Water Changes - Which is better?

[Limoncello]

Hello,

I am trying to figure the best approach to upgrade my tank system in regards to water changes. Currently, I have a 40 gallon reservoir next to the tank which is filled with RODI water and used for topoff. It works well for the 180 gallon tank. I can go on vacation with no concerns. I perform saltwater changes once or twice a month (10% each time) and I feel I should do more as I see a creep up in the phosphate.

Option 1: Convert the 40 gallon reservoir into a saltwater holding tank and perform automatic daily changes and set up a small RODI reservoir which is hard plumbed to the RODI system (Apex would control filling the reservoir)? I don't have much additional room where the tank is so I could only put in a small reservoir under the stand (which is why I would have it filled frequently from the RODI system). The floor is slab and there is no basement. I don't have an easy way to put in another large reservoir. I am concerned that this may cause a overflow / spill at some point.

Option 2: Keep the 40 gallon reservoir as RODI water. Get in the habit of performing more frequent water changes.

Do you find that daily small water changes really help keep the system healthy?

Thanks,
Randy

 

[Reef.]

Hello,

I am trying to figure the best approach to upgrade my tank system in regards to water changes. Currently, I have a 40 gallon reservoir next to the tank which is filled with RODI water and used for topoff. It works well for the 180 gallon tank. I can go on vacation with no concerns. I perform saltwater changes once or twice a month (10% each time) and I feel I should do more as I see a creep up in the phosphate.

Option 1: Convert the 40 gallon reservoir into a saltwater holding tank and perform automatic daily changes and set up a small RODI reservoir which is hard plumbed to the RODI system (Apex would control filling the reservoir)? I don't have much additional room where the tank is so I could only put in a small reservoir under the stand (which is why I would have it filled frequently from the RODI system). The floor is slab and there is no basement. I don't have an easy way to put in another large reservoir. I am concerned that this may cause a overflow / spill at some point.

Option 2: Keep the 40 gallon reservoir as RODI water. Get in the habit of performing more frequent water changes.

Do you find that daily small water changes really help keep the system healthy?

Thanks,
Randy

I would only consider the daily water changes if you are trying to get the last bit of colour/growth you can out of your corals because that is the only thing you haven’t tried.

Seems you would be going to all that extra effort for at most a marginal gain when you could just increase your water change frequently or increase the amount you change.

 

[jda]

You get more bang for your buck with larger water changes. When you change a few ounces at a time, it get mixed in and the next time that you change water, some of what you just added a few hours ago gets exported too. This is not a huge amount, but it does add up over time kinda like compound interest.

I just recommend a 44g Brute, Bags if IO which mix perfectly in a 44g brute to 1.026 and a cheap pump to first mix the water and then to attach a hose onto. Cheap and easy. The IO is like $12 a bag. You can get wheels for the brute if you need to move it around. You may or may not need a heater depending on where you live and what pump you buy - some pumps can heat up the water just fine without surface agitation, skimmers, sumps, overflows and stuff.

AWC is fine and stuff, but I don't have any opinions on this since I just want it to be as effective as possible and I don't need one more robot to fail on my tanks. That AWC system will be a source of concern and contention when you go out of town since none of them are more reliable than your ATO, IMO.

 

[Arego]

Increase the normal water changes. Invest what you would in an AWC and get things like python/pumps/etc. The idea is to make life doing water changes as easy as possible with the setup you already have.

I setup a simple $10 remote power strip near my water station in the garage so I could stand in the house and still turn it on.. Simple stupid stuff.