Rather that siphoning water into buckets and then carrying these from tank to sink or drain, a simpler method is to use a small compact powerhead/pump. Once the basic vacuuming of the tank is over the rest of the water to be changed can be done directly to a waste source such as a window, toilet, or drain. A small but powerful pump can be used for this. Something like the MaxiJet 1000 is perfect.
A length of standard hose can be push fitted onto the powerhead which is then placed into the aquarium. The other end of the hose is then run to waste and the powerhead switched on. This makes the draining of large bodies of water far less of a task, and we often use this technique in store. This is done without the need for buckets and the consequential spills of aquarium water that accompany this method.
Water can also be put back into the tank from a rainwater or RO source by reversing the process and placing the powerhead/pump into a water butt/container and placing the other end of the hose in the aquarium. The process is then reversed and the aquarium is refilled simply and easily. This method really has to be practiced to realise how much more pleasurable tank maintenance becomes.
This method is particularly useful for tanks over 100 litres in volume.
When not being used for this purpose these powerheads are extremely useful in creating a strong, highly efficient water flow around the aquarium, dispersing both CO2 and nutrients and dispelling any ‘dead’ spots in the tank.
The pumps are available in 3 sizes.