Water change from sump or DT directly?

[skyrye7]

What is the recommended way to do water change?

Do you drain the water from the sump or the display tank directly?

If it's from the display tank, do you also try and extract the dirts from the sandbed?


Thanks

[Cymonous]

I believe it is more of a preference. You can do it from the sump if you have one. This way you don't disturb your tank inhabitants while doing the change. You can do it from the DT also. You only need to clean the sand bed or stir if you don't already have a CUC that does it for you or the sand bed looks bad.

[ausram]

Originally Posted by Cymonous

I believe it is more of a preference. You can do it from the sump if you have one. This way you don't disturb your tank inhabitants while doing the change. You can do it from the DT also. You only need to clean the sand bed or stir if you don't already have a CUC that does it for you or the sand bed looks bad.

I would say sump for the same reasons as above. Its a lot more convenient for me because I don't have to worry about stressing fish or disturbing the rock/sand in my DT

[FranktheTankTx]

Sump

[HumbleFish]

Originally Posted by skyrye7

If it's from the display tank, do you also try and extract the dirts from the sandbed?

Every now and then I like to take a small hose (think airline tubing but bigger), and siphon crap off the sand bed. This takes a great deal of patience however.

[sail33]

If you do feel the need to clean to the sand, do a portion each time you do a water change rather than all at once. You might stir up too much detritus and cause a nitrate explosion.
Just sayin....

[johnike]

I drain from the DT after hitting the entire tank with a turkey baster or a pump.

[Indymann99]

WC from Sump for me.

[edsbeaker]

From the sump

[jbyankees1]

from the sump

[twf0369]

I usually take 10 gallons from the sump and then 10 from the DT.

[whodeydan76]

I shut off my return pump and skimmer and drain my 10 gallons from the dt then add it back and turn on my return pump to help cycle. It works but like everyone said its a matter of preference.

[sleepydoc]

Personal Preference.
I shut the valve for my return pump so water doesn't drain down, siphon off the DT and while that's going start adding fresh salt water to the sump. When I've siphoned 15 gallons of the DT, I open up the pump and pump it back up to the DT. Works fine for me and I can get the whole thing done in less than 30 min.

[PaulieReef]

Originally Posted by sleepydoc

Personal Preference.
I shut the valve for my return pump so water doesn't drain down, siphon off the DT and while that's going start adding fresh salt water to the sump. When I've siphoned 15 gallons of the DT, I open up the pump and pump it back up to the DT. Works fine for me and I can get the whole thing done in less than 30 min.

Exactly what I do. Shut off the return, drain from DT. Fill sump with other water, turn the return back on! everything levels out and works great!

[azjohnny]

Originally Posted by PaulieReef

Exactly what I do. Shut off the return, drain from DT. Fill sump with other water, turn the return back on! everything levels out and works great!

+1


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[Palting]

I turn off return pump, let the DT drain to the sump down to the top of the overflows. Then drain the DT to a wall drain down to a mark indicating volume I need to drain. Turn return pump back on, and fill sump with new water.

I do not suction sandbed. High flow across the substrate keeps it clean. I will occasionally stir it so that....eh.....hmmmm....well, just because.

[MondoBongo]

i usually do mine from the DT so i can use a gravel vac to siphon up any nasty in the tank.

then usually once every 4 - 6 weeks i completely drain the sump, wipe it out real good, and refill it with fresh water and count that as my water change for that week.

[eastfernstreet]

I siphon from the DT and refill through the sump. That way I get to do some housecleaning but the new water comes in through the skimmer compartment, etc.

[igot2gats]

from the sump

[Basman346]

I usually take from the sump, but sometimes carefully siphon off of the sand bed.

[Dmorty217]

It's all about convenience, so whatever is easiest for you to do is what I would suggest

[sasharotty]

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

It's all about convenience, so whatever is easiest for you to do is what I would suggest

I have a basement sump with maxijets running to the drain and nws. So I just flip a couple switches and change 40-50 gallons in about 5 min. That includes changing socks and cleaning skimmer cups. So sump for me

[hogfanreefer]

Those that drain from the sump, how exactly do you do that? With the sump on the floor I can't siphon from mine. Do you use the return pump somehow to take the water from the sump?

My plan has been to use a device I saw on here to siphon form the DT and then simply slip the nylon hose from my siphon device on a pump in the new salt water container and pump the needed amount of water back to the DT. If there is an easier way I want to do it! Excuse the newb ignorance.

[givinggoodwill]

Makes no difference, with respect to chemistry.

[neuro]

Originally Posted by hogfanreefer

Those that drain from the sump, how exactly do you do that? With the sump on the floor I can't siphon from mine. Do you use the return pump somehow to take the water from the sump?

My plan has been to use a device I saw on here to siphon form the DT and then simply slip the nylon hose from my siphon device on a pump in the new salt water container and pump the needed amount of water back to the DT. If there is an easier way I want to do it! Excuse the newb ignorance.

I use a five gallon bucket with a bucket head shop vac from homedepot. I do anywhere from 5 to 15 gallons. I have a barebottom, so I don't need a nylon hose. But I perform all of my water changes from the sump anyhow.