Larger tanks (180+): How do you do water changes?

[Nathan]

I have a 180g tank. I have not done a water change in one year. The reason why is because last time I changed the water it was such a PITA that I dread doing it again.

I am interested to hear of innovative ways to perform water changes in large tanks.

Thanks!

-Nathan

 

[Dustin1231]

What i do is use a power head hooked to a hose and pump it into 5 gallon buckets. Dump the buckets and then fill up as many as i dumpped out with clean water and use the power head again to pump water in.

 

[hyperfocal]

Two Brute garbage cans on their wheeled bases. One empty, the other full of clean saltwater. Siphon dirty water out of the tank into the empty garbage can, pump clean water from the other garbage can into the aquarium. Wheel the garbage can full of dirty water into the bathroom and pump the water down the sink. Wipe down the garbage cans and pump with a clean towel.

Not a PITA. What am I missing here?

 

[Nathan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11082633#post11082633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dustin1231
What i do is use a power head hooked to a hose and pump it into 5 gallon buckets. Dump the buckets and then fill up as many as i dumpped out with clean water and use the power head again to pump water in.

Thanks Dustin.

I'd like to do 50g water changes at a time. That's a lot of hauling 5g buckets though.

 

[Nathan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11082694#post11082694 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hyperfocal
Two Brute garbage cans on their wheeled bases. One empty, the other full of clean saltwater. Siphon dirty water out of the tank into the empty garbage can, pump clean water from the other garbage can into the aquarium. Wheel the garbage can full of dirty water into the bathroom and pump the water down the sink. Wipe down the garbage cans and pump with a clean towel.

Not a PITA. What am I missing here?

That's a very good idea. Thanks!

 

[adambaron]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11082694#post11082694 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hyperfocal
Two Brute garbage cans on their wheeled bases. One empty, the other full of clean saltwater. Siphon dirty water out of the tank into the empty garbage can, pump clean water from the other garbage can into the aquarium. Wheel the garbage can full of dirty water into the bathroom and pump the water down the sink. Wipe down the garbage cans and pump with a clean towel.

Not a PITA. What am I missing here?

This is basically what I do. Just make your water in well in advance then its a pretty quick job.

 

[raddogz]

Granted I don't do this with 180 and above, but I do the two Brute trash can water change with a 155g, 120g, and 58g.

It makes water changes so much easier.

I call it the work smart vs. work hard method

 

[xtopher_vw]

I have a ball valve connected to my skimmer pump with a hose that goes to a floor drain in my furnace room. I then replace it with water from a plastic drum that I got from a hobby brew place that has a pump in it that just circulates water, I then use my top up PH to get the water out. With this method the only thing I do manually is add salt to the plastic drum and turn 2 ball valves.
HTH
BTW this is on a 225 gal

 

[NewMariner]

When I had my 180, I had a ball valve connected to one of the drains that connected to the clothes washer drain. When I wanted to do a water change I simply closed the ball valve to the sump, opened it to the drain, then I simply used the brute trashcan to send clean water to the sump. My next tank this will be automated as much as possible, or will just have it where all I have to do is twist a valve and it will fill the tank up without having to lift a finger.

Im lazy

 

[rich99rich]

For my 180, I T'd off my return pump to a gate valve. I attached a garden hose adapter to the gate valve. Whenever I need to make a water change, I just hook up a garden hose, open the gate valve, and dump the water into a Brute. When adding water to the tank, I just have everything in a Brute and use a pump to pump the water into the tank.

 

[Nathan]

What is a "Brute" trash can? Where can I buy one from?

 

[Chibils]

They're Rubbermaid trash cans. BRUTE is a line that's food-grade, used because that means it won't leach anything into the water.

 

[Nathan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11085466#post11085466 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chibils
They're Rubbermaid trash cans. BRUTE is a line that's food-grade, used because that means it won't leach anything into the water.

Thanks!

Where can I buy a Brute from? (HD? Lowes?)

 

[BMW///M3]

Re: Larger tanks (180+): How do you do water changes?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11082574#post11082574 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nathan
I have a 180g tank. I have not done a water change in one year. The reason why is because last time I changed the water it was such a PITA that I dread doing it again.

I am interested to hear of innovative ways to perform water changes in large tanks.

Thanks!

-Nathan

[flamealert]

 

[poppin_fresh]

Brutes can be found at hd or lowes. They are in the cleaning section with the rest of the garbage bins. They are gray and say "Brute" right on them.

 

[beaglelax]

well i have a 220 and its on the first floor of my house what i did is go to home depot and bought a 60 gallon green leaf garbage, the ones the land scapers use then i placed it outside and with simple gravity and a garden hose i created a sucktion (spl) and filled up the green leaf pale twice (160gallons) then i marked it on the tank where the water lvl is. Now when i change the water i just take the hose run it out side and because the end is lower just create sucktion(spl) and drain to the lvl. Then to fill up i do like everyone else fill up the green leaf pale add salt run pump rince and repeat. Big water change minimal work hope this helps or at least gives u some ideas,

 

[poppin_fresh]

I do agree to some extent that a W/C shouldn't be a PITA. If a large one is a problem, a five gallon a month one, would be better than nothing. You must have a least one salt bucket hanging around.

 

[hyperfocal]

HD also carries the wheeled dolly for the Brute cans. Very useful, worth the extra money.

 

[Nathan]

Thanks for all the tips! Some good ideas for water changes here.

BMW///M3: You are taking the whole hobby too seriously. Lighten up sonny boy.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11087052#post11087052 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hyperfocal
HD also carries the wheeled dolly for the Brute cans. Very useful, worth the extra money.

Yeah, and if you stick the dolly on the bottom of the trashcan, you can usually make it through checkout without paying for it :lol:

Just kidding...


Maybe...