Need some ideas on how to simplify water changes

[kdx7214]

I have a 75g DT and a 40g sump for a total of about 100g of water. I have a 40g Brute trashcan on the other side of the wall for ATO purposes. Right now I mix new saltwater 5g at a time in a bucket I have, which is a PITA. I need to simplify this somehow but have zero idea of how to go about it. I know I'll need another can for new saltwater, but how do you handle the plumbing and pumps and so on. I do not want or need an automatic water change, just something to keep from having to muck around with heavy buckets all the time.

What's worked for your system?

 

[tzabor10]

I have a 20 gallon brute on wheels. I fill with RODI and salt. Mix with a powerhead and heater for about a day. Then roll it to the sump and replace water that is removed. Using 5 gallon buckets

 

[mjszos]

20G bin I fill with rodi, drop a heater in once it’s got enough water to cover it, add salt when full, cover & mix.

I use the sicce bottom feed pump with a hose and python filler. Water changes have never been easier for me (excluding using an AWC but I’m not super interested in setting that up)

 

[Kilman805]

I have a smaller volume tank, but I just use a Brute trash can and connect it directly to my RODI unit to fill. I carefully added some marks on the outside at 5 gallon increments for measuring. I installed a float valve in the wall of the trash can so that I can let it fill unattended without worrying about overflowing.

Once it's full, I add my salt, and add a heater and powerhead to mix. When it's time for a water change, I just use a small transfer pump.

For removing water, I use a siphon and 5 gallon bucket because I like to focus on removing water as I scrape algae and then target removal from my AIO filter chambers. But you could remove water a lot faster with a pump or larger siphon.

 

[Lavey29]

I have the same size tank. I change 10g monthly. I mix 10g in a 20g brute the night before. Next day I siphon 10g out of the display tank. I do 2 x5g loads. Then I fill the new 5g bucket up halfway with my new salt water and dump it in. 4 trips at 2.5g per trip. It's easy to lift, takes me less then 30 minutes overall.

 

[Kilman805]

I should mention too that the wheeled dolly bases for the Brute cans are worth every penny.

They sell them at my local Home Depot.

 

[Pistondog]

Awc for me is a game changer, for the reasons you state.
You have what you need, short of a couple of dosing pumps.

Edit, same size tank 1 gallon change per day, spread out over 12 changes. This also keeps water params more consistent, if you care.

 

[TheLegendaryBarlowe072]

I have two brute trash cans that I stacked on a platform made of 2x4s. The top brute is hooked to my RODI with a float switch. There’s a valve on the bottom of the brute so I can use gravity to fill the bottom brute to mix salt. There’s also another valve on the side if I ever need to fill something else with RODI. The mixing brute underneath has 2 cheap Amazon pumps in it and a heater. One pump is just for circulation and mixing. The other has tubing that runs through my floor into sump. Everything is plugged into a Wi-Fi power strip on my hydros.

I mix my salt a day or two before. When I want to do a water change, I still use a siphon and a 5 gallon bucket to drain the water, and clean my sandbed. When I want to refill it I hit a button on my hydros app and the basement pump starts and new water fills the sump.

 

[tritonpower]

1st step is to realize that you don't need to do water changes that often. Depends on your setup and what you are using them for. If you need them to reduce nutrients then only do so as often as you need, etc. I usually do one every couple months mostly to clean the sand.

When you do water changes, I agree with above. The 20 gallon brut on wheels is key. I use a python long gravel cleaner/drain tube that hooks to my bathroom sink. I use a cheap vivosun pump to fill the tank with the new water from the 20 brut. Then no buckets!

 

[Dan_P]

I have a 75g DT and a 40g sump for a total of about 100g of water. I have a 40g Brute trashcan on the other side of the wall for ATO purposes. Right now I mix new saltwater 5g at a time in a bucket I have, which is a PITA. I need to simplify this somehow but have zero idea of how to go about it. I know I'll need another can for new saltwater, but how do you handle the plumbing and pumps and so on. I do not want or need an automatic water change, just something to keep from having to muck around with heavy buckets all the time.

What's worked for your system?

While thinking creatively, consider skipping water changes.

 

[kdx7214]

Awc for me is a game changer, for the reasons you state.
You have what you need, short of a couple of dosing pumps.

Edit, same size tank 1 gallon change per day, spread out over 12 changes. This also keeps water params more consistent, if you care.

This would be the ideal for me as well, but I don't know enough to pull it off safely without risking flooding the sump or the like. Plus, the cost of dosing pumps for it is a factor.

 

[kdx7214]

I have two brute trash cans that I stacked on a platform made of 2x4s. The top brute is hooked to my RODI with a float switch. There’s a valve on the bottom of the brute so I can use gravity to fill the bottom brute to mix salt. There’s also another valve on the side if I ever need to fill something else with RODI. The mixing brute underneath has 2 cheap Amazon pumps in it and a heater. One pump is just for circulation and mixing. The other has tubing that runs through my floor into sump. Everything is plugged into a Wi-Fi power strip on my hydros.

