HOW TO: Never do water changes - IMPROVED step by step

How to never do water changes - IMPROVED step by step
Get the ultimate DIY book ► thekingofdiy.com
Follow me ► / uarujoey
DIY bulkhead ► goo.gl/6hyU2e
DIY float switch ► goo.gl/B6Wsnk
Original drip system video ► goo.gl/zLLWPu
My aquarium philosophy ► goo.gl/wq3Afc
Crystal clear water changes ► goo.gl/RHyKQY
THE BIG FISH DEAL ► thekingofdiy.com/cca/
Items used:
DD-HPR20 - Drip Irrigation Pressure Regulator 20 PSI - Hose Threaded 3/4" FHT x 3/4" MHT.
DD-CHS250 - 3/4" Hose Thread Swivel x 1/4" Barbed Adapter
DD-SR360B - Drip Irrigation Adjustable Full Circle Stream Spray Bubbler 1/4" Barbed Inlet

[@zebrapleco7895]

I just want to take the time to tell you that your videos are awesome. It's really inspiring me to get more handy when it comes to building stuff. I've always been great with electronics and computers but not so much with power tools or plumbing. You're really providing a huge wealth of information to hobbyists around the world.

[@RoyalCrab]

Awesome step-by-step tutorial Joey! Planning to implement one of these along with a few of your other projects I have in mind to complement it nicely. Thanks for the inspiration and for keeping making these videos for us!

[@RaindropServicesNYC]

You explain things so well, you really don't leave any stones un turned. Thanks.

[@floydmorey]

I love how you simplify projects cool video I like the fact that you talked about well water vs city water a lot of people don't talk about well water I think it's a good topic for videos

[@youngz13o]

Thanks for the more detailed video joey but one thing i havent seen anyone do yet is how they tap a water source. For me, this is the reason why i havent done my auto water changes yet. Love the videos. Take care

[@Threedog1963]

That's my concern as well. I'd either have to have a garden hose running from outside or have a plumber pipe a line to where my tank is. Or move my tank to my bathroom where I'd have a water supply and drain close by.

[@mikespags296]

got to love this guy.cant get any better. has improved all my aquairums

[@thekingofdiy]

How to never do water changes - IMPROVED step by step Get the ultimate DIY book ► thekingofdiy.com Follow me ► facebook.com/uarujoey DIY bulkhead ► goo.gl/6hyU2e DIY float switch ► goo.gl/B6Wsnk Original drip system video ► goo.gl/zLLWPu My aquarium philosophy ► goo.gl/wq3Afc Crystal clear water changes ► goo.gl/RHyKQY THE BIG FISH DEAL ► thekingofdiy.com/cca/

[@1997debbie]

This is what I love about your channel Joey the way you explain everything and it's so well thought out. Thank you so much, oh your last two Thursday videos with your children have been the best, hope to see a project with them again soon. Bye for now.

[@Fermion911]

Would I actually need to change the water if I had a big aquarium (say 1000 litres and more) and a lot of plants in it? I always thought that that works like a self-cleaning ecosystem.

[@Fermion911]

For the US people: 1000 litres = 264 US gallons :)

[@curvalisiouscurves5579]

The king of DIY um idk if you'll get my message but I live in the caribbean and want to start a aquarium at home do I still need water heaters??? Cuz I mean my island pretty hot on its own already to b specific um Dominica not Hati n Dominican Republic jus isle of dominica 😐😐😐😐😐 pple confuse d name

[@jackiescorpio6359]

It depends on what types of fish you're planning on. I don't use a heater and i live in New England. Ive got easy fish (guppies, mollies etc) however during cold months my tank is sitting close to a heater. My water is always between 67-70 . i hope that helps until someone with more knowledge answers you ; /

[@r.i.t.randominterestingthi4031]

man, i am already looking this never do water changes for the past 2 month. this drip system is so awesome

[@Xavier_915]

Cool!! this is a something I will probably keep in mind when I get my own house! genius joey! good job!

[@jessiecorceles6317]

Joey , of all of your crazy amazing DIY ideas this one I loved the most ! I've tried it and observed it for a couple of days ... it's been a while now since I replaced water on my tank, It surely help a lot to a very busy man ike me and I can still enjoy the clear waters on my aquarium . Thank you so much man ! by the way my tank is 130 gals and my fishes doubled their sizes in just 3 weeks, with some assistance from probiotics .

