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

[am3gross]

I do water changes quarterly. 80 gallons typically. I make up 2 40 gallon brute trashcans full. Mix the salt up with in. Then I will open a valve and let 80 gallons out of the sump. I use a pvc pipe that is marked at 40 gallons and 80 gallons and when the level in the sump reaches the 80 gallon mark I will close the valve. Then I will fill the sump back up with the fresh 80 gallons of saltwater. I do all this with out shutting anything off in the system. Takes me about 20 minutes, start to finish. Longest part is pumping the 80 gallons back in the sump.

 

[Joe.D]

I typically do 10 gallons every weekend. 95 g total system volume. I have 10 gallons marked in a Brute and I mix up a bit extra each week. I then pump tank water into 5 gallon bucket twice and same going the other way with fresh saltwater. I use a small Sicce pump for this.

Thinking of going 15% every other week. Just need to create another mark in my saltwater Brute for 15 gallons.

 

[rhitee93]

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

Doesn't step one need to include underpants in some way?

I'm still waiting on my tank to arrive, but have been contemplating how I am going to do water changes. Has anyone setup a "Cart" with all the stuff on it to do a change? My premixed water is in a room down the hall from my office, and I have been day-dreaming about ways to make hauling the water back and forth as clean as possible.

 

[Morpheus77]

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.

Same here

 

[Bruttall]

Doesn't step one need to include underpants in some way?

I'm still waiting on my tank to arrive, but have been contemplating how I am going to do water changes. Has anyone setup a "Cart" with all the stuff on it to do a change? My premixed water is in a room down the hall from my office, and I have been day-dreaming about ways to make hauling the water back and forth as clean as possible.

my LFS has a roller base on his Brute that he uses for WC. Search Amazon for Trashcan Dolly.

 

[Bfoot]

Mixing tank in closet connected with pvc to display. Valved overflow in sump. To change water open overflow valve and pump from mixing tank to aquarium. Excess goes out sump overflow to drain. Drink coffee while water change is happening. Close valves

 

[Superd513]

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).

Gorgeous setup. I little bit or organization goes a long way

 

[Superd513]

my LFS has a roller base on his Brute that he uses for WC. Search Amazon for Trashcan Dolly.

Menards has them

 

[Superd513]

I do water changes quarterly. 80 gallons typically. I make up 2 40 gallon brute trashcans full. Mix the salt up with in. Then I will open a valve and let 80 gallons out of the sump. I use a pvc pipe that is marked at 40 gallons and 80 gallons and when the level in the sump reaches the 80 gallon mark I will close the valve. Then I will fill the sump back up with the fresh 80 gallons of saltwater. I do all this with out shutting anything off in the system. Takes me about 20 minutes, start to finish. Longest part is pumping the 80 gallons back in the sump.

How big is your tank? Lol. 300?

 

[Roatan Reef]

I used to do 10% water changes weekly, cleaning Cannister Filter every 2 weeks, but now that tank is established more....it's more like 10%water change every 2-3 weeks, and cleaning and renewing Cannister Filter once a month.

I have a 40B.

 

[DaprDon]

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.

Same here doesn't take long.

 

[00W]

10% every Monday morning.
Old school.
Siphon out and pour back in.
Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Nano_Man]

I’ve changed to Natural sea water go and get it 20% tank water out and refill. Only thing I check is salinity. Have done tests on natural sea water from the area I get it from perfect results.

 

[am3gross]

How big is your tank? Lol. 300?

Display is 375, sump is 300, 50 gallon skimmer/refugium tank, and 2 75 gallon frag tanks. Estimate 700 total gallons.

 

[Triggreef]

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!

I just started doing something similar. I drilled an overflow in my sump at the top so that it can never overflow if I add too much water. Meaning if it were to get too high excess water would overflow to outside. So I can essentially feed as much new water as I want and old water will always leave that way. My system is about 360g total so right now I'm starting with about 60g per week which equates to about 20ml per minute feeding the system. I feed it with a master flex adjustable peristaltic pump so I can make it as fast or slow as needed. I used that on my ca Rx previously but took the ca Rx offline. My goals with this were to eliminate as much other equipment as possible, increase stability, reduce power consumption. So far corals are definitely responding well. Hoping after some time I can also eliminate the skimmer.