Questions about Auto-Water Changes

rbraunberger · May 13, 2016

Hello all,

I will soon be setting up a RS REEFER 525, and purchased a neptune DOS for auto water changes. I have a 35 gallon container for saltwater, and another one that I will be using for auto-top off.

How do you maintain your saltwater for auto water changes? Do you keep a heater in it at all times? Do you keep a powerhead going at all times, or just every hour or so to keep things mixed well.

Thanks!

rbraunberger · May 13, 2016

I have tried keeping my water container with powerhead on and heater in the container, but the saltwater always seems to cloud up really bad.

gus6464 · May 13, 2016

Once the saltwater is mixed properly why would you need to keep running a pump through it? I use filtered ocean water I just keep it in a sealed 50g container. When it's time for water change my pump just sucks it right out and into the tank.

Also I would recommend a stenner pump instead of a DOS for auto water change. You don't need to calibrate it and the odds of failure are considerably less.

zoomonster · May 13, 2016

Big difference between real sea water and synthetic. You will need to do some reading but most salt mixes are to be used within 24hrs or you will have issues like big drop in alkalinity, precipitation etc. Supposedly Red Sea is the worst and in hours you will have a precipitate snowstorm on your hands. I'm still thinking on an auto water changer and still not sure what the answer is on the salt mixes. For an auto water changer reservoir a recirculation pump is a good idea but in most cases a heater is not necessary for the small amounts being changed. For an actual water change mixing station where your making many gallons for a single big change yes use a heater.

rbraunberger · May 13, 2016

Thanks...I was thinking about changing 1 gallons a day over

Kentech5 · May 13, 2016

I run a circulating pumped but no heater. Only reason I run the pump is I am too lazy to turn it off and I haven't run the Apex EB8 in there yet. I use Reef Crystals.

JOKER · May 14, 2016

Once mixed the water is pretty stable in my experience. It will precipitate some, but not too much as you are changing a small amount daily. I just tested my water the other day that has been sitting for about a month. IO regular , cal was 360, alk was 9, and magnesium was 1260 I believe. I may start adding a little calcium and mag to my mix if needed. The heater will make it worse. I never heat mine when mixing, I mix it until all salt is dissolved and close the lid.

Jimbo662 · May 14, 2016

I'm using the DOS also to do water changes. I do 7500ml over a 6 hr period. It breaks it up into about 6 or 7 periods over that time frame so there's not a whole lot of water going in at any given time so no need to heat it. I've got a 4 or 5 gal container and that lasts me two days so I don't worry about a powerhead.