Water changes- What is your method?

[Kapachuka3]

Amazon

Amazon.com : mini fountain pump

Thanks man, i stand corrected haha.

 

[vabben]

AWC on my main display. Old water is pumped into a container near my frag tank in the basement. Old fashioned water change on my frag tank with display tank water. Eventually, I will hook up another DOS to AWC the frag tank.

 

[Randomstylez]

I do weekly water changes @ 15-20%.

Siphon out with little to no sand sifting, and placed back using reef crystals and rodi mixed for about 4-6 hours with a small pump. I have a tempature controller set to 77.5 to match my tanks temp closely.

I use the same pump to pump the water from 5gallon bucket into the tank slowly.

 

[cwerner]

I just built this setup so I dang well better use it.

I'm configuring an Auto Water Change System with a Hydros controller. I'll be using one of the Hydros Utility/Top Off pumps for draining my main tank, and then a plug in amazon utility pump to pump the water back up to my tank. I've only got a 50 gallon AIO right now, but I'm planning on upsizing in a few years to a 90 or 120 gallon with sump system, so I'm scaling everything for that.

I'll be planning on doing a 2%ish daily water change. Theoretically the only thing I'll have to do manually is adjust the valves and pump freshwater into the saltwater bin and throw the salt in. System will take care of the rest automatically. I want to put in sensors to alert me when the saltwater level is getting low, but I haven't done so yet.

 

[newreef1]

We all do water changes . Some do this manually, some do this automatically and some simply dont do it.

I utilize a water storage system and do daily water changes of 1-2 gallons. I also have a AWC unit I use bi-weekly when i'd rather not do it manually.

How often do you change your water and how do you do your water change?

Will be doing one later this week. I’m trying to do one at least once a month. I have 3 brute cans in the basement where my RODI unit is. Two cans store RODI water and the third is for mixing salt water. Lately I’ve been mixing in the 2 can and the third is pretty much empty, the first has RODI water for ATO and in case I need to dilute my saltwater. I start my RODI which drains into the first brute and when full it overflows into the next brute can. Next I’ll mix my salt water with the same sicce pump and heater I use in my tank (extras in case my tank ones need to be replaced I have the same ones). I use a sump pump from home depot (have gotten slight shocks because not sure it’s suppose to be used with saltwater) to drain out my DT, I can’t put in the sump because the pump fits but will only remove so much. I have my DT marked at 5 gallon intervals so I know how much I’m removing, put the pump in the DT, the hose drains into a bathroom toilet nearby, take the same hose, try to drain out the water. Take the pump, put it in the new saltwater brute can, and put the hose in the sump (rinse the hose so you don’t get any chemicals from toilet cleaners) let the return fill the DT. I try to keep an extra brute of RODI on hand at all times, so need to start using my 3 can, also when mixing I try to leave an extra 5 gallons of saltwater in case I remove more from DT and need it, if not it’s just used next time. Let me know if anyone has any easier suggestions but sometimes I think the plain Old methods work like a charm. Don’t forget the towels on the floor, makes life much easier!

 

[bakbay]

I think it might sound like this for me -- "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 2.5 years since my last water change. I have not done any water changes for my 60g & 150g tanks, and I do not plan to do them in the future. I hope that my sin of omission may be absorbed since all inhabitants are thriving under my care. May I seek the Lord's forgiveness and grant me pardon and peace -- in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

 

[Spicy Reef]

20g/mo
Fastest manual clean and change…

Fastest Aquarium Cleaning EVER - Spicy Reef

youtube.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just built this setup so I dang well better use it.

I'm configuring an Auto Water Change System with a Hydros controller. I'll be using one of the Hydros Utility/Top Off pumps for draining my main tank, and then a plug in amazon utility pump to pump the water back up to my tank. I've only got a 50 gallon AIO right now, but I'm planning on upsizing in a few years to a 90 or 120 gallon with sump system, so I'm scaling everything for that.

I'll be planning on doing a 2%ish daily water change. Theoretically the only thing I'll have to do manually is adjust the valves and pump freshwater into the saltwater bin and throw the salt in. System will take care of the rest automatically. I want to put in sensors to alert me when the saltwater level is getting low, but I haven't done so yet.

Time saver all the way. Mine makes life easy

 

[paragrouper]

I am the AWC and ATO for my Tank.

