Water changes- What is your method?

[vetteguy53081]

We all do water changes . Some do this manually, some do this automatically and some simply dont do it.

I utilize a water storage system and do daily water changes of 1-2 gallons. I also have a AWC unit I use bi-weekly when i'd rather not do it manually.

How often do you change your water and how do you do your water change?

 

[Kapachuka3]

I’d say I change my water monthly, I usually do like a 5 gallon change by using a water hose and pouring it into a bucket, then clean the glass and sand while doing so, and then using a cup to put the new water into the tank. And then any creatures I am adding into the tank if I am doing so.

 

[Aluco]

I do it manually once a week. 10-15% each time with a siphon straight from the tank. I then pump water from mixing tubs into 5g buckets for transport and pour the fresh saltwater into the sump, letting the return refill the tank. Best I can do in my little apartment.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’d say I change my water monthly, I usually do like a 5 gallon change by using a water hose and pouring it into a bucket, then clean the glass and sand while doing so, and then using a cup to put the new water into the tank. And then any creatures I am adding into the tank if I am doing so.

A small utility pump would send the water back to tank faster than cup by cup

 

[hunterallen40]

I do them maybe twice a year. I run reef moonshiner method, and keep my nutrients in a good range, so I just take out the rest of the stuff that builds up every once and a while with a good water change.

To me, it feels like overkill to do water changes frequently. If you can keep things stable, and have a solution for trace elements in place, they are usually not necessary or even helpful. That's probably just my hot take, though.

 

[Snoopy 67]

New Tank so I get by with 5 gallons every week from the sump via a pump out & in.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I do them maybe twice a year. I run reef moonshiner method, and keep my nutrients in a good range, so I just take out the rest of the stuff that builds up every once and a while with a good water change.

To me, it feels like overkill to do water changes frequently. If you can keep things stable, and have a solution for trace elements in place, they are usually not necessary or even helpful. That's probably just my hot take, though.

I too have moonshiners and now use the program to supplement what I like based in ICP tests.
I did water change in July and December and came to realization after attending seminars than my coral under Moonshiner program were thriving but not taking off as they should and doing the daily never had more growth and brilliant colors

 

[iamacat]

summary: Manual 8-10gal every 14days on a 75gal

Within the last year I have downsized from 1600sqft to 900 and that has really made the water change method more labor. Not that bad tho since I only have a 75g. Due to the current size of my home I’m locked into the 75 until I can add on and make my fish room.

used to have a 60g storage full of RoDI at all times. Two 15g containers in a cabinet next to the tank for AWC. Would mix new salt water every 14 days. Waste was auto pumped out to a drain.

Now my RODI is above and behind my washer/dryer in a little mechanical closet where the water line is hooked next to the door. I have to retrieve by brute containing my salt, syphon, and buckets from my garage 100yds away and up a slight hill. Put the brute on the wheels I keep on top of the dryer. Plug the RODI line up to the float in the brute. Close the closet door and block the small opening from the cats with the brute. Takes about 16hrs to fill my brute. Fill my top off and mix the remaining water. Ends up being about 8-10gal of fresh saltwater. I do this every 14 days timed out to the top off supply.

 

[John Bolden]

I also would like to say I do regular water changes but in reality that stopped happening 4 months ago... I did do one last week which was the first one in 4 months...

I do a 5 gallon water change with siphon that 90% of the time gets salt water in my mouth.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Still doing it the old fashioned way. 5 gallon Buckets and I run 7 stage RODI into 5 gallon water containers for weekly water changes.

Lift Buckets and pour in after siphoning the tank water.

To add, I have a 100% Acropora SPS system with a Derasa Clam.

 

[EricR]

Way manual here:
- mix salt in rectangular Brute bin on floor by tank with cheapie pump (night before)
- Python vacuum sand with output into 5 gallon buckets to dump outside
- 2 gallon bucket to scoop new saltwater from mixing bin and dump into tank
*used to use pump with hose from bin to tank but bucket dump is faster

I was doing about 20% every other week or so but have been trying to force myself to do 10% weekly lately.

