This is the dilemna stopping me from purchasing my 180 gallon

[Neptune 555]

I currently have a 3 foot 48 gallon & 4 foot 75 gallon reef. I want to upgrade my 75 gallon reef to a 180 FOWLR to house my blue tang / yellow tang. They have outgrown their home. I will keep my 3 foot reef as is.

I am stuck on upgrading my tank for the following issue.... I am nervous that the amount of water I need to make to do 10% water changes weekly will cost a fortune? We have city water. I am nervous to ask my husband how much this already costs for fear he will want to tear down the 2 we have.
AND
If I get nitrate issues now.... (I overfeed at times) I simply do a huge water change... with a 180 that is now impossible.

HOW DO YOU PAY FOR and manage water changes??

Neptune

 

[TessGlo]

Well there are several things that may make it not so bad. It's a FOLWR tank so you have more flexability in the allowable amount of nitrate and phosphate. Using some method to control nitrate and phosphate, say a fuge or GFO, I would think you could keep water changes more minimal. Stated differently, you just may not need 10% changes weekly on a FOLWR tank. Also, you could upgrade your RODI so that there is less waste water rejection, I believe BRS has info on systems that produce less waste water.

 

[Neptune 555]

Yes I plan on adding a refugium in my new sump. Will look into better RODI for water waste...

DOES anyone use tap water for FOWLR?? I of course want some leathers / mushrooms if the fish don't destroy them... but this tank is for the fish...

Thanks!

With these larger tanks the water consumption is crazy.

 

[Sailingeric]

Look at your water bill and see what they charge, it is usually in blocks of water (100 or 1000 gallons). Most of my water bill is flat fees and actual water part is maybe 1/3 or less of the bill. Water my lawn in the summer ever other day for 15 minutes raised my bill by about $20 ever two months, so an extra 80 gallons for your water change per month should be negligible.

 

[Dragon52]

Some people don't do Water changes, others do quarterly & some do them monthly instead of every week. I have a 180gl tank & do a 35-40 gl change 2-3 times a yr. I have a sump with a skimmer & filter socks to help keep the water clean.

 

[MSB123]

I use NSW, but it depends on where you are

 

[azbigjohn]

Look at your water bill and see what they charge, it is usually in blocks of water (100 or 1000 gallons). Most of my water bill is flat fees and actual water part is maybe 1/3 or less of the bill. Water my lawn in the summer ever other day for 15 minutes raised my bill by about $20 ever two months, so an extra 80 gallons for your water change per month should be negligible.

I second this... Check your water bill, you will be surprised how little of it is actual water usage. In my past two homes, most of my water bill was sewer and trash charges; going from a 55 gallon to a 180 gallon was insignificant for water...

You could also grab the RODI booser that BRS sells that plumbs your waste water back for a second use to reduce wastewater / increase RODI daily production.

 

[hart24601]

Check your rates 1st. Mine is $7 per 1000g. If you on sewer it's 5.50 per 1000g for a total of 12.50 for 1000g a month. Not very high. I'm on septic so don't have sewer rates.

 

[Matt Carden]

Your sewer charge is based on how much water flows through your meter.

 

[hart24601]

Your sewer charge is based on how much water flows through your meter.

Unless you have a septic tank!

 

[Devaji]

save water by...."if it's yellow let it mellow if it's brow flush it down" ...haha

and/or ATS are cheap and work wonders...

 

[Neptune 555]

Thanks!! checking out the BRS RODI Booster.

 

[foshizzle]

Add a second RO membrane to your existing filter. BRS has a tutorial on this. Doubles your filter output while drastically reducing waste water.