How to do a Water Change on a 40 Gallon

[goldenpuon]

I know this sounds elementary but I have never had a tank this big. The biggest container I have available right now to do a water change right now is a gallon pitcher. I haven't done a water change on the 40 yet becuase I have just been adding water but soon it will be full and nedd weekly water changes. Also, I don't want my mom to panick when I change 10 gallons of water weekly. Thanks!

Renee

[bikeguy33]

any hardware store will sell 5 gallon buckets for usually around 5$. make sure and ask that they are new and food safe.

[demfish]

I got my buckets at the dollar store, their only 2 gal. Much easer for me since I'm pretty much one handed still. Just bleached them and cleaned them real well. But I use plastic milk jugs to put my fresh water in.

[Carl]

Besides a hardware store as Bill noted, many Pet Stores sell buckets.
We went through marine salt that came in 5 and 6 gallon buckets at the rate of 3-4 per week and often sold these buckets in our store (Coralife, Kent, Instant Ocean, etc. make excellent buckets that are sterile and meant for SW or FW use)

My Aquarium Cleaning Article has further information about water changes:
Aquarium Cleaning

Carl

[goldenpuon]

Good idea. I just have to make sure she doesn't use the bucket like the two we already have for mops or toilet plungers. That's why I won't use them for my fish..

[babygeige]

I bought two 2 gallon buckets, cleaned out them out very well, and wrote "STEPH's FISH BUCKET" real big on the outside of them. I use one to put dirty water in, and the other is just for clean water.
I used to use a python to clean out my 30, but since my algae problems, I discovered that it's easier to do 2 or 3 smaller changes with the buckets during the week instead of one big water change once a week. The algae problem is pretty much under control now that I do this.