Water changes (1 Viewer)

[kgk]

I'm interested in hearing everyone's water change systems. I am not happy with mine. There's no water or drains in the part of my house where I have my tank. I have to make new ASW in my garage across my house, then transport on a cart, then pull water out & dispose of it in a sink or toilet... it's just a very labor intensive process.

What have folks done to make it easier?

 

[webster1234]

I use a Brute 35g trash can with the dolly that attaches on the bottom. Wheels around the house with ease. Wheel it over to the tub and dump, or start the siphon and walk away. For mixing, I have my RO and SW about 4' off the ground and gravity feed to my Brute. I can do a 50g water change in 20 min. Might not work as well if you have to cross a threshold into your garage though. I guess it depends on how many gallons you do.

 

[billw]

I use a Spectrapure Litermeter for automatic water change. The peristaltic pumps would make it possible for you to move water across the house through quarter inch tubing. Only labor is mixing water and keeping the fresh tank full.

 

[Diesel]

Believe it or not.............. I still do buckets and always will.
I feel if you do change water by hand you'll more connected to your tank.
How often really you hang under your tank and check all kinds of equipment?
Mostly only with a WC.
Besides that I was part of a study what and how much and when is the best way to change water on your DT.
Well, long story short, small more often water changes are the best.
In my case the best effect I have for my system is about 9/10isch gallon twice a week.
That said I do that with buckets, will remove one bucket of 4 or 5 give and take gallons from the sump and replace it with the same amount new saltwater that is tested for most parameters.
Than I clean skimmer cup and do another 4 or 5 gallons same way.
While all doing this I keep the system running, only I shut off my ATO and Skimmer
Looking at my monthly Triton test I have no short comings on my elements with this schedule.
All I do add is through the CaRx the desired ALK, CAL and Mag and by daily testing for No3, I dose a mix of RODI and Stump remover to keep my No3 in balance.
All that is about 15 min of work.
And if the time comes that I can't carry buckets around anymore I just simply stop being in this hobby.

 

[kgk]

I built a cart to wheel the water around.
http://i.imgur.com/sKcsXIz.jpg

It's still a big PITA, but the big wheels on the garden cart help. The trashcan would be great but it's nigh impossible to maneuver from my garage across different threshold bumps... and I'd still need a container to hold water for what I have to drain out of the tank.

The 5 gallon at a time, 5 days a week idea is interesting. Between travel & "life" I'm not sure I could change water that often...

 

[kgk]

I use a Spectrapure Litermeter for automatic water change. The peristaltic pumps would make it possible for you to move water across the house through quarter inch tubing. Only labor is mixing water and keeping the fresh tank full.

Could it go up basically three stories, across a hundred feet, and back down to the tank? That's my biggest worry with that setup. That, and having to run & change/maintain the 1/4" tubing.

 

[kgk]

e: double post

 

[kgk]

Believe it or not.............. I still do buckets and always will.
I feel if you do change water by hand you'll more connected to your tank.
How often really you hang under your tank and check all kinds of equipment?
Mostly only with a WC.
Besides that I was part of a study what and how much and when is the best way to change water on your DT.
Well, long story short, small more often water changes are the best.
In my case the best effect I have for my system is about 9/10isch gallon twice a week.
That said I do that with buckets, will remove one bucket of 4 or 5 give and take gallons from the sump and replace it with the same amount new saltwater that is tested for most parameters.
Than I clean skimmer cup and do another 4 or 5 gallons same way.
While all doing this I keep the system running, only I shut off my ATO and Skimmer
Looking at my monthly Triton test I have no short comings on my elements with this schedule.
All I do add is through the CaRx the desired ALK, CAL and Mag and by daily testing for No3, I dose a mix of RODI and Stump remover to keep my No3 in balance.
All that is about 15 min of work.
And if the time comes that I can't carry buckets around anymore I just simply stop being in this hobby.

One question. Do you mix ASW one 5 gallon bucket at a time? Or do you mix a big batch & tweak/temp in the bucket?

