Reddit reviews Aqueon Aquarium Water Changer - 25 Feet

Aqueon water changer I can change about 40 gallons a week from my 4 tanks in less than in hour.

Not sure if this really applies but I save soooo much time now doing water changes by using a gravel vacuum that attaches to a faucet. I hate to think of how long I was using a bucket.

Another neat thing is Amazon has some useful aquarium supplies in bulk for cheap. I bought a bunch of suction cups, check valves, and airline connectors because I always seem to need them.

And lastly, check out AquaBid.com! I just discovered it and found a couple of sellers with a huge variety of live plants for cheap and very reasonable shipping.

As an alternative, especially for those who need larger than a 30-gal bucket, don't have an area to store something like that, or don't care about saving the old water, you can just go straight to your faucet with a water changing kit. HOWEVER, do this only if you know your water is excellent quality and doesn't need to be conditioned prior to use. I'm lucky enough to have great tap water, I've been doing it this way for 18 months, and a 50% water change on my 55g takes 10 minutes.

Before I answer your questions, I want you to know that getting more advanced meaning spending a lot more money and time. A lot us learn by making mistakes, and that's how I started, by making a lot of mistakes.

I don't know what level of planting you want to do. It can be as easy as adding a few amazon swords into your tank right now, or as difficult as buying new light, CO2 equipment, fertilizers, etc.

If you want to save a lot of money from mistakes then here is what you should do:

• Buy a new tank. preferably a big one like a 75G at least since you'll probably want a lot of fish and some of those fish will need a good size tank. I think 75G minimum is the perfect size for beginner as oppose to 55G because of the width. It gives you comfort zone for a lot of fish. Look for it on craiglist first, and be patient. Of course you can get bigger tank if you want
  
  
• You'll need substrates. I personally like Eco-Complete. $22.99 on Amazon. You can also have a layer of sand on top. I use pool filter sand. Something like this
  
  
• You'll need light. 7000k Light is great for plants. LEDs will save you tons of money in the long run. Personally recommend Finnex. They simply have the best LEDs out there. There is a used one on Ebay for very cheap. link I don't know how much I can trust them, I personally would buy a new one if I have the money.
  
  
• You'll need plants. If you live close by Miami, I can give you a few good places to go to. If not your LFS can provide you with these. There is also a seller on Ebay called FishRUs who has some very good plants. You can start with amazon swords, anubias, or whatever plants you want. You'll make mistakes and kill plants, but that's what we humans do. Just make sure you utilize google.
  
  
• You'll need fertilizers. Don't waste your money on Seachem. Read this page Fertilizer can be purchased here
  
  
• You'll need a CO2 system. Aquatek Mini for 87.99 + CO2 tank $26.59. Then go to a local paintball shop and refill your CO2 bottle for $3-4.
  
  
• Water change. You can use Aqueon Water Changer $27.99 you can also buy the 50FT version if you need. You won't regret this buy, trust me.
  
  
• You'll need a filter. Sunsun Canister Pro Kit $97.99 Probably the best canister out there for this price. You can go FX5 if you have the money.
  
  
• Purigen filter media ~$20
  
  
• API Test Kit $22.99
  
  
• There are a wide variety of cichlid. I don't know what you like, but I personally LOVE South America cichlids. These fish are also compatible with your gouramis. You can get a few rams, and 4 angelfish to begin. Discus are beautiful, but don't try it until you feel comfortable with the basics and do enough research. Along with those, you can also get some tetras and corys catfish.

http://smile.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1422713821&sr=8-16&keywords=tank+cleaning+pump There is this, I have it and it works well. Haven't had any issues so far.

If you don't feel like spending $40 on one, there's always the Aqueon brand alternative that does the same thing. It's over $10 cheaper on Amazon, and per the reviews it's actually more durable. I don't know enough about the products to speak for those reviews, but that's what they say.

Here it is

I use an Aqueon water changer. Hook one end to your faucet, put the other end in the tank and use the water pressure from your faucet to drain the tank. Then close the valve to fill the tank up. No lifting, no buckets

No gravel--turtles can swallow it and cause obstruction. I don't use substrate at all, personally, but some people like sand or river rocks. And I have live plants in terra cotta planters with river rocks.

