I just did a water change and I'm realizing I need to refine my process so that I am more efficient at it, so I'm looking to hear how other people do their routine water changes so I can try new things out. Things like, what equipment do you use that makes it easier? What order do you do things in?
For now...this is my process, so please feel free to point to anything that I could tweak...
1. Mix up salt mix with RO/DI the night before with a pump and heater set to tank temp.
2. Test tank and mixed saltwater salinitiy and adjust if necessary in the morning.
3. Grab towels. Lots of towels.
4. Turn off pumps and lights...basically turn everything off.
5. Stir sand with a bamboo stick. Clean rocks and glass/plastic back as needed with a toothbrush. Pick off hair algae.
6. Siphon 5g of tank water out into empty bucket.
7. Swap filter pad/floss
8. Remove return pump and clean with vinegar, scrubbing with toothbrush. Run it in used tank water bucket to be sure it's rinsed out.
9. Replace return pump, close lid, and plug everything back in.
10. Clean outside of tank and glass.
11. Clean up the big mess I just made and pour out used tank water.
12. Test salinity. In 12-24 hours, I do my weekly tank parameter tests.
Thoughts/ideas?
For now...this is my process, so please feel free to point to anything that I could tweak...
1. Mix up salt mix with RO/DI the night before with a pump and heater set to tank temp.
2. Test tank and mixed saltwater salinitiy and adjust if necessary in the morning.
3. Grab towels. Lots of towels.
4. Turn off pumps and lights...basically turn everything off.
5. Stir sand with a bamboo stick. Clean rocks and glass/plastic back as needed with a toothbrush. Pick off hair algae.
6. Siphon 5g of tank water out into empty bucket.
7. Swap filter pad/floss
8. Remove return pump and clean with vinegar, scrubbing with toothbrush. Run it in used tank water bucket to be sure it's rinsed out.
9. Replace return pump, close lid, and plug everything back in.
10. Clean outside of tank and glass.
11. Clean up the big mess I just made and pour out used tank water.
12. Test salinity. In 12-24 hours, I do my weekly tank parameter tests.
Thoughts/ideas?