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Hi everyone, I've just been researching this gadget and I really want one.

I went shopping this week and found one (to my surprise coz i've never seen one at any LFS) but the price tag was $99.00au.

Does anyone know where I might be able to get one here in Australia (at a much more reasonable price)?

Thanks for your replies in advance.
Cheers
Crusha

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

Hi Crusha

I bought a Lee's system on line here in Australia. As far as I know it works on the same principle as the python.

I bought it from here a few months ago. [link] http://www.aquamail.com.au/[/link]. The link will give you their number. I ordered it over the phone & they posted it to me. There were two lengths & I bought the longest one. I think it was around AU$75. The smaller one was cheaper. I don't use mine anymore. We have water restrictions here in Sydney & I felt guilty using it. You need to run your tap on fairly hard to empty the tank & that seemed like a lot of wasted water, when we are in drought here. That's probably not an issue in Perth, so it may work well for you. I wasn't terribly happy with the on/off system either when filling the tank, but I may have just needed more practice. I only tried it the once.

Maybe others who use the Lee's system regularly could let you know how they find it.

Cheers
TW

Thanks for that info TW, I didn't realise you had to have the water running to empty. Dont like that idea at all, it is very wasteful.

I thought it would be a much easier way of filling, I am using the garden hose at the moment, but the water temperature, obviously, isn't ideal.

Maybe I could have a go at rigging something up myself. (doubts oneself ).

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

I read here on an old thread that you can empty without running the water, if you don't connect it to the tap but instead suck on the end until the water starts to flow out of the tank. I tried that a couple of times and I couldn't get the flow to be more than a slow trickle. Emptying took forever. But, you may be able to get that to work better than I could. If you could get it to work, then you could still use it to fill the tank from the straight from the tap. The secret is probably strong suction, which I just could not create over such a long hose. Maybe it would have worked better if I had the shorter hosed one.

For that matter, you could decide to only use it for filling your tank, straight from the tap (better for temp) & stick to your current method for emptying.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
TW

You can custom make one for far cheaper than a ready made unit that you can get in the store. Check this Waterbed fill and drain kit out. It's basically the head unit that you can get on a python, with the attatchment that screws on the faucet. You should be able to hook it right up to your hose that you're using now, and fill that way. You'll be able to adjust the temperature before you add water to your tank, making for a more consistient water change temperature. They're far cheaper than the python kits, and work just as well! You can find the kits that have water conditioners and stuff, but you don't need these as they're meant for waterbeds, not fish tanks. Other kits just have the faucet unit (like the one i linked to)

You should be able to find these at most hardware stores, waterbed mattress places or general merchandise stores.

Good luck!!

Fallout

Does that kit come with a pump for water removal. If so, that would solve the issue of not wanting to run the tap to empty & the fact that I can't create enough suction to draw the water out of the tank in more than a trickle?

Cheers
TW

No, the kit does not come with a mechanical pump for water removal. It is the same design as the python, where you hook it up to the faucet and run the water to drain from the tank.

You could use it to start a siphon if you could run the hose out the door to enough of a grade where the suction would be adequate to get some mulm up instead of your mouth, but i had crusha's filling needs in mind when i posted.

Here's a link for step by step instructions and a part list on how to make your own.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_python.php

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Thanks for those links Fallout and OldTimer, i'll have to see if I can find those parts and just have a go. Otherwise, I could hook up a fitting that would go over the tap (like those shower attachments you use to wash the dog with) and run that to the tank via a hose (without the shower head of course LOL).

What do you think????

Cheers
Crusha

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

Crusha

I sort of do similar. I have one of those shower attachments you use to wash the dog with. I also have a 120L container on wheels that I bought from Bunnings. I fill the container from the shower attachment thing, get the temp & the water conditioners right. Then I wheel the container to my tank. Because I only have to fill it with 82 - 83 litres, and the container holds 120L, I have a high enough leeway to not have to worry too much about water splashing over the edge of the container, as I wheel it over my carpet.

Works well so far for me.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
TW

Oh Tankwatcher, great minds must think alike.

I used to use the container on wheels when I emptied the tank and then rolled it out the door, now I've attached a garden hose to the syphon that runs out the door into the garden.

Its so easy to get going as well, I just fill the syphon with water, tilt it back so that it runs down the hose and stick it into the water just before it empties, suction straight away.

Thanks for all the info TW, much appreciated. Your replies are always so helpful.

