Water Changes: Getting it back in

[legoms013]

I was wondering how most people get the water back in their tanks. I have a 6 ft piece of plastic tube I can use to siphon the water out but I'm stumped about getting de-chlorinated water back in (I use aqua safe).

a 25% water change on my 30 gal tank would be roughly 7.5 gallons......one home depot bucket and a half

[Lady Hobbs]

Add it to your first pail full when re-filling. I use a python and just add the dechlorinator as the tank is filling.

[zqia014]

30 Galleon tank isn't too big so it shouldn't be too bad.

Before I had a gravel vacuum I used to manually remove the water from my tank by a ice cream container, too a long time, then I discovered the gravel vacuum.

As for getting new water back in, the ice cream container is still very much in use. :)

There will most definitely be equipments you can buy that will help you do this faster, I've tried my self using airpumps and airlines but no luck.

[Zerileous]

Okay, so this is a kindof funny system, but its really eays.

Our tanks are both on the kitchen counter right now. I know many of you will have stands that make this technique a little more dificult. But we simply fill the bucket with watter and proper ammt of dechlor. Then we place a stepstool on the counter, which sets the bucket above the tanks. Then we siphon the water back into the tanks the same way it came out.

[YaYgoldFish]

i just empty the bucket in, kinda slowly..it moves around the sand wich looks even more natural.

[Rue]

I use a bucket for all 5 tanks (but none are overly big)...I pour it in as slowly as I can...

...the new-ish elongated buckets are MUCH easier to control than the traditional round buckets...just a heads up for anyone bucket shopping!

[MeganL3985]

I only have a 5 gallon so i'm not much help. I use a cup and pour the water against the glass, so it doesn't stir up much. Works very well....but again...on a 5 gallon. lol.....

On our 27 gallon that we used to have....my dad used to put a cup inside and pour the water into the cup, that way all the water was pushing into that and not the gravel. Kinda like how you do when your first filling up a new tank. It works though.

[McgJosh]

Okay, so this is a kindof funny system, but its really eays.

Our tanks are both on the kitchen counter right now. I know many of you will have stands that make this technique a little more dificult. But we simply fill the bucket with watter and proper ammt of dechlor. Then we place a stepstool on the counter, which sets the bucket above the tanks. Then we siphon the water back into the tanks the same way it came out.

I do the same thing. I first siphon off enough to almost fill our 5 gallon jug. Then I fill the 5 gallon jug with fresh water, and dechlorinator, and siphon that back into the tank. That is for the 15 gallon.

For the larger tanks I can't take that much time, so I just siphon the water out and pour it back in.

[Tilmo2180]

I use a Python fill thingy. It was like 35 bucks at walmart and has made water changes sooo much easier. I would recommend them.

[RobbieG]

I use a 20 gallon bucket (just got it my old one was 2 gallons - took me forever to do changes!) for the out and 1 gallon jugs for the in.

[Drumachine09]

Bucket brigade over here.

I just use the bucket to siphon water out of the tank, and pour it back in with the bucket. I dont really have to pour slow, i just kinda let it flow by itself. Nothing gets stirred up.

[Tilmo2180]

a 20 gallon bucket would be like 160 pounds, that must suck carrying that, even if you only had to do it once. Worth it to me to get the python.

[salman]

I use a gravel cleaner and a bucket. I fill the bucket with water then i throw it away and so on.

I wish i had a python, i dont have a sink or something near most of my aquariums.

[Tilmo2180]

They make the python with either a 50 or a 100 foot hose. How far is the sink from your tank?

[A340]

For a 30g, I'd stick with a gravel vac and bucket. My biggest tank is a 29g tank and I have a 5g bucket and do a 50% water change every week, so that only equates to 3 roundtrips a week.

A gravel vac will only cost you a couple of bucks and is a good way to get some of the poop and other debris out of the tank, it works the same way as a siphon, only you're stirring up the gravel. Simply siphon the old water into the bucket, dump it. When adding new water, simply fill the bucket with tap water that's a temp close to whats in your tank, add the de-chlorinator straight into the bucket and pour it into the tank.

Pythons are great, but I wouldn't use it for anything under a 55g (just my preference). Plus the little bit of excercise is good for you.

[dev]

My largest tank is only 50 gallon, but since I change 40-50 gallons of water every week, I find my JBL Aqua In & Out (something like a python) invaluable. I have tanks in three different rooms, and use a 50 feet hose to reach them all.

I don't normally use any stress coat or dechlorinator. My tap water is of excellent quality, and my water plant does not use chloramine. The very small amount of chlorine escapes to the air as the tank is filling. Other additions like fertilizer, carbonates and dh-salt (increases hardness, has nothing do with salt) are added slowly into the water stream from the hose.

[RobbieG]

a 20 gallon bucket would be like 160 pounds, that must suck carrying that, even if you only had to do it once. Worth it to me to get the python.

Its on wheels - I just push it over to the bathtub and heave it over the side!

[crackatinny]

I use a gravel cleaner and a bucket. I fill the bucket with water then i throw it away and so on.

I wish i had a python, i dont have a sink or something near most of my aquariums.

Try hooking a garden hose to your gravelvac, I do this, and it saves bucketing all that water out, just run the hose out the door.

[Tilmo2180]

Its on wheels - I just push it over to the bathtub and heave it over the side!

I was gonna say WOW!! im not a small guy but I hated carrying my 5gal thats why I got the python. That and I was not doing water changes enough. I change 60-70 gallons a week now(between my 2 tanks)...thats way too many trips for me.

[legoms013]

Where can I get a "python"???

[NWMountainTroll]

It is best to let the water sit overnight to aerate, as the pressurized systems most places have are very low in dissolved oxygen. Personally, I just turn the bubbles all the way up and add the water slowly, one bucket at a time. It takes about an hour but it works.