Early in 2003, we suggested to our "New Victoria Addict" and to readers that something really valuable to have would be a method of clean existing water as well as adding fresh water to an indoor aquarium setup for growing Victoria seedlings. We received this simple and effective idea from Chris Lindsey.

Here is a system I use in my salt water tank that, with a few modifications, I believe will fill the bill for an indoor water replenishing system.

By filling bucket #1 with fresh water on a daily basis the old water in the tank will be displaced into bucket #2 where it can be either reused or discarded. The flow of water through the hose can be changed either by a small inline spigot or valve on the #1 hose or by using very small hoses. Personally I like to be able to control the flow so I prefer the spigot. Also of importance is that the bottom of the #1 bucket must be higher than the water level of the aquarium and likewise the top of the #2 bucket must be lower than the bottom of the aquarium. All the hardware can be purchased at Home Depot, but if you're keeping invertebrates in the tank then stay away from bronze or copper fittings. They are toxic. Use plastic. All seals can be made water tight using either plumbers' tape or by coating the threads with silicone sealant. To attach the hoses to the buckets, use hose barbs with threaded ends.