So My Python...

I love it, really do, but... I bought the 50 footer then had to buy a 25 foot extension because my sink is 3 rooms away. I need help to do it because I cannot run back and forth to the sink to push the thing up and down and turn the water on and off, etc.

But, I have issues. My hubby tells me it is because my sink is the same level as my tank, so there is really no suck to clean out the gravel. It takes a good 45 mins to empty the water to where I need it to.

So, as much as I try to clean the gravel, it doesn't suck the dirt up much.

My hubby says I can start the suction and then run it out the door so the end where the water comes out is lower than the tank and my suction will be better. Anybody do this and does it work, be nice enough to walk me through your process please?

My other issue is the faucet. I don't know, water shoots everywhere. I have a puddle in my kitchen when I do water changes. I got the original thingy with the kit, then bought a faucet adapter thingy and it screws on, it is just my faucet must be because it pulls down and water shoots everywhere. All over my counters, the floor, the rugs on the floor by the sink are soaking by the time I am done, etc. I do not have a clue why this is happening. I put towels around the faucet but it doesn't really help. Any ideas?

 

Buy a pond pump to drain the water. Just put the python on the end of the pond pump and plug that baby in and that will drain your tank.

As for gravel vacuuming...you might have to do that separately if you do the pond pump route. But if you do it every other week it might not be a problem.

As for water shooting everywhere, I'm no plumber but maybe there's a bad washer?

 

Buy a pond pump to drain the water. Just put the python on the end of the pond pump and plug that baby in and that will drain your tank.

As for gravel vacuuming...you might have to do that separately if you do the pond pump route. But if you do it every other week it might not be a problem.

As for water shooting everywhere, I'm no plumber but maybe there's a bad washer?

It's a brand new kit, like 2 months old, and it is not shooting out of the washer really. I can't explain it, it comes out around the base of the faucet. Maybe I need a new better faucet, but I don't know how to do that. It think my faucet is plastic, rather than metal, stronger, so water comes out of the base of the faucet. To be honest, my son monitors the kitchen while I am at the tank sucking and trying to clean the gravel. He could be connecting it wrong, but I connected it today so I know it was connected right and there was still water all over. Oh well. Maybe I can use the hand pump thingy from my 5 gallon tanks for just gravel vacuuming, but it seems the python should do it all. I mean I get a ton out, probably because I just push the gravel around a lot and the water that is left in tank gets really cloudy for a few hours but then the filter grabs it or it resettles or whatever. I guess my point is, pythoning for me is not as simple as most.

 

Honestly I don’t use the python to gravel clean because it requires the water pressure to do it. So I feel that doing a small vacuuming with a bucket will do. Only do it every so often.

 

Honestly I don’t use the python to gravel clean because it requires the water pressure to do it. So I feel that doing a small vacuuming with a bucket will do. Only do it every so often.

 

I use a garden hose with a bulb primer run out front door to empty my tank and gravel vac. And one of those scrunchy hoses to refill it frome the sink. I have a python too but I don't really like it. It waists so much water since my sink is slightly highee then my tank.

 

I've got two different water changers. One is 25 foot, the other 50. I noticed that the shorter one has more suction. Obviously it won't reach some of my tanks, so I just use a manual vacuum to clean with, and refill with the water changer. Our sink also gave me a similar problem. It would spray water out of the faucet head if it was not screwed on very carefully, but it also had very short threads. It also had water coming out the base of the faucet like you said. However, our whole countertop had some water damage from the water heater so our landlord is replacing it today/tomorrow. We're also getting a new sink due to old seals and whatnots. Hopefully that all stops now.

 

Your sink being level with the tank isn't the issue. Your water pressure is. If you have water spraying everywhere then your pressure is not as high as it should be in the connection tube. That water pressure is what creates a siphon. My kitchen sink has low pressure sometimes. So I drain and vacuum by connecting to my garden hose outside....that has higher pressure. Then I move the connection to the kitchen sink to refill the tank because I can temp control and the low pressure on refill is actually ok with me.

 

So those python things are amusing but seriously, go to the hardware store and get a faucet adapter with some hose clamps and some 1/2 tygon (plastic/rubberized) tubing. Connect one end to the adapter and the other end goes in your tank. You can add a ball valve at the end to make it a one person job. You can also go get a simple gravel vac and enough tubing to connect to the discharge end of the bulb to reach say an outside door or window or the toilet.

You might....might spend 40 bucks and you will have a rig that actually works and doesn't rely on pressure fluid height.

