Great idea for water changes.

[jkhudson]

In my quest for finding ways to multi-task(fancy term for lazy) I figured out how to combine vacuuming my tank with doing a waterchange. I run a siphon python hose into a bucket filled with saltwater and use an Aquapump with one of thier filters attached to a return hose. As the siphon fills the tank the pump sends the water back into the tank. The filter prevents the waste from going back in. By seting the filter at the top and running the return at the bottom I get most of the new water to flow in before the old mixes in. Anyway if i take long enough the new works in. I wish i could take full credit for the idea, but I watched Jesse at AC use a canister to clean thier reef tank and thought this would make a good poorman's version. Just thought I'd share.

 

[Russ Braaten]

Let me get the picture in my mind... You drain old water into a bucket that already has new water in it and you pump that water back into the aquarium in hopes that the two don't mix?

If that is really what you meant to say...

If you have to have water filling the tank at the same time as you are draining water, why not just add a second bucket to drain the old water into so you have a more effecient water change?

 

[jkhudson]

I tried that at first but i didn't want to use two buckets. The filters stop almost anything from passing through. It's better than just adding water like topping off, and I can take as long as I like cleaning the tank since I don't have to worry about emptying another bucket. I know what you're asking, when I'm done I don't run the pump until the bucket's empty, I just turn the pump off and dump the bucket. The first time I did it I couldn't believe the crap that came out of my tank. YUK!

 

[chinaman4u]

The filter may remove larger particles, but what happens if you accidentally suck up 3" of gravel/sand when your elbow touches your halide and you flinch? You may filter out the gravel, but your fresh clean water would be cloudy and full of pollutants.

 

[jkhudson]

I think if my arm hit the bulb I'd have bigger problems than sucking up gravel. The pump pumps water faster than gravity pulls it down. So the water flows from the top down. The hose from the tank flows in at the bottom. Jesse's canister idea is the better solution, but I had a problem with spending that much for this idea.

 

[papagimp]

I hate raining on anyones parade, but that idea some seem to have some flaws. You could always have a line coming out from the overflow to an empty bucket (this would require two buckets though) And when you want a water change, open a valve to send water to the bucket instead of the sump. have clean water in another bucket with a return pump sending clean water back intot he tank. When the clean water is all empty, shut the valve and turn back on the sump return and everything goes back to normal. keep ya from mixing old water with new. regardless of where water is coming in and going out of your bucket you'll still get some current mixing the two. And even if a filter sucks out the larger particles, it's still "old" water and doesn't have what it needs, trace elements, calcium, ect. ect. It sounds like it would be a less effectie water change to me.

 

[jkhudson]

You're right. I thought it was a good way to combine 2 of the chores I hate. I tested it using dyed water and it's not as effective as doing a straight water change. If you're pressed fortime it does work. You do recirculate some of the old water but most of he new does go into the tank. The water left over in my bucket is nasty and does not improve over time so i know I've removed unhealthy particles aside from what's on the bottom. Also when I was done I didn't have to mess with the flow control on my sump since the water level never changed. The "2 bucket" system would be prfect for that. Since I'm about to be unemployed in a week or so, This exchange has given me something to do until school starts next month: figure out a way to "perfect" the system.