[@ushomestead]

Thank you so much for including closed captioning!

[@EZimmerman3]

Thanks for addressing Chloramines in a drip system.. Seems so simple when you explain it. Thanks for all your help!

[@thekingofdiy]

Your welcome!

[@khenryhector]

Thanks for the update, this was a really informative video. I would like to see more on the bio-sand filter that was featured a couple videos back though.

[@ArkAquaria]

Dude yes. Needed this simple solution! Thank you!

[@fishtalk3379]

While not being close to a water source, treated water in a 55 gallon drum to an air pump and a check valve before the dripper worked perfectly. The air pump also aerated the water keeping movement as well where the drum lasted for weeks before it needed to be refilled. This worked including adding a sponge filter to the drum. seem excessive but works for me. Always liked your videos where I learned a lot taking what I've seen useful from them. Thanks!

[@kylecrofton1712]

Love your videos man I watch u every single day I love Frank and the Rays

[@thegoodbadandtheugly8431]

Oh my goodness! I absolutely love this Man and his mind! Thank you so very much!!!

[@joonyang2731]

Hi Joey! Thanks for all the uploads!! After being out of the hobby for years now, your projects are tempting me to come back!! One of the things I used to do when doing water changes was to condition the water (eliminate chlorine and metals) before filling the aquarium. How do you condition tap water with the drip system?

[@anderswilkas5319]

I would love to se you tackle a aqaponics DIY setup, preferably from plan to finished system. Your way of explaining things are really easy to understand so your take on aqaponics would be wonderful. Does your book cover this topic?

[@nosbormelo]

Hi Joe... You could try a sand filter... Not the moving bed with sand but an actual sand filter like the one used on municipalities water treatment station or try to come up with a freshwater refugium.

[@MrVinodbhatia]

Great DIY video as always. Is there a DIY video on how the overflow can also be modified so that along with overflow for continuous drip system, it can also be used to drain the tank completely or 50% for water changes without having to drill the aquarium ?

[@danishjabbar6905]

Wow . That settles it ! Drip system it is !!! Dude your are really the best 👍

[@MikeV607]

Hey Joey - KUDOS: Your drip system/overflow is great and really gets the DIY juices flowing! An alternative for filtering the source water are the commercial inline filters (e.g. nitrate, activated carbon...) used most often for refrigerators, ice makers etc. These could be placed anywhere convenient inline between the source and the tank. They're not that expensive and last 1500 - 2000 gallons. (I have high nitrates in my well water so I filter through both an inline nitrate and inline activated carbon filter into buckets for weekly partial water changes....so your drip system has me pondering!)

[@odanhammer]

Just an idea , using the concept of a toliet on a drip system. When you flush , the tank emptys into the bowl and then fills up again with a float stopping the flow when it fills to high. Taking that float system and putting it into a bucket or even having some setup in tank , might make a faster and easier top up ..

[@davidfoley6402]

I'm also on well water, but I'm moving my aquariums to a house in the city. When I set up the drip and drain system, I'm going to run an in-line carbon filter, because I don't think plastic bottles are a good look. They're good for stuff like the emergency heat you showed us, but they shouldn't be a permanent fixture in an aquarium. Huge fan of your work, by the way!

[@allenhart1812]

David Foley how are you doing carbon line also if there is continuous water exchange then why would one need todo big water changes ever 3-4 months

[@mxgryan]

Im learning. SO much to take in!

[@billsmith4932]

I really think this is one of the most important videos on this channel...

[@magzire]

very nice tutorial

[@jesusluna1411]

Hey Joey ! thanks so much for your dedication and effort on making these awesome videos I'm learning lots! I was wondering if you had anything in your repertoire for making an automatic/timed feeder ?

[@MultiLEGODOG]

been doing the drip system several years! thanks to you ! water is spot on year after year, no water changes but a few over flows due to my drain, but that is my own fault. if your going to leave you can tun it off for a trip, or turn it down so it just covers evaperation. i have a over the top rail drain some times gets air in it and loses prime so should have 2. but a drilled tank drain would be best . for the drip, i used under sink adapter, to ice maker tubing then a inline icemaker filter and at the end, a inline needle valve for drip control, works great

[@murissun9849]

Thanks coming from Tdot just what i needed .

