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Hi, I recently hurt my back and for the mean time I am unable to lift the buckets of water I need to make water changes. Does anyone have any experience with the Python water change sytem? How easily is it operated, and how well does it work? Any advice will be appreciated.
Thanks

Well, I don't consider myself an expert on anything fish related, but here's my experience:

I use this system for all my FW tanks (all 8 of them). I think mine is an off-brand, and the attachment for the sink tends to leak, but not badly - usually just into the sink. Once managed to drench the counter though.

Overall I'd say it's both easy and works well, although I have to watch myself carefully, as I'm prone to overfilling tanks and leaving water in the hose (to spill all over the floor when I try to put it away). Also have to be sure the hose is on tight - once it came off. Other times I just accidentally let the other end slip out of a tank while filling.

It also took us (mostly my boyfriend) a bit of effort to find the necessary converters so that it could actually be hooked up to the sink.

I've had no problems with any of my fish or other critters (including shrimp, which I've read can be very sensitive to water quality issues and metals in the water). I haven't been using it long enough to be 100% sure there are no long-term affects, but it seems ok.

I hope this helps.

If you mean the Python No-Spill, then I do use it also. They're great. I used to use the regular gravel vacs, but it was too tedious. I later purchased those battery operated vacs, but it clogged to easy and fast and would cloud the tank. One visit at my LFS, I saw him using the Python No-spill and said that stuff looks great to use. He said they sold it at the shop, so I bought one. I use a manual gravel vac on my shrimp tanks or my 20 gallon breeding BB tank and QT BB tank.

It's very easy to operate. Just turn the valve on the faucet adapter one way to drain the tank. If the tank height is tall enough, you can turn off the faucet during this process, since there should be sufficient syphon to drain the tank. Just keep in mind, it may be a little slower compared to keeping the faucet on.

To fill the tank, just turn the valve on the faucet adapter. Just makes sure not to overfill the tank.

suezbele,
I have a bad back(I mean really bad). I don't want to sound like an advertisement, but I wouldn't be in fishkeeping if it weren't for one of these types of products. I've tried two brands: Python and Lee's. The Lee's leaked at the faucet and at the tank end. It was a bit flimsier. I've found the Python to be great. I use it to take the water out of the tanks when I'm disposing of water, which I don't always do. I sometimes recycle water, like when I'm filling a new tank. I fill the tanks with RO water, not tap water, so I just take the water out with the Python. There's no way I'd have 9 tanks up and running without one of these!(Sorry for the advertisement, Jools)
Amanda

I've seen these advertised in magazines but I was wondering one thing. If you use the tool to refill your tanks how do you get around the problems of temperature difference and chlorination of the tap water? or am I missing something?

Hi Amanda, how much did Python pay you to say that? LOL

Gozza, if your water faucet does not have a mixer tap, then you should get one in order to use the Python properly. Mixer tap allows the hot and cold water to mix, so you can set the desired temp.

Most people, including myself, add the dechlorinator (Prime) in the tank, prior to adding the water. I do this on my 125 gallon tank with hardier fish. In my 20 gallon L-046 zebra & shrimp tank and also my 29 gallon shrimp tank, I use aged, dechlored, and heated water since I'm concerned about the sensitivity of the zebras and shrimp.

thanks for all the info guys, I think that's gonna be the way to go. Fortunatly I have well water so I don't have to worry about the chlorine issue

Gozza wrote:I've seen these advertised in magazines but I was wondering one thing. If you use the tool to refill your tanks how do you get around the problems of temperature difference and chlorination of the tap water? or am I missing something?

You aren't missing a thing, Gozza. Eddie gives you one option. I don't fill the tank with the water from the Python. The water from my tank smells as if it comes from a swimming pool. It has that much chlorine in it. It also has a brown tinge. We don't drink it. I use RO water from a barrel which is on casters. I can roll it from room to room. I have a quick-disconnect set up on the faucet.
Amanda

One option, if you want to filter (eg. Reverse Osmosis), add chemicals and/or aerate the water before using it, is to set up a high-level tank that you fill with the water to be used later. Attach a tap/hose to this high level tank and let gravity fill the tank when you need it. This is what I'm in the process of doing in my fish-house (shed? 9' x 6' isn't exactly a house, I think). I've actually got my 2 x 25g tanks up and filled with RO water, with a tap and hose connector. I just need to acquire a hose that can be used to get to the tanks in the house.

Obviously, if you have the possibility, and live in a multistory building, setting the reservoir tank up in the upper level of the building will allow more "fall" to get more waterflow/pressure if the tanks are on the lower floor. But the essential point is that the reservoir level is above the level in the tank being filled.

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Mats

Thanks for your advice, My ttanks not exactly massive so I think I'll just stick to my syphon and bucket technique at the moment. I personally feel more comfortable dechlorinating and heating new water before it enters the tank. Though I can see the benifits of the python system in larger setups where the system I use becomes impractical.

I use a small powerhead/pump to pump water from my aeration/conditioning
container into my tanks. I really don't like the idea of pumping tap water
directly into my tanks, however, I have had friends that use chlorine tap water
for their water changes with no dechlorinator at all. I also understand that
lifting buckets would not be a good thing for a bad back. I think the vinyl
tubing cost more than the powerhead I use but I'm thinking it was about a $25
investment and well worth it. The Python will work very well for cleaning gravel
and draining but I just wouldn't recommend it for refilling. If your creative you
can probably use the Python tubing for the pump method I suggested to reach
from a heated/aeration container to your aquaruims and use the Python system
itself for siphon cleaning and draining water. Hope that makes some sense of it all.

I have a 210 gallon tank. For water changes, I vacuum the gravel and siphon water to the toilet in the bathroom adjacent to my fish room (about 15 feet of plastic tubing). I use a 30 gallon plastic trash can to prepare new water, which sits in the bathtub in the bathroom. I have a submersible pump that I place in the trash can to transfer conditioned water back to my tank.

I usually fill a 5 gallon bucket from the bathtub spigot and dump the water into the trash can. However, if I don't feel like lifting water, I can set the pump in the 5-gallon bucket and run it to transfer the water. This would work pretty well for bad backs.

Here's a video I did on how to use the Python No-Spill

Using the Python No-Spill...
High quality (High speed required)
Low quality (Low speed, Alternate site)