How do you do water changes.

[REEFKEEPER10]

I use a python water change hose attach to my sink to remove the water in my sump which is about 20g, then attach it to a small pump and drop it in my garbage can to fill it back up to the same level it was. im am curious as to how other people do them.

 

[wysiwyg]

i do something similar but i use my mag18 pump thats attached to my skimmer and empty it into a 30 gallon rubbermaid container then let my drains fill my sump back up and do it again and instant 20% water change. and once a month i will get into my tank with my python syphon hose and syphon my crushed coral/live rock

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

There you go im asking because caring buckets can't be good for the back. And of course the easier it is the better. Hoping this thread will give people ideas on how to make it easier so they do them more often.

 

[Loki]

I plumbed a drain on my main drain to the front of my tank for water changes. I carry 5 gallon buckets into my fishroom until my 20 gallon brute can is full. Mix it for a day or so and then pump it in with my mag 5.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

I plumbed a drain on my main drain to the front of my tank for water changes. I carry 5 gallon buckets into my fishroom until my 20 gallon brute can is full. Mix it for a day or so and then pump it in with my mag 5.

That is a cool idea. See I mix my water in the garage were my RO/DI unit is so when it comes time for a water change you will find a 50 foot hose running through my house. Either to the sink or the garage. I'm lazy when it comes to aquarium maintance so I sit and think of way to make it easier. Lol

 

[BarbH]

The water pressure from my sink is not enough to make the python work correctly, although thinking about it I had tried it on my previous 50 gal fw set up which only sat about 2 feet off the floor need to give it a try with the 72 which sits higher might work. Right now I siphon out a little less than 10 gallons into 2 5 gallon buckets. To refill I have a 20 gallon brute on a dolly that I move out to the tank and use a small pump that I have to pump the new water into the tank. After that I than move the brute into the kitchen to make addtional water. Once the water is made I move the brute back into the spare room so that I don't have brute containers sittting out in the open. I also have another 20 gallon brute container that I keep fresh rodi water in that I move back and forth from the kitchen to the spare room when I need to make more water. Right now since I don't have an ato I use a one gallon pitcher that it for the sw tank only to do my top off, right now my top off is only about a gallon a day or less so not much of a hassel.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

The water pressure from my sink is not enough to make the python work correctly, although thinking about it I had tried it on my previous 50 gal fw set up which only sat about 2 feet off the floor need to give it a try with the 72 which sits higher might work. Right now I siphon out a little less than 10 gallons into 2 5 gallon buckets. To refill I have a 20 gallon brute on a dolly that I move out to the tank and use a small pump that I have to pump the new water into the tank. After that I than move the brute into the kitchen to make addtional water. Once the water is made I move the brute back into the spare room so that I don't have brute containers sittting out in the open. I also have another 20 gallon brute container that I keep fresh rodi water in that I move back and forth from the kitchen to the spare room when I need to make more water. Right now since I don't have an ato I use a one gallon pitcher that it for the sw tank only to do my top off, right now my top off is only about a gallon a day or less so not much of a hassel.

My sump is even two feet of the floor so I have to let it get a little water in it then raise the hose up some so it gets the water moving and it works fine after all that. Lol

 

[Loki]

I guess I forgot to mention that I have a 55 gallon of RODI holding tank. It's always full (unless it's filling). I have been thinking about getting another to mix saltwater in. I would keep it in the garage and then run a hose into the fish room.

The RODI barrel is on a DIY stand 24" off of the garage floor. I have a bulkhead about 2" from the bottom of it and then two ball valves that drop PVC down to ~15" because 5 gallon buckets are 14" tall.

