Explain you water change procedure

[Aquaph8]

Please don't limit your answers to these questions but just to throw some out there. lets make this hobby easier for people.

How do you mix your new water?

How do you get the old water out of your tank?

Where does the old water go? (sink, outside, other drain, do you drink it, JK)

How do you get the new water in the tank?

What equipment do you shut off during all this?

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.

Do you enter the new water into the sump or directly into the DT?
Into the sump before the skimmer.

Please feel free to add questions too and Ill get them added to the list.

 

[reefpeeper]

Pretty straight forward for me. I mix the salt in a 5gal bucket with a power head. When im ready to change water i shut all pumps off and siphon out with tubing. I then dump new water into my sump. Then turn pumps back on. As it returns into tank it mixes with existing water. Then i dump old water in toilet.

 

[Saltgator]

Please don't limit your answers to these questions but just to throw some out there. lets make this hobby easier for people.

How do you mix your new water?
Salt in water until desired numbers are on point, usually 24+ hours.

How do you get the old water out of your tank?
Gravel siphon to a bucket (several).

Where does the old water go? (sink, outside, other drain, do you drink it, JK)
To the yard!!!

How do you get the new water in the tank?
Whatever the new water is in, I plug a pump into a 1/2 hose I have and let it do the work. The pump is awesome no name CA 1600 powerhead.

What equipment do you shut off during all this?
Nothing.

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.
Nothing unless something dosen't look right.



Please feel free to add questions too and Ill get them added to the list.

Do you enter the new water into the sump or directly into the DT?
Into the sump before the skimmer.

 

[Aquaph8]

added, thanks guys

 

[steamer51]

Fill a 5 gallon bucket with RO/DI - Add powerhead - Sprinkle salt into the water 1/4 cup at a time and let mix overnight.

The next day (or later if busy) check the salinity in the bucket and usually add a little RO/DI and check again. If too low I skip topping off the tank before the W/C.

Syphon water out of the tank with airline tubing that gives me time to suck up any cyano on the rocks. No sump, overflow or skimmer so if there is protein scum on the surface I remove it with the water using a one cup measuring pitcher skimming the surface to finish filling the bucket. Check the tank while the water level is low so I can put my arms in there and manually remove things I don't want such as hair algae. Turn off the powerhead in the bucket and pour the new water in one cup at a time in front of the powerheads alternating from one side to the other to get a good mix. If I have a cup or so of water left over it goes into the tub keeping rock and sand alive for future builds and if I'm a little short then I use some out of the tub to fill the display.

Nothing in the tank is turned off during the water change. Heater and powerheads on each side are low enough to not cause a problem when taking 5 gallons out of a 55 once a week (when I'm not lazy). The old water is carried outside and poured next to the garage where I hope to kill the weeds that crop up sometimes.

 

[rjcranor]

I hand mix salt the night before in 2- 5 gallon buckets. First thing in the morning I shut down power heads, skimmer, filter. Then siphon out 10 gallons of water. Then add water to display tank I don't run a sump. Then restart circulation.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I mix in a rubbermaid 20g trash can for 48+ hours using two minijet 606's to mix it. My sump holds about 17 gallons when everything is shut off (20 long), so I empty it out using a minijet 606 with 1/2" vinyl tubing attached to it. It empties in to the toilet. Once drained, I move the little pump over to the trash can and pump the new water in to the sump. Call me OCD, but I turn on the pump for about 30 seconds at a time for about 3 minutes, allowing tank water to mix with new water. This also makes me feel better in the event that my new water is a little off temp, since it's mixing a little slower. After it sits for about 5 mins, I turn everything back on and I'm done. I usually do this about every other week, though it's been a couple months since I've done one (been tied down with work).

I'll add that I have a 'max' line drawn on my sump, as well as an 'operating' line. I fill to the max line, then once everything is running, I turn my ATO on and top off with the remaining saltwater until my ATO kicks off.

