Let's see your water change methods!!

[dinger28]

Hey guys. I wanted to start a thread on the many different ways that people do water changes. From simply turning a valve, to lugging over the top of the tank, there are so many ways to do them. Show everyone what you do and why yours works best! Post pictures if you can and let the games begin!!

Matt

[fltekdiver]

Tagging along

[slief]

I've been using the Genesis Renew for 3 gallon per day water changes since installing it a few months back and it's worked like a charm. Prior to the Genesis I used a Litermeter 3 to do the same process. Today I decided to do a 40 gallon water change with the Genesis. It was the first time I've used it for a bulk water change and I couldn't help but chuckle at how easy it was to do. I sent a text a few hours ago to my friend Jim telling him that it was the easiest large water change I've ever done. Push a couple buttons and enjoy my beer on the couch.

Given that I have one of the metering buckets and the Renew controller in my water storage shed outside and the other metering bucket under the tank several feet away by the sumps, my Renew installation is not the norm.

Here is a shot of the install in the shed. You can see the metering bucket above the 100 gallon storage tanks. There is a pump in the salt water holding tank on the right that pumps water to the metering bucket. There is also an overflow line coming from the metering bucket returning back to the 100 gallon holding tank. The overflow line insures that the bucket is perfectly full. Then there is the line from the metering bucket running through the house wall to the sump. If you look close, you can see the Renew controller between the two tanks.


This is the metering bucket under the tank. There is a pump in the refugium near where the return pump draws from. This pump sends water to the metering bucket under the tank. There is also an overflow line that returns to the refugium. There is a line from the metering bucket that is routed back through the walls and into the shed where I have a drain line that is routed to an underground drain leading to the street in front of the house.

[shifty51008]

my method includes:

step one: turn ball valve to drain water from sump.

step two: turn ball valve to pump NSW into sump.

takes about 5 min to change 30 gal.

[Rob in Puyallup]

Dang.

Nano Reefer here.

Every Sunday I mix 2 gallons of Kent Reef Salt. I live in an apartment so I'm forced to use distilled water that (according to the label) is also deionized.

Every Monday afternoon I remove and replace about 1.5 gallons of water from my live rock and live coral filled 10 gallon tank.

I'm thinking with all of the displacement (due to rock and coral) that I'm easily doing a 20 percent water change weekly.

All of the critters are doing well, growing like weeds.

[sleepydoc]

Originally Posted by shifty51008

my method includes:

step one: turn ball valve to drain water from sump.

step two: turn ball valve to pump NSW into sump.

takes about 5 min to change 30 gal.

Ok. Officially jealous!

My procedure is:

1. Close ball valve for sump return line.
2. Drain water from DT using a maxi jet pump with ⅝" tubing run to bathroom sink.
3. While that's running, haul 3 - 5 gallon buckets of fresh salt water up from the basement where I keep it mixed and pump it into the sump.
4. Open the return line ball valve and let the return pump fill the DT from the sump.
5. Empty and clean the skimmer cup while the tank is filling
6. Top off the sump until the ATO kicks off
   

I can actually do a 15-17 gallon change in 20-25 minutes this way, but it's still a whole lot more work than shifty's system! Since my DI filter and mixing bins are in the basement, automating it more requires a lot of extra pumps, piping and drilling through walls, so for now I get the exercise.

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by shifty51008

my method includes:

step one: turn ball valve to drain water from sump.

step two: turn ball valve to pump NSW into sump.

takes about 5 min to change 30 gal.

Mine is very similar. I just have to add that I unplug and then replug in my ATO. Where does the water go from your sump? This is the joy of having a basement sump/fish room. My water from my sump goes right into my house sump pump. I'm down there 10min at most.

[ggsteve]

Pretty old school here.

First, I unplug the return pump and the wavemaker near the surface of the DT.

Second, I start a siphon with my mouth on a 1/2" clear hose and siphon as much red cyano as I can into a 6 gallon bucket.

Third, empty the bucket of old SW onto the weeds in the driveway.

Fourth, pump six gallons of NSW from my Brute SW storage tank in the basement into a bucket saved for this purpose and lug it up from the basement to the living room.

Fifth, pump the NSW into the sump, and plug the pumps back in. Done!

[dinger28]

Man these methods are great! I have a 240 and have to put a pump in my display and pump it to the bathroom. When finished, I pump the new water that I have already created back into the display. Takes about an hour total to do a 50 gallon water change. Next tank I will get more holes drilled for the turning a valve trick!! Keep the ideas coming!

[Sprink669]

Originally Posted by sammy77

Mine is very similar. I just have to add that I unplug and then replug in my ATO. Where does the water go from your sump? This is the joy of having a basement sump/fish room. My water from my sump goes right into my house sump pump. I'm down there 10min at most.

i have been dumping my water in my basement sump crock, and letting my sump pump pump it out to the street. i was wondering how long have u been doing this? is ur sump pump corroded from the salt water.

[shifty51008]

Originally Posted by sammy77

Mine is very similar. I just have to add that I unplug and then replug in my ATO. Where does the water go from your sump? This is the joy of having a basement sump/fish room. My water from my sump goes right into my house sump pump. I'm down there 10min at most.

my water goes directly to the drain pipe of the house. and yes I did forget I do have to flip a light switch to turn off the ATO, forgot that hard step

there really isn't any extra pumps on my system to do this though, my return pump is the pump I use to pump water from the sump to the drain, and my NSW mixing pump is the pump I use to fill the sump back up.

no need to be jealous doc, i can also say I am jealous of you also for being able to do that stuff still, my back isn't what it used to be, so I try to make things as easy as I can to help out. and the sad part is I am only 35y/o.

I can try to take pics later.