 

[Diesel]

One question. Do you mix ASW one 5 gallon bucket at a time? Or do you mix a big batch & tweak/temp in the bucket?

I mix on Saturday in my frag room which is in the garage in a climate controlled room.
Monday and Fridays I do a WC on the DT and Sunday and Wednesday on the frag tanks.

 

[Tangs]

I use a 5 gallon bucket...instant ocean... I then let gravity do its trick using 3 o2 tubings. I always use a conditioner for my water. I just full up the bucket using another smaller easy to pour bucket. .......works for me including no ick.......tangs in Cancun..

 

[chris85]

I use five gallon buckets every four days. Five gallons one time and ten the next. Mix it the night before. But mine is in a garage dont have to carry it more than thirty feet.

 

[billw]

Could it go up basically three stories, across a hundred feet, and back down to the tank? That's my biggest worry with that setup. That, and having to run & change/maintain the 1/4" tubing.

The pumps are spec'd to draw up to 25' and pump up to 60'. The 1/4" is standard RO/DI tubing.

 

[steveb]

Hey Keith - What about going through the outside wall, then underground to your garage?

Also if your looking automated check out Stenner pump (dual head). 100DMP4 - Buy Stenner pumps chemical feeders - $290.00

 

[kgk]

Hey Keith - What about going through the outside wall, then underground to your garage?

Also if your looking automated check out Stenner pump (dual head). 100DMP4 - Buy Stenner pumps chemical feeders - $290.00

I have thought about doing this. I'm not sure how to run piping under concrete, but I'm sure it must be possible...

 

[trb]

I have thought about doing this. I'm not sure how to run piping under concrete, but I'm sure it must be possible...

Just use a piece of PVC with a water hose attached and a small hole at the other end to blast the dirt away, like the sprinkler system installers do. Then run the tubing through the PVC pipe.

Luckily my tank is "close" to the bathroom by our study, so I only have to transport water using my hand cart and 15 gal containers about 35' each way. But when I get my other tank up, I plan to run a 2" PVC pipe through the wall, closet, and over to the sink drain to easily drain the water. Then I will run some tubing from the saltwater mixing tank in the bathroom back to the sump for the new salt water. Right now I have some tubing from an old Python water changer that I use to pump water around and it works well with my utility pump.

Maybe do something similar with a long piece of tubing and 100 ft extension cord to a pump. Drop the pump in the tank to drain it. Plug the pump into an outlet by the tank and put the end of the tubing outside or in a sink. Move the pump to the saltwater mixing tank and tubing end to the sump to fill the tank up with new water. Keep the pump plugged in near the tank and stand.

 

[Mark L.]

I have a 1/2 bath in my gameroom where my tank is. My wife calls it my laboratory I have my RO/DI unit mounted to the wall in there. Inlet and drain runs to sink next to it. Just on the outside of the restroom I keep a 65 gal. vertical container for mixing my saltwater. I run a long 1/4 tubing from the unit out to the container. I fill it with water then wind up the tubing and hang it back in the restroom on a hook. Next to my mixing tank I have an electrical outlet. I drop an internal pump into the container, plug it in and add salt.

After it mixes for for 24 hours I just let it sit until I'm ready to do a water change. On water change day I siphon water out of my aquarium with a hose that runs out my back door. To add clean water back to my tank I attach my aquarium hose to the internal pump and plug it in. The hose reaches from the holding tank across the room to my aquarium. I can do a water change in about 10 minutes. During that time I will clean my skimmer cup and sump. To make water changes even easier I bought some plastic containers that hold the exact amount of salt I need for the 65 gallon holding tank. I buy a couple buckets of salt and divide it up into these containers. That way I just have to grab one and dump it into the 65 gal. of RO/DI water with the pump running.

65 gal. holding tank

Pond Master 1200 internal pump (goes inside holding tank)

Python aquarium hose (screws onto internal pump for refilling aquarium)

PVC refill wand (made something like this to hang on tank and connect to Python hose so I don't have to hold the hose as I refill the tank)