My biggest fear... Water changes

[Reef man 89]

What is TDS?

Total dissolved solids it's all the crap that's in the water. Metals and chemicals use to treat the water.

 

[21reefstreet]

I have saved a lot of money in this hobby by making my own water and not going to the lfs.

Water at LFS. $1.45
Impulse buy coral $42

Impulse buy coral...that's funny. I agree, it is easier and cheaper to make your own water, with the exception of the initial cost of an rodi unit and a good refractometer. Rodi units have really come down in price and I can make a five gallon bucket in about 50 minutes. My tank is a 58 gallon and I do a five percent water change once a week. After making your own water for a while, you get a pretty good feel for it. I also put a heater and small power head in the bucket for an hour or two to be sure the salt is completely dissolved and the temperature is the same as the display and then do my water change, takes only 10 or 15 minutes. Not an expert but hope this helps.

 

[jdl513]

The most convenient place I found for my rodi is the washer/dryer room. Screwed in a fitting at the cold water connection so can direct water to the rodi or the washer. Waste water line drains to the same drain the washer drains. Product water to a mixing tub with an old pump to stir and old heater to warm to proper temperature. Only other item needed is a refractometer and calibration standard.

When time to do laundry I just remove the tub then put it back when done.

 

[gpwdr]

I am new to saltwater and I feel like it would be a great hobby to get into as long as I know what I'm doing. The biggest change for me is the water changes. Unlike freshwater I can't just put some regular old dechlorinated tap water into my tank. I need some insight on how best to do water changes. I am thinking of getting a 50 gallon NUVO lagoon tank if that helps. I don't have unlimited space so large jugs of premade water might not work for me. Any ideas and help?

Some of us use the Triton Reef Keeping Method, there are no regular water changes.

 

[code4]

Make your own. I started with a 65 gallon redsea tank. Seems like I did some large changes in the beginning. Bought a small, around 20 gallon, grey rubber trash can with lid. Measured 5 gallons water in it. Marked the inside at the 5 gallon spot. Then 7, 10, 12, and 15. Also marked the inside of a 5 gallon bucket for ease of water changes. I also use a heater and power head to prep my water in advance. Lots of good ideas on here.

Shelley

 

[Forsaken77]

You can use home depot buckets, but I prefer to use food grade buckets personally. A 50 gallon means changing at least 5 gallons a week. No big deal.

Pick any particular salt mix, doesn't really matter which one, and have a bigger style measuring cup that can fit enough salt to mix into a 5 gallon bucket (I use a 2-cup/16 ounce measuring cup) and figure out how much salt you need in that measuring cup to add to the water in the bucket to make the "specific gravity" (SG) level you need, or parts per thousand (ppt), and you're set.

I also would recommend using the Milwaukee Digital Refractometer to measure the SG or ppt of the mixed saltwater. It runs around $100 and is MUCH easier than using a regular refractometer and more accurate than using a hydrometer (the plastic box with the floating hand to measure saltwater).

So once you mix up the saltwater, you let it sit while you go siphon out 5 gallons and then come back, mix it again, and measure the saltwater with the Milwaukee. If it's good, dump it into the tank. If it's off, either add more salt or more water to the bucket.

You should also consider getting a "Reverse Osmosis/Deionization" unit (RO/DI) to make purified water. TDS is "Total Dissolved Solids" that are in tap water, the chemicals or sediment that are in the water. Tap water, depending on your area, can wreak havoc. But an RO/DI isn't a necessity. You can use dechlorinated water just like with freshwater but it's better to use purified water to get all the crap out of your tap water.

Water will evaporate from the tank. DO NOT replace this with more saltwater. Salt does not evaporate. Just add either purified or dechlorinated plain water back to the tank.

Water changes are super easy to do. Once you get down how much salt to add, you'll be able to tell just by looking at it.

 

[DBR_Reef]

I am new to saltwater and I feel like it would be a great hobby to get into as long as I know what I'm doing. The biggest change for me is the water changes. Unlike freshwater I can't just put some regular old dechlorinated tap water into my tank. I need some insight on how best to do water changes. I am thinking of getting a 50 gallon NUVO lagoon tank if that helps. I don't have unlimited space so large jugs of premade water might not work for me. Any ideas and help?

I would highly recommend buying a RODI- remember, it is not just water changes you need good water for- it is also topping off with fresh water to replace evaporation loss- this has to be done every day, so many, if not most, opt for a ATO, or automatic top off. If you are limited on storage however, you can run a line directly from your new RODI to your tank, using a float valve AND a needle valve. This will also help if you are on a budget.

Here is what you need for the ATO:
-RODI that has basically everything you will ever need for $150 (I might add a pressure gauge) http://www.ebay.com/itm/RO-DI-100GP...tem-Aquarium-Manual-Flush-Valve-/130921058822
You could get a better unit from bulk reef supply, but it will be more expensive or come with less- this will cover your needs and is easily upgraded with better filters.
-float valve with an included clamp $25 http://www.ebay.com/itm/BUBBLE-MAGU...ATO-AUTO-REFILL-SHUT-FLOAT-VALVE/131492795163
-needle valve $12: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-OD-John-Guest-x-1-4-OD-John-Guest-PVC-Needle-Valve-/231956012760
-1/4 RO line to run water from source to tank- depends on distance.
Just install the RODI in your preferred location (laundry, sink, etc close to the tank), cycle the RODI, run the RODI product line to the tank, connect the needle valve and set for the number of drips per minute that will cover evaporation and a bit more (this is your safety measure in case the float valve fails), connect needle valve to float valve set at proper height.

And here is what you need for water changes
-5 gallon bucket of salt ~$50 depending on brand
-cheap plastic arm hydrometer- plenty accurate enough, just keep it clean. $10 (I have a Milwaukee digital- 9 times out of 10 I use a swing arm- it's fast, easy, and reliable)
-5 or 7 gallon mixing container, preferably food grade $5
-extra 5 gallon bucket for waste water.
-a RO 1/4 tee and 1/4 shutoff valve (available from a home improvement store or online for far cheaper) $5
-float valve for bucket $2 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Float-Ball-...-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-RO-Water-OW-/112350405986
-A cheap pump with some tubing- used both to mix the water and transfer it. $10-25
Drill the side of the bucket for the float valve so that it will fill to 5 gallons- this prevents you forgetting you are filling the bucket (it takes about half an hour), and getting a flood. tee off the RODI product line, attach the shut off valve, and connect it to the float valve in the bucket. Fill with water, mix salt to desired salinity using the pump, and do the water change with the pump. you can disconnect this bucket from the system when you are not doing a water change.

No matter the method you will either need to match temperatures of your new salt water (NSW) and tank water with another heater or do the change slowly.

All that is about $250. Just for comparison- if you buy your water at $1.50 a gallon, after the initial filling of your tank, you will have 12 water changes (assuming 10 gallon changes) before the system pays for itself- and you won't have to lug water. Then you have to buy top off water- probably .1 to 1 gallon a day depending on humidity and temperature in your house- I loose 5 gallons on a 250 gallon system per day. So that is probably $10 to $20 a month for you. And on top of that a ATO ranges from $50-200- which you will have covered.

So yes, a RODI is worth it.