best way to rinse big tank

[crazyred]

Okay, I'm on my own rinsing this 55 gallon tank out so I need to know if this will work.

It's already out of the box and up on the tank stand in my bedroom. I'm thinking I'll run the hose through the window, fill it up most of the way, swish the water around in there with my hand, and use my gravel vac to drain it again....or, get a Python, fill it and drain it again. Will these work? How thorough do I need to be (ie: how many times do I need to fill and drain)?

When I set up the 29 I took it to the bathtub and rinsed it out REALLY well several times under the tap, but there is no way I can carry the 55 by myself much less put it in the tub.

Anybody got any tips, advice, encouragement, etc??? :HP

[Buddha_Red]

I would say, use a new towel and wipe down the tank. use just enough water so you can wipe everything down. i highly suggest getting a python. They make it SO much easier to do water changes.

i say wet the towel and wipe everything down. I do not spend much time with this. Just "dust" the surfaces with the wet towel. This way uses no water from the tank. I feel this is best for you.

get that substrate in there!!

I need pics once your done. hey take pictures of each thing you do. It would make a great journal. I can host and resize if you like.

[AngelMom]

Yup - I agree. Heck, use paper towels if you want, just be sure to remove any lint or fuzz before filling.

[crazyred]

Okay, sounds easy. No need to fill and drain, just wet a clean towel and swipe it out on the inside really well. Got it.

I do have some substrate (60 pounds Eco) on the way and I'm going to put 20-30 pounds more of <something> in there, just not sure if I'm going to use more Eco or plain gravel.

I will take pics of the process and post. Shoot, I shoulda posted pics of me assembling the tank stand by myself, but it might not have been appropriate for the pics to be here what with all the obscene gesturing going on during the process. :HS

[betaboi]

When i got my tank i used a vaccum to suck all the dust and other stuff out of it. Then i went over it with some paper towels and filled 'er up. It' really rewarding whne you see your brand new tank set up with gravel in it.

[andy1_52]

or, get a Python, fill it and drain it again. Will these work?:HP

Are these python things the weird gravel vacume things I see at petsmart that say they drain and refill your tank somehow? How do these things work?

[Buddha_Red]

The python works by using your faucet to create suction or expell the water down the drain.

You hook it up to a regular faucet and fill/drain with it. It has a gravel cleaner on the end. Its the exact same as a waterbed fill kit actually

[betaboi]

I actually made my own using a clean garden hose (no algacides) and a conector. The sink i drain it into is lower than the tank so a normal siphon does the work! :D But if you want to speed it up you can buy the tap attachment. The wider end on the Python or any gravel cleaner dilutes the siphon just enough so it stirrs the gravel to get the dirt out but it doesn't suck the gravel up. Probably one of the best things that's happened to aquaria. The invention of the gravel cleaner!

[andy1_52]

If I use a python to do my water changes would I just want to add stress coat right into my tank? My only concern is adding "raw" water to my aquarium...

I'm also thinking about buying a small 100 gpd RO cell and just getting enough tube to run right into my aquarium... would this be a good option or no?

[AngelMom]

You can add the water conditioner to the tank at any time during the fill process with a Python.

If you decide to use RO water, you need to buy the minerals (check the store here for RO Right) to add back in to keep the fish healthy. RO just takes too much out of the water. Also, if you use RO water for changes, it is recommended to use tap water at least once a month because even the mineral additive is still missing stuff the fish need.

HTH

[andy1_52]

I've heard that you'd be pretty safe to use 50/50 RO and tap water with out having problems or doing one change with all RO water and the next change with tap water... Does this sound like it would be sufficient to you guys?

[AngelMom]

An RO/tap 50/50 mix works fine as does the RO one change, tap the next. Just don't forget the dechlorinator for the tap water and all will be fine!

[andy1_52]

Well thank you very much this really helps me A LOT!! I'm going to buy a 100 gpd RO unit off of ebay now thanks.

[Buddha_Red]

let us know what you are looking at. many of our members have experience with them. Angel mom saved me 200 lol

I understand how well the water is chemically, my question is this, since you have to add the nutrients to the water to compensate for ro killing everything. Is going RO/DI worth it on a fresh tank? How much do you pay for the nutrients add in chemicals?

[oscarbartoni]

I think it also makes sence to know what yor water chemistry is like before you start adding RO with tap water. If you live in an area where your water is soft and naturally acid then you might not need to add RO water but in an area with hard and basic water that you will probably need to add RO water to softer it but might not need any additional minerals but check with your water company to find out what is in your water.

[andy1_52]

I know the water at my house is very soft being that I have a water softener. I'm pretty sure the acidity is about seven too because the highest number I've gotten on a test of my ph has been like 7.2

[oscarbartoni]

Water softners trade something in the water for salt that goes into the tap water. If you have a water company ask them to test the water for you if they will .If I owned this house or any other I would put in several whole house filters from about 50 microns down to 1 micron and then a carbon filter at the end (to get rid of chlorine and othe impurities. There are filters that will take out different metals like iron so I would find out what kind of imputities are in the water to get a filter that will take that impurity out.

[andy1_52]

ok I'll look into that thanks. Since I'm not the owner I can't do the filter idea but oh well. What would I do as far as filtration is concerned for my water if there are excesive amounts of impurities in my water? I'm assuming that I'd just have to get an RO system and then a bottle of additives right...

[oscarbartoni]

You could still run the water through these whole houlse filters but just for your tanks. I plan on doing this in the fish rooom that I am building. I will put the whole house filter on a wall that I will be able to put a garden hose on and then they will fill a barrel to be conditioned. I am hoping to have up to 100 tanks on a couple of central filtration systems. I have the tqnks now I just have to get the rest of the materiasl to put this fish tank together and in operation. Anyone wish to volunteer their time helping?

[andy1_52]

What do you use exactly go build a centralized filtration system for multiple tanks

[oscarbartoni]

There are many ways to go agout it but I have bought many tanks that have holes drilled in then and the "bulh head fittings for them. I will have a tank at the lowest areae in my fish room to catch all of the water that is draining from the tanks in which will be my filter area. from there it will be pumped back to each tank by a tubes above the tanks with holes in them to allow the water to be droped in to the tanks. That is the simplest answer that I can give you. If you are looking for a better answer just ask and I will try to anser my specificaly.

[andy1_52]

Well I'm thinking about getting a 125 gallon aquarium and I'd like to built a massive sump filtration system that will filter both my eighty gallon and my new 125 if I get it...

Right now getting the other tank is mostly speculation but I'd like to know how to do that sort of filter setup for the sake of having the knowledge in the future it the need should arise for it.