how do you change your water
- Thread starter reeferlover
- Start date
reeferlover
New member
well i have added a 15gal aga that i have laying around with a heater and mj900. plan is to have that running a few days before the change. ill drain from my display and plug the mj900 to the ato. that way as i remove the water from the display it will add back to the sump. once in a while i will clean the crap out of my sump
REEF SMAC
New member
I have a separate 60g water change sump plumbed into my system. A small amount of my return pump flows into this water change sump. The WC sump has an overflow that drains back into my my main sump.
I shut off the flow to the WC sump.
Pump it dry with a Mag 5 and a hose to a drain.
Refill it with RO water and salt.
Let it mix overnight with the same Mag 5. (without the hose)
Turn the flow back on.
Done.
Never have to carry buckets.
You can regulate the flow to acclimate the new water to your DT as slow as you want.
I shut off the flow to the WC sump.
Pump it dry with a Mag 5 and a hose to a drain.
Refill it with RO water and salt.
Let it mix overnight with the same Mag 5. (without the hose)
Turn the flow back on.
Done.
Never have to carry buckets.
You can regulate the flow to acclimate the new water to your DT as slow as you want.
For my 210g i unplug the return then i start a syphon into the bathtub, i have 30gal marked on my tank once i reach that level i stop the syphon and i go to my water change barrel in my garage and i pump the new water into the display. Takes less than ten minutes to change 30gals.
njreefermadness
Member
I make up a 35 gal Brute can of salt h2o in my basement. I have an identical 35 gal brute on wheels near the tank. I start siphoning (mouth siphoning and I use single malt whisky as a mouth disinfectant after siphoning, this adds to the enjoyment of my weekly water change). I siphon out detritus , etc. into the brute on wheels.
After I pull out a full can upstairs, I plug in my pump from my fresh salt water in the basement and pump right into the display tank, usually down behind the rock work. When done, I have a smaller submersible pump I use to pump my old water down the kitchen sink.
No bucket hauling or dumping .
That's how I do it.
Herb
After I pull out a full can upstairs, I plug in my pump from my fresh salt water in the basement and pump right into the display tank, usually down behind the rock work. When done, I have a smaller submersible pump I use to pump my old water down the kitchen sink.
No bucket hauling or dumping .
That's how I do it.
Herb
blakers82
Member
How often are you draining/cleaning your WC sump? Do you clean sump/display of detritus and how often?
Happy Holidays everyone!
blakers82
Member
I've done WCes a few different ways. My most used method was using an ATO in salt mixed reservoir to keep the system running and quickly match what I would suck out if the display. I'm kind of back to basics now. I premix my salt in a Brute for a day or two up to temp while matching params if need be.
I start by using a Maxijet to blow detritus out of rock crevices and other places of entrapment. I keep my system running during this time of suspended detritus...I will be discarding the current filter sock directly after the change. Also if needed, I scrape my excessive back glass algae with a blade. I then shut the return pump, skimmer, and other accessories off while I suction out remaining detritus from both the display and sump if serious amounts are visible. For this system this water goes into a Brute on wheels. Wheels are nice.
I stop when the water level matches my salt water filled Brute. Return pump in Brute pumps freshly mixed saltwater water into sump/display. Replace filter sock and towel up.
I start by using a Maxijet to blow detritus out of rock crevices and other places of entrapment. I keep my system running during this time of suspended detritus...I will be discarding the current filter sock directly after the change. Also if needed, I scrape my excessive back glass algae with a blade. I then shut the return pump, skimmer, and other accessories off while I suction out remaining detritus from both the display and sump if serious amounts are visible. For this system this water goes into a Brute on wheels. Wheels are nice.
I stop when the water level matches my salt water filled Brute. Return pump in Brute pumps freshly mixed saltwater water into sump/display. Replace filter sock and towel up.
REEF SMAC
New member
I usually do my 50-60 gallon WC every week. Sometimes I get lazy and skip a week.
My WC sump does not accumulate very much detritus really. I will either siphon it off the bottom into a bucket or shop vac it out once in a while.
I will shut off my main pump and siphon the detritus off the bottom of my DT sump once maybe twice a year. I have a pretty large turn over in my sump and run the large 7"x30" socks so I don't seem to have a huge amount of detritus in my DT sump.
bogg
New member
When I had a tank plumbed in the garage to the main tank in the house I would have a brute can full of new water with a powerhead/hose and I had a long siphon hose that
Would go out to the driveway, drain off some water,
Plug in the pump for the new water then smile.
Recently I have two 5 g jugs one empty one full of new water and a siphon hose
Ill drain water from the display into the empty, take the new jug and set on top of the old
Siphon into the sump, done. Takes about a minute.
Would go out to the driveway, drain off some water,
Plug in the pump for the new water then smile.
Recently I have two 5 g jugs one empty one full of new water and a siphon hose
Ill drain water from the display into the empty, take the new jug and set on top of the old
Siphon into the sump, done. Takes about a minute.
Last edited:
