Water Change Pump

lukeg1981

lukeg1981

Member
I'm looking for a pump to help me do water changes easier. I typically change 5 gallons every week (sometime every other week) of my 30 gallon tank between 15-20%.
I want to purchase a pump that will lift the water from the bucket into the tank. And I would like the pump to change the water slowly, so not to shock the system or the fish. So, I don't want a 396 gph pump that will replace all the water in 2 minutes. I might as well just pour the whole bucket in. On the flip side I don't want a pump that will go too slow. I thought about using Tom Aquatics Aqua-Lifter, but the flow rate is 3.5 gph and would take an hour and a half. Something that has a 10 gph rate or even an adjustable rate would be perfect.
Another consideration is the height from the bucket to the tank. The top of the tank is about four feet off the floor. Appreciate any recommendations!
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Check out an EcoPlus 185 submersible pump. 185 GPH. I could not find a head pressure chart on this model.
Exactly how long do you want it to take to pump the fresh SW back to the DT??? I use a 396 gph pump and it does it in a few minutes (10-15g water change). I have never had any issues with that. Are you looking to have a slow WC that takes a half hour to replace the water?? You got a lot more time on your hands than I do then. LOL.
That EcoPlus pump is about $15-$20.00
Good Luck!!
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by lukeg1981 http:///t/393627/water-change-pump#post_3502459
Yeah, I want it to take about half hour. Will a 185 gph pump be able to pump the water up 4 feet?
There's the problem. A pump that can make it up the 4' of head will pump a lot faster then you want. You may want to make some sort of hose with a ball valve on it to throttle back a bit. You can dial it in using a lager pump (like the 395 gph) and once it starts pumping you can use the ball valve to get the flow rate you want to use. Just an idea.
If you are looking to pump 5g of water over a half hour you want a pump that barley gets past the 4' head pressure. Well pretty much 10 gallons per hour over whatever your exact head you need to get up. That would not be the way I would do it; but hey, to each their own.
Do you what it to be a set it and forget it type thing?? Or do you want to stand next to the tank for a half hour?? I have never heard of it being bad to pump 5 g of new SW in 5 minutes or so. You may not want to pour the bucket into the tank in 20 seconds, but a half hour seems too much to me.
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
Make something to hold your bucket higher than your tank and siphon with a small piece or airline tubing.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
IMO it’s much easier to adjust salinity ph. and temp in the new water to match the DT and add it as fast as you can for the sake of convenience I personally have never heard of any adverse effects of a rapid water change when new and existing water parameters were fairly close
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
I agree Joe, I have a huge birdnest at the top of my tank, I don't like it to stay out of water too long.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///t/393627/water-change-pump#post_3502576
IMO it’s much easier to adjust salinity ph. and temp in the new water to match the DT and add it as fast as you can for the sake of convenience I personally have never heard of any adverse effects of a rapid water change when new and existing water parameters were fairly close
Yep, when the new water is ready*, I pour it into a 2 gal bucket and just dump it in, never had any problems.
*to me, "ready" means I've removed the cap of the water carrier...
 
lukeg1981

lukeg1981

Member
I wound up getting a 396 gph pump and a pvc ball valve from home depot. Works really well. I have had a few fish die when I have dumped a whole bucket of new water into a tank. So I feel more comfortable with being able to combine the water more slowly. The ball valve gives me the ability to have the water added anywhere from 2 min to about 40 minutes. Thank you sweatervest! Appreciate the advice.
 
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