Python No Spill Clean and Fill

[dzhuo]

So who's using this:

http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=PYT-25N&Category_Code=python

How do you like it? Worth it?

[Fishamatank]

Much better for FW tank as you can't really fill your reef tank from the faucet.
Wouldn't be much use for me to drain either as I need to know how much I am taking out of the tank since I only mix up 10 gallons for my WC.

[Avi]

I use it and depend on it. But I'd say that you have to have a sump for it to work for you on a marine tank.

[dzhuo]

It's not for FW only right?

Just think - you will be able to perform your mandatory aquarium FRESHWATER maintenance with NO buckets, NO siphons, NO mess, NO tank tear downs - EVER again!

Why is a sump necessary?

[lgreeeeeen]

Works great for draining the tank for large water changes, but yeah, pretty worthless in terms of filling it back up. I still use mine because I'm too lazy to carry buckets to the sink.

[tibob32]

I use it for my water changes (syphon gunk in sump and etc). You'll have to use buckets to fill back in though. I wouldn't give mine up. I even used it once to syphon an unwanted crab out of my tank.

[zippgirl]

I have 2,125 gal freshwater tanks, and a 75 gal reef tank. And in fact this can be used to drain and fill your reef tank. How you ask? simple, the part that screws onto the adapter that attaches to the sink adapter can be unscrewed and screwed onto a pump. I am very anal about water changes for my fresh and salt, so I have two seperate pythons. One stays attached to the bathroom sink and reaches every room in my house. And the other stays attached to my quiet one 1000 HH pump which is strong enough to push my salt water from my mixing container to which ever room my salt water tank is in. Once you figure out where your water level should be whether you are draining from sump or tank just mark with a permanet maker, a little dot, and you now can drain and refill every time with a python. When you know how much you will be replacing with water changes just figure out where the water level should be in the tank or sump when drained. My water changes are simple. Without the python I would not have fish tanks. Hope this helps. Oh, and I have been running like this for years.

[Dustin1300]

I had one of these before crossing to the dark side (where I'm at now:p) Like others said its not meant for SW to pump new water back in but works perfect for pulling old water out. If you have a hose/faucet with a lot of pressure this thing can really suck.

[Brando457]

How does it work to suck the water out using the faucet?

[zippgirl]

I don't know the logistics, but you turn you cold water on full blast and once you sumerge the tube in the tank it forms a suction and the dirty water goes down the drain. Like I said have been using it for many years. I have had to replace some of the plastic pieces, as they my form small cracks after a few years.

[Brando457]

and none of the water from the faucet enters the tank!?

[mfinn]

I've been using those for 17-18 years. Great tool.

[zippgirl]

No.In order to run water from faucet to the tank, which I use for freshwater, of course after I have already added chlorine remover to the tank, you turn the bottom piece on the green sink adaptor,adjust the temp and then the water runs through the hose into the tank instead of down the sink, it is no longer forming a suction, now it is filling the tank. Hope that helps.

[zippgirl]

Brando57 here is a video how it works. Of course for fresh you don't have to
leave the tube in one place as long as they do, you shove it in the gravel and move to the next spot, you don't need to keep closing valve.
http://www.pythonproducts.com/aqprod.html

[Brando457]

I'm running saltwater, but hell if I don't have to haul buckets up the stairs to the drain I'm ALL FOR IT!

[dzhuo]

Thx for the video. So I don't need to connect one end to the faucet in order to start a siphon right?

[Fishamatank]

You don't need to, but it is designed to let the running water from the faucet cause suction so you don't need a siphon. If you are running down hill you could just siphon the old fashioned way, but then you may well just be using a hose, not this fancy contraption.

[dzhuo]

So without a faucet how do you start a siphon? I suppose you do it the normal way with your mouth or something?

[zippgirl]

I don't know how you would start a siphon without the faucet, I have never tried, it is just easier to let the faucet start the siphon and let the dirty water run down the sink drain, for me anyway.

[jbanks]

I have 2,125 gal freshwater tanks, and a 75 gal reef tank. And in fact this can be used to drain and fill your reef tank. How you ask? simple, the part that screws onto the adapter that attaches to the sink adapter can be unscrewed and screwed onto a pump. I am very anal about water changes for my fresh and salt, so I have two seperate pythons. One stays attached to the bathroom sink and reaches every room in my house. And the other stays attached to my quiet one 1000 HH pump which is strong enough to push my salt water from my mixing container to which ever room my salt water tank is in. Once you figure out where your water level should be whether you are draining from sump or tank just mark with a permanet maker, a little dot, and you now can drain and refill every time with a python. When you know how much you will be replacing with water changes just figure out where the water level should be in the tank or sump when drained. My water changes are simple. Without the python I would not have fish tanks. Hope this helps. Oh, and I have been running like this for years.