Aqueon Aquarium Water Changer25 Feet (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_V9FPzbZFCHF7W)

This is what I use to clean my 20 gallon tank. I change 20-25% once a week, but I have goldfish in there, so you might not need to change that much water. The fish do not need to be removed, just be careful not to suck them up.

I (1) unplug the filter, (2) remove 20% of the water, (3) put in fresh water at the same temperature as the tank (make sure there's water inside the filter), (4) treat with Seachem Prime, and then (5) plug the filter back in.

If you do not already own one of these you should buy it now. That is a big tank so I understand that changing the water is a pain.

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6

Super easy water changes with no buckets and no water leaking.

New person here replying.

1. Use clear ammonia. No scented or colored ones. Ammonia is usually sold in a 10% ammonia 90% water sort of solution. You probably won't be able to find 100% ammonia. You don't need it anyway. All the cycling guides assume the common household ammonia.
   
   
2. I believe Bio-Spira is only for saltwater tanks. My cousin used a nutrafin (I think) when he did his first tank, I don't think it did anything. Skip the bottled bacteria.
   
   
3. The amount of ammonia you need to add varies on the size of your tank, but the time between redosing is usually about every other day. On the initial dosing you want to get the ammonia in your tank to read about 3 ppm. No more then 4 ppm though. If you hit more then 4 ppm do a large water change to lower it. You want to redose the ammonia when it gets down to 1 ppm, which should take about 2 days. So if you dose on a Friday and come back Sunday night or Monday morning I think you'll be fine.
   
   
4. Once your tank is cycled, you should be doing weekly water changes of about 20%. That is the general rule, but it can change depending on your stock (fish) and filtration. Here's a quick rundown of how the cycle works in a fully cycled tank:
   
   a. Fish eat foot, produce poop, and poop has ammonia in it. Ammonia is bad.
   
   b. Bacteria in your tank will consume the ammonia, but as a byproduct produce NitrItes. Which are also bad for fish.
   
   c. Another bacteria is going to consume the NitrItes, but as a byproduct produces NitrAtes. NitrAtes are tolerated a lot better by fish then Ammonia or NitrItes. Fish can handle about 40ppm of NitrAtes safely.
   
   Therefore, when your nitrAtes hit 40ppm you should be doing a water change. If you have great filtration, lots of plants, little fish, it may take you 2 weeks to hit that number. Your weekly water changes would only have to be done bi-weekly. If you have "ok" filtration, messy fish and not a lot of plants, it may only take 5 days.
   
   Daily testing after your tank is cycled is still required to see how long it takes your tank to go over 40 ppm Nitrates. AND you still need to test afterwards to make sure the amount of water you changed is enough to lower the Nitrates to a safe level. If 20% isn't enough, then you may need to do 35% weekly water changes. It really depends on your setup. We can't know for sure until your tank has been fully set up.
   
   As far as how to do water changes, you should really invest in a water changer. It hooks up to your faucet and lets you pour water directly into the tank. Way easier then using numerous jugs or buckets. Regarding temperature and dechlorinator, you should just "eyeball" the temp with your hand. You are doing a 20%-35% water change, so the temperature shouldn't be swinging more then 1 or 2 degrees. Your fish should be able to handle it. I would suggest doing the water change directly into the tank and then dosing with the dechlorinator for the full amount of water in the tank. Ex. If your tank is 55 gallons, but your only changing about 15 gallons or so, you should dose the tank for all 55 gallons. Dechlorinator is fairly cheap, so while it does waste a bit, its probably not worth your time to be doing 5 gallon buckets at a time and waiting. Your fish will be absolutly fine with chlorinated water for a few minutes. It's not an instant death. Just get it done within half an hour of adding in the new water.
   
   Buy this: http://www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347985506&sr=8-1&keywords=api+testing+kit
   It's the API master test kit. Pretty much the standard in water testing. Don't get any paper strips, they suck. Your LFS should carry them if you can't order online or want them fast.
   
   You should also get this: http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347985595&sr=8-1&keywords=water+changer
   
   It makes water changes SO much easier. Suck water out of the tank directly into your sink, and refill directly from faucet to tank. Such a time saver. There are other brands and lengths, so you may want to double check what you need/like first before ordering. LFS will carry this, but a lot more expensive IME. Might want to order this online and do it the hard way while you wait.

