Water Changes?

[goody]

Does anybody have any secrets to making water changes fast, clean and easy? I have a 90g with 30g fuge.

I currently get my water salt water free from our ocean using the local filtration down at Scripps Pier, so I don't mix. I usually get 30g in those 5g jugs. A day or two before I'm going to do my wc, I pour the water in a big container and heat it up to MT temperature.

When the new water is ready, I siphon out the MT water using one of those siphoning hoses, which takes awhile. Then, I use a pump to get the new water into the MT.

When all is said and done, it takes me about 35-40min. and there is usually a mess on my floor.

Just thought I'd get some thoughts. I am thinking of getting a big brute trash can on wheels so I can always have my water already heated.

 

[jaytizzle]

Yep... best secret out there is DON'T DO THEM! I haven't done a water change on my skimmerless 24g nano in over 8 months and it was the better part of 6 months before that... so 1 four gallon change in the last 14 months.

 

[xmjxflipx]

+1........i have 6 gallon bucket i let my salt and water mix either from a couple hours to a day to mix it. I suck all the water out with a python hose and just put the water with a pump and plastic hose tubing. EZ as 1, 2, 3, Its a pain to check all the levels and stuff, but yes water changed can be a pain unless u got some sort of reservoir system prob and ur tanked plumbed or whatnot.

 

[goody]

Yep... best secret out there is DON'T DO THEM! I haven't done a water change on my skimmerless 24g nano in over 8 months and it was the better part of 6 months before that... so 1 four gallon change in the last 14 months.

I have heard of people doing this and maintaining a successful tank. I pretty much rely on my water changes since I don't dose anything.

 

[litenyaup]

i do a 20% change a month or 10% every 2 weeeks. i do dose 2 part and mag. my coral and fish are not as bright and happy when i dont do them. out with the bad in with the new, water changes are very important IMHO.

when i do them i have the salt water mixing in a 30 gallon trash can then i bring the other empty can in and fill to how much salt water is made. then i bring in the freshly mixed saltwater and i use a pump to put i back in the tank. i also have a 90 gallon with a 30 gallon sump.

 

[mike ftw]

20% every two weeks, i try to match the perimeters exactly.

 

[goody]

I wanted this thread to more about your procedures for WC, not so much how often or what percentage.

litenyaup-the warden (wife) wouldn't allow 2 big trashcans, but that would make it easier.

Keep the ideas coming.

 

[litenyaup]

ok so what i did prior was marked a 5 gallon bucket @ the amount of water that was in a gas can. i mixed the salt water and put them in those to bring the water inside.

imho if you cant used trash cans.....the 5 gallons gas can r the way to go. just syphon the water from your tank into a bucket and use the gas cans to put the water back in.

 

[Dave3112]

I have a 35 gal Brute that I keep in my fish room for now. When I get ready to change the water I have a MAG12 I drop in the can and let it mix the salt for a day or so. It also heats the water pretty well too. Then I take the MAG12 out and connect it to a 1" flex hose that is about 8 ft long drop it in the sump and pump the water out the door to the yard. I have the return and skimmer off of course and have water levels marked on the sump and can. Then I just switch the pump back to the can and pump the water back in the sump! It takes about 2 min. to complete the process and is mess free. ALOT better than 5 gal buckets!! I am glad those days are over for me!

 

[luisgo]

I mix the water 24 hours before the change and I use two identical containers. That way I know exactly how much to change. With a pump in my mixed water it takes just two minutes to change the water.

I match exactly two parameters, temperature and salinity.

