How do YOU do water changes?

Hi All! Today after blowing water all over the place while doing a water change, I started to wonder how everyone else is doing it. In the past, I used the "bucket and pour" method but it took so long to haul water back and forth from the barrel of prepared salt water to the tank. So, to make the job easier I bought a 700gph pump. I attached a piece of 1" plastic tubing to the pump intake and dropped the pump down into an empty 35g trash can while holding the tubing in the tank. Wow, that was easy! Then I turned the pump on. Nothing. Wouldn't suck up the water from the tank. So with one hand I held the outflow hole closed (on the pump) while (with my other hand) I filled the tube with water by pouring it in from the tank with a cup. All the while I have my foot placed on the 'ON' switch to start the pump. Took about a zillion tries before I could get the tube filled with water, end of hose back in the tank and the pump turned on so it would start sucking. Man, when that thing started to suck, it SUCKED! Blew water all over the room! Does anyone else use a pump to do water changes? How do YOU do water changes????? Help!!! Kas

 

much like you do but with a maxi jet- i put the powerhead in the tank and pump water out. then to get it back in i put the power head in the trash can then pump it up into the tank.

pumps only work when they have water in them they cannot create suction with air

 

What size maxi-jet do you use? The guy at the fish store told me I had to have at least 700gph to pump water 4 feet high but it seems to be too powerful....it blew a stack of live rock over! Jeez!

 

i use a maxi jet 1200 its 295 gph. yea you don't need that much for water changes, it will probably pump up to around 4 feet. i pump it into my sump which is maybe a foot taller then a 35 gallon trash can.

 

Thanks for your reply....I'm going to return the pump tomorrow. Paid $100 for it! Heck I have several maxi-jets in my tank "graveyard" that I can use. Thanks again! Kas

 

It depends on if I have anybody here to help!! I have a very big pump..(Actually dont remember what type but it was a pump that was used in a 135g sump) with very long length of tubing. I keep the pump in my water holding containers in my basement and my tank is upstairs.

I have built into my sump a connection that I can hook a hose up to so I can just drain it easily (eventually if they ever finish the install) and run it to the sink. All I have to do is turn this one valve off and the sump pump will redirect the water through the hose that is connected to the sink.



That second white tube that is in front of the valve is where I will eventually hook up the hose. I have a total of 3 shut off valves...Not sure how it will work..anxious to see once it is done

I then run the large hose from the basement and turn on the pump that is in my water storage and it refills the tank. This is where I have to have someone here to do as I have actually made a very big mess trying to do this myself! So I usually just carry buckets up for now!

 

Brilliant idea! Hope it works well for you. I'm going to give it another try with a smaller pump. And I guess with practice it'll get easier. Kas

 

i have a 35 gallon trash can that i mix SW in...i emptied 35 gallons and made a mark so i know how much water to drain for future reference. hooked up a ball valve and quick disconnect fitting off of my manifold that i built hooked up to a genx pump that drives all of my hardware. I then hook up the quick disconnect to a long hose that i run straight to my bathroom and pump water right out to drain. I plumbed the pump so i can switch it to either suck from the tank or suck from the 35 gallon drum. So once its done draining by sucking water out of the tank i make it fill by flipping some ball valves and have it suck from the 35 gallon drum of new SW. Takes me all of 15-20 min to do a water change....best part is that i dont get wet

 

I place two rubbermaid 20 gallon totes side by side. In the one with the newly prepared SW, I place my Cat 300 pump. Attached to the pump is a length of tubing with a black U return on the end. This goes in my display tank. I pull the plug on my main return pump, and my in-tank water mover pumps/powerheads.

I use a short length of tubing to siphon out enough water so that both totes are filled the same amount. (Actually I take a little less out from the tank than I have prepared new SW, to be on the safe side). I then plug in my pump, and let the tank refill.

 

I set up a garbage can next to the fish tank. Fill, mix, let sit overnight and bring up to temp. Then I take the water out of my tank with a standard siphon into buckets that I dump.

For the refill process, I have an old Rio2100 (about 700GPH if I remember right). I threw together some PVC and a ball valve to control the flow and rubber tubing on both ends. Attach and fill. You can control the flow. No fountain action.