Cheers
Crusha

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

I'm going to cheat with my new tank. I'm thinking I'll siphon the water into a barrel and then toss in a bilge pump and use the barrel water to water the garden

I'm also going to get the screw-on attachment for the kitchen sink so I can add warm water. Ordinarily i wouldn't bothr, but I don't like the idea of lugging buckets over carpet, and the other option is to take the flycreen off the window every week to get to the outdoor tap. This plan is much easier! I had one of the screw-on things for a benchtop dishwasher at my last house, they are pretty easy to get

BTW, Bunnings is ceasing its sales of off-the-roll pipe and is about to start selling it in pre-cut lengths. AFAIK, Mitre 10 and Home are still selling off the roll, so for a job like this you are probably best off going there to get your tubing

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Crusha

I was using my Lees system (aka python) & running it straight into the garden (so same principle as your hose/syphon). But I haven't been able to get the water going (either by sucking it or doing the pump action in the tank).

On next water change day, I'll try your method of filling the syphon with water & tilting it back so that it runs down the hose etc & see if I can get that suction happening. Thanks for the tip.

Callatya, I'm not that happy with the screw-on attachment that came with my Lee's system (the water shut off valve near the syphon isn't that great). Where will you get yours &, so the salesperson knows what I'm asking for, do you know what it's called?


Cheers
TW

To drain a tank with a Python (or similar) without running the water the whole time:

- Start the suction, as it instructs you, with the tap water running.
- Once the whole length of tubing is full of water, and running down the drain, go back to faucet and unhook tube from faucet adapter.
- Then, turn off tap water.
- Water will continue to pour out of end of tube.

You can allow the water to drain into the sink, or pinch it, and move it over to drain into the toilet (which is what I do to keep stuff out of the sink drain).

It will drain slower, especially with longer hoses. And you have to make sure the tank is higher off the ground than the sink/toilet.

Awww! i did a really long reply and its whooshed off into internet space in the DB crash

Anyway

I'll be getting fittings at a plumbing shop, probably Tradelink. Bunnings may have them, but they'll probably only have one size or one style and I need a 'plumbing for dummies' person to walk me through exactly what I need.

I don't know what the piece is called I had one for a benchtop dishwasher, but it was some time back.
I do know you need a screw attachment to make it fit on your tap correctly. You unscrew the fitting that is over the tap and replace it with this threaded fitting that alows you to use the kitchen faucet with screw on/clip on fittings.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

All those other ways of sucking out without the water running, just don't work for me. My tank is not high enough & the hose is too long. Water comes out too slow & suction not strong enough to suck out the all gunk - only takes out the water & that at a dribble. So I've shelved that idea for me.

But for filling - I went to bunnings & found a rubber thingy that slips on over your kitchen tap (Crusha, it fits over your tap with the same principle as the dog shampoo thing). It gives your tap a temporary threaded fitting - so that you can screw on a hose fitting. I'm going to attach a long enough length of the hose to reach my tank, put one of those hose nozles on (you know, the type where you swivel the nozzle to turn the water on & off) and that should work for filling. I'll let you know how it goes & if it works, I'll take a pic.

I'm still nervous about adding water straight to my tank - but lots of people do it, so it must be ok.

Callatya, too bad about the crash. I had the same thing happen & lost one of my posts too.

Cheers
TW

Thanks for the update ... I was at Bunnings the other day and forgot all about the stuff for my water changes ...

I'd love too see the hose fitting you got TW and yours to Callatya so post a pic when you can.

I haven't had any probs adding water straight to the tank from the tap yet. I was also a bit wary of doing it that way but it is a much easier task than lugging bucket loads of water every week.

For now i'm just going to keep syphoning out the way I have been, did you try and start the syphon to remove water the way I suggested TW? It sounds like your tank must be rather low, can you run the hose out the door by any chance? My tank is situated quite a fair way from the back door so I use a whole length of a garden hose, not sure how many metres, i'd say about 15 and I get great suction? Hope you can find a way to solve this problem soon.

Cheers and take care
Crusha

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

This will take a few posts, cause I have a few pictures show what I'm hoping to do.

Firstly, here is a picture of the "Thread-A-Tap" gadget I bought from Bunnings for around $6.95 or thereabouts. It's made by "Handi Homes" brand.

Attached Image:


Cheers
TW

Here's a rear shot of the packaging



Attached Image:


Cheers
TW

Here's a shot of it attached to my kitchen tap, with my hose joining on the end. My hose will then reach from the kitchen, through the family room & into the rumpus, where my tank is. It's made of rubber & pushes on over your tap, more or less in the same way as that dog shampoo thing we talked about earlier. Instructions say to use a dab of soap to ease it over the tap, but I wouldn't do that, just in case some of it makes it's way through the hose & into the tank.

Attached Image:


Cheers
TW