 

[Pappy]

I mix rodi add salt in 5 gallon buckets. Circulate with power heads until clear usually half hour. Turn all pumps off. Siphon out water with half " tubing. Clean skimmer. Put skimmer back. And add new water with mag3. Turn pumps back on and vualla! Once a month change gfo.

 

[myzislow]

How do you mix your new water?
I premix in a 44g BRUTE trash can with a powerhead and heater.

How do you get the old water out of your tank?
I pump it out with the powherhead into 5 gallon jugs.

Where does the old water go? (sink, outside, other drain, do you drink it, JK)
The gutter.

How do you get the new water in the tank?
I dump it in by hand. Really good workout..

What equipment do you shut off during all this?
Depends on how large of a water change but usually just the return pump and skimmer, I try to leave the vortechs running.

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.
I mix it extremely well for days prior(I actually always try to have at a least ~35g on hand) and parameter(Alk, Ca, SG, Temp. etc..) match as well as I can. I usually have to bump my Alk up a bit in my mix but other than that's about it.

Do you enter the new water into the sump or directly into the DT?
The sump.

Every other water change I vacuum my shallow sand bed while doing my water change to help remove built up organics. I feel my tank really responds well to this and it's something I have always done. I try to test all of the vital parameters at least once a week which usually ends up being day that I do my water changes.

 

[swannyson7]

How do you mix your new water?
I mix my water in a 55g food grade drum for a minimum of 24 hrs.

How do you get the old water out of your tank?
As the newly mixed water is slowly pumped into the DT, the level in the sump rises. This makes the skimmer overflow and the drain line from the skimmer cup goes down the drain.

How do you get the new water in the tank?
I use a MAG3 to pump the water into the DT. With the head pressure, it's a pretty slow process, but it's the only pump I had sitting around that wasn't oversized for the application.

What equipment do you shut off during all this?
I keep everything running.

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.
I adjust Ca, Alk, & MG as needed to match the parameters of my tank.

 

[Jgomez324]

10 Gallons a Week in my 60. Mix it with a power head, over night test temp, pH, mag, Alk and Ca. Turn of return and overflow pump out if my sump and new water back into sump.

 

[Braves Fan]

I have two 32g Brute containers with wheel assembly on both containers to make water for my 150g tank. I make 27g or so of RO/DI water in one container. I add a heater to the Brute and I use my return pump from the old 125g tank to circulate the water and then add the salt. I let that mix for about 12 hours then check the salinity level and adjust with more salt if needed and then check it again in a few hours. I find that using the big return pump to mix the salt into the water makes the whole process goes a lot faster and mixes the salt a lot better than when I used a small pump for mixing the salt. The old return pump also acts as a back up return pump for my tank if something happened to my current return pump. An added benefit is that several reefers have borrowed my salt mixing / backup return pump when their return pump has went out after closing hours at the LFS. On the third day I start the water change, I have done it on the second day, but as a rule I do the change on the third day after making the water. I start by unplugging the top off water system, I dial back my skimmer, just enough so that it doesn't overflow into the cup, then I turn off my return pump and one of my two MP 40s. Then I take a small pump with a hose on it, put it in the tank and plug it in. What I am doing here is letting the water from the small pump flow thru the live rock to get any loose detrius up and floating in the water. I then take that pump out of the tank and grab my siphon hose and siphon the water and the floating ditirus out of the tank and into my second 32g Brute container. I put a hose on the old return / saltwater mixing pump and pump the new saltwater into the display tank. When the quarantine tank is up and running, I use the just removed water from the display tank to do a water change in the quarantine. Done except for wiping the water spills off the wife's floor that see has been giving me the eye for during the whole thing. I like Swannyson7 idea about adjusting Cal. and Alk. levels before doing the water change, may have to take some readings to see if that's something I need to be doing.