[@mikeevans8945]

Thanks for the vids. I have learned tons from you in the past few months! A suggestion for subjects to revisit/address- Sizing the DIY Moving bed filters. How much sand or K1 does a person need for his/her own aquarium?

[@allaboutindianhorses83]

Agreed with you bro... Thanks for your new idea

[@billgoodliffe1868]

Excuse me Joey. I was just wondering could you do a DIY on a cylinder tank. Also do pros and cons of it. Thank you so much for your time.

[@anthonypope8429]

good video and very good info

[@johnfletcher2664]

i put in the new water changes but my overflow keeps making a gurgling noise love all the info you give us all thanks loey

[@nuellynuelly]

You are the man joe!

[@bigjayinga]

Great video. How is the pond doing?

[@bshenanagins]

Hey Joey just a quick thought, I like the simplicity of the DIY carbon filtration. My only concern is whether or not all the carbon is going to be utilized. Eventually the dripping will carve a path and only pass through the strongest center of gravity with least resistance, leaving the carbon closer to the walls of the water bottle untouched. I would think maybe once a week shake up the bottle to ensure all the carbon is being filtered through or creating some type of shower drip effect?

[@dennisjay8902]

I think your concern would be correct if the carbon bottle is above water. In the video the bottle is inside the aquarium and submerged so that would not be a problem. My thoughts anyway.

[@geraldcactusboy]

Great. clean and concise. I'd like to see an overflow in the sump, with a carbon chamber to remove chlorine. and a float in a chamber of the sump. I have a sump under the tank, and would need to eject the exchange water at sink level (or a holding tank)

[@nurulhasantharola]

hi Joey I'm your big fan and I almost seen your all video your so helpfull

[@GeoHvl]

I took your advice and now I have my 55 show from Clear for life with a one inch top drain. I went one step more I added a ball valve at the bottom tee where the drain leaves the tank for easy draining. I drilled a 1.25" whole in the bottom of this tank install a one inch bulkhead fitting to the tee fitting ran a stand pipe to the top drilled 6- 5/16ths holes for drainage. from the back of the tank I ran the 1" pipe through the floor into my basement to a drain in that location. I purchased a drip timer, 50' 1/8 inch drip tubing, a 2G/hour drip head ran the tubing back through the floor into my tank. I did test the drip head and it did in fact drip just over 2 gallons in one hour. I set the time to 4 hours a day that give me a 224 gallon change every month. NO MORE WATER CHANGES! I am on a well so no chlorine problems. I have African Cichlids with Caribe Sea substrate for Africans. What a great idea.

[@MrRazor1975]

I intend on using this system in my new design. I thought about running the fresh tap water through a rainfresh Carbon filter prior to going through the the drip system. The nice thing is they state how many gallons those filters are rated for so by calculating the flow rate I can figure out how long the filter will last.

[@ernpyr]

Joey, big fan of your projects. Could I use a system like this to not only save time but also heat my outdoor 75 gallon pond during spring/fall? I have an outdoor hot water source...

[@east.coast.herpetology7104]

nice vid brotha, do a vid on aquarium safe drift wood

[@paulsampugnaro6919]

Awesome what can I say. Always look forward to your videos. As a matter of fact looking forward to the Silver Dollars new visitor which should be soon.

[@mskraft]

Hi! First, I love your videos. Thank you for sharing your gift! I have a quick question on this project. I’ve had the drip system installed for a while now and it works beautifully. However, I’m experiencing a bacteria bloom that seems to be dissipating but very slowly . Any suggestions on how to get my water back to crystal clear with the constant water turnover?

[@numairsiddiqui7974]

What am I doing here? I don't even have a fish...

[@pumpkinpiecookie2744]

In the future, u will

[@raihanjabed5800]

Its becuase of Joe i decided to pick up a tank again haha

[@victimcastrate222tipssnitc5]

Numair Siddiqui You have the itch

[@JayDillon-mm6yv]

You are destined to have fish. It is your destiny.

[@metu5818]

Irrigation system... Your ripped...remember?

[@richardsees3177]

For loose bulk charcoal go to a Walmart and on the bottom shelf is knee high pantyhose they sell a pair for .50 fill the charcoal in that works great ...

