A better siphoning method?

Just thinking about water changes in my tall tank (the stand is 4' high + 1'6" tank height)... I have a gravel vacuum for water changes etc but am thinking about using one of those attachments that you put on your drill that pumps water for the refills - I know a python is the traditional way, I'm just not sure about cost etc and it's a long way to the tap - I'd need a 50-100' hose. I'd rather use buckets but lifting full buckets of water over my head isn't going to be much fun.

has anyone else used the drill attachments I'm refering to?

 

Not sure what you are talking about, though I know people use lift pumps that are meant for purposes like this and powerheads if that's what your talking about.

 

I know the pump your talking about... It will work just fine for what you want. It may be prone to leaking though so keep a sharp eye on that and I would not use an electric drill. I would only use battery or air powered drills on a pump like that until I knew that it would not leak. 110 volts and water usually do not mix well.. ;D

A power head would be a better alternative.

 

Cool, thanks for that. I'd only have used a battery drill anyway but I need to check into it more... python might just end up being less hassle in the end...

 

You can also find lift pumps at hardware stores, in the gardening section, for use in ponds. They can usually handle a lot of water, and are pretty cheap ($15-20, maybe).

 

Here's a thought for ya, as a different method of getting water into your tank:

Get a water pump, Mag 3....what ever pump you want to use, so long as pumps waters. (I use a Mag 3 myself) Most of the pumps I have seen use 1/2in pvc pipe for fittings and such. I have cut a 5ft, 3 ft, and 2 ft section of solid pipe. As well I have a bunch of fittings (35 degree bends, 90 degree bends, short pieces of pipe)

Basically, what I do is put the bucket of water as close as I can get to the tank, then build a temporary pvc pipe from the bucket to the tank. I can pump 5 gallons of water in a minute or so.

Works like a charm, and you can get pumps fairly cheaply, if you don't have one already.