Tips on water changes

[fixedpoint]

Looking for ideas about how to make water changes simpler and less messy. I usually do 12.5% - 25% a week (5 - 10 gallons on 40 gallon total volume). Carrying around 5 gallon buckets sloshing everywhere always makes a mess. Even after several years, starting a suction is a pain. My mixed saltwater and RODI water is in brute cans in the garage.

How do people do water changes without making a mess of the floor? What are some tricks, tools, and systems do you use?

Plumbing changes to the house are great, but not possible in my current rental.

Thanks!

[albano]

I drop a water pump into my tank with a long hose connected and send 60g out the door, then move the pump to my mixing bucket and pump 60g of fresh salt water into the tank

[puppykisser]

I bought a gravel vacuum that has a squeeze part to start the siphon without having to suck it through the tube. I actually don't use a bucket - I use one of those office 5gal water jugs. It has a smaller opening so the tube doesn't come out as easily and the water doesn't splash when I carry it.

[heathlindner25]

wait till you grab the old hose and suck on it to start to vacuum the gravel and that big brown wolf spider dumps into the bucket just as you put the hose in there.....they love that tube for some reason.

[stingeragent]

I agree with the vacuum that has the pump on the end. The one I got is a python brand and was like 14 bucks on amazon. Worth it's weight in gold. So you keep all your salt and fresh water in brutes in the garage. What part are you trying to make easier/less messy? My tubs are outside, but I usually transport my water into the house in 5 gallon buckets, but leave the water about an inch or two from the top so it doesn't splash everywhere. Use my handy python to siphon water out, then I usually take a 1gallon bucket, dip it in the 5 gallon bucket, grab a towel to put under the 1 gallon as i pull it out, and dump it in the tank, I do that once more, and then just grab the 5 gallon bucket and dump the rest of it in. I have about 10 bath towels that are designated aquarium towels. Keep those under my stand, and just grab a couple and lay em out on the floor before I start.

[heathlindner25]

I agree with the vacuum that has the pump on the end. The one I got is a python brand and was like 14 bucks on amazon. Worth it's weight in gold. So you keep all your salt and fresh water in brutes in the garage. What part are you trying to make easier/less messy? My tubs are outside, but I usually transport my water into the house in 5 gallon buckets, but leave the water about an inch or two from the top so it doesn't splash everywhere. Use my handy python to siphon water out, then I usually take a 1gallon bucket, dip it in the 5 gallon bucket, grab a towel to put under the 1 gallon as i pull it out, and dump it in the tank, I do that once more, and then just grab the 5 gallon bucket and dump the rest of it in. I have about 10 bath towels that are designated aquarium towels. Keep those under my stand, and just grab a couple and lay em out on the floor before I start.

almost exactly what I do

[stingeragent]

Nice. Short of having everything hardplumbed to a sump, I can't think of a less messy way to do it. You could stick a pump in the bucket to pump the water in, and pump it out of the tank into a bucket, out a window or what have you, but youll still get water splashes pulling the pumps out after your done.

[Novice101]

I'm following on this one

[Bent]

The way mine is set up is like this:

RO unit fills a brute can.
Ball valve feeds another brute under it.
I have a couple power heads and a heater in the bottom can.
I pour salt in the bottom can, flip a switch and it turns on the power heads to mix it.
Once the temp and SG match the DT, I flip a switch and turn off the ATO pump, flip another switch which turns on a pump in the sump.
The sump pump is plumbed over to the mop sink. After I have drained a certain amount of sump water, I flip another switch that turns a pump on in the salt mix container that is plumbed to the sump. I fill the sump with the new water occasionally flipping on the ATO to check the level.

Done. Takes me all of 5 minutes to change about 20 gallons.

[jd371]

Laundry room is near the DT. I run a python with the faucet adapter to the slop sink in the laundry room and siphon the sump under the DT. When I'm done siphoning 10gl. I disconnect the Python from the faucet adapter and attach it to a small pump and drop it in a Brute with fresh saltwater and replace the 10. It takes about 30 minutes.

[Indymann99]

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Indymann99BWCsystemjpg.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Indymann99BWCsystemjpg.jpg.html)

[Marchillo]

I don't do anything fancy

If you go the bucket route buy Home Depot buckets with covers and spilling problem solved.

I setup I large towel in front of my tank with 2 empty buckets and 2 new saltwater buckets. I siphon out water to fill the two empty buckets with old water. I take the same hose and attach an mj1200 to it and pump the new water back in. Then dump the old water down the sink. Again you can use the covers to stop splashing.

Disclaimer I do have my wife hold the hose in the tank while I manage the pump. But I could make it work with clamps and suction cups of needed.

[Bent]

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Indymann99BWCsystemjpg.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Indymann99BWCsystemjpg.jpg.html)



^ that's almost exactly like my setup.

[Marchillo]

I just use the aqueon large water change thing they sell at petco. It's got the big gravel tool on one end and the hose on the other.

[Foooz]

My plan next weekend is to "t" in my return pump discharge with a valve and hose. Draining will then be easy using return pump. Filling I just use 5 gallon bucket and pour in.

[SALTYwaterDOG]

If you have a gravel vacuum without a pump to start the siphon. You can start the siphon with out sucking. Place your vacuum end in the tank submerged. Point the open end up and lift. The water in the vacuum end will be forced down the drain tube. Be sure to resubmerge the vacuum end before it emptys. Tada you've got a siphon, no saltwater or spiders in your mouth. :eek1:

[Pmj]

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Indymann99BWCsystemjpg.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Indymann99BWCsystemjpg.jpg.html)

Nice setup, hope to do something like this one day, but quick question, how do you know how much you have drained?

[Breadman03]

My Neptune DOS does it for me. I've got 4 kids and am at work about 60-65 hours per week, so less maintenance makes for better results.

[Bent]

Nice setup, hope to do something like this one day, but quick question, how do you know how much you have drained?

I have a one gallon jug with the top cut off if it. I just use a stop watch on my phone and time how many seconds it takes to fill up the jug.

If the jug fills up in 5 seconds and I want to drain 20 gallons, than I do 19x5=1 min 35 seconds. (19 because I already drained one to time it.)

So I flip the switch and start the timer. Let drain for 1 min 35 seconds and I've drained a total of ~20 gallons.

[Skaters216]

nice drawing very helpful to some

[fixedpoint]

Great ideas. Thank you.

A follow up question, it seems like simplifying mixing the saltwater would help too. I loved the idea of flipping a switch having the saltwater mixed. Do you just fill it using a float valve (a set amount) and then use a standard amount of salt? I am still stuck using the add salt and check later approach.

[stingeragent]

What are you mixing in? Get a sharpie or something and mark a fill line. Then add salt and keep track of how much. Once its where you want, always fill to that amount and use however much salt it took you the first time

[fixedpoint]

Usually I mix 30g at a time; however, I need to set a timer and then come back and stop filling them. This leads to variable fill volumes. Which makes the process less predictable and more time consuming.

I think I just convinced myself to get a float valve and a large measure device.

[stingeragent]

Yea. I would either rig up a float valve of some sort, or get your RODI water made in a sep container and then move it to the other one. I have a 39 gallon tub of RODI that I always keep filled. I make my saltwater in 5 gallon bucks, have my fill line. I put the salt in first, then fill it up from the 39 gallon to the bucket, but I also do 5 gallon w/c so it works for me. You just gotta look at your whole process , and think about what would make it easier. I used to also make my RODI water into 5 gallon buckets. Had to check it every hour to make sure it doesn't overflow, switch buckets , etc. Then I got that 39 gallon. Would never go back to doing it the other way.