just wanna know how you do ur water changes?

[midtownman]

just to see if it's different from the way i do it

 

[Deanos]

:shhh: You tell us first...

 

[ming]

If you haven't set it up yet, I would say ideally, have it so you can just open a ball valve to drain, then close it and open different ball valve to refill from a reservoir of premixed salt. Also, have the RO water open and close with a ball valve to feed the premix saltwater container, and possibly the auto top off.
Having things setup so its easy makes you more diligent in your water changes
The above is usually easier to setup if your sump is in the basement ofcourse.
Then, there is always the gravel vac and bucket method...

 

[mstrofdisaster]

Using RO/DI or Distilled Water, premix your salt mix and water in a bucket with a heater and powerhead, let sit 24 hours. Check salinity and temp and make adjustments if nec.

Turn off pumps, siphon out desired amount of water into another bucket and
refill tank. I don't know your setup so if you have a sump thats another story. Whats your setup?

 

[mstrofdisaster]

:funnypost

:shhh: You tell us first...

 

[bigbris1]

I keep a 5 gallon bucket of premixed saltwater in my boiler room (keeps it warm). I use a turkey baster to blow jets of water on the live rock & coral, then when most of the debris collects at the bottom of the tank, I siphon it out with the hose, then refill the tank with the new water. I can do a water change in 5 minutes now

 

[Chongpark27]

The day b4 i do a water change i fill a 20g rubbermaid with rodi water and let my rio pump mix the salt till i get the correct salinity. Next day i recheck salinity and temp. Turn off punp and let the water drain in sump and suck out water with a phython. Change carbon and phosban reactor media. Attach hose to rio pump and pump water into sump. Turn power back on and im done.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I typically use a straw. Sometimes a bendy straw or a silly straw or a super straw but a straw none the less.

 

[Bob 1000]

I typically use a straw. Sometimes a bendy straw or a silly straw or a super straw but a straw none the less.

lmao...

 

[mstrofdisaster]

I typically use a straw. Sometimes a bendy straw or a silly straw or a super straw but a straw none the less.

Does straw color matter?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

It matters on the day of the week it is.

 

[PhoenixOne]

I shut pumps and power heads off. Siphon 25% of the water using gravel siphon (72g bow front), then fill three 5g buckets of Kold Steril II filtered water, mix salt to 1.025 sg, then dump in tank.

 

[bigbris1]

How do you do it, midtownman?

 

[cali_reef]

If you haven't set it up yet, I would say ideally, have it so you can just open a ball valve to drain, then close it and open different ball valve to refill from a reservoir of premixed salt. Also, have the RO water open and close with a ball valve to feed the premix saltwater container, and possibly the auto top off.
Having things setup so its easy makes you more diligent in your water changes
The above is usually easier to setup if your sump is in the basement ofcourse.
Then, there is always the gravel vac and bucket method...

Why are you telling others how I used to do my water changes?

 

[ming]

Why are you telling others how I used to do my water changes?

I forgot to mention, if you have a reef tank and a FOWLR, your "waste water" from your reef is your new water for your FOWLR :lol:
I gave away your secret

 

[midtownman]

well i mix the water the night before then i blow off the rocks with my spot feeder (lol it works)then i use my gravel vac to clean the sand while sucking out water i also put two marks on my tank for 10% & 20% which ever it calls for then dump the water in. oh do you do ur water changes when the lights goes out or when it's on?

 

[jasonperez]

I have a 35g garbage ( I have my garbage plumed with a top off from my RO) with ro water and a mag 7 to mix the salt! I add salt the night befor! The next day I suck the tank water out with a cobra! Then with the mag 7 i pump the fresh salt water into the sump! My 35g water changes take 20 minuts or less from start to finish!!!!

 

[meschaefer]

Turn off return pump. Open ball valve on sump and drain out 40 gallons of water directly into waste water drain for the house. Close ball valve. Place hose coming from 45 gallon mixing container into sump, and flip corresponding switch, pumping 40 gallons of fresh salt water back into the sump.


Turn ball valve directing fresh RO/DI water into Mixing Container, add salt. Use the same pump that I used to pump the water from the mixing container into the sump, to mix the new batch of salt water.