Water Change Question...

Reefnman2 · Jul 7, 2019

So do you all mark your sumps with a marker or tape so when you do water changes you know you have replaced with the fresh water as much as you've taken out of the old? Getting ready to add an ATO but need to make sure everything is accurate. Thanks.

flchamp89 · Jul 7, 2019

Reefnman2 said:
So do you all mark your sumps with a marker or tape so when you do water changes you know you have replaced with the fresh water as much as you've taken out of the old? Getting ready to add an ATO but need to make sure everything is accurate. Thanks.

Great idea and yes I do that

Reefer1978 · Jul 7, 2019

When I do water changes, I take out water by buckets. 5 buckets out, 5 buckets in. I turn off the ATO so it doesn't dump RODI water while sump is empty.

Mastiffsrule · Jul 7, 2019

I Marked the line once and never had to guess or estimate since.

I grabbed a princess sticker from my kid years ago to mark the level. The crown is high, the wand just right, glass slipper too low. Never failed yet. GI joe stickers also work

Reefnman2 · Jul 7, 2019

Mastiffsrule said:
I Marked the line once and never had to guess or estimate since.

I grabbed a princess sticker from my kid years ago to mark the level. The crown is high, the wand just right, glass slipper too low. Never failed yet. GI joe stickers also work

Haha I like this.

SeaJay · Jul 7, 2019

Reefer1978 said:
When I do water changes, I take out water by buckets. 5 buckets out, 5 buckets in. I turn off the ATO so it doesn't dump RODI water while sump is empty.

I also just put back in what I take out.

My sump has a factory mark at the low level. Have never seen a need to mark the high level.

Reefer1978 · Jul 7, 2019

My reasons for not liking the line are:

Water changes are not constant - you may want to take out more or less at some point, i.e. mistake needing 50% water change.
In order for the line to work well, you need to make sure tank is off and all syphoning/dripping is completed.

I would much rather know exactly what I took out, and add that right back into the tank. One rule I implemented in my WC routine, I keep 1 bucket of dirty water close to the tank, don't dump it until the WC is complete. Just in case I took out more and than I have mixed to go back in, I have so extra dirty water to make the level perfect.

Reefnman2 · Jul 7, 2019

Reefer1978 said:
My reasons for not liking the line are:

Water changes are not constant - you may want to take out more or less at some point, i.e. mistake needing 50% water change.

In order for the line to work well, you need to make sure tank is off and all syphoning/dripping is completed.

I would much rather know exactly what I took out, and add that right back into the tank. One rule I implemented in my WC routine, I keep 1 bucket of dirty water close to the tank, don't dump it until the WC is complete. Just in case I took out more and than I have mixed to go back in, I have so extra dirty water to make the level perfect.

Well it wouldn't matter what percent of water change you're doing as long as at the end you are at the full line you've created and yes as you fill the tank with fresh water you turn everything back on and it will all equal out

Reefnman2 · Jul 7, 2019

SeaJay said:
I also just put back in what I take out.

My sump has a factory mark at the low level. Have never seen a need to mark the high level.

Yeah I take out 5 gal. at a time with a container but I pump in the new from my mixing barrel.

Reefer1978 · Jul 7, 2019

Reefnman2 said:
Well it wouldn't matter what percent of water change you're doing as long as at the end you are at the full line you've created and yes as you fill the tank with fresh water you turn everything back on and it will all equal out

If you are pumping back in then yeah, need some kind of a marker.

Reefnman2 · Jul 7, 2019

Reefer1978 said:
If you are pumping back in then yeah, need some kind of a marker.

Yeah that's what I'm thinking otherwise I would always have to adjust my ATO I think.

WVNed · Jul 7, 2019

My ATO sensor is my marker.

Reefer1978 · Jul 7, 2019

Reefnman2 said:
Yeah that's what I'm thinking otherwise I would always have to adjust my ATO I think.

I don't think you would have to adjust it, it would equalize one way or another without adjustment. But you salinity would jump a few points back and forth which is not desirable. Main reason to add exactly what you take out is to keep salinity stable.

Lets say you add more water then you take out. Your ATO wouldn't turn on for a day or two until water evaporates to the point at which ATO is ON again. Salt doesn't evaporate, and now your overall salinity will be higher.

If you add less water then you take out, when you turn the return pump back on ATO would notice a low water level and dump fresh water in, lowering your overall salinity.

Reefnman2 · Jul 7, 2019

Reefer1978 said:
I don't think you would have to adjust it, it would equalize one way or another without adjustment. But you salinity would jump a few points back and forth which is not desirable. Main reason to add exactly what you take out is to keep salinity stable.

Lets say you add more water then you take out. Your ATO wouldn't turn on for a day or two until water evaporates to the point at which ATO is ON again. Salt doesn't evaporate, and now your overall salinity will be higher.

If you add less water then you take out, when you turn the return pump back on ATO would notice a low water level and dump fresh water in, lowering your overall salinity.

Ok yeah I get you, very good advice.

SeaJay · Jul 7, 2019

Reefer1978 said:
I don't think you would have to adjust it, it would equalize one way or another without adjustment. But you salinity would jump a few points back and forth which is not desirable. Main reason to add exactly what you take out is to keep salinity stable.

Lets say you add more water then you take out. Your ATO wouldn't turn on for a day or two until water evaporates to the point at which ATO is ON again. Salt doesn't evaporate, and now your overall salinity will be higher.

If you add less water then you take out, when you turn the return pump back on ATO would notice a low water level and dump fresh water in, lowering your overall salinity.

This is why I’m going to AWC/ATO very soon.