 

[creefer]

How do you mix your new water?
In a 5 gal bucket with an MJ 1200

How do you get the old water out of your tank?
I have a tank drain off of the return manifold. I use this for quick changes when I'm short on time. Otherwise, I siphon from the display one week and the sump the opposite week.

Where does the old water go? (sink, outside, other drain, do you drink it, JK)
Toilet

How do you get the new water in the tank?
MJ 1200 and hose.

What equipment do you shut off during all this?
Typically I shut down only the retun pump.

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.
Only if testing determines that I need to. My change water params have been quite solid over the last couple years.

Do you enter the new water into the sump or directly into the sump?
I typically add it directly to the sump and turn on the return pump as I'm adding the change water.

Please feel free to add questions too and Ill get them added to the list.

I have a few other things I do when doing a water change. I will typically take the vortechs out and brush them off really good with a soft bristle tooth brush using vinegar. Every other water change I let them site in the vinegar for an hour or so and completely disassemble and clean. Once monthly during WC I pull the skimmer and give it a good clean and the same with the return every other month.

 

[illdoya]

hey everyone. I have a small nano - so water prep and change is a much simpler process I think for such a small system

How do you mix your new water?

I mix with RODI water from my office or with filtered tap water (i know, not awesome but sometimes the boss is there and i cant get to the unit). I mix 5g at a time - just add 2.5 cup salt, add water to a 5g water jug. Then i SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE lol. The jug has handles so no need to "stir" If i leave a bit of water to allow water movement in the jug. Water last 2 weeks.

How do you get the old water out of your tank?

I have a 3g water jug and a 3ft hose. I siphon right out of tank into the jug. 2g at a time is basic weekly waterchange on my 10g

Where does the old water go? (sink, outside, other drain, do you drink it, JK)

I pour it outside in an empty part of out lawn

How do you get the new water in the tank?

a very slow pour back into tank from 5g water jug.

What equipment do you shut off during all this?

all powerheads get turned off. HOB filter turned all the way down

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.

nope. I use Instant Ocean, but a bro told me I should be using reef crystals, so the next batch i buy - i'll be trying the crystals. No dosing other than that.

*I let the new mix water sit 24hrs - to get a temp match. Also test water before i dump it back into tank

Do you enter the new water into the sump or directly into the DT?

no sump yet so I dump right into DT

-again, I have a nano tank so I know my process isn't too complicated, but we don't all have giant reefs right? I hope this helps!

 

[caudill187]

I use 2 44 gallon brute cans for water changes on my 200gallon mixed reef and 30 gallon zoa/paly tank. One of the cans has 1/4 tubing plumbed into a float valve so I can fill it easily. I use the quick connect to plug it in to the filter and make my RO water for the change. I then add 1 bag of reef crystals without any other adjustments (makes 44 gallons at the SG that I need), a preset heater, and a pump for circulation and let it mix for about a day. When its ready, I simply siphon what I want out of each tank, being sure to suck out any algae or other stuff I want gone, siphoning it into the other 44 gallon trash can. I fill the empty can with old water from both systems, use the mixing pump with a vinyl hose to replace the water in both systems. I pump it into the display and the sump, to "even things out". My tanks are close enough to the back door that I can use the same pump and hose to pump the old water into the yard.

 

[mainereefer]

40g tank with quietone 4000 pump to mix new sw I make the water high salinity, then add warm water in to adjust before it goes in my tank
I pump it back in the overflow going to my sump thats where my macro algae grows, it gives it a good rinse
(I used to just use a 2.5g or 5 g jug to drain the tank or put water back in my tank but dislocated my spine so I cant lift that anymore. much easier with pumps )

to drain
I shut everything off in case I stir some "dust" up.
I use a siphon to clean in and around rocks vacuum here and there maybe 1/4" down on a 4"-5" sandbed. clean anything that has settled in the sump. then pump it out the window and down the dirt driveway
(in the summer I think the calcium and salt keep the dust down on the driveway and in the winter it melts the ice.)

