High Tide Aquatics

Recommend a self priming pump for water change

J

Julius Chen

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I like to find a pump that self primes, sits in my kitchen sink, connected to the tank water with either garden hose or 1/2' or larger diameter clear tubing. I just need to turn the pump on, no priming by me required, to start vacuum water out.

Any recommendations?

Today I use a mag 7 pump, which has to submerge under water. I constantly worry about losing vacuum, and it is also hard to maneuver.
 
Julius Chen said:
I like to find a pump that self primes, sits in my kitchen sink, connected to the tank water with either garden hose or 1/2' or larger diameter clear tubing. I just need to turn the pump on, no priming by me required, to start vacuum water out.

Any recommendations?

Today I use a mag 7 pump, which has to submerge under water. I constantly worry about losing vacuum, and it is also hard to maneuver.
Click to expand...
I think you mean 1/2". 6"+ diameter hose is hard to come by not to mention a self priming pump that could handle that volume of water.

Is the sink above or below the level of the tank? If it's below then you'd only have to get the siphon started and gravity will do the rest.
 
The sink is at the tank level. A self priming pump makes things so much easier even when i can use gravity to prime.

The exact diameter of clear tubing is not critical as i am sure some transition fittings can be found,
 
Why don't you plumb in a ball valve in your return? Turn the valve open when you want to draw water out.


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I like to vacuum the bottom of tank in the process. Plus the return sump will run out water before enough water removed.

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I tried my Sicce Syncra 4.0, which did not work.

To plumb in the garden hose, I had to remove both the strainer and cover which holds the propeller in place. Very loud noise from impeller as I switch power on.

Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding - what I mean by self priming is that the pump and hose are try when I start the pump. Maybe no pump can start from dry and pull water by itself right away without me feeding some water into the hose and pump?
 
You can't prime it without water. Water gets pumped up creating suction. Only self priming pump is like a periodic pump.


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Julius Chen said:
I tried my Sicce Syncra 4.0, which did not work.

To plumb in the garden hose, I had to remove both the strainer and cover which holds the propeller in place. Very loud noise from impeller as I switch power on.

Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding - what I mean by self priming is that the pump and hose are try when I start the pump. Maybe no pump can start from dry and pull water by itself right away without me feeding some water into the hose and pump?
Click to expand...

You remove part #3 and #9 and screw in #7. Notice the oring.

I'm pretty sure I did an external Sicce setup and did not prime the pump iirc.

ffeaf6633e5308f265e29f44394a5bfd.jpg



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Python water change tube?

https://www.amazon.com/25-Foot-Python-Aquarium-Maintenance/dp/B000255NXC

I used to use one to empty/fill my fresh water tank back in the day. Can't fill with salt, but can certainly help empty the tank. If a siphon can be created (tank higher than sink) then that's all good, otherwise you can waste some water and let the faucet power the hose.

If you are clever, you could put your pump in-line to the python tube (ie; cut it near the faucet attachment) then use the faucet to pull enough water to the pump to prime it.

V
 
Yeah using the manual siphon plus a pump sitting in sink is a solution.

Also thinking to modify a 5 gallon shop vac so it sits in sink, pulls water from tank using vaccum force. However, not sure how to channel water out of shop vac continuously without losing the vaccum.
 
I actually did this for freshwater planted tank, but had it plumbed in from the tank side instead. I had a valve that I turned on that fed directly to the pump (MagDrive) from the tank. I used quick disconnects (also in the garden section) connected to the pump and once plugged it, it shot water through garden hose for a quick empty of the tank (90G).
 
What I do, which is lame is this;

1) Siphon water from tank into 44 gallon brute next to the tank.
2) PUMP water from another 44 gallon brute in the garage to the tank, using 3 connected 10 foot vinyl hoses. I have to make sure the hose is actually in the tank when I turn on that pump or I'm screwed.
3) Stop the pump when as much water as possible is pumped into the tank ... at this point, water that is in the hoses drains back into the brute, which is annoying.
4) Take the pump and detach 20 feet of it, leaving it with 10 feet.
5) Put pump into the waste water brute and pump it into the kitchen sink.

I have to do this so that I can actually remove as much water as I have prepared to put in. Though last time, I marked the level the tank should drop to so in theory, I could siphon directly into the kitchen sink, which is in the next room.

It takes a really long time, but I think it can be sped up with a much larger diameter siphon, since that's the slow part really.

I was originally NOT vaccuuming the sand, since there are tons of spaghetti worms in it .. BUT my nitrates are so high, I may have to murder them as I vacuum the sand.
 
Vincerama2 said:
What I do, which is lame is this;

1) Siphon water from tank into 44 gallon brute next to the tank.
2) PUMP water from another 44 gallon brute in the garage to the tank, using 3 connected 10 foot vinyl hoses. I have to make sure the hose is actually in the tank when I turn on that pump or I'm screwed.
3) Stop the pump when as much water as possible is pumped into the tank ... at this point, water that is in the hoses drains back into the brute, which is annoying.
4) Take the pump and detach 20 feet of it, leaving it with 10 feet.
5) Put pump into the waste water brute and pump it into the kitchen sink.

I have to do this so that I can actually remove as much water as I have prepared to put in. Though last time, I marked the level the tank should drop to so in theory, I could siphon directly into the kitchen sink, which is in the next room.

It takes a really long time, but I think it can be sped up with a much larger diameter siphon, since that's the slow part really.

I was originally NOT vaccuuming the sand, since there are tons of spaghetti worms in it .. BUT my nitrates are so high, I may have to murder them as I vacuum the sand.
Click to expand...
Don't most worms grow into two if cut in half?
 
Look into diaphragm pumps.
Particularly ones used for spraying pesticides and such.
Decent GPH.
Safe materials.
Good head pressure.
Handle solids a bit.
 
I had problems with sand breaking the seals in diaphragm pumps and thus not being able to "suck" water when self priming, so I supposed it depends on what type of solids are expected. I ended up getting a mesh filter to put in front of my diaphragm pump to make sure sand didn't get in it. They are great otherwise and pretty cheap. I use this one to pump out waste water from QT tanks on the floor in my garage - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001FAA5Y/ref=pe_457170_159948850_em_1p_0_ti
 
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