Making Water Changes Easier

[sillysidewinder]

So I was wondering if it would be acceptable to use some sort of return pump in order to siphon water out of my tank. Although I have gotten pretty good at siphoning water, I would love to make it so I don't have to get saltwater in my mouth anymore! I want a pump that would be able to pump water out of the tank and also pump new water into the tank. Any equipment suggestions for me?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I use a maxijet 1200. Works great for me

 

[fishman1069]

+1 Although I manually siphone outta the tank and use the pump for the new water goin in. I never get water in my mouth. You just gotta be quick lol

 

[naples]

I use a mag 5 with a one foot hose on the inlet and a 6 foot hose on the outlet it takes me about 10 minutes to do a 20 gallon water change. Works great!

 

[gholtmeyer]

My tank was hooked to 150g stock tank. I put a shut off valve in bottom of it, connected that to pvc pipe that I ran to drain in floor. I simply opened the valve and in about 2 min. 30 gallons of water drained out. Then I flipped a switch that I have a mag 12 plugged into. The mag was plumbed into the stock tank and it took just a few minutes to fill the tank back up.

 

[PhoenixOne]

I just completed a 20 gallon water change on my 90 gallon using Lee's Ultimate Gravel Vac (25 Foot Kit). No more lugging buckets to the sink. It works very well but make sure you have good pressure coming out of your faucet to create the vacuum that it needs to siphon the water. The only thing is, I haven't figured out what I should do to get the new salt water in the 5 gallon buckets back into the tank without having to lift them. I prob can use a power head but haven't figured out what size to use since the buckets are about 20 ft away from the tank.

 

[fishman1069]

I use a tub on a furniture dolly that I mix my water in. I use another tub to drain my water into from the DT. After the water is drained I roll the new water tub over to the tank, take the hose and place it in the tank and pump the new water in. I recently added to my water volume with a 30 gal display fuge so I also mix a 5 gal bucket that I dump into the tub when it gets half empty. The only thing is a use kinda of a small pump so the new water goes in slowly. If tho I have the new water at the same temp and SG as the tank water, I dont like having it go in really fast. JMO

 

[Turbovr3six]

When starting the siphon, just put the drain end of the hose where you want it to drain and put the hose in the tank in front of a powerhead. It will create its own siphon and once it does just move the hose (in tank) away from the powerhead.

Saltwater doesnt taste good:tongue1:

 

[ryangrieder]

Even though it's wayyy to much, but I have a spare mag 18 i use for large water changes so it goes faster lol. I also have a mag 5 that i usually use, and found a rubber feeling but plastic impeller incase I get any sand or something in the pump. Then i have a fitting to a 6 foot 3/4 rubber pipe That i heated up long enough so its very flexible. Works great. But even like chief said, a maxi jet 1200 wouls be cheaper and work fine

 

[batt600]

I just stick my tube near my MP40 and it pushes the water in the tube starting my siphon

 

[sillysidewinder]

I just stick my tube near my MP40 and it pushes the water in the tube starting my siphon

That's awesome, so clever. I should have thought of that a while ago! I find myself saying that way too much about my fish tank :smash:

A lot of the other solutions sound like they're for larger tanks. I am really only doing 5-7 gallon water changes