Automatic daily water change guys. Question

[Michael43]

So I'd love to have a setup where I can have a few gallons changed regularly instead of manually doing these. My biggest question, and maybe it's only because I use Red Sea coral pro, is: my salt states mix for .5-4 hours but no more. So how do I keep a container with say 50 premixed gallons circulating and heated in good standing? This salt at least says after 4 or so hours levels can go out of wack on it. Maybe a stupid question but would love to have a setup to do this

 

[aquaman30k]

Following. I regularly mix coral pro for a minimum of 1-2 days prior to a WC with no ill effects. What does the manufacturer state will get out of whack by mixing over 4 hrs?

 

[Michael43]

Yeah it says no more than 4 hours on the container. I'm assuming ph will drop and other trace elements may deplete. I'm not stating it as factual just assuming. Otherwise I don't know why they'd state not to mix longer than 4 hours

 

[aquaman30k]

Hmm, I guess I missed that. I wonder if that's a new addition.

 

[lion king]

It's a good idea to use freshly mixed water with a reef, you will get a precip of elements specifically ca, alk, and mg. The longer you circulate and the higher the temp the more you will lose these and maybe even other elements. It's easy to prove to yourself, mix up a batch of water and test your ca and alk; then check several hours or the next day. Storing water for days at a time you will also get so evap which will raise the sg. I don't believe an auto water change on a reef is the way to go.

 

[sinekal]

I don't think it matters how long you mix as long as you at least mix long enough to dissolve the salt, or a better way to put it is you can't mix too long. The best rational I can give is that we never stop mixing the water once it's in our tanks.

In my case I mix salt in batches then let a portion sit in my saltwater container for up to two weeks. I haven't seen any ill effects. My container does have a lid to stop evap.

You can also absolutely run a automatic water change on a reef. I do so with no ill effects, and much more importantly, many much more successful reefers do so as well. David Saxby runs one and he is at least amongst the most if not the most successful reefer.

I am of the opinion that small water changes over time are of less shock the system than single larger changes.

I still use a salt that mixes to parameters that are very close to my target parameters. If you dose alk and cal your salt can even be over or under your tank, you will just need to adjust your dosing accordingly. With both happening all the time your not causing any swings in your parameters.

Any inbalance an automatic water change could cause can be detected with regular testing, in my opinion the same rate of testing that would be required if your are dosing alk and cal.

I don't heat the water, or keep it mixing, or anything. The amount that's being changed at any moment is so small compared to overall system it won't matter that the ph, oxygen levels, and temp will be off.

My assumption is that the constant change is adding back trace minerals that are depleted and removing those that are constantly rising. It may remove some nitrates and phosphates but I don't think it's a meaningful or effective strategy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just don't heat or stir the new water after mixing and you'll be fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't think it matters how long you mix as long as you at least mix long enough to dissolve the salt, or a better way to put it is you can't mix too long. The best rational I can give is that we never stop mixing the water once it's in our tanks.

That analogy has its limitations because some things in aquarium water that reduce the chances of precipitation of calcium carbonate are not present in new salt water. Organics and phosphate, for example.

 

[sinekal]

Makes sense, thanks Randy.

I only mix for a few hours then shut off the pump and start my water change again...no heat or mixing, and while I haven't tried testing it in quite some time, when I did I had no meaningful changes.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Just don't heat or stir the new water after mixing and you'll be fine.

Interesting. Don't a lot of people recommend heating to match temp with the tank? I never have (I just always add it directly into my overflow so that it mixes with the water in the sump and heats there...hopefully), but I've always felt guilty for not doing it right. LOL

 

[themcnertney]

How would one even setup an auto/daily water change system? I find this would be difficult with having an ato.

 

[radicaltour]

How would one even setup an auto/daily water change system? I find this would be difficult with having an ato.

I have a controller turning on a pump 4 times a day to push out a gallon of water from the tank to the side of the house.
With each water removal, it triggers an auto top off 10 minutes later (via an optical level sensor).
This was the simplest solution I can think of (for continuous water change) and I've only had this running for a couple of months.
As you'd suggested, there is a complication in keeping the salinity 100% consistent given the variables with evaporation rate of the tank and of the salt mix sitting in the reservoir.
I hope other reefers can suggest a way for me to keep the salinity consistent without any manual intervention.

 

[Waterjockey]

How would one even setup an auto/daily water change system? I find this would be difficult with having an ato.

I am in the process of putting together an awc system.
With a controller you just shut off the ato until you have completed the water change. Other methods include using 2 head pumps that add and remove water at the same time, and others add the new water first, then take out the old.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How would one even setup an auto/daily water change system? I find this would be difficult with having an ato.

It is no problem at all. You just add water and remove it at the same time. I did it for many years.

No need to shut off the ATO in this scenario.

There are many threads detailing these systems.

 

[Thales]

Interesting. Don't a lot of people recommend heating to match temp with the tank? I never have (I just always add it directly into my overflow so that it mixes with the water in the sump and heats there...hopefully), but I've always felt guilty for not doing it right. LOL

It depends on the amount of water being changed. I use an Apex DOS to change 6 gallons a day on my system, so the amount being changed at any one time is minimal so volatile parameters like temp and pH don't impact the overall running of the system. What you are doing sounds fine to me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I never heated my salt water because, as Richard mentioned in his case, the change is very, very slow.

 

[butesch]

I used the Genesis Reef System for ato and water changes as well as keeping my RO reservoir full. I like it.

 

[themcnertney]

I suppose I was vague in my comment, but I am not sure how I could do an automatic/daily water change in my current setup without the use of a controller programmed to do all that for me.

 

[Armydogracing]

I do 6g daily with a Genesis Reef Systems renew pro and storm auto top off. Its a bit pricey but beats doing manual water changes thats for sure. When the renew is performing a water change it turns off the storm (which is the ato) its a pretty cool device

 

[locito277]

I do 6g daily with a Genesis Reef Systems renew pro and storm auto top off. Its a bit pricey but beats doing manual water changes thats for sure. When the renew is performing a water change it turns off the storm (which is the ato) its a pretty cool device

I'm waiting to install my Genesis! Is it as seamless as it appears? Where do
You drain the old water too?