those with bigger tanks--how do YOU change water?

[Jamie1210]

Bigger tanks as in 100 + gallons

Since I started reefing back in the early 2000's, I've always mixed salt in 5 gallon Coral life buckets by hand, checked the salinity for 1.025-1.026, and then dumped the freshly made water in--again, all by hand.

Now my tanks are 135 and 110 gallons and lifting 20 gallons of water for each tank is a big pain--literally! I'm getting OLD(!!) and I have achy elbows and shoulders! lol

So, to those with bigger tanks, how do you personally do it? Let's hear it!

 

[saltyfishd]

Get a long hose for draining and pumping freshly mixed saltwater where ever you mixed it at.


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[s2k]

Drain water to sink and use a maxi jet with a hose to pump water back into the sump from brute mixing container. No carrying buckets around...

 

[hammystank]

I use a barrel to mix salt with a pump over night. Then I send it to the tank with a long hose connected to a return pump. I'm not old I'm just lazy haha

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[saltyfishd]

I use a barrel to mix salt with a pump over night. Then I send it to the tank with a long hose connected to a return pump. I'm not old I'm just lazy haha

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Your not lazy. It's being smart!


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[hersheyb]

Get tri to do it? Lol

I stop changing water years ago... I'd rather dose trace elements. Which has work perfectly for me based on my triton test results

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[m0nkie]

beside the daily auto water change system. once in awhile i use 45gal trash cans, fill up 6 of them and do mass wc

if i had the space, I'd use a large tank nearby sharing same sump and only hold water. acts to double the water volume and have drains for easy wc. refill with ato, mix salt, then reconnect to sump.

 

[minus9]

I run reef moonshiners, so I stopped doing water changes too. When I was doing weekly water changes, I used two brute cans on casters, one had the fresh saltwater and the other was for old tank water. I bought a lifegard 3000 pump (super cheap), which I used to mix up the new batch of water and to pump the new water into the tank. The empty brute can had a mark on the inside indicating how much water I had to remove. I used two hoses, both 1", one to drain the water from the tank and the other was attached to the pump. All I had to do was plug it into a outlet strip (with an extension cord) and simply turn it on with my foot. I used a small container to "catch" the water being pumped into the tank from the hose so it wouldn't splash everywhere or knock over anything in the tank. I can change 10g to 20g in less than 5 minutes. If my tank backed up to the garage or a fish room, then I would've plumbed a mixing station right to the sump. My fish closet isn't big enough to hold a mixing station, so the two brute cans on wheels really helped and I don't have to allocate a large area to hold them. When not in use, I simply stack them and roll them out to the way in the garage.

 

[jabel]

Two brute trash cans. One for fresh rodi for topoff and one for making saltwater. I use my water topoff pump to fill the tank when I do a water change. I remove water and then my topoff (aqua lifter) slowly ads the new water back over about 12 hours. The slow rate reduces the need for water parameters to match perfectly.
To me it takes the least amount of work.

Important when making salt water. Fill with rodi 1st, then add salt and mix over night. Most salt mixes need the time to completely disolve and adding salt 1st or before water is full can irreversibly precipitate trace elements in the salt mix which can compromise its quality.
Jeff

 

[BeanMachine]

Get tri to do it? Lol

I stop changing water years ago... I'd rather dose trace elements. Which has work perfectly for me based on my triton test results

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Same.

 

[Jamie1210]

Thanks for everyone's input. I don't have enough room at home to be storing large brute cans, and my tanks are nowhere near a sink unfortunately. I do, however, like the idea of using a long hose to drain all the way to the nearest sink!

I run reef moonshiners, so I stopped doing water changes too. When I was doing weekly water changes, I used two brute cans on casters, one had the fresh saltwater and the other was for old tank water. I bought a lifegard 3000 pump (super cheap), which I used to mix up the new batch of water and to pump the new water into the tank. The empty brute can had a mark on the inside indicating how much water I had to remove. I used two hoses, both 1", one to drain the water from the tank and the other was attached to the pump. All I had to do was plug it into a outlet strip (with an extension cord) and simply turn it on with my foot. I used a small container to "catch" the water being pumped into the tank from the hose so it wouldn't splash everywhere or knock over anything in the tank. I can change 10g to 20g in less than 5 minutes. If my tank backed up to the garage or a fish room, then I would've plumbed a mixing station right to the sump. My fish closet isn't big enough to hold a mixing station, so the two brute cans on wheels really helped and I don't have to allocate a large area to hold them. When not in use, I simply stack them and roll them out to the way in the garage.

Are you wheeling around brute can with mixed salt water? Is it easy to push?

Also, how're you discarding the old tank water after it's in the brute container?

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[minus9]

It's very easy to push around with the casters, but if you have uneven floors or carpet, then it may be a little difficult to navigate? I either roll it to the guest bathroom that has a shower and drain it there (while running a little freshwater) or drain it outside to one of my inground drains in the patio. If it's more than 20 gallons, then I usually have to put a small piece of wood next to the threshold gong outside or simply put the lid on and roll away.
Run reef moonshiners and you'll do away with water changes. It's so easy to follow and the cost upfront isn't that much compared to other methods.

https://andremueller.e-junkie.com/product/1620933


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[Jstndnhyr]

I use two 32 gallon brutes 1) and on top for fresh rodi water and 2) bottom for mixing saltwater. Plus a pump and long hose (~25 ft) to move water from the garage to my 150gallon. I tapped into the hot water heater as the source of water (the cold water coming in, not the hot water going out).

If you have the garage space it works really well.

 

[s2k]

Ask tri to help with water changes - he has more time now without a reef tank

 

[vanbro1]

I have 2 ato's on the tank one for fresh and the other for salt. When it's water change time I just turn one off the other on, I pull about 10 gallons at a time. Just need to remember to switch it back to fresh on apex. I usually have about 50g on hand of both

 

[Jamie1210]

Wow, these methods are sounding fancier and fancier. I appreciate all the ideas!

This is what I'm staring at right now haha

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[pga7602]

Thanks for everyone's input. I don't have enough room at home to be storing large brute cans, and my tanks are nowhere near a sink unfortunately. I do, however, like the idea of using a long hose to drain all the way to the nearest sink!




Are you wheeling around brute can with mixed salt water? Is it easy to push?

Also, how're you discarding the old tank water after it's in the brute container?

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Gave her these ideas years ago... She just didn't want to hear about yet another piece of equipment lol. By the way... Her closes sink is actually less than 20 ft away. 30ft from her biggest tank actually. Totally doable and she's can always mix in the restroom. :love1:

I choose not to live this kind of lifestyle and instead downgraded to 1 simple tank of lps and softies. Oh and a humongous pleco tank :bdaysmile:

 

[pga7602]

Ask tri to help with water changes - he has more time now without a reef tank

These are crazy ideas

 

[hersheyb]

These are crazy ideas

Lol

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[isseym328]

I kind of enjoy doing it manually for now since I'm working from home and have more time on the weekends. 25g each week for a ~190g DT and Sump. Takes under 30 mins. A decent workout too carrying the jugs from garage to tank.