Please review my water changing routine!

[sixline]

Hello all,

I've been doing some non-traditional things as far as water changes and tipoff and was wondering if it matters and why.

My aquarium is a full on reef tank and is 110 gallons. I have a RO/DI unit and make new water that I place in two Rubbermaid 55 gallon plastic trash cans. Each trash can has a small circulation pump that aerates the water. One of the two is connected to a Litermeter dosing pump and automatically tops off water lost to evaporation. Nothing controversial yet, I think.

The second 55 gallon trash can is what I use for water changes. When I want to do a water change (5 gallons a week), I just mix up some saltwater and let it sit for a half hour with a heater and circulation pump, and then remove 5 gallons from my tank and add this fresh new water. I add it slowly to the sump over the course of an hour and do not see any drop in temperature, even though the new water may be slightly cooler. I am thinking of increasing to 10g a week water changes.

Questions:

Is it a big deal that I haven't let the newly mixed saltwater stand for longer? Why or why not? I think I get a pretty good salinity match, and am changing a relatively small amount and adding it slowly?

Or, should I have add salt to the whole 55 gallon rubbermaid that I use for water changes? The reason I stopped doing this is that the last time I did it, the heater I used had a bit for coralline on it. I noticed the coralline was growing, and was worried that it might be consuming some of the nutrients in the salt mix.

Any tips for improvement would be appreciated!

 

[mr_tap_water]

Hi there
IMO People that do water changes on average I would say to 10% a week of the total volume,
Different brands of salt usually state how long you should be mixing it for and how long to leave it before adding it,
leaving it a certain length of time is to allow the salt mix to mix Thoroughly and allows it to airiate and for your PH and Kh to rise to the correct level, Also you should be hating the water to the same temperature of your tank so the SG matches A couple of hours before introducing it, this way you're not upsetting chemistry balance in your tank even though it's my only be briefly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

+1 mix salt by companies recommendations

lots of good salts - I am currently using Red Sea's Coral Pro and one thing I do enjoy, is the mixing only takes 1-2 hours

Mixing Red Sea Coral Pro salt

Partical extraction...
Mixing instructions:

Mixing Instructions:
1. Use RO water that is at ambient in the UK a temperature of approximately 20OC/68OF is optimum .
2. Accurately weight the salt and measure the volume of water according to the salinity you wish to achieve.
3. Pour the salt gradually into the water. Do not pour water onto the salt.
4. Mix vigorously (without aeration) for approximately 0.5 - 2 hours, until all of the salt is dissolved and pH has stabilized to 8.2 – 8.4” - DO NOT mix for more than 4 hours.
5. When mixed, raise the temperature and add to the aquarium. (Not absolutely necessary for a small water change)

 

[DaveK]

...
2. Accurately weight the salt and measure the volume of water according to the salinity you wish to achieve.
...

I've got to take some exception to this, even though the manufacturer wrote it. Salt can absorb a massive amount of water, and this can throw off the salinity when you mix it. By all means measure the salt, but be prepared to make some adjustment after it's mixed. My preference is to mix it a little high and then use RO/DI water to dilute the mixed water to the salinity you want.

Keep in mind that with typical water changes of 10 to 25% if your slightly off it's not going to cause a big problem. For example, if you do a 20 gal water change on a 100 gal tank and the mixed water is 1.027 and the tank water is 1.025, the net change in salinity is only about .0004.

 

[lesley]

Why not use the litre metre to do your water changes ?
I use it to change 20ltrs a day
Or 133ml every 10 mins

I know it can be set from
100ml to 100 ltrs with the press of 1 button

 

[DaveK]

Why not use the litre metre to do your water changes ?
I use it to change 20ltrs a day
Or 133ml every 10 mins

I know it can be set from
100ml to 100 ltrs with the press of 1 button

This works well as far as doing water changes, but it costs about $280 (I assume your using the SpectraPure LiterMeter III pump), and the constant use does put a lot of wear and tear on the internal tube. It's a possible solution, but not for everyone.

 

[sixline]

Why not use the litre metre to do your water changes ?
I use it to change 20ltrs a day
Or 133ml every 10 mins

I know it can be set from
100ml to 100 ltrs with the press of 1 button

An interesting idea, but I'm not really too bothered by my current routine as far as efficiency is concerned. I actually like doing water changes. Put some good music on, start a slow drip line and watch my tank a bit until I need to add the replacement water.

My main concern in starting this thread was to check whether or not it made much difference if I mixed water in advance or not. I'm also considering mixing it up in the 55 gallon until I use it, but am concerned about stuff growing in the water.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

I have 2 65g containers one that is always filled with RO/DI and one with NSW. I have a pump that is constantly mixing in the NSW container. Probably the biggest reason I keep so much on hand is just in case. I have a 90g tank so I can easily do a 50% WC with no notice.