Water Change Technique?

Slickbaby · 02/25/2007, 11:35 AM

Hey guys,

How much less efficient do you think a water change would be if I added the NEW water to the system first, and after a while siphoned out water from the system?

Its a 180g display with around a 60g sump/fuge. I would be doing this 20g at a time. I have enough room to add the new water first, and then siphon out the old water later.

Just sittin around thinkin of how to make things easier

alan214 · 02/25/2007, 11:39 AM

That would be significantly less efficient, IMO. You want to remove as much of the existing "polluted" water as possible. You'd essentially be wasting your new water by additing it to the existing mix.

michaeldaly · 02/25/2007, 11:48 AM

Your first option would be equal to around 8.5% water change, second option would be equal to around a 7.2%(total water volume) water change as you are also changing 8.5% of your new water.

Craig Lambert · 02/25/2007, 11:50 AM

It would work if you shut off the return pump and had enough room in the sump to add the freshly made saltwater, and then syphoned an equal amount directly from the tank. Then turn the return pump on again. Otherwise as alan said, you wouldn't be removing just old water.

BrianCM · 02/25/2007, 02:09 PM

I would just take the old water out of sump after turning off all the pumps and then add new water to the main tank. And then turn back on all the pumps.

Agu · 02/25/2007, 03:21 PM

You want to add the new water to the sump so it mixes thoroughly with existing water before returning to the tank.

Slickbaby · 02/26/2007, 12:34 AM

Yeah...I currently have been dumping the 20g out of the sump and then mixing up the new water and then dumping the new water back into the sump. The problem is with my setup, I have to have the tank off the entire time this is done because once I siphon out the 20 gal, I cant run the system...and so then I have to have it off as I mix the new salt water so everything is off for about an hour or two.

If I were to add the water to the system before siphoning off the 20g to dump, I'd essentially lose 1% of my new RO water?

Might be worth losing that 1% to keep the system up and running that two hours?

jpa0741 · 02/26/2007, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slickbaby
Yeah...I currently have been dumping the 20g out of the sump and then mixing up the new water and then dumping the new water back into the sump. The problem is with my setup, I have to have the tank off the entire time this is done because once I siphon out the 20 gal, I cant run the system...and so then I have to have it off as I mix the new salt water so everything is off for about an hour or two.

If I were to add the water to the system before siphoning off the 20g to dump, I'd essentially lose 1% of my new RO water?

Might be worth losing that 1% to keep the system up and running that two hours?

Your water change water sould be mixed and heated 24 hours in advance. Then you would just remove old water and put new in. Your stuff would only be off for 5-10mins.

02/25/2007, 11:35 AM	#1
Slickbaby Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 89	Water Change Technique? Hey guys, How much less efficient do you think a water change would be if I added the NEW water to the system first, and after a while siphoned out water from the system? Its a 180g display with around a 60g sump/fuge. I would be doing this 20g at a time. I have enough room to add the new water first, and then siphon out the old water later. Just sittin around thinkin of how to make things easier

02/25/2007, 11:39 AM	#2
alan214 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 1,258	That would be significantly less efficient, IMO. You want to remove as much of the existing "polluted" water as possible. You'd essentially be wasting your new water by additing it to the existing mix. __________________ I live really close to the airport. The other day I was walking across the living room and the stewardess told me to take my seat. Current Tank Info: 73G FOWLR

02/25/2007, 11:50 AM	#4
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	It would work if you shut off the return pump and had enough room in the sump to add the freshly made saltwater, and then syphoned an equal amount directly from the tank. Then turn the return pump on again. Otherwise as alan said, you wouldn't be removing just old water. __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

02/25/2007, 03:21 PM	#6
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	You want to add the new water to the sump so it mixes thoroughly with existing water before returning to the tank. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

02/25/2007, 11:48 AM	#3
michaeldaly Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Earth Posts: 2,009	Your first option would be equal to around 8.5% water change, second option would be equal to around a 7.2%(total water volume) water change as you are also changing 8.5% of your new water.

02/25/2007, 02:09 PM	#5
BrianCM Moved On Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bellevue,Ne Posts: 102	I would just take the old water out of sump after turning off all the pumps and then add new water to the main tank. And then turn back on all the pumps.

02/26/2007, 12:34 AM	#7
Slickbaby Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 89	Yeah...I currently have been dumping the 20g out of the sump and then mixing up the new water and then dumping the new water back into the sump. The problem is with my setup, I have to have the tank off the entire time this is done because once I siphon out the 20 gal, I cant run the system...and so then I have to have it off as I mix the new salt water so everything is off for about an hour or two. If I were to add the water to the system before siphoning off the 20g to dump, I'd essentially lose 1% of my new RO water? Might be worth losing that 1% to keep the system up and running that two hours?