Things You'll Need:
- 2 Buckets
- Tubing
- Reverse Osmosis Dionized Water Filter or Tap water conditioner that neutralizes chlorine.
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Step 1
Fill a bucket with tap water that will be used to replace the water in the fish tank. Prepare this a day in advance. The general rule is to take out about 20 percent of the tank's water. The most common tank size is 40 gallons--in that case about 8 gallons should be removed. This can be lowered to 5 gallons to make it easier, since buckets usually hold 5 gallons.
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Step 2
Add tap water conditioner into the bucket. Use the amount of water condition as directed on the container. A common brand you'll find at most pet stores is Tap Water Conditioner by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. Or, if you have a reverse osmosis dionized (RO/DI) water filter, it can be used without adding water conditioner.
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Step 3
Place the bucket and tubing next to the aquarium in preparation for a water change.
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Step 4
Turn off all electricity to avoid any dangers. Heaters can break if exposed to excessive air as it will try to heat the room's temperature. Filters can go dry if water levels go below the suction tubing.
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Step 5
Place one end of the tubing into the fish tank and begin a suction by sucking on the other end of the tube like you would a straw. Make sure your end is below the end in the tank so that gravity pulls down the water into the bucket. Be sure to watch the water move down the tubing as you do not want to drink any of your fish's poop. Before it gets to your mouth, empty the water into a second bucket.
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Step 6
Remove any solid wastes inside the fish tank by gently siphoning the gravel to pick any settled debris.
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Step 7
When the bucket is almost full remove the tubing from the fish tank to break the siphon.
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Step 8
After removing the targeted amount of water, add the prepared water into the tank.
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Step 9
Plug any electrical equipment that was unplugged in Step 4.
Comments
Samtastic said
on 6/5/2008 For about $12k you can get a 40 gallon aquarium that will change the water automatically. You could also hire a professional service company to do it and you never have to touch the nasty stuff.
Samtastic said
on 6/5/2008 For around $12k you can get a 40 gallon fish tank that will change water automatically.
MacDonald said
on 5/23/2008 This is exactly how I change the water in my tanks...hardware stores have the plastic tubing. I often use the waste water to water my plants...just siphon the water into watering cans.
One extra tip: If you have gravel, choose tubing that's big enough for a piece of gravel to travel through. Otherwise you'll keep blocking the tubing with stuck pieces of gravel.
imaqueen1975 said
on 5/21/2008 good article i have a 90 gallon and it gets hectic but you said the same thing the local pet store said.
lschofield said
on 5/18/2008 I have a salt-water 40-gallon tank and would recommend the same procedure except for siphoning the gravel. Note - you are correct in doing this for fresh water tanks with gravel substrates!
Salt-water tanks use sand for a substrate and this cannot be siphoned through, nor should it be. Just gently get near the surface of your sand to remove any detritus that has accumulated on the top.
The first year that I had my tank it was a lot of work. I tested my water quality on a weekly basis, had an ich outbreak that cost much money, life and work, and performed weekly water changes of 20%.
Now that I've had the tank for several years, it sort of takes care of itself. I probably only change 20% of the water about once a month (although I should do it more often) and I do top off the water level in the tank to replace evaporated water almost daily (with fresh water).
It is of extr