 

[nanodude87]

I have the JBJ ATO system w/ a reservoir that holds 6 gallons (I only have a 28 gal nano) of FW from my RO unit which fills up automatically w/ my coralife float valve... I pour the salt into the reservoir, throw in a power head and heater, let it mix for a day or two and then siphon out 6 gallons from the tank and then let the ATO fill it back up w/ the newly mixed saltwater. When it gets close to the bottom of the reservoir I just disconnect it and dump in the rest of the water. Easy. :)

 

[Braves Fan]

I do mine pretty much the same way Lusgo does in the pics above. I mix up my water about three days before the water change, I use two 32g Brute containers with wheels on them. Total time cleaning the glass and dumping the old water, and putting everything back in its place, bout 20 to 25 min.

 

[Ike]

I have a T set up on my return and on the T is a threaded end that my Python screws onto. When not doing a water change it's just capped off using standard PVC fittings. I can shut down my main pump, hook up the python, close the valve, start the return again anddrain about 40 gallons out of the sump and then refill it with freshly made water in about 10 minutes.

 

[CookieJar]

my change procedure is pretty simple. Mix salt for about 8 hrs or more and match salinity and temp within 2 degrees. Then it's a simple siphon out old water, the top 25% of tank is exposed including duncans, montis, acros and have a maxijet 1200 pump in new water. Corals sometimes slime a little, never that much though.

 

[obi]

How often do u do a water change?Instead of doing a large whater change every few weeks do smaller amounts every week,its quick and should take only about 15 min or so.try doing 10 gallons a week or so...i think thats your best bet

 

[mattmike]

I have heard of people doing this and maintaining a successful tank. I pretty much rely on my water changes since I don't dose anything.

+1 on that. I do 10 gallons every week on my 180 with a 50 gallon prop system. D&d salt!

 

[mattmike]

I have a 35 gal Brute that I keep in my fish room for now. When I get ready to change the water I have a MAG12 I drop in the can and let it mix the salt for a day or so. It also heats the water pretty well too. Then I take the MAG12 out and connect it to a 1" flex hose that is about 8 ft long drop it in the sump and pump the water out the door to the yard. I have the return and skimmer off of course and have water levels marked on the sump and can. Then I just switch the pump back to the can and pump the water back in the sump! It takes about 2 min. to complete the process and is mess free. ALOT better than 5 gal buckets!! I am glad those days are over for me!

That's how I do it. The pump heats my water and circulates in my 100 gallon mixing station.

 

[goody]

Thanks for all the replies. I hadn't checked in a day and some great thoughts.

luisgo This is similar to what I do, but you have to do a lot of lugging around of bins of water. At least I have to take my 5g buckets and dump them in the large bin, then lug the large bin outside.

dave3112 This is what I'm considering even though I don't have a fish room, but finding some space for the Brute with wheels. I would still have to lug the 5g buckets to dump in the Brute, as I don't mix, but I don't think I can beat the free filtered ocean water I get.

Ike Do you have a picture of this setup? I'm not understanding. Your new water is pumped up through the return line?

Obi WC happen every two weeks usually. That way, I only have to run down to get my salt water once a month. Plus the warden isn't all too happy when I take the time to do this.

Thanks again everybody for the replies.

 

[kateater]

mix for 24 hours in 30gal container with a mag 24 with a home made venturi. the heat off that pump also gets the temp dead on 78 degree(300watt consumption) i put a mark on the side the tank for sipohning 30gals. I took a couple of tries to get it close but now its exact. i use the same mag 24 pump to put the water back. use a 1.25 diameter hose to sipohn water out. it took longer to post this than it takes to do a 30gal water change.

 

[Eggs]

You mentioned a fuge, do you also have a sump? If not, you may be able to use your fuge. If your tank is draining in a fuge/sump, the normal water level in the fuge/sump should guide you. I remove old water by using the hose coming from the display that goes to the sump - redirect it to a bucket. The fuge/sump level will drop, then you just fill it up with new saltwater to the normal level in the fuge/sump. I have an ATO, so it fills automatically to the proper level in my sump.
It takes me two buckets (depends on how much water you want to change out) and less than 10 minutes for a weekly change. I mix my saltwater up ahead of time in a 32g Brute trash can, and only use what I need each week.