[@richardsees3177]

petsmart sells bulk by the milk carton full

[@alijbaqi]

Thank you man!

[@chiefchick]

Just an additional information, Joey, catalytic carbon can be used for those who uses well water, like what our county does, because it treats iron, magnesium and sulfur in well water. And to reactivate carbon, i read that all you need to do it bake it at a high temperature.

[@kevinvanslycke8386]

Great video! Where can I get a drip emitter? Can I use it for a dosing container/top off container as well?

[@aquarist]

You're literally my favorite KZbinr right now lol

[@danielsvendsen6334]

Which program use you for your awesome videos

[@WobblesandBean]

Watching videos like this is exactly why I hire people like you to do this stuff for me. [whoosh over my head]

[@JamesG19771]

I've had a drip system in place since your previous video. Personally, I would never go back to the standard water change method as its not only far simpler but my fish stock have been healthier as a result. As far as cost goes, I feed to overflow into the toilet cistern or water storage for the garden so I would say any heating or water treatment cost is offset.

[@fhermo83]

Yes I would love for you to revisit the hob sump filter with the window seal planter box I did that build for my 45 planted tank but it was giving me a lot of issues with water spilling over what would happen was if I didn't stay on top of changing the filter floss it would constrict the water flow and with the pump I had was pretty strong so it would start to squirt over the side and would get water all on the floor so if I wasn't home to catch it I would have a big problem I made every adjustment I could come up with i made a top for it but water would still get out some how I even went with a smaller pump but to no avail so I trashed it and went with a whole different style same concept but now I am using some big plastic containers with a lid so no more spills but I would like to see if you could better the first build I love those planter boxes so see what you can come up with I know all your followers would love it too. Keep on shining bruh!

[@headphonejack9479]

Drip Systems are also good for flimsy/frail fish. Some fish don't like it when you change ~40% water very quickly, they stress out.

[@Darksoul985]

Have you ever done an arduino controller for your aquariums? im starting on a project and would like some advise if you ever did

[@MELODYMUNRO]

I would like to see you do one on adapting a hang on back filter to fit a tank rim with euro bracing ..please.

[@marciogoliveira]

Joe, great video, thanks for posting. For someone who has unlimited water supply (clean and free), would it make sense to increase the flow of the drip system and get rid of bio filtration? Do you know how many gallons per hour would be necessary?

[@simaz81]

Pls provide the links where to purchase the parts. Thanks.

[@johnjstevenson]

The lowest setting I can find for a micro-dropper is .5gpm - do you know of any which are slower? I'm topping off a 90g tall & don't need 12 gallons/day. If all else fails I'll swap to a timer. Just found you by the way, great, great videos! Thanks for all you do!

[@Wayne-fe1ed]

The consistency of a drip system, filtered with carbon seems perfect. However, any ideas on treating the water for increased GH and KH for cichlids with the drip system?

[@eaglefence6820]

My well/tap water has a PH of 8.0. How would you recommend I use a drip system while keeping the PH at a lower consistent level?

[@erich9779]

Hey Joey, how often do you clean ur filter HOB sponges?

[@mikebrown3246]

Looking to setup a drip system. I have a utility sink in the basement. Would you just attach to the faucet on that as opposed to tapping a water line ?

[@rainiersaints5658]

hi Joey, is there a way to use drip method or something like that with saltwater aquarium? many thanks!!!

[@forwardcontracting3938]

hey question for the king. im starting up a drip system but hate the look of a pvc overflow. also i dont want to drill my aquarium. so my idea was to possibly use a small submergable foutain pump. of course an adjustable flow pump while also using a valve to get my desired drip ..what i would like to know is ..what is your thoughts on using a fountain pump for the drainage. thx input is appreciated.

[@mariacherry5946]

Hi there. Thanks so much for all that you put up here for those of us wanting to improve our fish keeping without having to bust a fou-fou valve doing so. I have a query with regard to buffering the water in this system. I use New Zealand rain water collected off my roof for my fish, and I find that during water changes things work better if I add 1 tbsp of epsom salts and one teaspoon of baking soda to each water change. This is for (for the most part)180L tank that I have siphoned 4 12L buckets from - so call it 40L (I have more than one tank). How would I ensure this with the drip system? Many thanks and keep up the good work!! =-) Edit: I would love to own a copy of your book, but you dont ship to New Zealand? Any hope of convincing you to make an exception? I would be happy to pay postage. =-)

[@orozco1309]

How would this work with a sump? love the video by the way.

