How do you do a water change? Present your method.

[Drmiami]

I used same method for years, but then learned the mixing of salt should not be more than 4hrs.

This killed this idea as I used to prepare 35 gallons of saltwater once a month and had the liter meter remove one gallon and add one gallon daily, making the monthly change of 30 gallons gradually and automatically. This I thought was the best solution...

I struggled to keep the calcium and alkalinity levels in perfect levels with this method. I had a great tank then, but now that I have up to 70 corals mostly SPS this no longer became ideal as I continued with the struggle of demand of having this many stony corals even when having calcium reactor and Kalk reactor.

The only logical reason I found was when I got a partial Understanding of how alkalinity (carbonate ions) and calcium (calcium ions) and magnesium worked. This also helped me in understanding why this balance is so important.

The problem with mixing salt mix longer than four hours is that precipitation will occur. Carbonate ions and calcium ions will merge to form calcium carbonate. The problem with this is that corals need to take the ions separately and form calcium carbonate themselves, they don't consume calcium carbonate.

Then to add to the mix of things, learning the importance of magnesium was key as well. Magnesium acts as a buffer between carbonate ions and calcium ions, and prevents them from joining, giving the coral a chance to take these two separately.

So now...

I am using Red Sea pro salt, mixing it for less than 4 hrs, and doing water changes weekly of 10 gallons the manual and harder way has given me better results.

Feel free to comment or correct me if mistaken.

Water change is fun!!! Lol

 

[kgeig001]

Once a month, I turn off return and let my sump fill up. It gets about 2 inches from the top so it equates to approximately 28 gallons or so. I then connect a hose, open two valves and empty sump out the door (sump is in fish room) and then refill sump from a 55 gallon container that is 2 feet away. The whole process takes about 15 minutes. Fish/filtration rooms are great!

 

[jd371]

Tank is in the room next to the laundry room. I first start by cleaning the glass and blasting the rocks with a turkey baster to get things stirred up into the water column, all the time the pumps are running and moving the detrius around. I then shut the pumps off and run a Python from the slop sink in the laundry room to the tank and siphon 20 gal out. I transfer the Python to a pump and pump the salt mix from a 20 gal brute back into the tank. I don't change the filter sock until the following day to let it filter out the detrius that wasn't siphoned out with the wc. As soon as I'm done with the wc I mix up another batch of water for the next wc or in case of an emergency. Takes me about 30 min. from start to finish.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Takes me exactly 1 hour and 35 minutes to make 5 gallons of water for 30 gallon tank in a 5 gallon food safe bucket.

1. Start water and set 3 diff. timers.
2. First timer after 20 minutes I turn on 100w heater.
3. Second timer goes off at 40 minutes for circulation pump.
4. Third timer goes off at 1 hour and 15 minutes which completes water filling.
5. Check temp which is right at 78 deg.
6. Add 2.1 cups of TMPR salt and wait 20 minutes. Done.
7. Stir up tank and clean glass.
8. Change out 5g of water.
9. Double check SG just in case.

 

[Tankr75]

I have an old 18g tank that's up on a table (easier to syphon out if it's up higher than my buckets lol)that I have marked to 15 gallons I use three 5 gallon buckets that have rodi water stored in when it's time for a water change I add all three buckets my power head and heater and then add my salt. Let it run for 30 minutes or so test the parameters and adjust accordingly then I syphon out the water to my buckets and add one every 5-10 minutes or so as to not shock the sensitive stuff.

 

[Reef Junky150]

I use a brute with a float valve. Connect my spare ro/di line that is tee off ato to it turn the valve and wait. Next day heater and old mag drive pump go in start mixing. Once mixed and up to temp siphon sump to certain line I've deemed the same amount as the brute and pump brute empty into sump.

 

[Pepcrylic]

I have a 310 in wall (tank and fishroom in garage) I plumbed it so all I have to do is turn a valve ...water out. Turn another valve... fresh SW in. 5 min. max. Not a drop spilled

 

[Matthew Elsass]

I've got a 55 gallon rolling trash can that I cut a sink drain into it. Fill the trash can to my certain point and then roll it outside and pull the string that pulls the drain plug. To fill the tank back I have my RO-DI system fill into a 70 gallon screw top container that I mix the salt. There's a pump in the container that is run to a switch by my tank and plumbed straight into the top of the tank that just fills it back up. Easy and efficient.

 

[Marine Mike]

I have two 32 gallon Brute cans, both with the dollies. In one can I mix 25 gallons or fresh saltwater using two old school Koralia powerheads....a K4 and K8. The water is then heated to 78 F and tested for salinity with a refractometer. Using the empty Brute, I siphon out 25 gallons of old water using a Python siphon hose. Then the new saltwater gets pumped into the tank using a MAG 7 with a 6 foot piece of hose. That's it!

