How do I do a water change?

[flower]

How do you do a water change for a 90g tank?
Right now I have a 35g plastic garbage can, dedicated for fish only. I put my new mixed saltwater in that, get it heated and keep it stirred with a small power head. Then I dip the water out of the tank, and then do the same to refill. As I get older I need to save my back.
I was thinking of a sump pump, but how can I regulate the flow? The water is really going to flow fast from the hose. I don't want to disrupt all the inhabitants, stir up the sand or knock over the rock.
I use two canister filters so I don't have the sumps that most use with a large tank, (anything over 55g is big to me.)
Is there a certian size sump pump to use?? What can I do?

 

[flower]

No ideas??? Not even a critique on using a sump pump?? No personal stories of how they solved their problems with water changes??
Throw me a bone!!!

 

[nuro]

buy a powerhead that can be fitted with plastic tubbing or whatever you may use. i bought a little 20gph one and use that but id suggest you buy somethign a little heavier becuase it barely has the juice to get the water up the hose

 

[flower]

Thank you for answering me.
That is exactly why I couldn't use a power head. Not enough juice to get up the hose.
I am pretty sure the a regular sump pump is too strong. I can't imagine how to regulate the hard fast flow of water it would create.
So let me ask this, what do people use in their sumps that they have for their filtration?
I always see them saying how to do a sump, chambers and the sections are discussed but what size or kind of pump, maybe one of those will work?

 

[turningtim]

A return pump is based on the tank size and overflow.
Here ya go. Get a bulb siphon hose. This will start a siphon by itself and you won't have to "scoop" water out of the tank. Just drain into 5 gal buckets and throw away.
To refill, I have a pump in my mix tank that mixes water and then by a turn of a valve flows the water through a hose and into the DT. The pump size would depend on how far you are pumping the mix water to the DT. I pump mine from the basement so I have a 1500 gph pump.
If you're not moving the water to far a decent size Mag Drive pump would work......

 

[zsqure]

try smaller diameter tubing. It takes less pressure to push a smaller column of water.

I am pushing a 1/4" column up 8 feet and over about 14 feet with the pressure coming from my ro/di unit. Is your supply near your tank? Is it one floor below?

 

[zsqure]

I know, we've all got these half baked answers. Someone on these boards will chime in with what they've done. pump size rigid tubing, flexible tubing, 45's or 90's. I would like to plumb my sump to the basement so I could do my water changes there instead of the display tank but I would have to rely on my clean up crew to do a decent job and they are either lazy or understaffed!

 

[flower]

Okay.
Getting the water out is not a problem. I have a very bad back. When I had a 55g it really wasn't a hard time to change the water. It was on a platform separating my living room from my dining room at waist level.
I moved, and my new 90g tank is on a stand with a canopy. I am 5'5, I have to get on a step stool to service the tank, from tests to affixing algae sheets.
My container of fresh saltwater is sitting right next to the tank. The pump only has that distance to travel, maybe 7 feet. A powerhead is not strong enough, but I am sure the sump pump is too powerful. A smaller hose will make the water pressure more powerful and cause the water to really shoot out.
They have boat pumps that have enough kick but they run on a battery with leads. I would rather have something I can plug in the outlet. If the boat pump is the best than I can go that route.
I know people have sumps that sit right under the DT. What size pump they use will give me an idea of what I need to do my water changes.
It is a reef tank with LR with an assortment of fish, and one very sensitive Hippo tang that can't handle stress of any sort or it breaks out in ich.
Thank you everyone for your help.

 

[eric b 125]

many people use mag-drive pumps to return water from sump to DT. look into a mag 9 (9.5?) i cant remember the number for that pump range. when you look up these pumps, keep in mind you are pumping at 7' head loss.

 

[flower]

Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions.
I purchased a maxi-jet submersible utility pump made by Marineland, with adjustable flow rate.. Says on the box max flow rate is 300 GPH at 6.0 height. It cost $75.00 at the LFS. I still have to get a hose from home depot.
It looks like it will work. I can put it into the tank to remove water and reverse positions and pump water back in from my container.
This will make the chore of water changes much easier for me. Thanks again.

 

[crypt keeper]

do you have a built in overflow?

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/2981088
do you have a built in overflow?
No. All I have is two canister filters. I have my big garbage can and a pump, so water changes should go smoothly now. I still have to dump the buckets filled with old water but that's not so bad. I have a big bucket on wheels.