[@brucesundberg8899]

Joey, since I live in drought stricken California, I have to ask... is there a way to "recondition" the used tank water and reuse it again?

[@ShanesAquaticVideos]

I liked this video, gonna be buying the stuff for it tomorrow, what air pumps do you use joey?

[@thekingofdiy]

I don't have a preferred brand.

[@jsaquaticX]

Tank you sir....

[@aaronle4767]

Thanks, what is the size of the pressure regulator?

[@johnhayes9437]

So Joey... since I installed a drip system on my 110 gallon tank... I should or shouldn't need to bother with an alge scrubber ???? I'm thinking not. Please chime in and let me know your thoughts. Thanks,

[@La3780]

how do you know when your carbon needs replaced? I use it in a mesh bag just to help control toxic stuff in my tank.

[@glxbt1987]

Hey Joey. I've been doing some research on how to get rid of diatoms. Not really any good videos.

[@boofmastacam1260]

Definitely going to the convention. Only an hour away!

[@sstradley4118]

Does it matter if you have fish in your tank or red earred sliders? is it the same water type? filter type?

[@JayDillon-mm6yv]

I do nearly complete water changes every other day or so, instead of filtering or using anti algae formulas. Seems to work fine. The bottom of the tank has some rock but only a small amount of gravel. I don't scrub or clean the bottom although I might siphon out particulates and stuff if I notice buildup down there. I have to do some interior glass scrubbing but not too bad. I use well water, no chlorination. (Replacing tank water completely or almost completely with chlorinated water would be a death sentence, I'm sure.) My fish are "feeder fish" that I got for 7 for a dollar locally. These fish are very tough, very beautiful fish, some white, some orange, and have had offspring so currently I have 2 generations in one tank. .. and have survived moderate to lousy conditions. Previously I have had a few hybrid Japanese goldfish which I loved but they did seem to be more susceptible to poor tank conditions and ended up swimming upside down far too much. I still love em though, might get more of those if I develop the requisite care/skills. Previously I tried using all sorts of filters and pumps but got disgusted with them all. I just use a few little air bubblers and the water changes. (Siphon hose is kept full of water and just dropped into kitchen sink when needed to remove water from tank.) Hope this comment will be of interest, if not, feel free to delete it or criticize it. Thank you for your video, it's great.

[@Dustpuuppy]

What about a drip system that feeds into the sump? Seems like this would give the most consistency as the fresh water would be thouroughly mixed before going into the tank. It would also hide the extra equipment, like chlorine filters.

[@scoobamg]

when you put on the adapter that will raise the head pressure. Smaller the ID (inner Diameter) the higher the pressure. I don't think its much but I would have to do the math on it. and of course I can't since I don't have all the values needed to get the final head pressure. But in summery what your doing does work for the application your using it for

[@1610ed]

hey Joey. I don't know if you answered this already. I am really wanting to do this. I have a wet/dry sump set up so the water would over flow to the sump. if I drill the sump for a drain at a specific level. I am concerned about a power outage my water level would go to the floor drain then when the power comes back on the pump would run dry and burn up. any ideas would be great.

[@ferexposito4959]

HI and thank you for yours disinterested guides. Im not from Us and I cant buy this elements in my country. could you help telling me the common name of that pieces to find it in amazon or ebay?? Thanks a lot

[@SamuelHernandez-om5xd]

hi, very Nice proyect! In México we hace a very hard water, so one off the Main objectives with the water changes it's to eliminate the additional salt that acumulate cause the water evaporation. So... do you have any cheaper solution with out purchase an ósmosis filtration system or adaptation for this DIY proyect? thanks and greetings from México!

[@UltimaStealth94]

Any advice on how to do this with the tank on 1st floor of home? I was thinking I could run airlines through floor to basement for water source and drain. Is it safe to run airline in such a way? Should I use like metal piping instead?

[@colddrakequeen]

We have really hard water in my area, and I was told to add peat to my filtration system because of it. What are your thoughts on this?

