New water change method?

[Scouter Steve]

I have been thinking. I know, bad idea. Actually I did this last week and was wondering if I should keep doing this.
Instead of shutting down my return pump, removing 30+ gallons of water, then pumping in 30+ gallons of mixed salt water; I pumped in 30+ gallons of mixed salt water let the system run about an hour with the nearly flooded sump then drained it down to normal operating level. The advantage I am thinking is if there is an imbalance of anything in the new water it would be diluted by the running sump much more then if I stop everything, drain the sump and refill. My display tanks has coraline on the back glass and in the past I get the die off on the top inch or so looking like a fresh haircut all the time. This would stop that. While the sump is flooded I siphon anything I see out of the DT and don't have to worry wether my ATO is working overtime and would have to clean alot to run my pump down to dry.
I realize I am not getting the full % of water change this way but do the other goods outweigh this one bad I see.
Tanks are a 120 and 125 display, 40 fuge and 90 for sump running half full (except during water change) My bio load is light at the moment and have trates of .25, 0 trites, 420 Ca, 9.3 dkh alk, 1350 mg 1.026 SG. 79-80 degrees.

 

[burning2nd]

30 and a 10 here... but i left the main tank drain back... i loose about 2.5" the "trim" is good.


i would try to remove as must as the water in the tank seprate from what is going to be added next.

 

[bluespotjawfish]

You can use a Python to remove water from the display tank, at the same time you are adding water to the sump with a pump (sized to pump about the same amount is the Python takes out). This will mix new water with old water in the sump before sending it to the display. You lose a bit of your new water this way, but pumps keep running and water stays at the same levels the entire time and you never put just new water into the tank this way, it is always diluted some with the old water. I usually do this method when I am doing larger water changes. Make sure you place the python as far from the return line as you can.

 

[Scouter Steve]

You can use a Python to remove water from the display tank, at the same time you are adding water to the sump with a pump (sized to pump about the same amount is the Python takes out). This will mix new water with old water in the sump before sending it to the display. You lose a bit of your new water this way, but pumps keep running and water stays at the same levels the entire time and you never put just new water into the tank this way, it is always diluted some with the old water. I usually do this method when I am doing larger water changes.

Good idea except I try to keep most of the water spilling in the basement. Also, I am back to hauling buckets which I can avoid in the basement.

 

[AQTCJAK]

Most of the tanks I service I drain from the sump when possible shut off the main pump & check vavles prevent the main tank from loosing water & replace the water in the sump & turn the pump on . Works like a charm

 

[Scouter Steve]

OK thanks for the input here. Just did my water change but I did it a bit different then last week. I overfilled my sump with my 30 gallons of mixed salt, let it run for a while 20-30 minutes then siphoned out of my first bubble tower trap that the two display tanks dump into which is a pieceof 6 inch PVC stood up in my sump to break the crash of water to my sump. I think this got mostly older water and never stopped my pumps. Everythings looks happy, zero flucuation of temperature, Ph stayed stable the whole time.

 

[burning2nd]

if thats what it takes keep it like that....
i also get zero flucuation or temp and ph..... my corals dont close when i do a water change,