willypct

hi guys, I got a 55gal with 4 goldfish,2 algie eaters. I will be
getting a 100 gal soon, I need advice on doing my water changes
with out having to do any lifting( had back surgery for a herniated disk)
I was thinking on getting the python, but I see that their is also lees ultimate
and other battery operated cleaners. which one have you guys used and
recommend?

Tony G.

Welcome to Fishlore!!!

Sorry for your back pain
As for the WC's, many members use the python and love it. I dont, but i use a regular gravel vac.
If lifting bucket is out of the question, you could use small, really small buckets ( yoghurt kind). It will take forever, but it will be done!

Moe Jacob

I use a pond pump with a hose to do my water changes ... that would still require moving a few 5 gallon pails around a little, but you would not have to hold the pail for any length of time. I also have to be careful with my back, but so far, so good. I do it the hard way because I like to prepare my water BEFORE it goes in the tank ... I caught a pH of 8 from the tap last month and check a pail for ammonia every time.

I have heard good things about the Python though from friends that use it... good reviews ... I also have a friend that built one for WAY cheaper ... Google "DIY Python".

That's just my 5 cents worth ... either way, let suction, vacuum and gravity do the work ... good luck & I hope your back feels better soon!

Moe

Charlene

Welcome to Fishlore and sorry to hear about your back.

I too have to be careful about my back (damaged disc), I use a gravel vac and a long piece of hosepipe that the end goes in a drain so I don't have to pick any buckets up at all. To fill the tank back up I just use a hose pipe. The cold water is just like rain falling. I use a decholorinator to sort out any bad metals in the water. I have 8 tanks and this is how I do all of them. Hope that helps.

Darko A.

I had a simmilar dillema with another system that is available at my local store here. Pond pump with hose is the simple and cheap way to do wcs. You should obtain a model with at least 1000 liters/hour at 0.2-0.3m height (it sounds big, but it will not when you attach hose all over your place).

Red1313

I recommend a python.
I have that for my bigger tanks. 32 and 56 gal.

gremlin

I'm not supposed to lift anything heavier than a milk jug because of my surgery so I know how you feel. Mine is a permanent thing too.

When I had the 40 gallon breeder tank set up to winter my CAE's and plecos, I used an old pond pump and ran the hose out the window to water the garden. I put a short piece of tubing on the intake part and then stuck two pieces of smaller diameter tubing in that one so it wouldn't suck in anything too big for the pump to handle. (some of the snail shells were kind of big...) Then I brought the hose in from outside (through the window) with one of those sprayer heads that you can shut off and used that to refill the tank. I didn't have to lift anything except the pump and the hose. The pump with the tubing on the intake made a good little vacuum (two hoses, no waiting) and filling was also very easy. I was lucky that I had the tank sitting on a desk right by a window that opened, but you could run the tubing or hose out the door or into a bath tub or shower drain. Same thing with the refill hose, just bring it from where ever there is a faucet right to your tank.

redlessi

I just purchased a lee ultimate gravel cleaner as it looks like it does the same thing but a little less expensive!!

sirdarksol

Python, Ultimage Gravel Cleaner, or a DIY setup made out of tubing and plumbing parts will all do the same thing. They run to your sink (or your garden for draining, if you like) and allow you to drain and fill your tank without lifting anything heavier than a hose. About the only issue is having to pull the aerator off of the faucet every time you change the water.

gremlin

I use the outside hose and bring it in - don't need to worry about the aerator that way. We have a water softener so using the outside hose I bypassed the water softener and it's chemicals.

sirdarksol

In my area, that's dangerous, even with the temperate fish. The water comes out of my faucets at a chillingly cold temperature, even in the middle of summer. If I did a 25% water change, I'd end up with a temperature drop of five degrees or more in a few minutes' span.
But each area is different. Just make sure you know what temp the water is before doing this. Some people can't get cold water from their faucet for anything.

redlessi

I mix in some hot water with the cold water to adjust the temp when changing the tank

gremlin

I'm lucky in that I do water changes for my goldfish - they don't care that the water is cold or hot as long as it isn't too different from what they are in. I usually have the hose running clean water in as I suck out the dirty. That way it kind of washes the dirty water towards my pump out and the cleaner water is coming in the side of the pond. It also lets the water temp change more gradually then just dumping a bunch of new water in that may not be the same temp. When I was changing water on the inside tank, I had the heater on and let the water drip in fairly slowly. That way the heater kept up with the water. I would just go check on it every so often. It took a while for the tank to refill, but it was easier than trying to lift buckets for me.

sirdarksol

My problem is that even my temperate tank is above sixty in the summer, while the tap water can be fifty or lower.
The big thing is to know what you're dealing with. If the difference between tap and tank isn't all that great, then there's no big deal, especially with temperate fish. If it's like mine, however, where there's a pretty big gap, even fish that are used to temperature changes won't do well with the sudden shock.

aquarist48

Hello. Take care of that back! Some great tips above. It's been my experience over the years that sudden temperature fluctuations can spell disaster and disease. Try to get the tap water the same as the tank water before adding it to the tank.
Best of luck.
Ken