[@CoryTaylor1]

considering installing a drip system and wondering if I should still have a filter (canister/sump/hob) with an auto water change system? or does the fact that water is changing so frequently eliminate the need for a filter?

[@killmedam]

Where did you buy all your parts from??

[@cynthiagravatt6750]

question: do we really want to replace 1 or more gallons per hour, this sounds like a lot, however I have no way of knowing if only old water is going down the overflow..... which would mean that some of the new incoming water could be leaving the tank too. I was thinking of running my RODI system straight to the aquarium like you have it here.... but because I would need to add the minerals back into the water, I thought I could let the system run every 3-4 days for 24 hours (which equals 24 gallons) and have it set to do this about every 3-4 days. My tank is 55 gallons. Does this sound like enough... of course I could test the water and see how well it works. Anything I might be missing? I have a back injury so I'm really excited about this new project.. It's really going to help me a lot. I hope you figure this out for Saltwater too. I sure enjoy watching your videos and feel I can trust the information you provide. Thank you for taking the time to put all this information out there for us... I would have never thought of this stuff. Cindy

[@troyholman7280]

I love your idea but I was wondering how can I run that off my R/O water system under my sink?. I read some other peoples ideas on this and it seems to me to tee off the line going to the faucet output and come out of the dry wall and somehow use your drip system. Please help me figure this out I think it will be helpful idea.

[@WhatIsMisophonia]

I just came here to say: P L A N T S. That's how you never do water changes.

[@sonofaquack6987]

but wouldn't the waste build up as molm or build up?

[@WhatIsMisophonia]

@@sonofaquack6987 It's just humus, which is considered inert. Seems like so many people in the aquarium hobby forget that the bottoms of ponds are lined with more than a little bit of molm. Now that being said, dissolved organic matter can build up in the water column over time, and certain creatures that are used to particularly pure water may have difficulty. The best animals for a heavily planted tank would come from slow moving dirty rivers and marshy lakes.

[@seelsie]

so the drip system replaces evaporating water? or do you need to get water out of the tank manualy? and can i put a jerry can or something under the tank because i dont have running water close by the tank?

[@thedivinehammerswoodworks1895]

I would take the gallons of the tank divided that by 7 days, and that would give you your flow rate for your drip system, for example if you had a 90 gallon tank ( 90 divided by 7 = ruffly 13 gallons a day, 12.87 if you want to be accurate) but you could go with 10 GPD and call it good, but this also depends on your stocking levels and if you have plants or not, you can always decrease the flow for low stocked tanks or ones with lots of plants in it. If you are like me and have lots of large Plecos double the flow rate to 20% of the tank daily being changed out.

[@millardshires5425]

I do a 20% change in my 90 each week. That's 18 gallons. Well, I do 4 trips with a 5 gallon bucket, plus evaporation, so let's say 20 gallons. Divided by 7 would be 2.85 or just round it out to 3 gallons per day. Under your system you are essentially replacing all the water in a week. That is awesome, but not sure if that is necessary. Some people may have low fish loads where they don't need such drastic water changes, or they may have large, hormone crazy cichlids in a small tank that requires massive changes weekly. My point is, first determine the volume of water you want to replace each week; 10%, 20%, etc Then go from there with your calculations. 90 gallons per week is 4,680 gallons per year. That's a lot of water!

[@rhyshughes8542]

Unfortunately I don't have a water supply near my tank and it's impractical to pipe it closer. After watching this I had the idea of having 2 drums under my tank one for tap water that will have a small pump running to a inline carbon filter and then to the drip. The second would be for the overflow water from the drip system. Would I be right in saying this can be done?

[@nurulhasantharola]

hi joey i have a question for you that I have got a Amazon plant for my aquarium do it grow in gravel or I buy sand for it

[@irubzz7273]

I have plants in Gravel and gonna change to sand, is sand better for plants? Or do they NEED special substarte? I have a amazone Sword i think and i think what is called moneyworth

[@randallart1313]

i have a question regarding water for my salt water setup. im in two minds on buying a reverse osmosis unit but i have a few friends who have there own window cleaning business. can i use there water out of there system they tell me there TDS reading is zero thanks pete

[@bolisongta4230]

I LIKE YOUR VIDEO

[@Ladylexx9999]

i have a hang on the back filter, is there something i can fill it with or something that i can use in place of the inserts??