I like this thread. It is making me want to get and set up the other barrel for saltwater

 

[BarbH]

Have tried many things, lol when I was draining the 50 gal tank I ran my python to the bathtub, never was able to get a siphon going but did make it work by using the gravel cleaner I had and drained it into the gravel cleaner part of the python, had to watch how quickly I let it drain but it sure did beat carrying 50 gallons of water to the bathroom to drain the tank.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

Yeah a friend from Facebook through out his back doing a water change and I'm try to get ideas for him. He is a member here to but I want name names because he might not want people to know. That's his call not my. As far as top off I have to carry a 5g bucket every few days that I hook up to my unit when it's not hooked to my can. I mounted a auto shutoff valve in the bucket. I have bookshelf on bother side of my tank for all my goodies and a 10g tank for my auto topoff. If I didn't rent there would be holes everywhere. Lol

 

[Loki]

I also have a 10 gallon top off. I am having to fill it more often now that it's getting warmer outside.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

Have tried many things, lol when I was draining the 50 gal tank I ran my python to the bathtub, never was able to get a siphon going but did make it work by using the gravel cleaner I had and drained it into the gravel cleaner part of the python, had to watch how quickly I let it drain but it sure did beat carrying 50 gallons of water to the bathroom to drain the tank.

Lol. Did you run it outside and start a siphon with your mouth. Water runs down hill to the nieghbors flowers. I know one thing I want be taking a shower in your neighborhood. What kind of pressure you got going through your RO/DI unit. I get 60 psi.

 

[BarbH]

Lol. Did you run it outside and start a siphon with your mouth. Water runs down hill to the nieghbors flowers. I know one thing I want be taking a shower in your neighborhood. What kind of pressure you got going through your RO/DI unit. I get 60 psi.

I ran it to the tub, on the second floor and haven't been in this place for long so didn't know how much the neighbors or landlord would appreciate 50 gallons of water coming down from my balcony. I have my rodi hooked up to the sink by a faucet diverter get about 45psi. Not great but it works just takes some time to make up my water. If it wasn't for the fact that I am renting I would hard plumb my unit or even look into one of the fittings that can be hooked onto the braided hose. But the plumbing under the sink looked on the old side and did not want to risk having something break and have to have the manager come in to fix it. Still not sure if I will leave the gfci that the boyfriend installed in the wall when the time finally comes that I move from here or if I will pull it and replace it with a regular outlet.

 

[Loki]

When I filled my tank I ran my waste line to one of my gutters. It wasn't raining for the three days it took but the road was wet I made 150ish gallons of RODI and I have no idea how much I watered the road with

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

I ran it to the tub, on the second floor and haven't been in this place for long so didn't know how much the neighbors or landlord would appreciate 50 gallons of water coming down from my balcony. I have my rodi hooked up to the sink by a faucet diverter get about 45psi. Not great but it works just takes some time to make up my water. If it wasn't for the fact that I am renting I would hard plumb my unit or even look into one of the fittings that can be hooked onto the braided hose. But the plumbing under the sink looked on the old side and did not want to risk having something break and have to have the manager come in to fix it. Still not sure if I will leave the gfci that the boyfriend installed in the wall when the time finally comes that I move from here or if I will pull it and replace it with a regular outlet.

Make sense not to run the water onto people's head. Well I tried. Lol

 

[BarbH]

When I filled my tank I ran my waste line to one of my gutters. It wasn't raining for the three days it took but the road was wet I made 150ish gallons of RODI and I have no idea how much I watered the road with

I need to see about getting some containers to hold some of my waste water in, had read that it is good for watering plants. Could use this for watering the flowers and veggies that I am growing out on my balcony.

 

[zemuss]

I use two 5 gallon buckets right now. One is used to mix the salt (24 hours to 48 hours ahead of time) and the other is used to take the 5 gallons out. I do some siphoning of the sand cause I believe its way too deep now, so I take about a cup out each time. I pump the water with a RIO pump into the display and might change that to pumping it into the sump soon. Solana cabinets are so tight so room is an issue.

On my next tank I would like a better system. Say two 20 gallon water tanks pump it out, switch value then pump it in using an external pump. Of course I also would like to get an RO/DI unit to fill the 20 g.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

When I filled my tank I ran my waste line to one of my gutters. It wasn't raining for the three days it took but the road was wet I made 150ish gallons of RODI and I have no idea how much I watered the road with

Well did you notice that is takes more gas to get to the grocery store now since you filled your tank. Lol

 

[adhd_nerd]

Check out my water changing post. Got really tired of hauling buckets and barrels around so put this together.

http://www.salt-city.org/showthread.php?p=234510


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Loki]

That! Is! Brilliant!!!

I felt the need to pause for dramatic affect 8)