Automatic Water Change questions

dburt520 · Jul 6, 2016

I am considering implementing an automatic water change setup and had a couple of questions:

I will be storing my mixed salt water in my garage (already have a changing station built, and my ATO pulls from there currently). How long can I keep mixed salt water in the garage before it starts going bad or building up algae?

Is evaporation a concern? If I make 20 gallons of salt water and do 2 gallons a day water change, do you think I will have enough evaporation to negatively affect the salinity?

Thanks

melypr1985 · Jul 6, 2016

I'd say it depends a lot on the average temp in your garage, say like in the summer, and the amount of light it's exposed to all day long. Here in Texas evaporation plays a roll in our storage bins at the store. We keep about 2oo gallons of saltwater for sale and have a 300 gallon mixing vat. These are located in the breezeway or garage - whatever you want to call it, it's hot as heck out there! It does evaporate and we have to check the salinity daily and correct it when needed. Of course being a retail store we go through several hundred gallons a day between water changes and selling the water, so I'm not sure how much help I've been here.

Let's call the [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG]

jsker · Jul 6, 2016

For home, all you would need is
An Auto top off to keep the salinity consistent caused by evaporation
A power head or pump to stir the tank.

dburt520 · Jul 6, 2016

jsker said:
For home, all you would need is
An Auto top off to keep the salinity consistent caused by evaporation
A power head or pump to stir the tank.

My tank does have an ato already but I don't think I want an ato in my new salt water? Seems like that would make the problem worse... take 2 gallons out for water change and pump 2 gallons of Rodi into salt make up water would make salinity wrong.

reefwiser · Jul 7, 2016

Are you containers sealed? Or just Brute trash cans. I use a sealed container to just a small vent hole for air exchange. Don't see a lot of evaporation.

Chrisboling · Jul 7, 2016

I have an auto water change station in my attic with does roughly 3 gallons a day, do to the amount of changing water I don't worry about the water going bad

Chrisboling · Jul 7, 2016

Left ato, right saltwater

airwaterice · Jul 7, 2016

I would really strive for a complete seal on your rodi and mixing container...RODI water should be used/mixed within 24 hours ideally...I would make your concentration the "weakest" your environment can tolerate as to minimize overconcentration...hope this helps...

Scubado63 · Jul 8, 2016

What is the thought on connecting an ATO to a direct water source coming into into an RO/DI, then to ATO as to not have to keep filling a reserve tank, I don't really have room for one

reefwiser · Jul 8, 2016

You will have an issue where your the water going to your ATO will stay on causing you to overflow the tank and low salinity.

airwaterice · Jul 8, 2016

Reefwiser is correct...although you could put a float...or attempt a "drip system"...I would never EVER ever run it straight...salt concentration would be off and other MAJOR issues such as NON-ZERO tds water because you are essentially "first drawing" less than a cup of RODI at a time to compensate for evaporation loss. (NOTE:> the "first draw" of RODI water on startup is likely not ZERO tds due to "tds creep").

How big is your tank scuba?

Chrisboling · Jul 8, 2016

On mine, I have the rodi going to both tanks, as far as tds creep I turn my system off and when I turn it back on I designed water for about 15 min making sure the tds is 0 before beginning the fill process over.

Chrisboling · Jul 8, 2016

I have a parstolic pump for the ato to keep from over filling the sump and floats in both barrels

Scubado63 · Jul 10, 2016

I have a 90, working on a 200 .... Get tired of carrying water for the 90, don't have space big enough close to tank for much reserve .... but I have a water line right behind the wall of my closet behind tank, so am looking for alternatives

Jtaylor393 · Oct 3, 2016

I know this thread was a few moths ago, I just thought I might share what I have done in case there are others that were trying to figure out the automatic water change. First let me start by saying I rent so I am very limited on what I can do (drilling holes in walls, floors, and ceilings). However, I am also someone who tries to make my reef hobby as quick as possible (4 kids, husband, and ALL the things that go with that. Anyway, here is what I have done.
I have a 55g reef tank with a 20g sump/refugium under tank. I change 2g a day which is 60g a month.
Set-up:
1. 2 6g containers one 1 with saltwater the other for discarded water.
2. In saltwater container I have a power head for mixing salt and water, heater, and a pump to pump water into tank ( I use a drip line so I can control amount of water going in. 2g in 2 hours)
3. I have a diy overflow that husband made, this goes to discard bucket.

Now before people ask or start lecturing I still have an ATO unit for tank.

This is the process.
1. 9:00 am ATO come on to top off any evaporated water from main tank. (Usually runs about a min).
2. 10:00 AWC starts up (runs for 2 hours does 2g)
3. I take a look at stuff daily just to make sure all is well.
4. Every 3 days I just add water and salt to saltwater bucket. (When I get bigger house that I own will do much better system).

Now, for the part I have never seen anyone do maybe they have and just don't post it. But I figure I would case someone was like me and don't have the room or time to do this.

What is it? Quarantine! I hated that word when I started this hobby! I don't have the room to run another tank just to have in case I need it. I don't have the time to throw one together when I need one. And I sure don't have the time to change water every day cause of the build up of bacteria, ammonia, and wherever the reason I need to do it. So, I came up with this idea.

New fish/sick fish.
Discard container from AWC system also has a heater, power head, overflow. So when I need it, fish can go in there and since it is also a 6g I am doing a 2g or 1/3% water change daily in quarantine tank. Which also gets new fish used to display tank water and can go right in with no aclimation.

Hope this helps someone thinking about AWC system but can't on a big scale for whatever reason.