Customer Reviews

Python No-Spill Clean and Fill 13-B Pump Item #132.

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Great design in theory, but very cheaply built. They fall apart and/or crack in half with very little use. I guess it's a good thing they're somewhat cheap.

Aquarium filters remove many harmful chemicals, but nitrates do accumulate over time, and the way to remove them is by periodic partial water changes, usually something like 20% per week. The old way was to siphon water out into a bucket, which was dumped down the sink, commode, or in the yard. The bucket was then refilled and poured back into the tank.
To change water in this manner was a little bit labor intensive on a small tank, and really time consuming on a larger tank.
I stumbled on my pump in a Thrift store, where I found it on a shelf for $1. In all honesty, I'm not 100% sure mine is a Python brand, as there is no name on it. It may actually be a knock-off. Mine is made of blue plastic, not green, but otherwise looks identical to the item pictured.
It operates by connecting it to a water supply with a fitting at the top in the photo. Water flows through from top to bottom, past a venturi located where the side fitting is, creating a suction which will draw water out of the aquarium through a hose. I purchased 50 feet of clear vinyl hose from my local aquarium store, attached it to this device, and put a suction strainer on the other end to avoid sucking small fish into the hose.
In use, I drop the suction strainer into the tank, unroll the hose, and attach the pump to the water tap outside my front door. Opening the diverter on the pump outlet, then turning on the water tap starts a siphon which removes as much water from my tank as I desire (water tap can be closed once siphon starts so long as the pump is lower than the tank, siphon will continue).
Closing the diverter on the pump outlet stops the siphon, and opening the water tap with the diverter closed refills the tank.
I can't imagine any way to make water changes any easier. I've been using this device for years now, and it still works great.
There are adapters available which allow the user to connect the pump to their kitchen or washroom sink instead of outside the house, if the aquarium is located closer to those water sources. There are also attachments which allow you to vacuum the gravel with the water siphoning out of the tank, if you feel the need to perform this task (I never vacuum because I don't use an undergravel filter, because I use EcoComplete substrate, and because I have fish which eat any food which falls to the bottom, so for me, the need simply isn't there).

I LOVE the python. this part is pretty durable - it was my fault I broke it.

The valve that had come with my Python broke, so I needed a replacement. This is the same as the original part, and works great.

This works well and is a replacement for the orginal Python pump. Design appears unchanged. The fitting of the siphon unit into the pump remains the same and is the weakness in the design. This joint can come loose and the pump fails to work. Over tightening of the joint causes failure in the siphon and required replacement. Be gentle in tighening the siphon into the pump or you will have to replace it like we did. In other words, be gentle with it.

I've been using the same Python no-spill and fill unit for almost 30 years. The original pump finally broke and I replaced it. Not a bad record for things milled from plastic. There is no comparison between the work of changing the water in a 75-gallon tank using the Python versus using a garden hose and buckets. From 10 gallons to 100 gallons plus, a Python no-spill and fill is the ONLY sane way to do a water change.

I had to buy this replacement part for my Python No-Spill Clean and Fill system because my first one broke after about 5 uses. It's plastic and starts to weaken when you twist it onto your sink and the plastic tubing. I'd like to see this whole thing be made out of metal, like you'd have for an outside garden hose connection. In the meantime, I'll just be extra careful with the plastic pump and probably have to purchase a new one eventually.

This little gem saves you tons of heavy lifting. Just hook it to your kitchen faucet, turn on the water, and it pumps some water out of your aquarium and gives enough suction to clean the gravel, too. Then, when you're ready to add fresh water, just make sure the water running out of your tap is the same temp as your tank, switch the valve so that it's no longer pumping, and water will flow into your tank. Use enough water treatment for the whole tank, rather than just the number of gallons you're adding! I can clean my 30 gallon in about 15 minutes!