 

I use a garden hose with a bulb primer run out front door to empty my tank and gravel vac. And one of those scrunchy hoses to refill it frome the sink. I have a python too but I don't really like it. It waists so much water since my sink is slightly highee then my tank.

Hmm, honestly my fish tank is 2 feet from my back balcony which I could run off the side of the house if I wanted, but I have to figure out how to prime it. The Python woks great for filling except for it shooting out all over.

I've got two different water changers. One is 25 foot, the other 50. I noticed that the shorter one has more suction. Obviously it won't reach some of my tanks, so I just use a manual vacuum to clean with, and refill with the water changer. Our sink also gave me a similar problem. It would spray water out of the faucet head if it was not screwed on very carefully, but it also had very short threads. It also had water coming out the base of the faucet like you said. However, our whole countertop had some water damage from the water heater so our landlord is replacing it today/tomorrow. We're also getting a new sink due to old seals and whatnots. Hopefully that all stops now.

I wish my landlord was replacing. This faucet is a replacement from 2 years ago when it was leaking constantly, but maybe I can buy a new one myself and figure out how to change it. Who knows. I hate asking my landlord for anything, takes too long, she buys the cheapest/crappiest stuff, she spends too much time here, or sends too many people do do it, so I do what I can on my own.

Your sink being level with the tank isn't the issue. Your water pressure is. If you have water spraying everywhere then your pressure is not as high as it should be in the connection tube. That water pressure is what creates a siphon. My kitchen sink has low pressure sometimes. So I drain and vacuum by connecting to my garden hose outside....that has higher pressure. Then I move the connection to the kitchen sink to refill the tank because I can temp control and the low pressure on refill is actually ok with me.

Don't know if this matters, but the hose outside is nonfunctional. No water. Landlord turned it off and one of these days I have to ask her to turn it back on. I don't know what the problem is, but it sucks.

So those python things are amusing but seriously, go to the hardware store and get a faucet adapter with some hose clamps and some 1/2 tygon (plastic/rubberized) tubing. Connect one end to the adapter and the other end goes in your tank. You can add a ball valve at the end to make it a one person job. You can also go get a simple gravel vac and enough tubing to connect to the discharge end of the bulb to reach say an outside door or window or the toilet.

You might....might spend 40 bucks and you will have a rig that actually works and doesn't rely on pressure fluid height.

Seriously, this sounds French to me. I would love very detailed links on what to buy, if possible, if you had time, if you felt like helping a dummy out, LOL.

I must go back to work for 30 more minutes now.

 

I just bought a cheap 3/4" garden hose, cut the end off and installed something like this to prime. I couldn't find the right size but this gives you an idea.

Python Squeeze Stressless Siphon Starter for Aquariums

 

Hmm, honestly my fish tank is 2 feet from my back balcony which I could run off the side of the house if I wanted, but I have to figure out how to prime it. The Python woks great for filling except for it shooting out all over.

I wish my landlord was replacing. This faucet is a replacement from 2 years ago when it was leaking constantly, but maybe I can buy a new one myself and figure out how to change it. Who knows. I hate asking my landlord for anything, takes too long, she buys the cheapest/crappiest stuff, she spends too much time here, or sends too many people do do it, so I do what I can on my own.

Don't know if this matters, but the hose outside is nonfunctional. No water. Landlord turned it off and one of these days I have to ask her to turn it back on. I don't know what the problem is, but it sucks.

Seriously, this sounds French to me. I would love very detailed links on what to buy, if possible, if you had time, if you felt like helping a dummy out, LOL.

I must go back to work for 30 more minutes now.

Your landlord sounds like a peach........Maybe she's what needs replaced.

 

I just bought a cheap 3/4" garden hose, cut the end off and installed something like this to prime. I couldn't find the right size but this gives you an idea.

Python Squeeze Stressless Siphon Starter for Aquariums

Thank you so much. I do remember seeing that before.

Your landlord sounds like a peach........Maybe she's what needs replaced.

One of these days. Too much work to move and hubby is never home to help pack/move/look for place to move to and I work nights (9:30 to 6 am) and sleep days and when hubby is home, he sleeps nights and is up days. LOL, very difficult to coordinate anything. For now, whatever I can do, or feel like buying myself, I do. When it is too hard for me or too expensive on top of rent and utilities, I call the landlord. We do the lawn for her, she takes a few bux off rent every month and because she does not want to do it herself (a house broken into 4 apartments, so not like we are only mowing our lawn) but last year the lawnmower broke (hers) and she bought a new one off Craigslist that was shooting rocks out the back at my kids who were mowing the lawn, so hubby and I bought a brand spanking new one from Wally World and when we leave, we will take it with us.

