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Water changes (how long it takes)

John Starkey

Member
Joined
8 Jul 2007
Messages
1,599
Location
worcester
Hi all,
I did my fastest ever water change this morning,I did it in 50 mins,that's empying,glass cleaning,and refilling about 25% 25g roughly,when I look back and think how long it used to take I was well chuffed,
so I was wondering how long you lot spend on tank maintaintence each week ?

regards john
 
If its just a water change then I also do a 50% weekly water change on a 250L tank (apox 200L of water after hardscape deduction) in about 20-30 minutes. I can clean the glass and one of my two filters in this time aswell without breaking into a sweat.


All I use is one hose which is long enough to reach from my planted tank in my living room, to both my downstairs kithen sink and the barrels in my fish room upstairs (not at the same time though). On one end is an adaptor which is identical to the spraybar adaptor from my main external filter (EX1200). So all I do is turn the filter off (using the filters output control valve) unplug the spraybar within the tank, plug my hose in instead, secure the other end into the kitchen sink (via a homemade bracket) and turn the filter back on. That gives me about 10 minutes to clean the glass make a coffee whatever. When sufficient water has pumped out I turn the filter off (using the filters output control valve) but leave the hose connected to the spraybar adaptor, take the hose, which remains full of water, upstairs and put it in a barrel of prepared water which has other barrels connected via syphons to it whereby they effectivly become a battery of barrels(again secured in place with homemade brackets). I then go back downstairs and unplug the hose from the spraybar connector and the syphon starts automatically as the hose is already full of water. This is then secured in place again with a homemade bracket and I finish my coffee or whatever else I was doing. All that is left is to empty the hose, coil it up and store it away when the tank is full. Job done in 20-30 minutes, aproximatly 100 litres in and out and not a drop spilt (hopefully, LOL).

Of those 20-30 minutes only about 2 of them are required for actually dealing with the water which does leave a fair ammount of time available for doing other things like a bit of light prunning or general tank cleaning and i have even managed to clean out both of my filters in the past in this time, one whilst it was draining and the other whilst refilling although I did break out into a sweat on that occation, LOL.

About once a month though I spend a lot more time on tank maintenance. Typically this would include planting/pruning, cleaning lights, filter pipes, gravel , cabinet, etc, and anything else that needs doing. This can take quite a long time depending on how much there is to do. Sometimes just an hour or two but if I take on a rescape or have hardware to add/remove the job can take an undetermined length of time and has taken upto a whole day in the past on more than one occation.


Regards, Chris.
 
So perhaps the question should be how long per litre?

which for me on a worse case scenario would mean 30 minutes divided by 100L = 0.3 of a minute or 18 seconds per litre
Or a best case scenario of 20/100x60= 12 seconds per litre.

I'll settle for somewhere between the two of around 15seconds per litre (in and out).

:lol: :lol: :lol:






But wait there's more to this than meets the eye. :geek: :geek:

It only actually takes 2 minutes or so of the 20-30 minutes to deal with the water directly so it now becomes,

2/100x60=1.2 seconds per litre (in and out) of my direct time taken up.


:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Hi John,

I've three tanks right now -

60 litre biotope that takes 10 mins. per week,
a 25 litre planted nano that's 30 mins. every two or three weeks,
and a marine that 30 mins. per week.

The most I've ever spent is around 30 mins. per day on a hi-tech planted tank!
 
I use a home made python and change about 1/3 of my water (500L) its not super fast on draining as I start it using the python then turn it off allowing gravity to do the rest.

Then refill. All in all it takes about 1 1/2 hours. I clean the glass during the emptying...

Done
 
To change 50% water of my 100gal, takes me an hour but doesn't involve a lot of effort. That's with a hose pipe syphoning water out into the bath, then another hose pipe filling from the tap in the kitchen. If I'm cleaning filters, I do it in the bath while the water is draining (I keep the plug in) so that doesn't take any extra time. I don't do a lot of glass cleaning... I should though.

However, my nano (12 litre), I can do in the ad break of Corrie! That's with a hose (syphon) and a watering can.
 
Gang@Ukaps

Approx. 30mins, I shut off the taps on the outlet side of my filter, break the joint and attached a hose pipe to the joint, assist the water flow I switch on my filter which pump out the spent water, to refill I refit the joint on the oulet side of the filter, attached the hose pipe to the mixer tap on the sink, adjust the tap to obtain the correct temp and refill the tank - it takes longer to fill than to empty.

Paul.
 
I usually take about 4 hours each late on a Friday and Saturday night to do 50% wc, trim and clean on my Osaka 155 anf Roma 125. Only because it distracts me from the neighbours who think it perfectly ok to come home from the pub at 11.30 and start partying until about 4am
 
I have 2 running tanks atm:
15l- takes 5 mins if that
60l- 30mins once cleaned filter/glass etc.- longer if pruning!
 
with my water changer its takes me less than 30 minutes to do a 50% water change in my Rio 125 and Rekord 60.

And most of that time is spent watching TV and waiting for the tanks to drain and fill up again! lol

;)
 
I'm still using the Jug + Bucket method :lol: And I usually take my time... last week I rewatched Top Gear whilst doing a WC and Top Gear finish before I did. I can get it done in about 10 minutes if rushing though, afterall, its only 40 litres to remove and replace :)
 
On my 250 litre takes about 30 min's and thats with useing the fx5 to empty and refill useing a 15 litre bucket :crazy: Was thinking off useing a hose to refill but to unsure of getting the temp wrong
And my 35 litre cube takes 5 min's when just doing a water change.
 
Flyfisherman said:
Gang@Ukaps

Approx. 30mins, I shut off the taps on the outlet side of my filter, break the joint and attached a hose pipe to the joint, assist the water flow I switch on my filter which pump out the spent water, to refill I refit the joint on the oulet side of the filter, attached the hose pipe to the mixer tap on the sink, adjust the tap to obtain the correct temp and refill the tank - it takes longer to fill than to empty.

Paul.

Hi Paul,I notice in your post that you say you use the mixer tap when refilling your tank,if you are using hot water straight from the tap then you are adding impuraties to your setup,hot tap water can contain dissolved solids from the boiler and this will harm your fish and plants,thos time of year I don't add any hot water back to my tank just cold tap water, but very slowly,I add hot water during winter but only boiled water mixed with cold,

regards john
 
I have always added hot water to get the temp right! If you fill with cold water only, Thats bound to take in temp way down :?
 
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