# DIY siphon water change system.



## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

Got my self leveling siphon overflows setup on my tanks. Total cost was about 20 bucks in 3/4" pipe and fittings. The overflows are routed and piped to the outside of my house. All I have to do now is turn the valve to do a 50% waterchange on each tank. 


















Next up I need to figure out how to do the same thing but to add water to the tanks to refill them.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

When I used this type of water change system I had the end of the siphon tube in the tank pointing up, so the top of it was the level I wanted to drain the tank down to. That way when the draining stops there is still a siphon filled and ready to go again. Then, for the water inlet I used a drip irrigation flow restrictor that restricted the incoming water to a pretty low value, so it could never overload the drain siphon tube. For a couple of years I had the end of the drain tube at the level I wanted to maintain in the tank, and kept the inlet water line always on, but restricted to something like one tenth of a gallon per minute. I never had an overflow situation - loss of siphon - but I may have just been lucky.


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

Yeah, I like that idea of pointing the end of the inlet inside the tank upwards. That way I won't have to be there to close the valve right before the water level drops and I can avoid losing prime on the siphon. I have some extra elbows I will throw on there for that. I need to figure out where to tie into a water source to construct some kind of autofill. The tanks are in my utility room, so I have a few different options.


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

I also recommend a strainer or screen over the drain to prevent loosing curious fish and migrating plants.


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## Yamaz (May 13, 2011)

how does it work? are you using a air stone in the pipe?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The trouble with a screen over the drain is that it can easily be plugged up by bits of leaves. One of the vertical screens, like http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+10090+4082&pcatid=4082 reduces that problem a lot. And, it is really a problem only when you are depending on the drain to set the final water level in the tank, as I was doing. A big advantage of doing that is the skimming effect it gives you. I never had scum on the water surface when I had that system going.


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

no air stone, its a siphon. there is a small fitting on the top of the pipe that rests on the tank edge, with a check valve and a short piece of airline tubing. to prime it you just suck the air out of the pipe until you see water. once that's done it holds its prime, so its always ready to drain just by opening the valves.


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## Mostlydave (Jan 12, 2012)

Could you use something like the sink attachment from an aqueon water changer to drain the pvc into your sink and then use it to refill? I'm not sure if it would be possible in your case with multiple tanks without putting a valve on each tank and draining refilling one at a time. This would also let you start the siphon using your sink, I would never start a siphon off an aquarium by sucking on a hose full of fish water, and I would strongly recommend that no one else does either!


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

You don't suck the tank water into your mouth. you're just pulling the air out. With airline tubing 4 or 5 inches long with a check valve, you can see when you start to pull water into the tube and just stop sucking before it reaches your mouth, its really not that difficult. You only have to do that one time to prime the siphon anyway. Fish tank water doesnt scare me. I'm a mechanic, I've a ccidently sucked gasoline into my mouth siphoning gas once or twice. Now that sucks! (no pun intended)

My entire goal is to get rid of using the sink or any attachments to drain and fill the tank. I'm half way there with the draining part, just need to get the fill part sorted out. I hate using hoses and faucets. I turn a valve, the water leaves my house. Simple.


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## Mostlydave (Jan 12, 2012)

jhays79 said:


> You don't suck the tank water into your mouth. you're just pulling the air out. With airline tubing 4 or 5 inches long with a check valve, you can see when you start to pull water into the tube and just stop sucking before it reaches your mouth, its really not that difficult. You only have to do that one time to prime the siphon anyway. Fish tank water doesnt scare me. I'm a mechanic, I've a ccidently sucked gasoline into my mouth siphoning gas once or twice. Now that sucks! (no pun intended)
> 
> My entire goal is to get rid of using the sink or any attachments to drain and fill the tank. I'm half way there with the draining part, just need to get the fill part sorted out. I hate using hoses and faucets. I turn a valve, the water leaves my house. Simple.


Yeah Gasoline is gross to get in your mouth but with tank water I would be more worried about diseases (fish can carry TB) and any other organisms that might be in the water.

