Huge Tank Water Changes - how do you do it?

[LittleFish]

Right now I have a tiny little 14g nano setup going on and I use little 5g buckets to do my water changes and I think that's cumbersome enough. How do you manage 20-30% water changed in a 200-400g tank!?!?! Do you use huge garbage cans? How long does it take to scoop the water into the tank or do you use a pump or something? I'm really just curious and want to know what I would be getting into when I eventually decide to upgrade.

 

[BigAl07]

I've never done any more than 60g at one time (that was on a 90g system and not a "Normal" water change).

On my 90g I used 35g Brute Trashcan(s). I found it was easier to do a 30g water change in my 90g tank than a small 5g or so in a 12g tank. The reason is because 30g in the trash can was easy. Can in front of tank, mixed on Sunday, Water change on Monday and never carried a water bucket. I simply turned off Return Pump which completely filled up the 29g sump. I pumped the water from the sump out (into drain or outside depending on outside temps) and simply put the pump into the salt water bucket and pumped the sump FULL again. Whole process of Water Change (not salt mixing etc) took less than 10 minutes and was almost drip/drop free usually.

 

[Robzilla]

Most use 1 or several large containers like a Brute trash can. Most of us here are pretty creative and have no intentions of doing any physical labor of any kind You will find that a lot of people use a pump. I just unplug my return pump, plop it into my new water bin, and plug it back in so it pumps quickly into my DT. A few others may chime in here for other ideas.

 

[soco]

What i do for water changes is. I have a bin full of saltwater mixing in the bathroom on the other side of the wall from where my tank is. I ran a tube from through the wall ( yes i put a hole in the wall but its really small). I mix the sw in the bin the day before. Then when i'm ready to do my wc i turn off my return pump. All Let as much water as will fit flow back into my sump and then i take a maxijet powerhead and pump the water from my tank thru the tube to the drain in the tub behind the wall. Then when the tank has drained enough i take the pump into the bathroom and reverse the process and just pump the fresh saltwater back into the tank.Almost not water on the carpet and not carrying buckets

 

[LittleFish]

Ahhhhh... You all are very sneaky with your reef-keeping. I learn new tricks every day.

 

[BigAl07]

Tricks are the FUN part of it

 

[lcstorc]

3 tanks 125,90,30 =

Top container has fresh water which is used for the auto top-off (and washing of hubby's spoiled rotten car). Bottom is salt water. Siphon water out of tank to bottom of driveway. Pump in barrel of salt water used to mix and pump the new water into tank.
A bit of an investment (but not as much as most people think) and planning = really easy water changes.

 

[BigAl07]

A bit of an investment (but not as much as most people think) and planning = really easy water changes.

Don't let Lynn fool ya... she's SAVING money using this set-up because she's not damaging the house with salt water EVERY where! Frank built this out of necessity


Great looking set-up too. One of the best and one I hope to emulate one day

 

[sasquatch]

Dr Kynes...Bless the maker and his water, bless the coming and going of him, may his passing cleanse the world and my tank lol

 

[jpsika08]

This is how I do it on my 600g System:

RO/DI unit connected to the RO/DI water only container and using a float valve to avoid overflow:

Then I can transfer water into the Saltwater Mixing container (Left one in pic below) using one pump and both of these connected with valves to manage flow:

And, here is the delivery connector which I use to pour mixed salt into the sump:

All the process takes me 10 minutes and I change 60 gallons per week.

 

[Funlad3]

I fill up three 5gal buckets in my laundry room, (Filtered via carbon block... Shame on me.) walk them twenty feet to my room and drop next to tank with a sigh. Add salt, heater, and half broken RIO 2500+. Siphon out 15 gallons into three other 5-gal buckets, fill tank with Rio/Maxi-jet-mini-jet. Haul away filled 5 gal buckets. Dump in toilet. Watch TV with some lemonade.

In the future? Same thing I guess. Why not?

 

[jjmoneyman]

I have a hose that runs from the tank, out the cat door, and outside. Start a siphon and start draining. Hook hose up to pump that has been in the bucket mixing the salt for a day or two and pump it directly into the sump. It pumps slightly quicker than it siphons so I just have to let it siphon for an extra minute or two. Did a 20 gallon change yesterday and it took about 10 minutes. I also have a 50' hose on my RO/DI unit so I string that across the house when I'm filling the bucket back up.

 

[lcstorc]

Don't let Lynn fool ya... she's SAVING money using this set-up because she's not damaging the house with salt water EVERY where! Frank built this out of necessity


Great looking set-up too. One of the best and one I hope to emulate one day

No fair. I do not get salt water all over the place. I only get it on the electrical connections.

 

[steved13]

I'm a little limited on space and I rent, so it limits what I can do. The most I've done at one time is 10% 25 gals. I have a 32gal brute that I roll out. It has a float valve mounted and I slip the RODI line into the float valve and turn on the flow. When the container is up to level I add the salt components and allow it to mix. I have an extra tap on the manifold from my return pumps that I connect a hose to and put the other end down the drain. I open the tap and drain the water out until the level drops and the switch shuts off the return pumps, and I close the tap. I then use the pump that mixes the water in the brute and place hose in the sump and fill the sump back up with the "new water", when the level rises the switch turns the return pumps on and into the DT, I pump the remaining "new water" from the brute, into the sump and let it circulate for a bit, then I open the tap and drain the sump to the proper level.

 

[soco]

Lynn and Juan you guys are inspiring..... and i thought my wc were easy

 

[mbdave]

You have to remember this one rule as most posters obviously did here it's, "Don't just plan the tank, plan the system".
God Bless,
Dave

 

[BigAl07]

Very well put Dave