Tips for water change

Any tips for water changes on a big tank?

I put in two ball valves. This allows me to redirect flow from the power heads to a hose and in to a trashcan.. The issue is that it only clears out the sump -about 12 gallons. Works fine for a small water change but for a large change I'd have to do the old bucket route.

Any Tips? Maybe I should just buy a cheap pump for this?????

 

I use a spare Mag 12 that I drop in the sump to pump it dry down the drain and then I have my holding tank plumbed into the sump where I just open a valve and gravity feeds water in and I shut the valve when it's full. Makes a 45g change pretty fast.

 

When take the water out, then use the following thang combined with an old Rio 2100 to get the water out of the garbage can to the DT.

 

Do you guys think it would hurt to do a change twice. So Turn my valve to get out 12 gallons.. refill the sump and run the pump (through return) for a half hour or so and then dump another 12 and refill again?

 

That would work.