what to do when the drain is very far away

[lewisweil]

Do y'all have tricks for moving large amounts of water when doing water changes? My drains are quite aways from my tanks and I need to move like 60 gallons of water down the drain. Is there an awesome brand of bucket that I am missing out on? What do you all do when you have lots of heavy water to lug around?

[caferacermike]

Yes. Most of us use Rubbermaid "Brute" trash cans with wheels. Kinda pricey but oh so nice. Plus you can mix up water in the garage and then wheel it over to the tank.

I just run a hose to the yard and let it drain out. Then my Brute can and an Eheim pump refill the tank.

[Timfish]

Lots of 5 gallon buckets.

[joshman1204]

Mine goes out the window into the yard

[lewisweil]

saltwater into the yard?

[joshman1204]

Everyone says that but I have been dumping 5 gals a week for a little over a year with no I'll effects yet.

[mikedelgado]

I plumbed a drain line to my return manifold up thru the attic and back down into the laundry closet where it goes down the washing machine drain with a turn of a knob.

[+Hydro]

I use a utility pump and a short water hose, makes quick work of it. The pump that I use is a flotec 1/6th hp from home depot. If I remember to I just rinse the pump under some freshwater when I'm done.

[lewisweil]

man I would love to do that.

I plumbed a drain line to my return manifold up thru the attic and back down into the laundry closet where it goes down the washing machine drain with a turn of a knob.

[mikedelgado]

My canopy goes all the way to the cieling so you cant see the plumbing. I felt pretty sneaky when I first used it (and it worked). I will continue to keep that feeling so long as the pipe doesnt burst and flood my attic with a 40 gal water change

Edited August 17, 2010 by mikedelgado

[mFrame]

I run my drain hose to my guest bath toilet.

[chrisfowler99]

I am currently plumbed from the garage to the tank for new saltwater for water changes.

I'm hoping, when I upgrade, that I'll be able to plumb back out to the garage into the drain for the water softener (that isn't there) for disposal of old water.

I currently siphon to a Brute trashcan on wheels and dump into my daughter's bathtub...and then promptly clean the bathtub...

[medi]

I plumbed a drain line to my return manifold up thru the attic and back down into the laundry closet where it goes down the washing machine drain with a turn of a knob.

How do you know how much water you are draining? I have been wanting to set something like this up, but I haven't found a way to precisely measure the water that is being pumped out of the tank.

Also, you can buy any length of tubing at McCoy's building supply for a lot cheaper than you can at HD or lowe's. They actually sell the small diameter tubing by the foot. Aquatek sells replacement couplings for the pythons so you should easily be able to retrofit an extension for your current python.

[chrisfowler99]

How do you know how much water you are draining? I have been wanting to set something like this up, but I haven't found a way to precisely measure the water that is being pumped out of the tank.

I know the level my tank settles at when I turn the pumps off. And I measured (by scooping out 1 gallon at a time) how far the drop is in the level to pull 10 gallons. So if I'm going to do a 10 gallon water change I siphon out to that level.

I'm usually pretty close to 10 gallons, but I don't have to be precise. I mix up 30 gallons of water at a time and I use 10-15/change. The next time I just top off my saltwater mixing tank, add the right amount of salt to replace what I used in my last change and set another 30 gallons mixing.

[mikedelgado]

what chris said, ha ha. I also marked my sump so I can make sure its the same every time