[Deanna01]

I got a 50-foot Python hose for emptying and filling my aquarium, was using it for the 46g in our front room while hooked up to a bathroom sink...and utterly flooded the bathroom and our basement.

If you are using a Python from a sink in another room than your aquarium is, I highly suggest that your first time trying it be a two-person operation.

 

[jaysee]

I've done that a few times. If you remove the sink stopper, you won't have to worry about it overflowing.

 

[4Charlie]

You have to have a very free running drain or a sink, tub, or basin that can hold a couple of gallons of water. It's not hard to overflow a sink with a Python running full blast...

 

[Boredomb]

About did that a couple of times in my kitchen sink!

I actually overflowed my betta tank once using my python cause I got distracted!

 

[AbbeysDad]

OOPS!

Sometime's 'stuff' just happens!

 

[SeaHorse]

Please don't get frustrated and hate it! LOL. We've all done it!
It is SO worth it once you get the hang of it and you won't go back to buckets after. I promise. And once the siphon is running/flow... you can shut off the tap and it will run slowly on gravity. Another good tip is tag your keys, "water changes" or "Python on" or something so you don't leave the house. Phone calls are another bad idea. I tend to roam around the house and end up outside when on the phone. lol.
Then there was the one about the member who liked to do water changes on her lunch break from work. She drove back to work for the rest of the day.... :shock:

 

[twocents]

one of my fears refilling my water barrel. I'm gonna forget that the water is running. go upstairs, outside..
not a good feeling to walk into a flooded room

 

[Deanna01]

Huh. Honestly, it didn't even occur to me that I could go do something else while waiting on the water change. I was just getting bored standing beside the tank when I saw my cat staring at something on the floor that I found out to be water. 0.o

So you can just stick the tube in there and go do something else? I was afraid I would suck up a fish!

 

[jaysee]

Yes, you can stick the tube in and do something else. It takes a long time to drain a 125, so I use a pump to pump out the water. A couple time I have forgotten about it and pumped out all but 2-3 inches of water - while not very happy about it, the fish were fine. A good solution for that would be to time how long it takes to drain to where you want it, and set an alarm for future water changes.

Funny though, I've only ever overfilled one tank, but I had done it a few times. Gotta make sure you are focused when multitasking

And as I mentioned, removing the drain stopper will eliminate the threat of overflow at the sink.

As for sucking up fish - only my bichir has been dumb enough. Twice. Got stuck in the hose, but survived. Tough fish they are.


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[Deanna01]

Oh, the timing is a fantastic idea! Thanks! I am so bad with getting overfocused on one task when I multitask....

I bought a universal adapter for the Python that arrived yesterday, so I may be able to use it from my shower head and not have to worry so much about overflow. Or I'll at least be able to use one central sink for all the tanks that are downstairs. (I have seriously too many tanks now, in too many places.)

 

[jaysee]

Oh I've been there with too many tanks - I had 18 going at one point, all over the house. I got a second python so that I could drain one tank while filling another. Cut my water change time in half. Switching to using a pump to remove the water cut the time in half again, but i don't use the pump on tanks less than 20 gallons. Too, I like having one dedicated to removing water and one dedicated to filling.


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[JDM]

I now siphon to outside. 10 minutes to dump about 15 gallons and i put the end of the hose at the level that i want it to top at, usually halfway, so i can't accidentally drain the tank. I have to pump it in so I put a pail in the kitchen sink and run the tap into the pail then turn the pump on into the tank. Takes about ten minutes to refill but if I leave the sink its loud enough that I can't totally forget it... or I turn off the water at the tap.

Jeff.

 

[fairghum]

I was so happy to discover the Python years ago. no more buckets! but yes, you have to pay attention AND you have to remember which way you turned the knob to stop the water... I am consistently turning it the wrong way with water gushing into the aquarium.

My only complaint with the Python is that after all this time the hose itself has gotten gunky. Any suggestions on how to get the gunk out?

 

[ColoradoUtah]

I love being able to drain my tank outside into my plants. So much easier and the plants love it also. I am just now setting up the hose from the sink. Can't wait. No more buckets!

 

[DKRST]

Yep, been there, flooded that! My primary problem is I try to be efficient - cleaning one tank while filling another. Unfortunately, I forget that I'm filling another tank until I hear water splashing on the floor.
I have come to the conclusion that I am far too easily distracted to be trusted doing anything but watching the tank(s) fill...

Cleaning: Circulate a bleach solution through using a cheap powerhead.
FYI: I actually made specific 3' hose "ends", that I plug onto the drain hose, for each of my tanks to prevent cross-contamination. The clean water hose never touches the tank water and my fill hose never is used to drain. I also use a mesh across the drain hose (tank end) to prevent smaller fish from being siphoned out. You can use the big spring binder clips (the 1" ones) to hold the hose in place in your tank while draining.

I siphon all my tanks (in the summer) onto the plants in the yard. I bought a really long bunch of tubing at the big-box home improvement store. Helps offset the cost of the fish hobby, at least a little.

 

[fairghum]

Thanks for the terrific ideas!!!

 

[DKRST]

You can get connectors for just about any size plastic tubing at local hardware stores or the big-box home improvement places. The hose (purchase by the foot) is not very expensive.

That way, you can extend your lines almost anywhere. Use a round extension cord reel to keep your hose on - works great to about 50' of hose.

 

[flight50]

I must say that I have never flooded any sink with my python. Been using her for over 10 years. I have only discharged in two spots.
1) kitchen sink - no sink stops around, deep basin, unobstructed drain, pipe drains are standared 1.5" vs 1.25 vanity sinks
2) outside hose bibb - nothing at all to flood but my flower beds or landscape shrubbery

I don't think its a two person operation by any means though. I bought some large 'a' frame clamps from home depot. Clamp one end to the tank while you watch the sink flow until you get a hang of how it works. I also modified my hose. I extend mine with some addition vinyl tubing from Home depot and incorporated a sch 40 pvc ball valve. So much easier.