 

[slugwall]

How do you mix your new water?
I treat the water from the sink, add 2.5 cups of salt per 5 gallons of water

How do you get the old water out of your tank?
I use a hose, my mouth and siphon it out

Where does the old water go? (sink, outside, other drain, do you drink it, JK)
my gravel driveway

How do you get the new water in the tank?
I use my ladder and raise the bucket above the tank and start the siphon with my mouth.

What equipment do you shut off during all this?
I shut the canister filter off. I do not have a sump yet (Working on it)

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.
Nope just mix and pour same time that I need it.

Do you enter the new water into the sump or directly into the DT? N/A
Into the sump before the skimmer.

 

[Aquaph8]

How do you mix your new water?

I use a Rubbermaid trashcan with a float valve set to 30 gallons added on. I add the salt and maxi jet 1200 pump after about 10 gallons. I used to use a mag pump to mix but my water always really warm. I usually let it mix overnight. If I need it sooner, I go back to the mag pump cause it mixes it really well.

How do you get the old water out of your tank?

Most of the time I vacuum the sand with the siphon during my water change. Sometimes I use a bucket head wet/dry vac that sits on top of a 5 gallon bucket and vacuum the sump out. Once a month I save 5 gallons for flushing out my new GFO after adding it to my reactor.


How do you get the new water in the tank?

I have a hose hooked up to a mag9.5, I plug the cord into my ATO and it fills the tank as I vacuum the sand.


What equipment do you shut off during all this?

I keep everything running.

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt.

I don't add anything, I do use half and half salt mix though cause RC alone has pretty high Alk.

 

[Eddie Howard]

How do you mix your new water?

Make water with RODI into a 100 gal tank -- that water is moved to adjacent 100 gal tank for the IO RC salt mixing by a Pan 150 -- mixed for 24-36 hours and then pump goes back on timer and is mixed off and on for various 2hr periods.

How do you get the old water out of your tank?

Water is simply siphoned out of tank to drain with occasional sand bed cleaning.

Where does the old water go? (sink, outside, other drain, do you drink it, JK)

To outside drain.


How do you get the new water in the tank?

The Pan 150 moves the water from mixing tank via hose.

What equipment do you shut off during all this?

No equipment shut down.

Do you do anything extra to the new water other than salt?

No, just straight mix of IO/RC salt. Check parameters a few hours later after time for mixing in DT.

Do you enter the new water into the sump or directly into the DT?

Water goes into sump.
I don't post often here but read allot and I thank you for all the expertise given so freely -- bless you for helping me with this new hobby.

 

[shells4]

On the occassions that I do a large water change, I mix up 32 gallons in a large trash can next to my tank using a pump for 24-48 hours. I syphon the water out of the tank and clean some of the agronite using a python that hooks to my kitchen sink. Sometimes I clean out the sump instead. I turn off all the pumps/powerheads while doing this. I use the same pump I used to mix the water and add a tube to pump it directly into the tank.

I have a 125g that I have been fighting nitrates for a long time. I decided to try small, daily water changes instead of larger bi-weekly water changes. I have been doing this for about 5 months now and have seen a slow decline in nitrates (still have a ways to go, but making good progress). For me it is easier and I don't have to keep a large trash bin in my dining room for 2 days every other week. I now mix 32 gallons the same way, but in my garage. I have a clean 5 gallon bucket that I have marked off a line at 2 gallons. Every evening I use a 1/2 gallon tupperware container with a handle, scoop 2 gallons out of my sump, dump it down the sink, fill the 5 gallon bucket with fresh saltwater, and dump directly from the 5 gallon container into my sump. I do a quick top off if needed with fresh water, check my pads and skimmer cup, and add a little vodka. The tank seems to be having better growth, coloration, and everything looks happy. It takes less than 5 min. and I don't have the hassel of a large water change, much easier for me.