Simple but ingenius! I thought my Python was the best thing since sliced bread when I dicovered them for my FW tank over 13 years ago. I stopped using it when I went salt because of the obvious. It will be coming out of retirement.. As technical as this hoby and my setup is, I never thought of this.. Thanks zippgirl! :thumbsup:

[cb711]

The python system is great and I have used it for many applications.

[torero500]

I use it too...great for vacuuming the sand, no buckets...and I like that idea to just put an adapter on a pump to pump water back in the tank.

[cindre2000]

I use it almost everyday at the store I work at. It is kind of funny, our distributor stopped carrying it because customers would only buy one; replacement is almost nil.

I don't understand the posts that say its better for freshwater since you can refill you tanks from the sink. Please, please, please do not do this. That is how you kill your FW fish, they do not like chlorine any better than SW fish. Even if you add the dechlorinator first you are stressing your fish.

My only complaint is that it can be hard to keep track of how much water you are siphoning out. However, what you can do is siphon out the normal amount you would do in an average water change and then mark the water level on the tank. Thus you always know when to stop.

Also, if you have a long enough python you can start the siphon w/ your mouth and drain the water into the bathtub, toilet, sink, or out the window into your bushes (FW only). Try and do that with a 2-3 ft of tubing provided by most gravel vac's.

[trb]

I use it all the time on our freshwater tank. Much easier than the other siphon products. Luckily I have a bathroom 10' from the tank, so it is real easy to set up.

And I actually cut off some excess tubing and I'm using it and the shut off valve on my GFO reactor right now. The reactor was used and did not come with the valve, but the tubing was the right size so I used it.

I haven't tried using the suction with my SW tank since I measure the water taken out by 5 gal jugs, but I don't see any problems using it like zippgirl does. The tubing fits on the outlets to the pumps I use for my water changes. I guess I need to mark my sump for gallons so I can have a better idea of how much I'm draining and use it for the SW tank too.

[mfinn]

One easy way to keep track of the water you take out of the tank is easy, but you have to do some figuring first.
One way is to remove a 5 gallon buckets worth and the with a sharpie, make a small mark on the tank, somewhere easy to see,like the side back wall.
Then make other marks doing the same process.
I remove either 45 gallons or 90 gallons from my main tank during water changes and I have the marks on the tank so I know exactly when to stop draining.

[shifty51008]

i put marks on my sump at 5 and 10 gal. so I know how much water I have taken out.

and I will admit these do work great especally when your sump is below the tank, the syphon these things do make cleaning the sump easy. it's kinda hard to get a syphon when the sump is so close to the floor

[RTMA]

I use this to empty my sump also. I use a 20L as my sump, so essentially use this to drain all the water, using the suction to clean out all the sediment / detritus that may build up. Then just pump in freshly made saltwater and I'm done. I am completely inept at creating a siphon two feet from the ground, so this tool is very handy for me. I removed the actual acrylic tube and just use the open hose. Perfect for getting the last few drops and working around my skimmer, various pumps and inside the bubble trap baffles.

[d0ughb0y]

I used it when I had freshwater tank.

But since I learned it actually wastes 10x the water you siphon out, I stopped using it.
Its worse than RODI that wastes 5x the filtered water you collect, but I collect the waste water from my RODI into my washing machine. we take water for granted because plenty comes out when we turn on the faucet, but its a precious resource in most other places.

[Chong27]

the phyton is a great tool to help during a water change. I use it to suck the old water out of my sump. Its easy to use and easy to install to your sink.

[marydem]

I don't know how you would start a siphon without the faucet, I have never tried, it is just easier to let the faucet start the siphon and let the dirty water run down the sink drain, for me anyway.

you can start a siphon by crimping the tube, then dip the cylinder in the tank and fill, then pull it out of the tank. hold the cylinder up above your head while maintaining the crimp on the tubing to get the air bubbles out. then reinsert the cylinder in the tank with the tip up in order to refill the cylinder with water. release the crimp and you have a siphon running!

[torero500]

you can start a siphon by crimping the tube, then dip the cylinder in the tank and fill, then pull it out of the tank. hold the cylinder up above your head while maintaining the crimp on the tubing to get the air bubbles out. then reinsert the cylinder in the tank with the tip up in order to refill the cylinder with water. release the crimp and you have a siphon running!

Heck of an idea, it really is easy to start a siphon with this python since the hose is so long. I drained a whole tank of freshwater using this method and didn't have to waste water from the sink to create the siphon.

[Hemlock71]

I've used the python for years with my FW tanks and just added prime. I still use it in my sump sometimes to get the detritus then run the pump after, just makes things go a little easier.