 

[bushdoc]

I was doing AWC with DOS, but eventually had too many failures, some floods and uneven in/ out events, requiring frequent recalibration. Now I am doing manual water change every now and then, usually every 2-3 weeks or so.I use utility pump and my tank is near the sink, so I don’t have to haul water.

 

[chipchipmofo]

Still doing it the old fashioned way. 5 gallon Buckets and I run 7 stage RODI into 5 gallon water containers for weekly water changes.

Lift Buckets and pour in after siphoning the tank water.

To add, I have a 100% Acropora SPS system with a Derasa Clam.

Yes, thats the way I do it too

 

[vetteguy53081]

I was doing AWC with DOS, but eventually had too many failures, some floods and uneven in/ out events, requiring frequent recalibration. Now I am doing manual water change every now and then, usually every 2-3 weeks or so.I use utility pump and my tank is near the sink, so I don’t have to haul water.

I too heard this about AWC units why I use it bi weekly and watch it

 

[Kongar]

8 gallon water change on a 20 gal nano tank, every other week. I don't have equipment like protein skimmers or refugiums to balance nutrients out. So water changes are the easiest way in a nano tbh. I used to haul buckets until last week when I finished a mixing station. Now I just siphon crap, and fill with a hose. Best part is not having to make RODI water, and then salt water, every water change.

 

[alysak6075]

i do about a 1-2 gallon daily water change, pump in water from mixing station into sump, until skimmer overflows, skimmer cup is plumbed into sewer. new water is 1.019SG, this makes tank stay at a constant 1.024SG. I never have to top off. As skimmer slowly stops overflowing it "hopefully" pulls out slightly dirtier water. Has been working for 7 years so far. Also for me this is the cheapest method, compared to 2-part and trace elements. Tanks is a 54 Gallon corner from aqueon. 40 gallons total water in system.

Same method but about 5 gallons a day on a 220 Gallon tank.

 

[kevgib67]

I have a 5 stage ro/di system that I use t fill 4 five gallon containers. Salt is mixed in in a five gallon bucket with a power head ans also a heater is used. I do 12.5 % water changes per week.

 

[JGT]

Semi-automatic. Don't like to rely too heavily on tech as it's great when it works until it doesn't. Once a week.

Pump in my sump and pump in my FSW bin. Utilize Kasa smart strip and created a schedule with 4 steps. Step 1 turns off all equipment and allows tank to drain to fill sump to the top. Step 2 turns on pump in sump and pumps 50 gallons out to utility sink. Step 3 turns off pump in sump and turns on pump in FSW bin and pumps 50 gallons back into sump. Step 4 shuts off pump in FSW bin and turns all equipment back on. Takes me 15 mins to do it all and no failures as I oversee it all.

 

[nuxx]

Had two 60 gallon barrels in the laundry room behind the wall the tank was on.

One with fresh RODI and one with Reef Crystals mixed water.

Everyday my DoS would take 10 gallons out of the display and put it into my QT frag tank and then also add 10 gallons of new saltwater to the display. Extra water was then drained out of the frag tank to the laundry room drain.

ATO for the new RODI.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

20 to 25% when I get around to it. Syphon the Water out into Six Gallon Marked Buckets. Carry it up the Basement outside steps, and pour it on two stumps, to kill and rot them out.** Pump the pre-mixed water back in from a 40 Gallon Brute. I keep 45 gallons of RO/DI in Carboys, rotated for Emergency Drinking Water. Also have a 30 Brute with RO/DI Water. When I have a Quarantine Tank with Fish in it my Changes are more frequent. I change that water from my Display.

** Don’t ever plant Bradford Pear Trees, they are basically a 30 foot weed, that stinks up the yard for two months in the Spring.