OUR FAVORITE THING!!! Water Changes!

[ColoredRock]

Is it the water change or the maintenance that goes with it. I just did a 20 on an 80 g system.... as type this .. there is something.. like it has no flow..

My top off is crazy.. back in the day I dont remember my tank evaporating that much. The 180 was in The house and the sump in the garage ,.. Now I am close to 1.5 g a day with 1/4 size of the system.. but I will admit I really didnt pay that much attention to it.

 

[kados]

Fowlr setup, big messy eaters and I like doing my big water changes for keeping things crisp. 50% water change on a 187g tank every two weeks. 100 gallon water storage in my utility room in the basement about 20 feet from the tank. I siphon vacuum 45 gallons into a brute on wheels then the other 45 gallons gets either siphoned into the brute after emptying or sometimes pump directly into the laundry sink. I pump water back in with Sicce pump using the python tubing.

My 2nd tank is a 100 gallon fowlr with smaller fish and gets the same treatment but 1x per month.

 

[madweazl]

Longest part of my change is draining water out of the sump (about 6 minutes to drain 22.5g). That requires turning 2 valves. Once it has drained to the desired level, I close one (to the homes sewer) of the two drains and open one more from the mixing station. The whole process takes about 8 minutes to complete.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I have my water change station in the basement. Automaticity keeps RODI full, automaticity tops off tank with the RODi, and I hit a switch and change 10% of the saltwater weekly. Pumps take old saltwater out and push saltwater up one floor to my living room.​

​

​

​

Starts with 3 float switches in my sump that go downstairs to my basement controllers. First float switch (low) tells RODI or Saltwater to replenish depending on settings. 2nd float switch off. 3rd float switch is emergency off.​

​

​

​

Have 2 controllers downstairs connected to float switches upstairs. When low float switch hits bottom, RODI starts pumping from first controller. Second controller manages RODI auto fill.​

​

​

2 pumps downstairs manage pumping water to/from upstairs. Leave RODI connected to fill pump for auto top off. When changing water, switch to saltwater containers and turn on switch for drain pump. When 1st float value gets low, pumps up saltwater through auto top off. Pumps take out and replace saltwater at same pace. When done with saltwater change, turn off drain pump and wait till auto top off fills with rest of saltwater. Then switch auto top off back to RODI. Takes 10 minutes to change 10 gallons in my 90 gallon aquarium every week.​

​

Impressive. Thanks for some inspiration.

 

[kados]

Now that's a sweet setup there!

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I've done several iterations in 20 years, but recently bought 2 thirty gallon barrels from ULine. I run one as DI, and one as my mixed reservoir. The nice thing about the barrels, is that they are very easy to clean if you get a batch of salt (cough....cough.... Tropic Marin) that has clay in it. The other fancy containers were near impossible to clean.

I do 10% per month, and use a DOS pump to perform 1/2 Gal water changes at night. The salt I use stays in suspension, so It lasts me 2 months. In that I live in CA, I don't worry about the water temp and my main tank can condition or heat as needed.

Im curious to see what you do!

Nice tip on Uline!!! So I’m building a new outdoor shed. The two container mixing station will be in it. Plumbed and wired to go in the house. I’m in sunny and HOT!!! Arizona and so a chiller will be a part of the budget as well. I’m sure I’ll document it and share it on r2r.

 

[JoJosReef]

M-W-F 1g WC on my office IM Nuvo 10g. No dosing. Still calibrating to see how much and how often to do WCs to keep everything stable enough for a crocea, macros, RFAs, LPS, and zoas. I feed heavy for my filter feeding crabs/bivalves/sponges/gorgonian, so luke to keep the water changing. And I haven't even gotten my fish yet (tailspot and firefish coming this week)! ~5 min per WC including cleanup.

Was buying LFS RSCP, but inconsistency (3 big strikes) led me to buy a RODI buddy and HW salt last week (my alk keeps gravitating around 8.5-9, so HW looks about right). Will make weekly batches in a 5g jug.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I'd love to get a mixing station set up.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Longest part of my change is draining water out of the sump (about 6 minutes to drain 22.5g). That requires turning 2 valves. Once it has drained to the desired level, I close one (to the homes sewer) of the two drains and open one more from the mixing station. The whole process takes about 8 minutes to complete.

Very nice!!! Soooon. Lol

 

[mindme]

Doing a 40g water change today on my 180g and a10g change on my frag tank. Thinking about my new “Mixing Station” that’s presently in the planning stage.

1. How are you doing it? And your plans for an easier water change.

On my 180g, I basically don't. It messes up my tank chemistry. I'll only do it as a last resort for getting something I can't get out of the tank otherwise. But if I do, I just fill up a 40g breeder and mix the salt in it. Kind of a pain.

On my 29g, I also basically don't. Once every 4 months or so at most, seems to be getting less and less lately. It just has 3 RBTA and a clownfish pair it, I let the algae grow, and it also has xenia all over also for nutrient control. It seems the RBTA get most of what they need directly from the food and/or fish poop. I don't even know why I do the water changes, I guess because I don't test either and I feel guilty or something. Doesn't seem to need it, but I would guess an acro would immediately melt in the tank, even the skeleton. But I'll just fill up a single 5 gallon bucket, maybe 2, for that. Not that bad.