If you go with the aqueon water changer connected to your existing setup you could use it to drain into a sink (with the changer starting the siphon) and then flip the switch on it and send your fill water back up your siphoning pipes and into your tanks.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

If you connect to the plumbing under the sink you will not clutter up the sink, and it will always have pressure. Turn the valve, fill the tank. You would have to be there to monitor it, turning both valves on and off to get the water change you want. You would need to get a mixer if you want warm water. 
There are small float switches that would work to auto fill, including auto top off, as long as you are not adding too much water at one time. Depending on species I have topped off using tap water, no dechlor up to 10% of the tank volume, and cold water.


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

Mostlydave said:


> Yeah Gasoline is gross to get in your mouth but with tank water I would be more worried about diseases (fish can carry TB) and any other organisms that might be in the water.
> 
> If you go with the aqueon water changer connected to your existing setup you could use it to drain into a sink (with the changer starting the siphon) and then flip the switch on it and send your fill water back up your siphoning pipes and into your tanks.


Using a Python with this is one step forward, ,two steps back IMO. My goal like I said is to rid myself of any hoses running across my house for any length of time. I'm looking to do a fixed water changed system, not only for convenience, but I enjoy tinkering around with this stuff and building things. :biggrin:


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## Yamaz (May 13, 2011)

can you explain in maybe a diaghram on how this works and materials needed. I want to make one. can i make one ane use it for multiple tanks portable with a long hose attached to the bottom as my tank room is outside my house. i dont have a sink near by but i do have a spicket about 40ft away which i use a long hose and a shut off valve attached to fill my tanks. no bailing + no buckets = heaven


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Step 1:
Plumb 2 lines to the wall behind or the floor under the tank. One is supply, the other is waste. 

No more hoses through the house. 

Step 2:
Attach those pipes to something. 
Away from the tank, those pipes do something like this:
a) Waste line needs to go somewhere, like out to the garden, and it must be a good downhill run from the tank, or else you will need to pump the water out.
b)The supply line needs to have a source of water that will suit the tank. 
In a slow-fill system, where you are not adding very much water, you can do a direct fill from the tap, as long as the water parameters are right. A small trace of chloramine is not going to kill the fish. I have topped off tanks up to 10% of their volume without dechlor. But not every day! You keep adding more and more chloramine and it does not break down very fast and you will kill the fish. Whatever water treatment system you set up should take care of all the needs, and be as automatic as possible. If the tank fill portion is on a timer, then the waste part needs to start automatically. If the waste water removal is on a timer, then the auto fill needs to start automatically. I have seen systems like this set up in a room that is near the tanks, but not in the same room. Perhaps behind a wall, or in a laundry or utility room. Even one set up (in the tropics) where the filtration/water prep was outside the window. 
If you will be there to initiate the sequence then you can sure add dechlor (it reacts instantly) but not much more prep, unless you are doing that ahead of time. 

Step3:
Attach those pipes to something.
At the tank these pipes may do something like this:
a) Waste line may be a self starting siphon or it could be fed by a pump on a timer. 
b) Supply like may be under pressure, and controlled by a float switch, or it could be the part that is pumped, and the pump on a timer. 
The key: ONE or the other _NOT BOTH_ can be on a timer. The other must be completely reliable, and self starting. 

Here are some ideas about the self starting PVC siphons. They are not fully reliable. 

http://azacro.freeforums.org/self-starting-syphon-overflow-t1585.html
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4088699&postcount=46


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

I plan on tying into my water line and running plastic 1/4" diameter line over to my tanks with a valve to refill my tanks, and mount it pointing down into my tanks. 

everyhing has held siphon fine so far, I'm very pleased with my setup.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

If you use a canister filter you can run the water line to a tee in the filter return line to the tank and inject the water there. That keeps one more thing out of the tank, and it works very well. You can buy hose barb tees with the side outlet very small at ACE Hardware. Or, at least, I was able to do so.


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

That's a good idea, but I'm not sure if I want to buy a canister filter for two tanks


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

I use a pre filter, typically a 20" size block carbon or GAC. I have a plumber install a hot and cold water line and then a shut off valve for the whole line and a temp gauge and mixing spigot. If you want to save some $, you can use CPVC for the lines running to the various tanks etc from the central line, the carbon will get the gunk and the chlorine etc.

I have the refill coming in top with a 1" or so air gap above the tank.

Careful, it's VERY easy to overfill a tank, so stay there, do not wander off while it's refilling ever.


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

I like that idea, you got any pics of your setup?


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