Water Changes

[Reverend Reefer]

just finished a small water change and i'm feeling all zen about it so i decided to post here about my experience with water changes.

its really funny but when i first started this hobby, regular water changes were not on the top of my list of tasks, booooring. its funny though that after some time (like a couple years), i've now acquired a couple things that have made weekly water changes possible and i would attribute my religious water changes to the acquisition of these simple little things.

Things that will increase the likelihood that you will perform regular water changes:

a) ro/di filter
- yup! everyone will tell you this but as noobie, i ignored that scarry acronym for many years. lugging jugs of ro water from the store, not fun. one day of figuring out the plumbing, not so bad.

b) more than one bucket!
- seriously, now that i have 3 buckets, its made water changes alot easier, one bucket to make the ro/di water, one bucket to mix the saltwater, one bucket to remove the tank water (i've also marked the water line on them)

c) siphon hose with some weird ball in it
- this thing is ridiculous. you shake it up and down and it creates a siphon for you!
- i'm not that old but i guess i missed the boat on that one, i was sucking on the end of flex tube to start the siphon, not fun.

d) extra water pumps
- i know its not a big deal but i seriously didn't have any extra pumps!
- originally, i had to pull a koralia out of my display to mix the saltwater, and i had to dump the mixed saltwater into the display by climbing on a step stool. lots of spillage, not fun.
- obviously my koralias wouldn't pump water, the maxi jets i had couldn't pump the water high or strong enough
- so yeah, an extra pump for mixing the saltwater and an extra strong pump to pump it into your system (unless you have an accessible sump to pour it into, and even then, a pump with some flex tube will probably be less messy)

e) lots of salt mix
- i know its stupid, and most of yous smart with yer money probably already invested in a small bucket, but originally i was buying salt water mix in small quantities, which made me more "stingie" with water changes
- now that i have a bucket of salt mix that i'm relatively happy with, i'm not constantly "conserving" my salt mix

f) extra heater
- well, this isn't true, i don't have an extra heater, but i wish i did so that i don't have to pull the heater out of my system every time i mix some new saltwater (add to wish list, i know, don't get those exploding stealth ones...)

so yeah, just wanted to contribute from my experiences, noting a recent change in my attitude towards water changes. honestly, i hated doing water changes and didn't really understand their benefit. water changes are a good thing. i do small weekly water changes. after reading about some nano tanks that run solely on water changes with minimal filtration and others stating how regular water changes can fix almost any problem, i've decided its a simple solution. i now feel that its a simple alternative to the complicated balancing act with numerous test kits, potions, additives and all that stuff that we all get into at some point in time. i know i used to have all sorts of plastic bottles filled with this or that in my fish closet. i'm now down to kalk and 2 part dosing, which i've automated. so no more magic potions for me. water changes have now become a regular zen like task that are no longer a chore.

happy reefing!

[dzfish17]

I think the easier it is to do waterchanges the more likely you are to do them. Like you said after setting up you're own RO/DI you wish you had it from the beginning. I have my system set-up so that I flip valves on and off for a WC.

Dave

[Dustin1300]

I've found that water changes make the system MUCH more healthier. I'm only ~2 1/2 years in and in the past year since I finished grad school I've been doing water changes religiously. Recently I put a LMIII in place and it does automatic 5 liter water changes on my 90 gallon system daily. This change makes stability even better and don't have to worry so much about keeping the NSW the same exact params as the aquarium as it is slowly added and removed from system 150 times/day. I agree with you that WCs are a VERY important factor but this automation along with my dosing has saved me a lot of time in maintenance in the hobby. I try to just use this extra time for more cleaning and plenty of research/time on RC learning how much I don't know!

[150mech]

When I did water changes once a week in my tank it made all the difference it is the best thing for your tank.

[Misled]

3 buckets???? I have like 40 of them!!!! :lol:

[Jetski]

Hi Dave, could you share your water change valve design? Sounds cool!

[bjsmith112083]

I've found that water changes make the system MUCH more healthier. I'm only ~2 1/2 years in and in the past year since I finished grad school I've been doing water changes religiously. Recently I put a LMIII in place and it does automatic 5 liter water changes on my 90 gallon system daily. This change makes stability even better and don't have to worry so much about keeping the NSW the same exact params as the aquarium as it is slowly added and removed from system 150 times/day. I agree with you that WCs are a VERY important factor but this automation along with my dosing has saved me a lot of time in maintenance in the hobby. I try to just use this extra time for more cleaning and plenty of research/time on RC learning how much I don't know!

Could you share this design? I am not sure how to even begin on an automatic WC system.

[wbdevers]

The shake pump is just an inline check valve--work just like an oil well so to speak. As you shake water begins to move up the line, then the check ,"ball", falls and blocks the line creating a vacuum thus stopping the water from falling back. Once it reaches the outlet the natural vacuum takes over. They are sold at Lowes and I'm sure HD as well. Cool little gadget.


I'm assuming this is what he's talking about. Here's a link http://safetycentral.com/wopuseshsiho.html

[evoi19]

I think the easier it is to do waterchanges the more likely you are to do them. Like you said after setting up you're own RO/DI you wish you had it from the beginning. I have my system set-up so that I flip valves on and off for a WC.

Dave

+1000

The easier it is, the more likely you'll do a WC. Mine is semi-automated but so much easier than before.

I use a custom acrylic container that holds 17 gallons of water. I threw in a heater, powerhead and a pump and plumb it to my tank. When i need to make saltwater, I add ro/di and salt, turn the heater and powerhead on and test for salinity and temp. When it's a green light, I siphon out the old water from DT and flip a switch that pumps the new water back in. :) Takes about 15min to do the actual WC.

[Toke23]

thats wat i need to do is make my WC's easier because i put it off and thats not good for my tank...ive been at it for almost 4 months and everytime i do a change its just a pain in the bum, but im gettin an RODI unit soon enough that is the first step to makin things easier on me anyway

[Agu]

3 buckets???? I have like 40 of them!!!! :lol:

QFT

I don't use a heater for water change water, the microwave works just fine for a couple of cups to raise the temp in the bucket.

[Gangous]

I change 10 gal water every 2 weeks in my 75 gal with 15 gal sump and I never dose anything parameters always fine

[Virtuoso]

QFT

I don't use a heater for water change water, the microwave works just fine for a couple of cups to raise the temp in the bucket.


Hey, that's clever. You're clever.

[SushiGirl]

We use our old return pump to start the siphon. Actually, it moves water faster if you leave it on LOL. Use it to pull water from the tank, then use it to put water in the tank. Of course, we won't build up that bicep from shaking the siphon hose LOL.

[Dustin1300]

Could you share this design? I am not sure how to even begin on an automatic WC system.

I needed something that could have a high draw height as my RO/DI water and New Salt Water are in the basement. Below is list of equipment:

- 2 44 Gallon Brute Food Safe Trashcans (1 for NSW and one for top off lime water)
- Liter Meter III (http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=SP-LITERMETER3&Category_Code=)
- Water Exchange Module (http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=SP-LM3-WXM&Category_Code=)
- Remote Pump (http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=SP-LM3-RPM&Category_Code=) for my Top off Water

Basically set the amount that pumps out with pump A and match the amount with the top off Module. The third pump (remote pump) is used for my top off water. Whatever amount you set is cut by 150 times and is automated throughout the day meaning heating the water is pointless. Also means that the levels in the NSW does not need to be identical to tank as it's slowly added and once you determine consumption rates its worry free and VERY DEPENDABLE.

An expensive piece of equipment but my favorite by far;)