I do it the same way for my 125 gal

 

[Marine Mike]

I have two 32 gallon Brute cans, both with the dollies. In one can I mix 25 gallons or fresh saltwater using two old school Koralia powerheads....a K4 and K8. The water is then heated to 78 F and tested for salinity with a refractometer. Using the empty Brute, I siphon out 25 gallons of old water using a Python siphon hose. Then the new saltwater gets pumped into the tank using a MAG 7 with a 6 foot piece of hose. That's it!

I do it the same way for my 125 gal

 

[Marine Mike]

2- 32 gal brute cans on dollies. 1st one gets filled with rodi water and then and heated. Salt is added at night with a power head in the can. I do about 28gal. Next morning the other brute can is used to siphone off 28gal from the display tank and then I use a pump to pump the fresh salt water into the display tank. Takes me about 35 minutes to complete this. I do this every two weeks. Every other time I clean the substraight. That takes an extra 15 mins. This is for a 125 gal mixed reef tank

 

[JonPhillips]

I have a 44 gallon brute can that has a float valve in it. Once a month I roll it out of the garage and hook it up to my ro filter and let it fill up. Then I add my salt and drop in a pump with a piece of vinyl tubing that goes out of the lid on one side and back in on the other to mix it. Coincidentally this pump is also sufficient to raise this water temp to my tank's temp, so no heater needed.

24 hours after I started mixing the new water I siphon my main tank down 44 gallons straight into the toilet. If I need to, I will do some substrate vacuuming and other cleaning as part of the water removal.

Then I use the vinyl tube attached to the mixing pump to run the new water directly into the tank.

Nice. Toilet!

 

[RoyalGrammaJohn]

I have a 55 gallon reef tank and I use a green plastic tote that holds 15 gallons of water to mix my salt then I use 3 (5) gallon buckets to siphons out the water while vacuuming the sand. Then replace.

 

[yacn]

150 DT on first floor. 40 gallon acrylic sump in basement

I have (2) 32 gallon white food grade brute trash cans on either side of my sump. RO water fills cans. I have float shut off valve installed in one can, and the two cans are connected with 2" flexible hose connected to the cans with bulk heads. I have a 2" ball valve installed on the flexible hose between the 2 cans. Water fills the one can and then through the flexible hose to fill the second can. If making only one can of saltwater I simply shut the ball valve and make saltwater in one garbage can, leaving freshwater in the other for fresh water top off.....I have an auto top off located in one can. If doing major water changes I make saltwater in both garbage cans. I always have air stones blowing bubbles in both cans regardless if it's just freshwater top off or making saltwater. Additionally, when making saltwater for water changes I place a heater , and a powerhead in each can.

I use python siphon to drain water from DT into basement floor drain....I bought longer siphon so it will reach. I drilled holes through floor for plumbing, siphon, etc. under the tank hidden by custom cupboards.

I also drain water from sump into floor drain. My sump sits on top of an old Zenith wooden console TV that was gutted of all electronics....remember those??

I use Rio 1000 with 6 foot flexible hose attached to it to fill sump with new saltwater mix from trash cans. I occasionally fill (4) 5 gallon containers with saltwater a couple of days before using same method above, and pump to fill them when I want to do an even larger water change. I'll make saltwater in both 32 gallon cans plus have (4) 5 gallon containers of saltwater to add too.

 

[Bdog4u2]

Mix 35 gallons of saltwater in a brute trash can. Siphon water with a 1/2 inch tubing that ive been using for 16 years into 5 gallon buckets. Then pump new back in. I like the tubing because it gives me a lot of siphoning power vs a python so i can suck the nasties out of my rock but i have to chase my cleaner shrimp away to keep him from getting sucked in

 

[CJ Amber]

I weigh my salt for however many gallons I need and mix it all into one 5 gallon bucket as a concentrate. Then I prepare my RO water accordingly into however many 5 gallon buckets, and then mix the concentrated saltwater with them. I have a large refugium. I stop the flow coming from the display to the refugium, and stop the flow coming from the refugium to the display. Then I empty my refugium in all of the channels except for my center display in my refugium and clean out my refugium, protein skimmer, pumps, etc. Then I pump my replacement water into my refugium and turn on the pump and the flow valves and return back to normal operation ;-)

 

[FishOfHex]

I'm wanting to see how everyone does there water changes. I use a pump and a hose with a brute container/Rubbermaid garbage bin.