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347908487&sr=8-1&keywords=aqueon+water+changer

A lot of people I've talked to recommend aqueon over the python, sadly I cannot use one of these as I have no faucets that will work with this.

You could also look into getting one of these. It makes water changes 1000 times better/easier.

Yes, I just stick the vacuum down about a half inch or so and then lift it back out if I notice an accumulation of detritus anywhere. Very rarely does much sand get taken up by it. I use this guy and it's made water changes and fills a real breeze on a larger tank.

As for the grungry sand, I suppose everyone has there own ways they prefer for keeping things clean. What works well for me is the high water flow from my filter which helps a lot with keeping the detritus stay suspended in the water column to get filtered out. The CAE does the rest at stirring it all up. He has definitely helped a lot with tank cleanliness, though no one else here seems to like them. Overall, it works pretty well in my tank. Good luck and can't wait to see how it turns out!

I too suffer from the living in an apartment and trying to keep fish problem, so I feel your pain! Aside from the second tank setup for your other 2 goldies, I highly recommend getting a Python, I didn't even know they existed until I saw one on this subreddit and it blew me away. Before I was doing water changes the same way, except I was using a five gallon bucket from home depot. After you remove water from your tank, dose your tank with Prime (the entire volume of the tank, so however much it says for 30 gallons) and then just add the water back in the way you normally would. I'm not sure if there is a much faster way to do it unfortunately. I know it's a pain, but the water changes are worth it in the long run. Try to change at least 50% once a week, but you can spread it out if you want (think ~25% twice a week). The Aqueon version of the Python is a little bit less expensive, and I'm sure it works about the same. Also in terms of tanks, Petco has a dollar per gallon sale going on right now, but I think it ends today. They usually do them about once every few months, and occasionally Petsmart will do one as well, that's a great way to get cheap tanks.

And you're welcome! Starting out it's overwhelming how much information it seems like you have to process, but it does get easier! I'm still learning things all the time, this subreddit has been a great help as well. Feel free to PM me if you ever have other questions, I'll do my best to help. And in the meantime, if you have any additional questions about goldfish care, Solid Gold Aquatics is a really great resource on youtube, and she has a blog as well. She has a lot of really informative videos on everything from cycling tanks to feeding your fish, her channel has been immensely helpful to me. Good luck!

You can change the water quickly and easily with one of these http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409009786&sr=8-1&keywords=aquarium+water+changer

It hooks up to your faucet and uses a venturi to suck the water out of the tank. Turn a valve to fill the tank. Done.

If you are cheap like me you can make your own out of a water bed water changer and some hardware store fittings and garden hose. Works great!

I bought this one http://www.amazon.com/Rps-dfk-Waterbed-Drain-fill/dp/B000FT2PUO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-1&keywords=waterbed++drain+fill

This one has a better picture http://www.amazon.com/Waterbed-Mattress-Fill-Drain-Kit/dp/B001QTMTNA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409009927&sr=8-3&keywords=waterbed++drain+fill

Well, I tried not to disturb the substrate when filling the tank. I guess I was tired of hauling buckets that I started to get sloppy. I'm only a 5' tall girl and hauling 5G buckets was a battle. haha

My biggest tank before this was a 29G and hauling buckets wasn't that difficult (and I had 3G buckets at that time, which helped a lot). I got an Aqueon water changer since the 40B has been set up and my life has changed and no more cloudy tanks! :D

I would really really reallyyyy love this because I have a big fish tank and it is very hard to do water changes and I've heard this is a life saver for that!

A little about me... I'm a 21 year old girl, about to be a senior in college. I'm majoring in biology and hope to go to veterinary school after undergrad. I love everybody here and I love life in general. I'm just about to move into my first apartment which I'm very excited about! I'm pretty outdoorsy and love hiking, climbing, camping, etc.

What about you?? Tell me about yourself!

Pythons are an aquarium owner's dream! Worth every penny. Here's the one I have.

I bought an Aqueon water changer. I don't have enough water pressure at my kitchen sink to use it just yet. The previous owner had a reverse osmosis system under there that is mucking things up.