 

Now that I think about it that may work with your python hose you already have.

 

I have to wonder how much the leaking faucet is undermining your success. Eg fix one problem (leaking faucet), and your other problems might disappear.
What happens if, during regular tap use, you try to block the water from coming out of the tap with your finger or thumb? If I'm understanding your descriptions above, water would spray up from the base of the faucet, at the sink or counter level, not around your finger (or not only around your finger). What I can't understand is why it does this when you attach the python, but not all the time (eg regular use). What kind of flow do you get through the python when it's attached? You should get almost as much water coming out of the python as when the tap is running normally.

Changing gears: Here's how I vac and change water on my 33gal, which might be useful to you. I use a standard gravel vac into a bucket on the floor for the vac portion. That's usually about 2-3 gals of the 10 gals that I change. It's slow, because I have sand substrate so I use a skinny vac and hose. If you have gravel, a fatter vac/hose will fill a 3 gal bucket in a matter of minutes, if that. Then I simply discharge remaining tank water (±7 gal) to a nearby sink via a thicker length of tubing (1/2" diameter). That only takes a couple extra minutes. In your case, that part could be fast or slow; since the vac part is already done, you don't need enough pressure or suction to operate a gravel cleaner. So in the end, I only have 1 bucket to lift/dump.

 

Zoomo I'll take pics of my rig when I get off work at 6 tonight. You can get it all at true value or ace hardware. Probably lowes too.

 

Ahhh, the beauty of a 3.5 gallon tank. A piece of airline tubing and two gallon jugs is the extent of my water changing gear.

 

I have to wonder how much the leaking faucet is undermining your success. Eg fix one problem (leaking faucet), and your other problems might disappear.
What happens if, during regular tap use, you try to block the water from coming out of the tap with your finger or thumb? If I'm understanding your descriptions above, water would spray up from the base of the faucet, at the sink or counter level, not around your finger (or not only around your finger). What I can't understand is why it does this when you attach the python, but not all the time (eg regular use). What kind of flow do you get through the python when it's attached? You should get almost as much water coming out of the python as when the tap is running normally.

Changing gears: Here's how I vac and change water on my 33gal, which might be useful to you. I use a standard gravel vac into a bucket on the floor for the vac portion. That's usually about 2-3 gals of the 10 gals that I change. It's slow, because I have sand substrate so I use a skinny vac and hose. If you have gravel, a fatter vac/hose will fill a 3 gal bucket in a matter of minutes, if that. Then I simply discharge remaining tank water (±7 gal) to a nearby sink via a thicker length of tubing (1/2" diameter). That only takes a couple extra minutes. In your case, that part could be fast or slow; since the vac part is already done, you don't need enough pressure or suction to operate a gravel cleaner. So in the end, I only have 1 bucket to lift/dump.

I will try it later before the floor has time to dry, but I also have a dishwasher, portable one, that I hate to use because it does the same thing, shoots water all over.

Water takes to empty 45 mins. Water takes to fill maybe 10. So, I get a good flow going in. I think, as my son monitors the kitchen, he keeps the water down as low as possible to make it work so that more water is not shooting all around.

I do have one bucket of water when I start the water change. I fill it or halfway fill it to put my ornaments in, for rinsing them off, for the filter media, for washing them off, etc., that gets poured down the tub drain when I am done. I could buy another 5 gallon bucket and vacuum first. I am really liking the tube out the door thing for draining water out. Sometimes I empty more water than I probably should because I have a lot of mystery snails in there (long story and why I now have the 40-G for my mystery snail babies (not really babies just my babies) and I like crystal clear water. I have 2 filters (Aquaclear 70s) and a Green Killing machine in there 24/7. Another question, the Green Killing machine is sideways in my tank because I bought the 24 V, and it does not fit standing up, but it is always covered in dirt. I have to wipe it down every week with a rag and because it is black, you see everything on it.

I wonder if some of the no flow out is the 75 feet it has to travel? I worry if a manual pump will work 75 feet, meaning if I hand prime it to start?

I don't know. Overall though, I cannot imagine using buckets to do water changes so it has been very helpful. Just not perfect like I thought it would be, and for the price (50 for the initial 50 foot one, 25 for the extension, and then the adapter another few bux), it should really work perfect, I thought. Sometimes I have problems starting it too, must be the pressure or something. I have no issues with shower pressure so its not the pipes or the washing machine.

Zoomo I'll take pics of my rig when I get off work at 6 tonight. You can get it all at true value or ace hardware. Probably lowes too.

Thanks so much!!!!