Friday: pick up 5 Gallons of mixed saltwater and 2.5 gallons of RODI from LFS. Then I check salinity and adjust to tank salinity. Also stick a heater and small power head in bucket.

Saturday: recheck salinity and temp. Change water.

The rest of the week I top off, as needed.

 

[hunterallen40]

I too have moonshiners and now use the program to supplement what I like based in ICP tests.
I did water change in July and December and came to realization after attending seminars than my coral under Moonshiner program were thriving but not taking off as they should and doing the daily never had more growth and brilliant colors

I think that's a solid way to reef! A nice water change really does do some magic sometimes.

 

[52728299]

So I have a 9.7 gallon I'm trying to keep sps in. Should I just do manual small water changes everyday? Easy enough to do on such a small tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I have a 9.7 gallon I'm trying to keep sps in. Should I just do manual small water changes everyday? Easy enough to do on such a small tank.

Every other day sufficient but allow nutrients to establish before doing changes

 

[52728299]

Every other day sufficient but allow nutrients to establish before doing changes

I've been dealing with some algae, I had been dosing microbacter clean and looked to be almost all gone. I added some acros then stopped thr microbacter clean and the algae has come back. I started up the microbacter clean again, but don't want to have to keep using the stuff.. my parameters were good when algae wasn't present. Po4 was 0.01, no3 was 3.. Tanks been running for like half a year.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've been dealing with some algae, I had been dosing microbacter clean and looked to be almost all gone. I added some acros then stopped thr microbacter clean and the algae has come back. I started up the microbacter clean again, but don't want to have to keep using the stuff.. my parameters were good when algae wasn't present. Po4 was 0.01, no3 was 3.. Tanks been running for like half a year.

is this tank at or near a window?
Phos is a little low but would not trigger algae unless dino- Any pics under white light you can provide?

 

[52728299]

is this tank at or near a window?
Phos is a little low but would not trigger algae unless dino- Any pics under white light you can provide?

It's actually near the front door.. gets opened/closed a lot. Not a window tho. I'll work on getting a picture, give me a little while

 

[Lebowski_]

Wild to see all these different takes. Some with beautiful reefs who have not changed their water in months or years...others like me doing it religiously once a week. Some with full on no-touch systems, some of still syphoning into a bucket.

I am guessing a lot of y'all dose a lot (non-water changers or infrequent)?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Wild to see all these different takes. Some with beautiful reefs who have not changed their water in months or years...others like me doing it religiously once a week. Some with full on no-touch systems, some of still syphoning into a bucket.

I am guessing a lot of y'all dose a lot (non-water changers or infrequent)?

A lot will depend on water volume, type of live stock, need to reduce or replenish nutrients, maintenance schedules and to correct readings from water testing

 

[lubeck]

8 gallon water change on a 20 gal nano tank, every other week. I don't have equipment like protein skimmers or refugiums to balance nutrients out. So water changes are the easiest way in a nano tbh. I used to haul buckets until last week when I finished a mixing station. Now I just siphon crap, and fill with a hose. Best part is not having to make RODI water, and then salt water, every water change.

I do this process/ amount on a 32 every week.

 

[GARRIGA]

No WC. Been doing that since the 70s although now I can approximate my trace usage based on ICP testing which is an improvement. Stability my goal. Plus I'm lazy.

Test tank been running without new salt since September 2021. Going to send an ICP out soon to see what's missing and might also send out an N-DOC for more diagnostics. GHA seems to be a thing of the past and haven't carbon dosed since February 2023. Either my denitrification has matured or something else keeping algae from growing. Don't even bother with any other testing. All seems fine but it's fish only so not blindly accepting the results yet waiting on my next experiment which will use macroalgae to solve not just nutrients but heavy metals.

Only way to know is to find out for oneself is testing. Otherwise just going off others and every tank is different. Best find your own groove although mine has been this way since the 80s with salt and 70s with fresh. Mostly because I'm lazy but also because some Asian dude took a picture with a saltwater tank and called it the natural approach. Was logical and I've been trying to follow it ever since. Also cheaper to practice with less complexity and equipment. Not going to get many Instagram followers but that's also not my goal.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I do a 25 percent every 2 weeks. I fill the rubber maid two days before next to the tank. Turkey baste the rock, clean the glass. Use a pump out the window to a hose that drains in an area I don't want any plants growing.. I have a mark on the side of the tank showing the 25 gallon mark. Clean the sump and use the pump to pump new water in . Way better than buckets. My old way. I use reef crystal