What's your water change look like?

[Seahorse man]

I'm old school (2-bucket method). I just don't trust ANY auto equipment (you know, Terminator, and Murphy's law).
I have a bucket of salt water that I mix at least 24 hours in advance, then use another bucket to drain water into. Once I drain, I pour new water in.

I use the same system, but its because im too cheap to buy all the equipment.

 

[Rockit]

25 gallons of water gets prepared in the standard grey Rubbermaid can. I do this they day before and circulate/bring to temp.
4 (6g capacity each) buckets siphoned from the DT emptys the sump and just starts to drop the level in DT.
The Rubbermaid is strapped to a wheeled dolly. Roll it in the house and pump water into the sump. Double check temp/salinity and turn the main pump back on.
I have all levels marked. Use leftover water for rinsing equipment .
Once I have water made, the actual water change takes about 20 minutes.

 

[cypherljk]

My changes consist of a 32 gallon Rubbermaid bin on casters. I do about 20 gallons every other week on my 180 setup. I drain out the water and pump it back in to the sump. I never ever add anything directly to the water column. Always through the sump.

 

[Greybeard]

I drain out the water and pump it back in to the sump. I never ever add anything directly to the water column. Always through the sump.

How big is your return pump compartment?

I _wish_ I could do water changes in the sump... since my sump is in a closet, and my mixing station is right next to it.

If I leave my tank running, I can only pull about 5 gallons from the system without sucking air in the return pump. Small return compartment... designed that way, if something blocks my overflow, there shouldn't be enough water in the return compartment to overflow the display before the pumps starts sucking air.

If I were to turn my return off, I suppose that could work. Let the sump stabilize at it's high level. Including the refugeum, there's probably 40 gallons in the sump, with the return pump off. Of course, I can't really empty the ref... my macro algae wouldn't like it

Also, I take advantage of water changes to remove as much detritus from the display as possible. Don't know that I want to stop doing that...

If I pull water from the display, with the return pump off, there isn't enough empty space in the sump to hold the makeup water. I guess I could turn the return pump on, but then I don't have a static target for fill level.

Guess I'll keep returning it to the display.

 

[Tikosyn]

Not exactly DIY....Tubing runs behind the tank into the return chamber. Water changes 15 gallons over the course of every week automatically using the Genesis system, love it!

 

[Todd A.]

Every other weekend ritual - 25-28% WC
RO/DI filter in the garage & two 42 gal Brutes w/wheels
Saturday - Fill one with the filtered water and the other with the RO "waste" water (used to wash my cars, water the lawn, etc.), mix in salt and bring to temp.
Sunday - Roll the cans into the house, pump (RIO2100) water straight out of the tank into the empty can and pump the fresh saltwater into the tank. Then I pump the old saltwater down the Kitchen sink. (I don't vacuum the sand bed due to the amount of coral and rock). My wife helps by scrubbing the parts and pieces while I change the water.

We've managed to get the whole process down to about 30 minutes (except of coarse filling the cans with filtered water which is nearly an all day process).

 

[Jimmy Gonzales]

I love it! Best investment I've made in awhile.

Top tank is RODI water. Bottom is my saltwater mixing tank.

What size containers are those and where did you get them? Any issues with cleaning the containers out or string smell or tast of plastic?

 

[drevalenz]

Haha I like the pump

 

[NoWaiAma]

Brute the way to go for big tubs. Keep seeing that label ? Prepping for a 130. 5 gal buckets out the window