Compatibility between big tank and lazy people.

bboyspook

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 28, 2009
13
0
0
New York
I have (2) 55's, (1) 45, (2) 10's and (1) 20 and it takes me about 1 hour-2hours cleaning EACH tank... I love it though :)
 

toffee

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 21, 2006
159
8
48
Texas
12 Volt Man;3441551; said:
I used to water change a 1500g shark tank at the LFS where I used to work and it was 4 feet deep.

you just need more efficient water change equipment thats all.

eg. a 4 foot python tube to vaccum gravel/sand.

once thats done, get a 3 inch hose and drain away.

its really simple actually if you have the right tools to make it efficient.
I don't own a monster tank so I am just winging it here.

Assuming that 4ft python tube can vacuum a foot print of 6 sq inch at a time. A 1000g tank probably have a foot print of say 8ftx4ft? or 4609 sq inches.

Well, the owners were lazy or busy, they probably end up hiring help to do it. That's just my take.
 

kdrun76

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,637
100
81
CT
toffee;3441619; said:
haha you sir are not the lazy ones!



No, I am not lazy, but with out a python, I would never even think of owning the tanks that I do. And in addition to the python my husband has done some plumbing projects in this house that will make any new owners scratch their heads for a long time. I have a hot/cold water mix hose spigot in the kitchen just for the python to attach too. (Love my hose spigot BTW!) I don't need to use a sink faucet adapter.

I also have a salt water tap! Its a PVC pipe that runs between the basement and kitchen with quick connects at each end. I hook up a Sump pump in the basement and plug it into a "magic outlet." The pump gets tossed into a 70 gallon drum of salt water that I mixed earlier. Then upstairs I hook up another hose to the quick connect under the kitchen sink an I hoook up a light switch on a cord. The plug on my "light switch is a round one requiring a quarter turn and activates the "magic outlet" in the basement. This way I can stand next to a tank holding the hose that is connected to the pump as I flip the switch and turn the pump on. I can move 50 gallons of salt water from the basement to the kitchen in about 6 min with out spilling a drop!
 

Sawyer

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 6, 2009
38
0
6
Florida
I don't see how it takes someone 2 hours for a few tanks if you're using a python. I don't have any big tanks (will soon though) so maybe its harder than I think but I don't see how, the python makes it so simple. Even if I had 6 55-180g tanks I don't think it would take me anymore than an hour to gravel/WC all of them. I don't mind though if it would, I think its kind of fun to have my arm in the tank with the fish swimming around my arm. I'd love to have a huge tank/pond that I'd have to swim in to gravel vac.
 

kdrun76

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,637
100
81
CT
Sawyer;3442637; said:
I don't see how it takes someone 2 hours for a few tanks if you're using a python. I don't have any big tanks (will soon though) so maybe its harder than I think but I don't see how, the python makes it so simple. Even if I had 6 55-180g tanks I don't think it would take me anymore than an hour to gravel/WC all of them.
I think you are overestimating how fast the water drains in a big tank. On a 70 gallon tank, I vacuum all the gunk out of the gravel and then set a stove timer for 10-12 min. The stove timer is so I don't forget the tank is still draining. If I vacuum for 10 min and drain for another 10 min... that is 20 min just to reduce the water level to about 50%. Filling takes another 10 min or so... That is at least 30 min to do a 50% water change on a 70gallon tank with a python. It takes a LOT longer to drain the big tanks.

Perhaps you are only planning to do 10% water changes? Your fish would thank you for doing larger volume changes.
 

ozwald

Candiru
MFK Member
May 20, 2009
109
14
48
Oxford, UK
sostoudt;3441562; said:
to fill up, hook a hose up to your faucet or shower. buy a clamp, clamp hose to side of tank(so it flows in to the tank). sit back relax.

thats how you do it.;)
I could be missing something here, but how do you dechlorinate the water in this process?
 

StripeGirl

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 10, 2007
3,944
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0
Boston, MA
Sawyer;3442637; said:
I don't see how it takes someone 2 hours for a few tanks if you're using a python. I don't have any big tanks (will soon though) so maybe its harder than I think but I don't see how, the python makes it so simple. Even if I had 6 55-180g tanks I don't think it would take me anymore than an hour to gravel/WC all of them. I don't mind though if it would, I think its kind of fun to have my arm in the tank with the fish swimming around my arm. I'd love to have a huge tank/pond that I'd have to swim in to gravel vac.
it takes me 3 or so hours per big tank(i have four).It take almost an hr just to fill.
 

Sawyer

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 6, 2009
38
0
6
Florida
I do 25% twice a week (gravel vacing both times) on my current tanks.
Yeah, maybe I am overestimating how long it takes.. but even if it does take several hours a week for big tanks at least if you have a python you aren't doing much work, since it pretty much drains and refills itself (aside from gravel vacuuming)
 
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