What can I use to fill my 150 gallon tank with water?

Question

I don't want to lug around 5 gallon buckets back and forth to fill my tank. Should I use the hose? I also heard of this product called a "python". How does that work? What would your recommendation be for water changes?

So when I replace the water I'll use my hose, but will the water coming straight from the hose affect the fish that's already in the tank? If not, I can just add the water dechlorinater after I put the water in the tank, right?

Answer 1

I would definitely use a hose to put the water in. If you're worried about hose residue, don't worry. Just make sure you put in the water conditioner and let it sit for about a day or two to stabilize before putting fish in.

Make sure to ease your fish in as well by introducing them to the new water by adding the new water to their plastic bag slowly, rather than just throwing them into their new home.

I believe the "python" you're talking about is a type of siphon, used for cleaning the gravel and removing water etc. Nothing really to it, it just sucks water and fish poo from the bottom of the tank, and into whatever container you want to put the waste into.

As for cleaning/changing the water, it's good to change at least 3/4 of the water once a month. I never did it that frequently though. You should be able to get away with doing it every other month. Just make sure your siphon tube is long enough to reach a sink drain or somewhere where the water will flow freely. Otherwise you'll be stuck emptying buckets like I used to.

Good luck.

Answer 2

I would recommend using a hose. A python is a piece of aquarium equipment that hooks to the sink faucet. when the drain part of it is open it acts as a siphon to clean the substrate and remove water, the flow of water from the sink creates a siphon so you don't have to worry about getting it started. It also creates a faster flow of water from the tank that an standard gravity fed siphon so it is a good option for water changes in a large tank. When the drain is closed it can be used to put water back into the tank. This would also be a good option to use to fill your tank, but it is only worth buying if you are also going to use it to clean the tank with. as they are about $30 for the shortest one which is 25ft and go up to about $20 for every additional 25ft.

Also you water changes should be 10-25% once a month (less often with a tank this big if it is lightly stocked) not 75% as listed above.

EDIT: yes you can put water straight from the hose into the tank on water changes then add dechlorinates. Just run the hose for a minute or so first so the old water gets out and when you put water back in the tank hold the hose above the water so that it help to oxygenate it which helps with the declorination.

Answer 3

You can certainly use the Python to fill and do water maintenance on your tank. It comes with a hose of its own, but you could substitute a garden hose if it's not long enough for you. It should include a sink pump so that your sink can provide the vacuum to do water changes. Just a turn of the switch will reverse the flow and allow you to refill the tank. This is a great device for owners of multiple tanks to avoid the hassle of multiple buckets and frequent trips to the faucet, but your water bill will jump.

As long as you use a water-exchange sink pump (http://www.aquariumpros.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/PYT13BX.jpg), any hose and siphon combination should work.

You can view the individual parts here:
http://www.aquariumpros.com/c-PYTwc.html

Answer 4

You can use a hose, but let the water run a few minutes in the sink before using it to add water to the tank. This will flush any old water & bacteria that may be growing inside it. The inside of hoses may also be coated with material that dissolve in the water and may be harmful to your fish. I've always flushed them before use as I've described and haven't had any problems.

A Python is a hose/siphon you connect to your faucet (maybe with the use of adapters, they have a screw-on attachment, so you'd have to be sure it's compatible with the end of your sink fixture or it's not usable). There's a level you use to switch the direction of the water from "filling" your tank to "siphoning" the water out. Old models have the lever only near the sink, but newer ones have a "shut-off" on the tank end. They work well, as long as you don't mind that the siphon function wastes a lot of water - you need to run water down the drain at full-force, and it's the movement of the water that creates the suction to pull the water out of the tank.

Depending on the location of your tank, you could use a regular hose (which you'd also need to be compatible with your sink fixture) to fill the tank, then siphon the water out a window to water some outside shrubbery or flowers- the tank water has plenty of nitrates which the plants use as a fertilizer. It's great for houseplants as well - I've never had my indorr plants bloom as much as I did since using fish tank water to water them!


ADDITION: Add the conditioner to your tank, then add the water using the hose. You don't want to have the fish exposed to chlorine/chloramine if possible to do otherwise. When I've had to do this on larger tanks, I've added the water conditioner and the water through a hang-on filter rather than into the tank directly. You might also want to consider getting a shut off valve to add to the "tank" end: http://www.factorydirecthose.com/site/932652/product/BWC224 if your hose doesn't have a way to shut the water off at that end.

Answer 5

Theres also a type of hose thing that can empty water, fill in water&clean water, for 50 or 25 feet(i forget which one) its like $60, when i filled my fish tank (its about 1/3 the size of yours) i used a normal backyard hose, and my fishies are doing fine.

Answer 6

Aren't you near a water main. Can't you use a hose pipe?

Answer 7

A WATER HOSE DUU