offminded

Hey Guys,

Is the Python Aquarium Vacuum a good purchase for my tank?

Gozer_1

Yes, I love my Python. It's a life saver. Makes changing water a much easier task, though with a salt water tank you can't use it to fill the tank back up. It still works great as a siphon cleaner.

Mike

Yep, gotta second the python if you have a medium sized tank (55 gallons) or larger. Works really good skimming right over the top of the sand to pull up detritus.

offminded

so it sounds like a good investment for a 55 gallon FOWLR, huh?

lilsoccakid

how do you fill the tank back up, where does the water conditioner go?

Mike

With saltwater tanks you need to pre-mix the saltwater in 5-gallon buckets or rubber trash cans etc, let it circulate for a day or so and then you can use it with your water changes. You can use a water pump (powerhead or the like) to pump the replacement water in or if in 5 gallon buckets you just slowly pour it in.

Gozer_1

Yeah making up salt water takes up most of my fish keeping time. lol I'm thinking I might need to get a trash can. Too many buckets. Soon I'll be making 20 gallons a week. Already making 15. The buckets are starting to pile up lol.

offminded

wow...how big is your tank?

Gozer_1

55 for the next couple weeks till I get the 75. I do %25 a week. That's technically about 13 gallons for a 55 and 19 for 75 but who's counting.

offminded

is 13-15 gallons per week standard for a 55 gallon? do you make your own water?

Gozer_1

10-15 is good yeah. Sometimes I get lazy and only do 10 gallons but doing 15 makes a difference. I try not get lazy about it. I do make my own water. Three 5 gallon buckets and a powerhead I rotate around with a heater for several hours. I don't mix it for 24 hours as is usually suggested. I try to at least give it 12 hours but I just don't have the setup to really run 3 buckets for a day. It is a good idea to circulate the mixed water for as long as you can before using it. Gives it time to fully dissolve into the water.

offminded

wow...i guess i'd better mix my own...0.99 per gallon is gonna add up!

Gozer_1

Actually 0.99 cents is not too bad. All together I spend about 0.91 cents a gallon when I buy Walmart water. 0.66 cents for the water and 0.25 for salt. (I also have a RO\DI filter but it takes FOREVER to fill a bucket and I have no storage reservoir for it. Would take a lot of buckets to pay for itself too. If you have the option to buy mixed water then save yourself the work. Not a bad deal for 0.08 cents.