Making water changes easier! What are some tips and tricks?

[Albertan22]

I haven’t used a bucket since my freshwater days 15 years ago. I currently have an AWC system running which pumps water through 1/4 inch RO tubing I fished through the ceiling to a mixing station and floor drain in my furnace room. Before that I just used a wheeled brute and a Maxijet 1200 with about 50 feet of 1/2 inch vinyl tubing so I could drain into the nearest sink. Occasionally I pull out the gravel vac and vacuum my sand into the filter sock in the sump to keep that clean, but all the water changing in my salt setups has always used pumps and hose/tubes.

 

[725196]

I put down a 3 for the ease of the water change. At one point I was against AWC as I was not a fan of automation. I do not like not knowing what is happening. I feel like the more I get into automation in the hobby the more I feel as ease with it and want more. One day I will have an AWC, but for now there is no place to put the containers to keep the fresh and waste water.

For now I am still part of the "bucket brigade" and to be honest I dont mind too much, I like maintaining my tank, I like the testing, the cleaning, the upkeep. Ok, so I am an odd ball...

I have a SW mixing station in my garage. 210 gallons of SW and 210 gallons of FW. I prep the RO/DI as needed, usually when it gets down to about 20 gallons. (I have a 7 stage RO/DI system). I mix Tropic Marin Pro by the bucket, about 165 gallons per bucket to get it to 35ppt. I do weekly water changes, via bucket, usually on Friday's. On the Wednesday or Thursday before I fill the 5 gallon jugs with the water and bring it in the house to cool from the garage (Warm in the winter) to be ready for the change.

Once I start the water change it takes about 12 minutes to do a 14% water change. At that time I change the filter sock, clean the skimmer cup and empty the Trident water container. That adds a few minutes. All in all I am done in 20 minutes, tops.

 

[KingTideCorals]

Its not crazy hard... but its not automatic so I gave it a five... you can score my schedule yourself from one of my recent uploads!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I got an AutoAqua AWC. Best decision about water changes I've made yet!

 

[Soren]

So far, my changes are manual with buckets. I plan soon to make this simpler with 2 7-gallon buckets next to the tank with bubblers and heaters for mixing and a submersible pump for transfer to the DT.
As I plan my 90-gallon reef, I intend to mix in my basement and have pumps for draining and refilling the DT. I do not want complete automation, but water changes through the flip of a few switches seems ideal for me.

 

[HB AL]

I voted very easy as I haven’t done one in 4 years.

 

[MabuyaQ]

Drainhose holder from a washing machine. Extra hand when you need it and usefull to create a siphon without getting a sip of saltwater.

 

[Auquanut]

I use a stand alone GHL Maxi for AWC. The level in the sump never changes at all. I use a 50 gallon brute for the SW reservoir, and only have to mix SW about once a month. Super simple, and the corals seem to love it.

 

[boacvh]

For me 15g usually. use the long Phython to outside patio drain. Then I use a pump and 10m hose from water station to tank. No buckets for me.
takes me around 15 mins.

 

[WvAquatics]

It's not much for me I planned it a little before. I mix 30g in a brute can on wheels. I have a spare brute that I drain into. Match level of drain to fresh saltwater. Have a cheap 700gph return pump with a hose that I pump back into the sump. It's not too bad. Time to mix the saltwater is the worst. I take about 30 minutes but that's cleaning out cyano

 

[Lasse]

I voted very easy as I haven’t done one in 4 years.

The same - for 2.5 years

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Feet4Fish]

I understand not everyone can do this but if it is an option for you it defintely deserves consideration. Let GRAVITY be your friend. I have my mixing station on my first floor in our laundry room. It is plumbed straight down to the basement we’re my filtration lives. By turning two valves I can drain water out then by turning one more valve I can have brand new water flow down the plumbing to refill. I also use a 50 gallon container that is plumbed into my system that I can take offline and drain then fill back up with clean water then bring back online. That way I never need to **** the system down or change the water level in the sump.

 

[Arabyps]

I have a 180 gallon system. I only use buckets when vacuuming the sand bed. Otherwise I use a transfer pump and hose. In my garage is the mixing station where I prepare up to 60 gallons of new saltwater. I use the transfer pump and hose to extract the water (and also vacuum the sump) into a utility sink. Next, swap the hose connections and pump the new water from the garage into the tank. Very fast process, clean and no buckets. 30 gallons every week, 60 gallons once a month, sump vacuum every other month.

 

[Aquanius]

I just purchased a couple of Versa pumps to setup as AWC. I have my RO and water in my laundry room and will be setting up the SW mixing station in the garage. Once setup I will have the pumps running continuously to exchange water a little per day to be at around 10% per week.

The hard part is making sure to tie into the waste water plumbing under the house.

 

[PokeFish]

I have to buy rodi water from my lfs because i dont have my own rodi system yet. I use a pipe to take water from the tank to an empty bucket. Then i dump the rodi water into another bucket and mix salt in and then use a cup that i only use for my reef to scoop the water that i mixed into my tank. Its hard but so far i enjoy it!

 

[Ippyroy]

I do a 10 - 15% water change every Wednesday. I mix the water in 5 gallon buckets starting the night before do the water change after the lights turn off on the DT. I also drain and clean my skimmer and fill my ATO reservoir at this time. Other than feeding, this is all the maintenance I do on a weekly basis.

 

[Daveph68]

Water changes are easy since I do a 1% daily AWC using the APEX DOS. Only have to empty and fill my Advanced Acrylics dual chamber container every 2 weeks.

 

[walloutlet]

AWC FTW! Only reason I couldn't put a 1 is because I don't have a drain near by so I have to run a hose to a drain periodically and pump the dirty water reservoir empty weekly as well use a pump to fill the clean water at the same time. Whole thing takes me 5 minutes with quick connect fittings in place to make it easy to connect and disconnect the hose to in place pumps.

 

[BullyBee]

This is gonna sound nuts to you guys.

I do freshwater so I put a pump in my kitchen sink. I fill up the sink and keep the water running. I plug in my pump and run a hose to my tanks. When it’s all good and done I add prime and I’m done.

 

[walloutlet]

This is gonna sound nuts to you guys.

I do freshwater so I put a pump in my kitchen sink. I fill up the sink and keep the water running. I plug in my pump and run a hose to my tanks. When it’s all good and done I add prime and I’m done.

I remember doing the same thing with my freshwater tank.