Water change pump

[Gunz05Gunz]

Hello,

Just wondering what method you guys use to do your water changes. I have a python that I currently use and it seems to take a while and waste water. So I am going to be getting a pump to speed up this process. I was thinking of this one:

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCat...uiet_one_1200?&query=1200&queryType=0&offset=

It is for a 90g. There is no head loss and it is travelling 35' to the nearest sink/drain.

Also, would this be too powerful with Flourite regular?

Post how you guys tackle this one larger tanks...I'm interested for future reference as well.

Thanks.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I drop a mag 500 into my 180 and connect about 10' of hose to the sink drain by just sticking the hose end down the garbage disposal.......

The mag is a lot cheaper than the pump you posted. I have had mine for years and are quiet and reliable..

Certainly go for the bigger pump if you want to go more quickly.

The 500 removes about 80% in 20 minutes. Too big a pump would overflow the drain......

Plus gives me time to do stuff while it drains.

I then connect flex tubing to the faucet and just run the cold tap to refill using Prime in the tank first....It changes the temp 1-2 degrees but the fish like it as the temp is usually 85 or so.

Takes about 30-40 to fill based on how high I turn the water on. I trim and clean while it is filling.

Any uprooting is done while draining so some detritus will be removed as well....

I have black flourite. The pump intake is placed upright so no substrate is inhaled (lol) and when the water level gets too low it starts sucking air and will not remove too much.........

 

[Gunz05Gunz]

The Mag 5 is definitely on my list for pumps. It runs about $100 here in Canada, vs about $50 for the quiet-one. How do you end up vacuuming your gravel? Do you use your flex tubing one the faucet, or hook it up to your mag 5?

 

[Tom Barr]

I use a Little Giant as these drain to 1/4" and 1200gph and make life much easier than most other things.

BRAND NEW 1/6 HP Little Giant Water Wizard Sump Pump - eBay (item 120383506191 end time Mar-13-09 00:22:00 PDT)

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[skids]

I too find the python to be a pain. I keep my 50' on a hose reel, but then the tubing at the end crimps down, and one forever loses suction unless I cut off the last 4 inches or so and reinstall. Same thing happens on end that goes to faucet. I wish there was some low cost vacuum resistant tubing. The issue is the clear vinyl sidewall too soft to stay open, so you lose suction. I have some rigid black rubber hose from sears that I am thinking to just put the

A friend gave me an old Little giant pond pump. Once I added adaptors for 3/4" PVC on the inlet and 3/8" fittings (for the outlet- a length of Eheim 16/22 green tubing) as needed I can now use it to feed RO/DI out of my 5 gal carboys I collect it in with a 20" length of 3/4" PVC pipe.

This is awesome for filling, I just have to prime the pump with a funnel first. I pour a bit of water into the outlet and let the pumphead stay wet (while holding a U in the tubing) before I turn the power on.

So far I have not used often for draining. My though is to add another adaptor so I can screw it onto the (faucet) end of the python, so I can have a sufficient hose run to outside the house.

 

[Gunz05Gunz]

I ended up going with a Mag 7. It was the same price as the Mag 5. Also ended up buying 50' of hose from the hardware store and clamping it to it. Use it to drain while I vacuum with my python. Certainly worth every penny since you will save alot of time with larger tanks.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[skids]

I had trouble priming my pump with the 5 gal carboys since the pump is over the stand pipe and is often dry once I get to the outlet into the tank and reach the switch. I modifed it as follows. BTW it is a 1/16 HP pump, as I learned from checking out Tom's link above.

My issue with Phytons is over time the soft vinyl hose collapses at the end near the faucet, will sitting on my hose reel. This then creates a reduced diameter and unless I cut off the first 6 inches or so of tubing, the suction is very poor.

Caveat emptor: You probably know this, but if not, make sure all tubing/ hoses are Drinking Water grade ior else t will extrude chemicals over time, and many aquarists have reported killing fish or stopping spawns before learning the hard way.


I improved the the phyton with my 1/16 HP pond pump from Little Giant (avail on ebay). I got the needed hose adapters for putting garden hose on the inlet side (1/2" FIP to 3/4 male hose) and can now screw the python's gravel cleaning attachment onto it. Then I have a 3/8 hose barb to female garden hose adapter (the outlet is a 3/8" slip and so has a short run of green Eheim tubing on it) and I connect the 50' of phyton tubing there, and run it out of the house. The pump can be nicely primed due to the python's ball valve and scooping tank water in the gravel vac and holding it up just over level of tank surface for a moment, while I push a floor electrical switch with my foot.

I can now vac/drain 20 gal from a 75gal long tank in about 5-10 min (just a bit too strong - it is ingesting gravel, so I turn the python ball valve down a bit to reduce intake flow) meanwhile the effluent is going outside. Then to fill tank:

I unscrew outlet Python hose and screw on a 5 ft piece of tubing and place in tank. Then Insert gravel vac end into my 20gal Rubbermaid tank of treated RO/DI water and refill in under 5 minutes.