Water change method?

[Witfull]

lazy is common,,,but takes alot of thinking.

its better to work smart than hard~~

 

[dwall174]

lazy is common,,,but takes alot of thinking.

I would like to say that it was all figured out on paper first! But truth is I’m glad that my system is in my basement & close to a floor drain!

 

[Woodstock]

Thanks Scott! Nice Dwall!! Unfortunately, I only have the stand area for hiding plumbing/accessories and I have to keep my set up aesthetically pleasing. I sure wish I had a basement!!

 

[dwall174]

Nice Dwall!!

Thanks!!

Unfortunately, I only have the stand area for hiding plumbing/accessories

Yea if I had to fit everything in a cabinet I wouldn’t have even thought of doing it like I did! My main tank is built into a wall & all the plumbing/equipment is in my laundry room.

 

[Reefreak]

I use buckets to remove water mainly to keep track of how much I am removing. I use a 35 gallon trash can that is hooked up to my RODI unit with a on off valve and a float switch I pump water from trash can directly to sump with a Mag 5. I then turn on the valve and the RO fills the bucket until the float turns it off and I mix salt for next week.

 

[BoomerD]

I put marks on my sump and tank at 5, 10, and 15 gallon increments, so I always knew how much water I was draining, and how much to add back in. I also had marks @ 1, 3, and 5 gallons in the sump for top-offs, so that was easier as well...

 

[MikeP]

I use a python connected to a garden hose to drain the old water out into the yard. Then I have a 44 gallon brute can on a dolley that I store the new water in, and use a powerhead with 6ft of plastic tubing to pump the water into the sump. The return pump then fills the main tank.

 

[Barcochris]

I use buckets right now but I am lookig to go to the trash can with pump method.

 

[oldsaint]

With almost 500 total gals of saltwater in the house I had to do something other than tote buckets around. I used masking tape on one end of each tank and sump and premarked it with 10 gal increments. Now I can pump water directly from the tank into the sink with out needing to measure it in 5 gal buckets. When it comes time to do a water change I use a garden hose with a pump attached to it. The hose has quick disconnects at each end for the pump. This allows me to move just the pump and leave the hose in place. To fill the tank water is pumped out of a 55 gal drum permanently located in my laundry room next to the ro/di system. I've got the process down to about 30 mins for both tanks. Most of that time I'm doing other things waiting for the pump to do it's job.

 

[Shells]

I use trash cans. My R/O is in the kitchen, the tank is in
the living room. We have to scoot the full can, (25 gal)
into the living room. pump out of the tank and into one
can and then from the full can into the tank..whew...

thanks to alot of you, i now have some great new ideas!!!

 

[Woodstock]

Yes, great ideas I am getting too!

 

[Kensn]

I have a dedicated Tee in my return to the sump with a shut off valve. I can hook a pipe up to this T and open the valve, close the valve to my sump, let all the water pump out of my sump, turn off main pump, close supply valve after the pump to stop siphon, and drain about 15 gallons out of my tank real easy...

 

[jetaero]

wow Ken! me personally. I use my python to drain... and arms to carry buckets of RO up... LOL I mix it all up in trash cans.

-Josh-

 

[Island Hopper]

Marked my tank(150) on the side at 5 gal. intervals and simply pump it out to basement drain with small powerhead and hose. Mix my water in a trash container and reverse process.

 

[Woodstock]

I will mark my tank in 5 or 10 gal increments next time for sure so I can start using the python to remove water!

 

[WREKDYVR]

Kensn, when we set our 75 gallon up we plan to do something similar to yours. Right now we are are just doing the siphon hose / 5 gallon bucket water change. It's a pain, but it's only 5 gallons.

 

[reefjitsu]

I use the old bucket and siphon method. I noticed that no one mentioned vacuuming out detritus with the old water. To me, one of the most important parts of a water change is sucking the detritus off the live rocks and substrate. I also squirt the rocks with turkey baster to get at the detritus that has accumulated in crevices in the rock. It is also a good time to vacuum out any nuisance algae, if present. This is the main reason why I haven't plumbed in any drains for easy water changes.

 

[Woodstock]

I always blow the rocks prior to a waterchange and also stir the top part of the substrate while vacuuming.... removing diterus is my goal!!

 

[ivyvine1]

What is a Brute trash can?

 

[Woodstock]

http://www.toolup.com/productinfo.asp?ID=2643&Man=Rubbermaid