Easy Water Changes

Sorry, I thought I'd write about the way I solved my water change problems,
but it got a bit LONG! I have 5 tanks in different locations within the
house

I wanted to do this but couldn't find a hose coupling to fit our kitchen
faucet. Also I wanted to ensure the water temp was as close as poss to the
tank water, and with hot & cold taps you'd loose your setting if you turned
the taps off to attach the hose. Then there was the matter of needing a 20m
hose to get to my various tanks, and the logistics of siphoning, and storing
the tube, without splashing water in the house, keeping my wife happy.

In NZ many homes have "Supertubs" in the laundry. These have a detachable
water outlet, much like a detachable shower head with H&C supply. (You
could use the shower as a water supply too) I tee'd off this tube (in the
cabinet underneath) and added a tap to each outlet and a hose coupling to
connect my hose to. ( from the gardening section at the local hardware
shop).

I needed a 20m hose to run to the tank furthest from the laundry. The hose
has a tap at each end (right at the end to minimise mess), and is stored
full of water. There is also a hose coupling at one end and suction cups at
the other. ( I keep water in the hose so that it starts the siphon next
time, and because getting the water out is potentially messy ) The water
stored is always clean chlorinated water, because the last step from the
previous week was to refill the tanks. The stored water never ends up in the
tank as the first job the following week is to siphon out. It is usually
only there for a week.

To do a water change, I put one end ( with suction cups) into a tank, and
open the tap at that end, then take the other end to a drain outside and
open that end. Water siphons out. When enough's out, I close the tap at the
aquarium end only and take the hose to the next aquarium, immerse and open
the tap to start the flow. At the last tank, I leave the tap on in the
aquarium but turn off the drain end. I take this end to the laundry and
click it to the hose coupling. I adjust the temp of the water coming out of
the supertub and then open the taps underneath to direct the flow down the
hose into the aquarium, and (almost) close the tap to the supertub outlet.
When the first tank is full, I close the tap at the aquarium end and move
that end to the next. When finished, turn the water off, close all the taps
on the hose line and fully open the one going to the supertub, and put the
hose away.

This has saved me a lot of time, and I can now do the maintenance on the
tanks one evening, rather than on the weekend

Leong



"~Vicki ~" wrote in message
...
I think they are talking about plumbing from cold water only taps, like
from the garden or the garage, thoug if I was going to go to the trouble
of permanently plumbing water into a tank, I would probably try to make
it a hot/cold supply.

That is exactly what I meant. And for that reason I take my water out
of the tap in the kitchen which is the proper temp for my tank.

Vicki

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