel and wiped down the inside and outside of the glass also.
For some reason, it just takes me that long...I use a Aqueon python thing to drain (putting faucet end out a door) and fill. It does take awhile to get the temp where it needs to be when refilling. 

jrman, how do you do yours so quickly? WOW. I really REALLY would like for it to take less time.


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## Botiadancer (Dec 30, 2013)

Excuses...

The dog-er-red tail cat ate my python.
Can't the fish clean up their own room.
They shut off my water.
The tank looks clean.
I was busy answering this post.


Seriously, I am one of those weirdos that likes doing waterchanges. Only time I get to see some of my catfish.

Its more work (or seems like it) to clean my 15g than my 60g... can't be bothered to get out the python for the 15g so I use a bucket.

90% of all aquarium problems can be solved by a water change, the other 10% can be fixed by a tube of silicone.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

lonedove55 said:


> I just finished a water change on 2 tanks tonight:
> 70% on 38 gallon: 30 minutes
> 50 % on 26 gallon: 35 minutes (had to fiddle with plants also in this one)
> On both tanks, I vacuumed the gravel and wiped down the inside and outside of the glass also.
> ...


It sounds like we almost did the same thing. I started the drain out the door like you and walked from one tank to the next and then went with buckets to re-fill. I spent no time vacuuming, no need with planted tanks and can be dangerous with shrimp tanks, and the glass was all clean. I literally did nothing but the change of the water. You did some of the nicer things that I have to do also, but was not needed this week.


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## jccaclimber2 (May 6, 2012)

I'd say it takes me closer to two hours for my 6 tanks, but most of that is spent playing around with plants. Water out through a hose to the basement, water back in through a hose from the shower. I actually usually do more than 50% because once I have the hose in it isn't hard to leave it there a bit longer.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

It takes me longer to fill than to drain. I use an airline siphon into buckets, LOL but I dont mind because during this process i get to examine the fishes behaviors and stuff. 

I do 50% weekly on everyone, which is a 15 and two 40s, except I siphon the 14 every other days since it has angel fry. 

Soon to add two more tanks back into the mix LOL.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

jccaclimber2 said:


> I'd say it takes me closer to two hours for my 6 tanks, but most of that is spent playing around with plants. Water out through a hose to the basement, water back in through a hose from the shower. I actually usually do more than 50% because once I have the hose in it isn't hard to leave it there a bit longer.


If I included my other 3 tanks (2-125g, 75g) I would be well over 2hrs. Most of that time is gravity draining the 125s. Takes about 40min. I have spent over 3hrs on plants on just one tank. I have about 500 stems of Staurogyne Repens carpeted nearly the full 6ft of one of my tanks. It has taken over a year to get it that way after losing almost all of it. When the field needs trimming it takes a long time. I call it a field


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## Chang Cindy (Sep 17, 2013)

I usually change 50% water of my tank every 3 day which take less than one hour and clear it every week which take less than one hour too ,haha


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

I bitterly complained about having to change my hospital tank 50% each day but honestly it only took 10 minutes with my python.

I have trouble waiting a whole week on my 90. Like I feel as if I should do it more often. They always seem so lively and happy after I do it.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Gardening, algae cleaning, 50% water change, prefilter cleaning, and fertilizing on my 10 gallon took me 1 bucket and 1 hour, and that's after not doing anything for 2 weeks, and being gone for 7 days of said 2 weeks.

I don't think it's the time that's the constraint sometimes, Ben, it's the labor of lugging water to/from in buckets. Some people just don't have the arm and back strength, or the mobility, to do it.


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## jccaclimber2 (May 6, 2012)

For me it is just getting around to it. Once I get started it is easy.


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

I stopped using buckets after my fist month of owning a tank. I use the aqueon water changer (similar to python) and drain the water into a toilet. Dose the remaining column with prime and refill directly into the tank. Haven't had a problem yet and been doing it this way for months and months.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

When I had 63 tanks running I was doing water changes daily so that each one would get a large water change weekly. Seems funny I have only 11 set up now. The rest are sitting in the storage shed.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Gizmo said:


> Gardening, algae cleaning, 50% water change, prefilter cleaning, and fertilizing on my 10 gallon took me 1 bucket and 1 hour, and that's after not doing anything for 2 weeks, and being gone for 7 days of said 2 weeks.
> 
> I don't think it's the time that's the constraint sometimes, Ben, it's the labor of lugging water to/from in buckets. Some people just don't have the arm and back strength, or the mobility, to do it.


LOL, I am glad you only have the one tank if a 10g takes you that long. Sorry, but if I took that long I would never get anything done.

I don't agree with you really. Since I mostly was talking to small tank owners, we'll say 30g and below, I have 3 of these. Taking the biggest of those down to 50% takes a little over two 5g buckets. That may take 10min, tops and that is someone who has to walk that bucket a long way to dump. If I only did half full buckets I can still do in almost the same amount of time. But, I don't think the weight of the bucket, strength, etc is the main reason, if people don't do larger water changes. I think most of it is ignorance and relying on programs like aqadvisor, which gets pushed here a lot, or listening to the workers in the fish stores. I say ignorance because more times than not most seem to believe that 15% does something for a water change to make a real difference.

I remember only 1-2 since being a member on this site having the issue you refer to, but I get that can be an issue as well. My message was, it is okay to do 50% and with a small tank it should only take a few more minutes compared to lower % changes.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Does being out of country for over six months count? =)

I only do 50% on a few tanks. My shrimp tanks get 25%. Never tried to do all 15 in one day. That would be interesting.


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## Sebastian (Dec 27, 2012)

I have 20 tanks for a total of 360 gallons. 4 of them are 40g, the rest are 10g and 20g. I do the 40s on different days than the other 16. All of my tanks see at least one 50% a week (and they really do), tanks with fry see 2-3 50% a week.

The way i have it set up it takes me 45-50 minutes to change the water in 16 tanks *and * siphon the bottom and clean some of the sponge filters when necessary. Pretty happy!

My trick is that all tanks are drilled half way down in the back and have a bulkhead. Just gotta open a valve and they drain right into the sewer. Filling them back up from 55 gallon storage drums actually takes longer and that is mostly what takes up the 45 minutes. While they are filling up I have my hands free to do all the manual cleaning.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

James0816 said:


> Does being out of country for over six months count? =)
> 
> I only do 50% on a few tanks. My shrimp tanks get 25%. Never tried to do all 15 in one day. That would be interesting.


Noticed you hadn't been around. Where are you? Somewhere warm, I hope.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

jrman83 said:


> Noticed you hadn't been around. Where are you? Somewhere warm, I hope.


I was somewhere very warm. Home now back in good ole VA.


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