Water changes for you guys with big tanks

Kfactor · Dec 29, 2019

I was looking at eventually going with a bigger tank roughly around 150 to 200 gallon total volume. My main concern would be water changes how much water do you guys keep on hand ? And how big of water changes do you guys do and how often ? I have seen a lot of ppl store enough water for tank volume but there no way I can store around 150g lol

Eyedogtor · Dec 29, 2019

Hello

The best thing that I ever did when I set up the new tank (waterbox 190) was to incorporate continuous water changes with the Apex and Dos pump. We have a 50 gallon barrel in the basement with salt water plumbed up to the Apex and I do about 1 gallon a day. The only 'work' is making a new batch every 4 to 5 weeks. It really had been an incredible change from the days of buckets and tubing

Thanks
Pat

mikeintoronto · Dec 29, 2019

20% every two weeks. This is less than I used to do because I use a lot of salt.

mcbdz · Dec 29, 2019

We have a 240gal DT and I keep 2- 44gal brute cans upstairs one for r/o and the other for saltwater. Try to do about 25 to 35 gal every week. But our tank has only been running since April. Hoping to eventually get down to maybe monthly w/c.

WVNed · Dec 29, 2019

I have been changing 80 gallons once a month. I have 2 100 gallon stock tanks racked in the fish room.
The top one is RODI and the bottom is saltwater. Now that the doser is close I am going to try and stop them

Smarkow · Dec 29, 2019

No scheduled water changes for my 210 display and 280 total water volume... but I have spare aqueon tank to do a 30g change whenever I need to. Instead, I use a large cryptic zone, 75 gallon fuge, have a scrubber rater for 300g, and dose vibrant.

Basically I work “hard” to not need to work hard..
I export a lot of chaeto

saltyhog · Dec 29, 2019

72x24x21 so not really big. I do 25-30 gallon water changes about every two weeks. I keep about 50 gallons of RO/DI on hand. So I can react quickly in an emergency.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 29, 2019

660g. . . . Roughly 40gal. I siphon as much of sand as i can and continue into 40 gallon brute and roll to back deck and open valve. I have same on another brute with awaiting water to go back into tank via pump.
My brutes are on wheels

jsvand5 · Dec 29, 2019

Pretty easy for a tank the size you are describing. I use one brute can for my 210g. I do a 20% change every few weeks. Siphon the water out and pump the new in from the laundry room where I store the brute. Takes about 15 mins.

Topekoms · Dec 30, 2019

I have a 210 g I have two 65g storage/mixing station and a third just RO.

TheOne · Dec 30, 2019

I run an automatic water change of 1 gallon a day on my 160g. Starting to feel like I should just write a book on it.

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Fishingandreefing · Dec 30, 2019

No fancy smancy apex, just 10% weekly on my 150 total volume. Get yourself a brute trash can and it will take like half of day to make the rodi, then mix up your salt mix.

ca1ore · Dec 30, 2019

Nothing I dislike(d) more than doing water changes ..... now I have dual 50 gallon brute vats and a DoS pump to change approx. 45 gallons over two weeks. Works out to about 15% monthly.

mikeintoronto · Dec 30, 2019

Sometimes I neglect the small tank’s water changes because it’s not connected to the fish room (with a drain). For the bigger tank I do have the DOS hooked up for daily water changes but I prefer sucking out everything from the sump every couple of weeks and refilling. The mixing station holds 80 gallons so the whole thing is done in 10 minutes.

The small tank also has a mixing station nearby but I have to run a tube across the floor to drain/fill it.

All this talk of buckets and brute cans gives me anxiety, lol

maroun.c · Dec 30, 2019

No need to hold 150 G if ur tank volume is 150-200. I'd say 40-50 gallon would be fine.
I run an 800 G total system volume and have 2 80 G barrels one for top off and one for mixing saltwater for water changes which is more than enough for the purpose. Yet if inhave any issues I rely on 2 (soon to be 3) 100 Gpd rodi units to be able to do 360 gallons water change on day 1 and then 200 gallon per day water change.

EddieM · Dec 30, 2019

I use two 55 gal containers. I keep one filled with fresh RO water (for top off) and I use the other to mix water for water changes. I do a monthly water change on my 220. The tank is located on the first floor, so I ran flex pvc up to the tank and use a smart wifi plug to turn on the pump and pump it upstairs. Since I'm on a septic, I just run a hose out to my driveway for the drain.

Feet4Fish · Dec 30, 2019

I have two 55 gallon containers as well. One for salt and one for RO. These water tanks are in my laundry room in the first floor and my sump is in the basement. Plumbed everything so I can do gravity-assisted water changed and top off replenishment. Change 50 gallons every 2 weeks.

CindyKz · Dec 30, 2019

I have a 180 DT with sump (about 200 gal total) along with smaller softie and quarantine tanks. I keep 2 55 gal drums, one with RODI and one for mixing saltwater. I plan to put the larger system on automatic water changes eventually, possibly the small one also.