PVC Water Change Piece?!?

dwilliams87 · Feb 20, 2014

I didnt know what to call this thing, but I saw a video on youtube with a guy using one of these to help with water changes. It basically just hangs over the edge of the tank. You hook a hose to the bottom of it and you can siphon from the other end of the hoseand just lift it out of the water to break the siphon. When its done siphoning, put it on your pump and pump your fresh salt water straight back in the tank. I have it hooked to a 50ft hose and siphon the used water out the back door and then pump the water from my laundry room, where I mix my water, to each of my tanks. Its a handy little contraption and thought someone else might could benefit from it as well.

dwilliams87 · Feb 20, 2014

Here is a pic of it. The T on the bottom forces the water out the sides that way it isn't just blowing up your sandbed.

Also cost less than $10 to make.

CastAway · Feb 20, 2014

Pretty Handy. The piece between the tee fitting and the elbow is not glued, and I have two different lengths, one measured at length that equals 10% of total volume, and another longer piece measured for 20% total volume. You can even remove one screen, plug the other and insert a gravel vacuum.

dwilliams87 · Feb 20, 2014

Even better! lol

KKsMomo · Feb 20, 2014

Something I learned about siphoning, put it in front of a power head and that will start it!

dwilliams87 · Feb 20, 2014

KKsMomo said:
Something I learned about siphoning, put it in front of a power head and that will start it!

Thats good to know!

McAllyn · Feb 20, 2014

Currently, all my tanks are marked at 5,10,15, and 20 gallons, and I just hang a pump over the side of the tank connected to a hose long enough to reach the sink. Then I drop the pump into my salt mixing Brute, put the hose in the tank and pump it in.

But the hang on the side PVC is a very cool idea, and would keep the pump from dripping water all over the floor.

Mac

rickyb · Feb 20, 2014

I created something similar a few weeks ago but I added a RO connector to the top elbows, connected a ro line with a valve and started siphoning. when the water reached the ro line I closed the valve and open the end to the drain and starts to drain the tank.

I liked the ideas of setting the drains to specific settings to not allow it to over drain. and the attaching a hose for gravel cleaning. Great ideas!