Making water changes easier! What are some tips and tricks?

[Glenner’sreef]

I normally just back up to an ocean, throw in a long hose with a bilge pump attached and pump 40 gallons into my Jeep.

Most ocean water is free.



I back up to my driveway and pump the ice cold water into a big vat. Then I fill 5 gallon water cooler bottles with hot water and float them in the vat to warm up the seawater.

While I am waiting, I may dance.
Then I pump the water into 5 gallon containers that are placed on a table next to the tank.

I remove water from the tank and dump in the new water.

I could just pump it in from the Vat but that takes to long and I am impatient and always want to go and do something else. Maybe bungee jump or cut my toe nails. ;Bucktooth

This week I collected 140 gallons of water and changed 80 gallons in my 125 gallon tank.

I just wanted a few more gallons so I put on boots and quickly collected a little more. I just can't get enough.

Just not fair!

 

[carol3]

My Sump is in the basement so I just had a t come off with a ball valve. I can literally dump a new 5 gallon bucket of saltwater in my sump put it down next to the sump, turn the valve open and fill it to the same level that the new salt water was at. It takes me about two minutes to do a water change. I just had to pick up the old water and dump it outside cuz I don't want that going in my septic system. For anybody that doesn't know saltwater eats the septic tank they're made of concrete.

We also have a septic system so I can't use the handy dandy dump in the toilet trick either and I would think the saltwater might kill the good bacteria in the septic system anyway. We have huge old oak trees all around our house and because I don't want to dump saltwater anywhere near their roots I have to carry the buckets out to our field to dump them....ugg, the hardest part about water changes. Luckily I only have to do 5 gal. a week.

 

[carol3]

I've got a question, how long will you "leave" the water in storage before using it? My understanding was it started precipitation shortly after making it. Red sea, which I use, suggests only making it as needed and not storing for longer than 4 hours.
My RODI system, even with additional pump, makes water very slowly, probably 5-6 gallons an hour, so making water for me involves leaving it running into a 40 gallon plastic container for 5 hours or so (200G DT), after an hour I turn on the heating element. I then eyeball and dump a bunch of salt in, wait half an hour and check salinity and add some more to get it in range. Then I feel "on the clock" and do by water change shortly thereafter. Either with a syphon from the DT or if I'm feeling lazy, from the return tube off the UV sterilizer.

So I voted its a "5", I have overflowed that 40 gallon tank a couple of times, alcohol and reefing don't mix well, as I "forget" I'm making water until a water sensor I leave on the floor of my tank room sets off. But I am curious if anyone leaves salt water "made" for days and if they feel any degradation.

It depends on what brand of salt you use, very short storage time is the reason I don't use Red Sea. I do keep a pump going in my stored saltwater.

 

[jonnywink]

A Zero Clearance pump made it a lot easier pulling water out of the DT and then pulling the new water out of 5 gal. buckets back into the tank