Large tanks

[AdamG280]

I was wondering how all of you with large tanks do water changes. I mix all my saltwater in gallon containers so I have the perfect specific gravity. It takes a while. I keep 4 gallons on hand. It would be 17.5 gallons for a 10% water change on a 175 gallon tank. How do you do it?

 

[nereefpat]

I use a 20 gallon rubbermaid or a brute trash can.

 

[jimfish98]

I second the 20g rubbermaid/brute. I bring one of those into my office and just carry in four 5g buckets from the RODI bin in the garage and I am good to go.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

+1 for a larger container. I would recommend a 32 or 44 gallon brute with the round dolly.

 

[DCR]

44 gal Brute trash can plus 1 bag of IO salt comes out near perfect salinity.

 

[PotatoPig]

Not a large tank (75 gallons+sump) but for large (25gallon) water changes I use a 32g brute tank with a line marked for water level, weigh out the salt using a kitchen scale, mix+heat, then check to make sure salinity and temperature is on the mark.

Siphon out 25 gallons (have lines marked on tank) and then use a pump+ball valve+flex tube to pump the new water in.

 

[blecki]

230 gallon tank. I've done 0 water changes since filling it up last November and some of the water that went in then was already 'dirty'. The 75 gallon it came from technically got a water change last June because I moved it 100 miles and didn't bring the water with me... before that it ran for 6 years with maybe 3 water changes the entire time?

On this tank I can, realistically, only change 50 gallons at a time. So I might do one of those next month. I might be able to push that number higher if I use the 75 gallon as a mixing tank...

 

[Zero_Cool]

55 gallon poly tanks. 1 for RODI and 1 for salt. Tanks have markings every 5 gallons.

I do 1.5 gallon water changes daily with an Apex DOS. When I want to do some sand vacuuming I top of the salt tank from the RODI using an Iwaki pump/valve system. Add salt and mix with same pump to correct SG. Vacuum sand with long hose to shower drain 15 feet from tank and then use same hose to fill tank back up with the mixing transfer/mixing pump. I have a hose connection built into the mixing station plumbing with a ball valve for the fill hose.

 

[ColoredRock]

My 280 tank is fairly close to the garage and landryroom .. I siphon to my landryroom sink and I mix in a brute out in the garage and throw a Reef octopus VarioS pump with a siphon hose attached to it to fill it back up.

When I find the motivation I want to hard plumb it thru the wall.

​

 

[thecitadel]

I think I'm about 300 gallon or more total tank volume. I have a 44 gallon brute and a 30ish gallon brute. Fill with rodi that I make and mix in IO Reef Crystal's. Each brute has 3 power heads and 1 pond pump. Generally let circulate for 24 hours, heats to 78 here in fl without a heater. Put return pump on low, place a pond pump into sump and drain about 75 Gallons and refill with new water.

Only downside currently is I have 5 Gallon jugs that I fill with rodi and have to walk from the garage where I make rodi into the tank room in my house until the brute cans are filled.

When I move, I'll be plumbing an ATO and AWC system in. I just don't want to do it here as this isn't my forever home.

 

[Hal3134]

250 g tank. 2x 75g upright water storage tanks plumbed together and a dedicated pump. All water changes are flipping a few valves and holding a hose. I T’d off my return pump with a hose into a utility sink to drain water from my tank/sump.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

I have a 300 gallon display with a 75 gallon sump in the basement. I have a 77 gallon food grade barrel that I mix salt in. When I need to do a water change, I shut my return pump off which fills my sump within an inch from the top. I have a pump with a hose and I pump out my sump, then fill the sump back up, turn the return pump back on and open up a beer. Can do a 70 gallon water change in about 10-15 minutes and not lift a bucket.

 

[reefnfun]

I have a 400 gallon system, The sump is in the basement. The display is upstairs. I put a valve on my overflow line that diverts into the sewer. so I drain 50 gallons then pump a large trashcan full of saltwater to refill it. it takes 5 minutes for me to do a water change. there is no buckets or trashcans on wheels.

 

[MichaelReefer]

I do not do water changes. 150 or so gallon system.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

I have a 400 gallon system, The sump is in the basement. The display is upstairs. I put a valve on my overflow line that diverts into the sewer. so I drain 50 gallons then pump a large trashcan full of saltwater to refill it. it takes 5 minutes for me to do a water change. there is no buckets or trashcans on wheels.

 

[DanyL]

Usually fill up 4 10 liter/2.64 gallon jerrycans with fresh sea water and mix it in a ratio of 8:2 liters in a 10 liter bucket (which makes it a 50 liter/13.21 gallon WC for a 780 liter/206 gallon system)

When I do make my own saltwater at home I do it similarly but with RODI, and simply mix every 10 liter of RODI in a bucket with salt.

Another point to make here - you really don’t need to heat/cool the water in large tanks - it does not have the same effect as it does with smaller tanks, and you also don’t need a pump to mix a 10 liter bucket - mixing manually with your hand for 30 seconds, letting it settle and mixing once again is enough.

 

[Dbichler]

One 44 brute for rodi top off and one for water changes pumped directly to tank very little work. Only do 3-4 water changes a year.

 

[o2manyfish]

My system is 1500g. I only do a water change about every 18 to 24 months. On a daily basis I evaporate anywhere from 10 to 75g a day depending on time of year. I replace the majority of that with Kalkwasser.

When we do a water change we drain the 300g sump. Catch the fish that have collected in the sump over the past period of time. Use a wet dry vac to clean out all the detritus in the bottom of the sump.

Then kick on the 4k gallon per day RO/DI system and refill the sump while dumping in 50g bags of salt mix and throwing an extra power head in the bottom of the sump.

Total time is about 3.5 hours to completely clean out the sump and then refill it and kick the Abyzz pumps back on.

Dave B

 

[MickeyCT]

I have a 400 gallon system, The sump is in the basement. The display is upstairs. I put a valve on my overflow line that diverts into the sewer. so I drain 50 gallons then pump a large trashcan full of saltwater to refill it. it takes 5 minutes for me to do a water change. there is no buckets or trashcans on wheels.

reefnfun: Out of curiosity, when you're in the basement how do you know when the 50 gallons has drained out of the display? Do you have someone by the tank telling you when to stop?

I have a 225 g display upstairs with 2 44g brutes downstairs as a water mixing station and I drain into one barrel to the same level as the new saltwater in the second barrel. Then I need to pump out the "old" to a drain. I'd love to figure out how to drain "old" water directly but don't always have someone around to watch the level in the display to tell me when to stop.

 

[MickeyCT]

250 g tank. 2x 75g upright water storage tanks plumbed together and a dedicated pump. All water changes are flipping a few valves and holding a hose. I T’d off my return pump with a hose into a utility sink to drain water from my tank/sump.

Hal3134: Same question to you. How do you know when to stop draining into the utility sink?