How do you go about doing water changes for your tank?

[Gumbies R Us]

This is somewhat of an encompassing question in regard to water changes. I am wondering how you go about doing them. Do you do them weekly, or is it an every-now-and-then thing? What about the method of doing it? Do you have a specific way to ensure it is as accurate as possible? Curious to know everyone's input!

 

[Wasabiroot]

I realized I was lazy so I changed my method to adapt to that. I usually mix up two 5g buckets upstairs next to the tank. This works out to about 10% change weekly. I dispense the RODI in the basement, then bring them upstairs, weigh my salt, add slowly with circulation pumps running in each one, then wait an hour or two until there is no cloudiness, then verify salinity. Then I use the same pumps to empty the tank of 10g by using a third bucket the same size and filling it twice. I have a surge protector that I hold in my hand so that I can turn on the pump as if it was connected to a switch, and I just run vinyl tubing. The sufficient pump size is important. Too small and the bucket /tank take forever to empty and fill

 

[Darstar301]

I do 10% once a week. Have 55-gallons pre-mixed salt on hand at all times.

 

[ReeferHD]

Step 1: plan for the weekend
Step 2: forget the water change and go to LFS
Step 3: profit

 

[SPS2020]

Weekly 10% changes (10 gallons) via manual DOS kickoff.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

One week a month I do 150 gallons of water changes for all five of my tanks total. I do a tank a day during the week. I always have 30 gallons of saltwater mixing in a brute can at temperature ready to go. I also always have 60 gallons of rodi water ready to go. Nitrates usually determine if a water change is needed sooner.

 

[Propane]

I do about 1.5g a week on about a 13g water volume. It’s quick and easy. I put a return pump in the tank fill my bucket to the line (takes about 2 minutes) dump that water out clean the container. Put clean water in the container up to the line and put it back in. Whole process is completed in well under 10 minutes.

 

[Darstar301]

Wow, how long does the DOS take to do the 10-gallon water change? Does the head last that long? I want to try the automated water change

 

[Ron555ng]

I use the DOS to change 1.5g everyday on my 200g total tank.

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is somewhat of an encompassing question in regard to water changes. I am wondering how you go about doing them. Do you do them weekly, or is it an every-now-and-then thing? What about the method of doing it? Do you have a specific way to ensure it is as accurate as possible? Curious to know everyone's input!

90 gal tank.

10 gal water change every 2-3 months.

Siphon 10 gals out to a drain. Add 10 gals back pumping from a 10gal container to the sump.
Line marked on the tank so I know how much to take out.

I dose traces as well as macro elements so I know nothing is deficient.

 

[fish farmer]

I do 10 percent every other week, maybe every third week.

I have mixing station in the basement, usually mix/heat water a day or two before change day. I measure salinity of tank and new water before the change and adjust.

I siphon 3 gallons out of my DT or sump, maybe vac sand if needed.

 

[THESTRZA]

I have a 66 gallon tank and do auto water changes with the APEX DOS. Has made my tank extremely stable and brought my nitrates down considerably! Also makes life super easy when you just have to mix up 20 gallons of water every 2.5 weeks or so!!

I highly recommend it if you are going the APEX/automated route. You have to pay attention because it is easy to let things slip!

 

[fishyjoes]

I have a 20 gallon tank and do water change every weekend. Usually around 3 to 5 gallons but I don't measure precisely.

I mix a batch of about 20 gallons of new water every month. I remove water using a syphon into a bucket but pump it back in from across the basement.

 

[rknapp]

My entire system water volume is 220g, part of which is a custom 25g acrylic tank just for water changes. It has one bulkhead on the input end and two on the output end. During normal operations it holds 21-22 gal of extra tank water circulating from the sump via its own pump and then back to the sump from output side. The second bulkhead on the output end is attached to a garden hose that runs out my basement to the back yard.

When I do a water change, I stop the pump to this tank, then open the valve on the drain hose to dump the old water out. When drained re-close that valve, fire up the RO/DI system, which after the flip of a couple valves on its output side now starts filling that WC tank back up. Depending on the time of year that takes 3.5/4 hours (unattended), then I add my salt, fire back up the power head and heater that live in that tank. Once clarity, salinity and temp are verified good, turn the WC tank pump back on and life proceeds until the next round. All in all maybe 30 min of actual effort over an afternoon, with zero lifting and carting around water buckets.

I can easily do these once a week to once a month (or more) depending on my or my tanks mood.

 

[KQuillan]

I wish I had an easier way. Every Sunday, 5 gallons out and 5 gallons back in. I'm siphoning out and hand pouring back in.

 

[paragrouper]

I wish I had an easier way. Every Sunday, 5 gallons out and 5 gallons back in. I'm siphoning out and hand pouring back in.

I do the same thing every Saturday.

 

[Rubymoon286]

I got an autowater change controller and change 2 gallons daily from my 130ish total volume system.

 

[christwendt]

10 gallons monthly on a 140 gallon total water system. Trash can with siccee utility pump.

 

[Superd513]

This is somewhat of an encompassing question in regard to water changes. I am wondering how you go about doing them. Do you do them weekly, or is it an every-now-and-then thing? What about the method of doing it? Do you have a specific way to ensure it is as accurate as possible? Curious to know everyone's input!

I buy my water from LFS because I don’t have a rodi yet. I buy 10 gal at a time.
I have a 28 gal JBJ nano tank with 30 lbs live rock and 20 lbs of live sand. I change out 5 gallons twice a week. Right now I use a one gallon coolaide pitcher. I want to buy an auto water changer and swap out one gallon a day. That’s my goal.
As soon as I get rodi I’m switching to aqua forest pro reef plus salt.

 

[Bruttall]

I do 20% water changes. I have been doing them weekly, but I just recently started to skip a week and do them every other week. I am monitoring my parameters to see impact, but it looks like going forward it will 20% 2x a month, instead of every week now. I mix up 60 gallons at a time (pic 1), usually start my RODI up the night before I change. Takes about 6 hours to make the RODI and to refill Top Off Reservoir(pic 2), then I add salt/heater/powerhead and let it mix for 1 hour.

When new water is up to temp and salinty, I open a couple ball valves and as the Tank drains, new water goes in thru the Sump (pic 3).