Anyhow, I cut the hose at about 8 feet to use manually for now (I'll splice it back together once I resolve my water pressure situation). It cleans my gravel fast enough in that I don't have enough water removed from the tank by the time the gravel has been cleaned, so it does a good job (it's only a 40 gallon tall though).

From what I've read, you can pre-treat your tank with enough for the entire tank, and then figure out what temperature your tap water should be based on trial and error, and then you just vacuum the gravel and replace the water with the same device without using any buckets.

It's probably the best bang for your buck at $25. You could splurge more and go with the Python or better, but from the reviews I've read, the Aqueon is good enough.

Their gills may be damaged from the ammonia. Just keep up with the fresh water and dechlorinator and hopefully it will clear up. And get your test kit tomorrow.

Do yourself a favor and get a water changer that you can hook up to your sink. It will make life a whole hell of a lot easier while you're doing these water changes, if you don't have one already.

Try this one (or just the attachment can be had as well). You should only need to unscrew the aerator/flow limiter from the main faucet's output and put this in. Same as installing a water filter on the tap

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6

edit: I was thinking of the "flow valve assembly" here, although you might want to look into a better quality one, or some zipties, just in case

Aqueon Aquarium Water Changer
The Amazon link

I have one and oh man I love doing water changes now lol but if you drain and fill with a garden hose that is pretty much the same thing. I was carrying buckets for days for a small % water change, I knew something would give, my back or my patience

Would you suggest the Python brand itself over say, the Aqueon water changing system? The look pretty much the same but Aqueon is $27.99 vs $39.99. Or does it not really matter?

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1419183036&sr=8-3&keywords=python+water+changer

Go on amazon and get the Aqueon version. It's like $23. Petsmart and Petco, etc are WAY overpriced.

Did it for you. Guess I was lucky and got it at a good time cause I paid $23.xx and it was prime. Here is for $30. Still WAY cheaper than a chain store. http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418177170&sr=8-1&keywords=aqueon+water+changer

Easiest way to do water changes I've found is with a water siphon with faucet adapter. here is a "cheap" one on amazon

African Cichlids are very territorial. Don't waste your money on other varieties of fish without doing research.. those cichlids will kill them most likely. I've had Jack Dempsey co-habitat.

give them several places to hide, rocks and pots plants are cheap/easy decor.

Pic of my late fish tank RIP little buddies

I really think you need to invest in a water test kit. They're not expensive, and they'll save you a lot of trouble in the long run. If you lurk here much, I'm sure you already know that API Freshwater Master is the recommended product there.

As others have said, if your water parameters are the same, you can definitely do large water changes (I do 50% water changes on my goldfish tank), but you can't know unless you check. Additionally, if anything goes wrong in the future, your test kit will give you the tools to figure out what the fuck is happening.

You say you are worried that the water quality is damaging their health. The way to know what's up is by testing the water.

Another thing I hear from you is that water changes are a big pain. If you haven't looked into it at all, I would check out an automatic water changer like a Python tool. You would need to buy a dechlorinator (although personally I would recommend doing that anyways, since you really do not want to shock your goldfish with sudden temperature changes. SeaChem Prime, baby!) and then the tool (the Aqueon one is $25 on Amazon right now: http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409544402&sr=8-1&keywords=water+changer ), and you suck the water out, pour your declorinator in, and add in new water at the same temperature. MUCH easier than lugging around buckets.

It sounds like maybe you are on a low budget, since you are not using a lot of tools here, but if you buy nothing else, you should buy a test kit. (If you can swing it, though, SeaChem Prime is priority #2 and a water changer is priority #3.)

That's just a platform that the turtles can rest on with an Acrylic square on the top ($53). There's plenty of other ways to do it. Another platform we have is just rocks. There's those floating docks, but they suck and fall apart. Another option is to silicon an acrylic piece to the tank.

Changing water: Just get a Aqueron water changer and hook it to an outside hose. http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342214121&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=aquaeron+water+changer

You might have to buy one more extension for $25. It does take FOREVER to fill this thing up. The plan is to change the filter stuff once a week, and 50% water change every two weeks.