[ReeferKimberly]

I rinse out a 5 gallon bucket, turn on the RO unit, wait about an hour for it to fill, mix reef crystals, test water, siphon out 5 gallons from my 65 and pour in fresh 5 gallons. Repeat Weekly.

If I am feeling extra energy I will first take a powerhead and blow all around the rocks/coral before I siphon out the old 5 gallons so I can get a lot of detritus into the water column.

I have no filter, no skimmer, sump or refugium. Only algae/xenia/water changes. I don't turn anything off because the water level does not get low enough with only 5 gallon changes.

Tank is so far so good. It was set up last Christmas and is in my profile pic.

[Sydoriakp]

my change is a pian I make up water a few days early sometimes overflose my ro reserve tank cuz I forget about it...... once for four days.... I stink.. then I mix it up and add more salt and more and more cuz I always underestimate it then I set up step latter and siphon out bucke ton then two then three then go into the basement and scoop out bucket one take it up dump it in bucket two then three ato is off.... clean lids... clean skimmer and usually sock... takes an hour I get sweaty fiancée gets ma dcuz I usually spill something and hog the bathroom. we swear at each other she chases me out of the house I walk the block for a cigarette I come back in she still yelling I calm her down ... all in all whole process takes about 3 hours.... lol I want automation for my own health...

[fltekdiver]

Why doesn't anyone throw a return pump into their mix, run a rv marine drinkable hose, put a valve on the end, open the valve and fill ?

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[Devildoc]

I might be doing mine wrong but mine takes about 5 minutes or so. I turn everything off and have a old pump that I got with one of my tanks that has a 5/8 hose attached in the return section of my sump I set the hose out the window and drain 25 gal a week on Friday night.. yes that's my Friday night lol. I set up a Rubbermaid tub on Wednesdays and mix till Friday night. once return compartment of sumps empty I attach my quick fit hose to new sw bucket and pump it back into sump flip the switch and done takes about 10 min start to finish.. so should I take from DT or is sump OK?


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[fltekdiver]

I do the same thing, pump out window to drain, run a 75' hose back through a window and fill

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[DavidinGA]

I don't do water changes (well at least none for the past 6 months on my new 210gal).

[dinger28]

No water changes in 6 months? Ummmmmm, interesting I guess. FOWLR?

[hessfish125]

I turn off all pumps and fans (return pump, distiller, ionizer, skimmer, 3 fans) and use a 5/8" pump to drain 30 gallons form the DT out a 6 ft hose I stick out the living room window. I also use a 25 Foot - Python No Spill Clean and Fill Aquarium Maintenance System to speed up cleaning and water movement. 1st time using it this weekend (highly recommend).

I have new water in 5 gal containers that I pump back into the DT that I lug into the living room and place on top of a 6' ladder so gravity can do its work.

I just finished my once a month change this past Saturday. Total change took around an hour. Too much manual work compared to many of you guys. I need to look into some of the ideas above (if I can convince the wife- I love the water shed idea!!)

Also props to Dinger28 for a great thread!
------------------------------------------------------

125 gal fish and reef tank
30 gal sump w/ Octopus skimmer
LEDs

[hogfanreefer]

Due to my house design everything in my tank is in the stand, so no auto WC system.

1. Hit the Feed B on my Apex which turns off my return pump, powerheads, skimmer and ATO.

2. I have a "U" shaped PVC fixture I made out of two ells, a "T" and a 3/4" barbed fitting. I attach a long 3/4" tubing to the barb fitting (the other end of the "U" is in the tank with the "T" on the end). I then siphon 25 gallons of tank water to a 32 gallon Brute trash can sitting in the back of my Polaris Ranger (to be dumped in a well chosen place).

3. Exchange the long tubing for a 5 foot one. One end attached to the barb fitting, the other to a Sicce 3 pump. The pump goes in to another 32 gallon Brute with 25 gallons of freshly made water and pump it in the DT.

4. Turn the return on back on and when the water level in return chamber stabilizes turn on ATO and skimmer.

Done, takes about 10 minutes to do a 25 gallon change.

[DavidinGA]

Originally Posted by dinger28

No water changes in 6 months? Ummmmmm, interesting I guess. FOWLR?

Nope - Lps and nems too

[dunc101]

I have a 'relay' attached to my Tunze Osmolator. When the relay is OFF, my regular freshwater ATO pump is active. When the relay is ON, a Tunze Osmolator pump in my saltwater bin is 'active.'

At 9 PM every day, I do the following via my Apex:
1.) Turn off ATO via APEX
2.) Turn on pump in sump for 5 minutes (pumps out 1 gallon of water)
3.) Turn on relay which activates my pump in new saltwater bin.
4.)After 7 minutes (9:07 PM), the Tunze Osmolator kicks back on and pumps in fresh saltwater b/c the relay is still ON.
5.) At (9:25 PM) I turn the relay back OFF which is plenty of time to fill up 1 gallon of water. Normal freshwater ATO comes back into operation.

I have been using this method for about 8 months now with no issues =). My return pump, skimmer, etc, remains on the entire time. About once every 3 weeks I have to fill my 30 gallon brute back up with SW which resides in my master bedroom closet in the corner.

[Indymann99]

My system is not automated but only requires turning a few valves and 2 pumps on and off.

[dinger28]

Nice system Indyman! These are all so unique and every one seems like it works for each individual. There a few systems that are definitely over the top and amazing, so keep them coming! Might do a poll at the end of the month to see who the winner is!

Matt

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by Sprink669

i have been dumping my water in my basement sump crock, and letting my sump pump pump it out to the street. i was wondering how long have u been doing this? is ur sump pump corroded from the salt water.

It's been a couple years now, no problems yet. After the water change, I dump 10 gals of fresh water in the sump pit to flush the pump out.