Performing a water change

[Indigoblue12]

I just thought if this in my new tank.

How would one do a water change
In a 90g tank with a wood canopy
With t5 lights bolted to the top of the canopy?

.. Can u hook up like a maxijet pump to
Drain water out of tank and another one
To pump it back in if I want to get fancy?
I have a 20g ATO resivoir

 

[chris.scang]

I use a syphon to take water out and a maxijet 1200 to put water back in when I do water changes on my 180gal. I have a wood canopy with my lights installed inside too.

 

[gone fishin]

I use a syphon to remove water from the DT and I have a dedicated pump in my mix barrel plumbed to my sump to fill it back up.

 

[Indigoblue12]

A syphon? Do you have to take off the whole canopy


What would be the process of a reef tank
Water change.. Is it like freshwater?
Do you take out 20% once every 2 weeks?

Do you shut the return pump off first? Then
Do the water change? How often do you
Vacuum the bottom ?

I'm new to this but I have a ball valve on
My return and my drain.. Do you shut both off first ?

What is the usual method ?

I'm going to have to find a way to do this
With a large canopy

 

[JMorris271]

I always wondered why there isn't a bulkhead on the back side with a gate valve for quick changes in setups like that.

 

[glenns]

Do you have a sump? I start a siphon from a 5 gal jug on a chair into my sump. Then I use a gravel vac hose and siphon from my 90 into an old 5 gal jug for waste water. Normally I had two jugs to drain into and two with new water. Empty 1, fill 1, then start on the next one.

Now I just take 5 gal out twice a week and hook up the new water to my ATO which pumps water in slowly with an aqualifter.

 

[Kies1]

Turn return pump off, turn skimmer off and siphon water out so sump. Use a maxi jet pump to pump new water back into sump. Turn on return pump and skimmer, done. Change 5 gallons twice a week

 

[Indigoblue12]

Do you have to vacuum the sand once a week
Like u do in freshwater aquariums ?
Or for salt water is it just water changes
I hated vacuuming my freshwater

 

[glenns]

Sand vacuuming depends on depth of the sand bed. If it's shallow, 1 - 2 inches vacuum. If it's deep, > 4", don't. Mine is deep. I my vacuum the very top if there is detritus or diatoms, but I just hover over it and let the siphon draw the garbage off the surface.