Treefer32
Valuable Member
I have a 340 gallon display and 75 gallon sump - sump is around half full. Total volume with rock and sand I estimate at 300g.
I'm trying to do less water changes, but until my pellet reactor takes off I need to get my nitrates down in the mean time. They continue to creep up day afater day by up to .5 ppm. 2 weeks ago they were around 22 and now they're up to 34 ppm. Phosphates crept up from .05 to .13 ppm as of two days ago. I just got a 900 ml Bathshea pellet reactor and set it up last Saturday. It takes 3 weeks for it to reach it's filtration momentum. So, until then I'm going to do a large water change to cut phosphates and nitrates around in half.
Which means changing out nearly 150 gallons. It'll be around 120 gallons in total. I've got two 75 gallon drums on my mixing station. One for fresh water and one for salt water. And I have them plumbed so I can pull from both at the same time to the sump.
My goal is to have the salt water drum have enough mixed salt that when it mixes with the fresh water drum it'll be around 35ppt.
I let it mix in the sump for a bit and then turn the return pump and fill the sump as the return sends water to the display and then turn on all the circulation pumps fully mixing it everywhere. I've done this numerous times with no ill consequences. However, I'd like to be more scientific about it.
What salinity does my 75 gallon drum need to be at, to adjust for 50 gallons of freshwater as it fills my sump? I generally have been doing 1.035 to 1.040. And that seems to get me close.
So, if total valume needs to be 1.026 @120 gallons: 63% or 37% of the water needs to be brought up. so would I increase the target salinity of 1.026 by 37%? So taking the .026 * 37% = an increase of salinity of .00962 or .010 rounded up. So, would the target be 1.036? So, 75 gallons of water at 1.036 when mixed with 50 gallons of fresh RODI at 0 would bring all 125 gallons or so up to close to 1.026?
I find it easier less impactful to the display if I mix it replace the missing water in the display and get everything operational than if I wait and mix a second batch of water before turning everything back on. I do fill slow and let it mix with some of the water in the sump and the heaters and stuff before filling the display.
I'm trying to do less water changes, but until my pellet reactor takes off I need to get my nitrates down in the mean time. They continue to creep up day afater day by up to .5 ppm. 2 weeks ago they were around 22 and now they're up to 34 ppm. Phosphates crept up from .05 to .13 ppm as of two days ago. I just got a 900 ml Bathshea pellet reactor and set it up last Saturday. It takes 3 weeks for it to reach it's filtration momentum. So, until then I'm going to do a large water change to cut phosphates and nitrates around in half.
Which means changing out nearly 150 gallons. It'll be around 120 gallons in total. I've got two 75 gallon drums on my mixing station. One for fresh water and one for salt water. And I have them plumbed so I can pull from both at the same time to the sump.
My goal is to have the salt water drum have enough mixed salt that when it mixes with the fresh water drum it'll be around 35ppt.
I let it mix in the sump for a bit and then turn the return pump and fill the sump as the return sends water to the display and then turn on all the circulation pumps fully mixing it everywhere. I've done this numerous times with no ill consequences. However, I'd like to be more scientific about it.
What salinity does my 75 gallon drum need to be at, to adjust for 50 gallons of freshwater as it fills my sump? I generally have been doing 1.035 to 1.040. And that seems to get me close.
So, if total valume needs to be 1.026 @120 gallons: 63% or 37% of the water needs to be brought up. so would I increase the target salinity of 1.026 by 37%? So taking the .026 * 37% = an increase of salinity of .00962 or .010 rounded up. So, would the target be 1.036? So, 75 gallons of water at 1.036 when mixed with 50 gallons of fresh RODI at 0 would bring all 125 gallons or so up to close to 1.026?
I find it easier less impactful to the display if I mix it replace the missing water in the display and get everything operational than if I wait and mix a second batch of water before turning everything back on. I do fill slow and let it mix with some of the water in the sump and the heaters and stuff before filling the display.