I mix my salt a day or two before. When I want to do a water change, I still use a siphon and a 5 gallon bucket to drain the water, and clean my sandbed. When I want to refill it I hit a button on my hydros app and the basement pump starts and new water fills the sump.

Could you maybe post a picture or diagram of how the plumbing is done? This sounds like something that would be doable for me. Thanks!

 

[kdx7214]

1st step is to realize that you don't need to do water changes that often. Depends on your setup and what you are using them for. If you need them to reduce nutrients then only do so as often as you need, etc. I usually do one every couple months mostly to clean the sand.

When you do water changes, I agree with above. The 20 gallon brut on wheels is key. I use a python long gravel cleaner/drain tube that hooks to my bathroom sink. I use a cheap vivosun pump to fill the tank with the new water from the 20 brut. Then no buckets!

I've tried the infrequent water changes in the past. My results have been less than ideal so far. Too many nutrients accumulate and I have insufficient export to control them. I've toyed around with building an algae turf scrubber, but can't for the life of me make up my mind what the best way to fit it under my stand would be.

I'm definitely going to check into the 20g brute on wheels, I just have to see if it will roll across carpet :D

Thanks!

 

[kdx7214]

While thinking creatively, consider skipping water changes.

I've tried that as I'm not terribly consistent on maintenance. What I've had happen is a buildup of nutrients and insufficient nutrient export so I get massive GHA growth and corals suffer. I did a round of some med to kill the GHA and had to do a lot of water changes when complete. Doing roughly 10-15g per day water changes for a week suddenly had some of the corals that have struggled growing. So I know I need to do something and water changes just seemed the simplest to figure out.

 

[BryanM]

I've tried the infrequent water changes in the past. My results have been less than ideal so far. Too many nutrients accumulate and I have insufficient export to control them. I've toyed around with building an algae turf scrubber, but can't for the life of me make up my mind what the best way to fit it under my stand would be.

I'm definitely going to check into the 20g brute on wheels, I just have to see if it will roll across carpet :D

Thanks!

I went the more unconventional route. I don't do water changes. I dose all for reef. There are plenty of nay sayers, and plenty of people who don't do water changes, and both are quite successful.

I just find them to be obnoxious, and on a 220 gallon system, well, its a lot of work.

 

[Llyod276]

If you have room for one brute can do you have room for 2? If so build a tower, rodi goes on top, and mixed goes on bottom. Plumb 'em together throw a pump and heater in and all you gotta do is add salt and mix for a day or so, and pump into tank. Easy peasy...

 

[rhitee93]

I simply have 2 55-gallon open-top barrels with lids. One has my mixed saltwater. When I do a water change, I pump 10 gallons out of my sump into two 7-gallon brewers fermentation pails. (The extra headspace makes it easier to move the buckets without spilling)

Then I dump that water, and pump 10 gallons (5 gallons each) out of the salt water drum using a submersible pond pump. (Take the lid off the drum and drop the pump in through the top)

Once the salt drum gets low, I pump the RODI water out of the second drum into the first and mix in salt to get it up to the right level.

Then I fill the RODI drum at my leisure because I have 5 weeks before I run out of saltwater.

One of these days I'd like to add some fixed pumps and plumbing so I don't have to keep dropping the pump in from the top, but in reality, that won't save me much time.

 

[Llyod276]

I simply have 2 55-gallon open-top barrels with lids. One has my mixed saltwater. When I do a water change, I pump 10 gallons out of my sump into two 7-gallon brewers fermentation pails. (The extra headspace makes it easier to move the buckets without spilling)

Then I dump that water, and pump 10 gallons (5 gallons each) out of the salt water drum using a submersible pond pump. (Take the lid off the drum and drop the pump in through the top)

Once the salt drum gets low, I pump the RODI water out of the second drum into the first and mix in salt to get it up to the right level.

Then I fill the RODI drum at my leisure because I have 5 weeks before I run out of saltwater.

One of these days I'd like to add some fixed pumps and plumbing so I don't have to keep dropping the pump in from the top, but in reality, that won't save me much time.

Turning knobs in the right order is avout as hard as it gets, minus the inital vavle build...

 

[TheLegendaryBarlowe072]

Could you maybe post a picture or diagram of how the plumbing is done? This sounds like something that would be doable for me. Thanks!

I did a little write up on my build thread, and there are some pictures
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/im-50-ext-build.1072160/page-2

 

[Pistondog]

This would be the ideal for me as well, but I don't know enough to pull it off safely without risking flooding the sump or the like. Plus, the cost of dosing pumps for it is a factor.

If you can get the 2 pumps, all you have to do is match inout/output speeds and run them at the same time. I use an apex to control the pumps, and the speeds dont have to be exact, but close. Check salinity weekly to make up for minor salinity changes. Change a small amount daily, like 1% or 1 gallon.
NEed pumps that will run about 20 ml per minute.