water changes

[btkrausen]

Does anybody have their water changing tank plumbed into their sump? I do. I keep a 40B plumbed in, so I mix new water in it, pull out 20 from the system, then turn a valve and dump 20 back in Easy as pie

 

[dougers31]

Does anybody have their water changing tank plumbed into their sump? I do. I keep a 40B plumbed in, so I mix new water in it, pull out 20 from the system, then turn a valve and dump 20 back in Easy as pie

I do things the hard way, mix up the water in buckets, then suck out the water(into buckets) carry dirty water to toilet and flush it down. Then carefully pour new water into tank. I really think I need a better setup but only have a 29g at the moment so I'll get by I guess

 

[whyzee429]

You flush it down the toilet?! I use the shower. Maybe that's why it drains slow........

 

[powderhound]

I do 10 to 15 gallon water changes every week on a 150 gallon sps system.

 

[dougers31]

You flush it down the toilet?! I use the shower. Maybe that's why it drains slow........

Yeah, you might want to use the toilet, too much sand, etc that gets sucked up(depending how you do it) and it can sit in your drain trap if ya dump it down the sink.

 

[sprinklerdudes]

before I got into salt water, I started out with fresh water, when I was about ten, I had a 20 gal long, and a few small tanks, I used to listen to the lfs tell me that I had to do a 25 percent every week, then someone told me to do a fifty percent once a month etc etc, a lot of good advice, I invested in a good filter, changed it once a month or sooner if needed, quit doing water changes, just added top off water and used stress coat, turns out I started talking to one of the people who worked at this rather large lfs, he said water changes? that just stresses the fish out, he said we never do water changes, we just add more water and treat with stress coat, I started doing that and it has worked for me for over twenty-eight years now. it is all about balance, and not overloading your tank, with the salt water, I do not change water as often as most here, in fact in the past two years I have only done 2 five gallon water changes, I have had two other unrelated spills, wich forced me to add more salt water, my ro unit broke over a year and a half ago, I have been using top off water from the dehumidifer, rain water, and in a pinch distilled water from the grocery store, when I started the salt water, I had a ten gallon tank, tried to the 25 percent water change once a week, it worked ok, know that I have a couple of large tanks, I don't do any, but I do two part dose and add magnism, and I run a skimmer , refugium, and a sump filled with live rock, has been working rather well for over two years know. not recommending it for everyone, just what I do, take into consideration, my tank is pretty full and has lots of color, but I can not grow a frag of acropora yet, I am pretty sure if one wants to grow the higher end coral, water change would be needed to keep up the trace elements, that you would be unable to dose. just my opion,

 

[bobdahawg]

im pretty new to saltwater but if your adding trace elements and the tests for nitrate nirite calcium ammonia ph etc and its in order why all the water changes? I have a 75 gal fish and reef with 2 175 watt 10k halides with 2 atintic tubes with 50 gal refuge with 150 watt halide and 30 gal deep sand sump fc lights been running for about a year now and the skimmer is doing less and less. sure in the begining readings were big swings and huge and often water changes. the corals i have are set to the depth thats recomended and i move them slowly in there zone till they look happy and of course there not the big buck ones. but some day i will have some yes yes i need more practice at this i change about 25 to 35 gal every 3 to 4 weeks when nitrate approches 20 parts not tring to say i am the master im asking what am i missing here? inhabitats are 8 diffrent coral colonies 1 tang 2 clowns 1 goby 1 blennie 2 cleaner shrimp and a coral banded shrimp 3 emerald crabs hermits lol the shell snatchers tons of snails and the creatures in the sand. think the bio load is small for this size arangement? cuse i want a hawkfish in a bad way.

 

[Michael7979]

Does anybody have their water changing tank plumbed into their sump? I do. I keep a 40B plumbed in, so I mix new water in it, pull out 20 from the system, then turn a valve and dump 20 back in Easy as pie

I have a 55gallon drum that I use to make water in. After removing water I can just hook hose to pump and pump it back in.
But I have been thinking of having it above the sump and hooking up a gate value to it. Letting gravity do the work for me.

 

[slice]

I do things the hard way, mix up the water in buckets, then suck out the water(into buckets) carry dirty water to toilet and flush it down. Then carefully pour new water into tank. I really think I need a better setup but only have a 29g at the moment so I'll get by I guess

I do the same for my 47g. 5g *about* every other week, roughly 12 percent. I am still buying RO/DI and premixed (AquaVitro) from the LFS.

When I first started the tank early last year, I was doing 10g every week. Coincidently, I would often lose an emerald crab a few days later. I finally figured out that my w/c was too much, too abrupt. Backing off the amount and doing it a bit more leisurely kept my inverts safer.

Once I get into SPS, I will do smaller changes more often.

Sidebar:
My LFS used to use IO. I used to wonder when my coraline would ever spread. Now, a couple of months after changing to AquaVitro, my coraline attitude has changed to MAKE IT STOP!!!

 

[Jcr's Reef]

I've noticed when my SPS have less PE its time for a water change. I change mine about every 2-3 weeks (18g WC - 180g Total system volume)

 

[Paul_N]

that is a lot more than I do for water changes. I rarely do changes, unless something is off. Not trying to start a debate, just posting my husbandry.

I'm with Murfman. I broke down my 75 and that had been almost 2 yrs without one. I set this temp system up end of June and transferred everything over and have not done a wc so I am a little over 7 months. I try to skim wet so I adjust the salinity every 2-3 weeks when it drops a little from 1.026 -1.024. Not for everyone, I understand that. I tried the wc route and have just seen better results for me this route.

 

[Paul B]

I change about 20% of the water 5 or 6 times a year. The tank is 40 years old everything is thriving, growing and spawing.

 

[benny z]

Does anybody have their water changing tank plumbed into their sump? I do. I keep a 40B plumbed in, so I mix new water in it, pull out 20 from the system, then turn a valve and dump 20 back in Easy as pie

this is what i do. i have a 50g stock tank plumbed to my system that i turn two valves on to stop flow & drain. i then refill that with fresh saltwater, mix it for 24 hours, and turn the flow valve back on to add it back to the system.

it's the top stock tank in this pic...behind the frag tank lights...kinda hard to see.

 

[bbandu]

I only have a small tank right now but when I had my 90g up I did about 30g every other week

 

[Murfman]

this is what i do. i have a 50g stock tank plumbed to my system that i turn two valves on to stop flow & drain. i then refill that with fresh saltwater, mix it for 24 hours, and turn the flow valve back on to add it back to the system.

it's the top stock tank in this pic...behind the frag tank lights...kinda hard to see.

Man I wish I had a sink like that in my fish room! I could clean anything!

 

[re-fin-away]

I do a 20 gallon water change every week on my 180. I should add that I use reef crystals. I have about 15 SPS frags in the tank right now and I dont have to dose anything so far. My calc and mag and alk are always good. I might try to go every two weeks since I have to get more salt again.