Water changes 180

[pells61]

I have a stocked 180 with 55gl sump, my total water vol is around 200 gal minus rock displacement and such. This is all at the school i teach at mind you so I can not drill into other floors or rooms, I am confined to a wall at the back of my classroom.

I do monthly 45 gallon water changes which I am trying to find time to whittle down to bi-weekly 25 gallon changes. However it is a **** show trying to do these changes. I use a five gallon bucket that I fill up 8 times to try to meter our how much water I remove. It takes me to shut off my skimmer and all pumps in my sump, drain that. Then take about a ft. of water out of my display that causes corals to become exposed. This whole project with media change takes me about two hours by my self.

My question is how do you big tank owners do water changes efficiently?

I was thinking that I could set up a 45 gallon bruit trash can that circulates water from my sump into the bottom from a bulk head fitting then over flow with a fitting at the top back into my sump. I figured that when water change time comes I can close the check valve into the trash can, empty all the water and fill it up again with fresh salt water again. This way all i have to do is flip the check valve back on and and the tank would have a water change and never known it has happened.

Please let me know what you folks do for large water changes in your system.

I can provide a drawing by it may look like I have a neurological disorder so try to image my setup before i have to draw it!

 

[ostrow]

Only flaw is check valves fail. True union ball valve may work better but not a Home Depot one. Get a GFI or Hayward. Or ... Get a hang on overflow and manually siphon that way.

But only way to make easy is if can connect to a floor drain.

For refill yeah if you can swing a brute on wheels, then all you need is an MJ1200 or similar pump to refill.

At home all I do is flip two valves then flip them back. One to drain from sump, one to fill from reservoir.

 

[pells61]

Ostrow,

Why cant I just put a bulk head fitting at the bottom for a feed then a bulk head fitting at the top with a PVC pipe coming off the barb that leads back to the sump? as the water fills the container and reaches the top bulk head it should just spill into the pvc pipe and back into the sump.

Also, because of the kids in the room i would like to seal the garbage bin with a top to avoid miscellaneous object from finding there way into the reserve. Would sealing the container lead to a mildew problem?

Thanks

 

[DopeCantWin]

I have a 125 underneath my 210 split into 3 sections, 80 for a sump and 2 x 20 for water changes. I have pumps going between them and a dj power strip to turn them on and off. Takes about 10-15 minutes per water change, no lifting water at all. Making it this easy makes for an easy way to do weekly water changes.

 

[pells61]

Dope,

is one of your 20 gallon sections connected to your sump? I am imagining that you have one 20 gallon partition that is just circulating fresh salt water and the other 20 is connected to your sump. When you do a water change you just sever the connection between the sump and the first 20, empty it and refill it off the other 20? Then begin to fill the last 20 with RO water?

I have never owned such a big tank before nor have i been confined to such a small area. Sorry for all the questions, if you guys have any other recommendations for me I would love to hear some big tank advice.

 

[DopeCantWin]

Dope,

is one of your 20 gallon sections connected to your sump? I am imagining that you have one 20 gallon partition that is just circulating fresh salt water and the other 20 is connected to your sump. When you do a water change you just sever the connection between the sump and the first 20, empty it and refill it off the other 20? Then begin to fill the last 20 with RO water?

I have never owned such a big tank before nor have i been confined to such a small area. Sorry for all the questions, if you guys have any other recommendations for me I would love to hear some big tank advice.

The walls between them are high with no way for the water to circulate. There is a pump in the 80 that goes into the first 20 and a pump from the second 20 going into the 80. So the procedure is
1. Turn on pump from 80 into first 20 until full then turn off
2. Turn on pump from freshly made saltwater into 80 until empty
3. If not being used for quarantine, connect hose to a pump in the dirty water 20 leading to drain pipe until all dirty water is removed.

The partition for the freshly made water is connected to an RO/DI on a float valve. So the instant its empty it starts refilling. To make saltwater I have a measured container which I fill with salt and throw in there. Then run a pump to mix it.

 

[pells61]

Thanks for the rundown. If or when I rebuild my sump that may be an option for me. it sounds like its an easy way to do water changes. do you have any worries about the weight of the water on the 80 gallon side pushing against the glass with no water on the 20 side to push back?

 

[DopeCantWin]

Thanks for the rundown. If or when I rebuild my sump that may be an option for me. it sounds like its an easy way to do water changes. do you have any worries about the weight of the water on the 80 gallon side pushing against the glass with no water on the 20 side to push back?

It's been okay for about 9 months now. It's sectioned using glass secured with just silicone. I'm not 100% sure of the details, Matt from Sho Tank built it for me. I designed it and he somewhat had the same worry you have. A lot of the time I have water left over in there for quarantine, or because I was lazy, and just empty it at the beginning of the water change.

 

[taylor t]

I have a 210, so it's 4" taller. Basically same size as you have, but a little more water (210 + 40 + 40 + 20). I USED to use (2) 44 gallon brute cans with wheels. Fill one with old water, pump new water back in to system with other one. What a pain that turned into.

Now, I have a 50 gallon vertical container that I keep filled with new SW ready and heated to go, with a valve at the bottom of it. (I have the same problem with space, so I wanted a smaller footprint for waterchanges) I don't know what kind of space your restrictions are, but if you can keep a vertical tank next to your display, that's by far the easiest, but not the cleanest looking. I use a 1 1/4" hose to drain the display right into the sink, then open a valve from my container to refill. Literally, takes less than 5 minutes to do a 40-45 gallon change. I ran a 3/8" poly from my tankless RO to fill the storage container. RO is under my sink, 15' away. Might take 2 hours to fill the container.

Storage container is from farm and fleet. 18"x18" footprint. Norwesco storage tank. I have an eheim 1248 or 1250, dont' remember the exact model, running in it all the time, with a 100 watt heater set at 81-82* (I keep my stuff 81-83*, most people don't like it that warm, set it to your choice of temp). Uses a whole bag, and then some, of reef crystals in a box (200 gallon box comes with 4 bags). Easy peasy.



I drain my display right into the sink next to it (you may need a brute on wheels if your sink is far enough). 1 1/4" hose. Drains quick!


I run the hose from the storage container to my sump, then open it and let my return do all the work.


Preparing the water takes more time than changing it.

 

[pells61]

Taylor,

Looks great and sounds like a breeze. My wife is a teacher at Naperville north HS and that is where we have set up the tank. We have 4 ft between a door and the end of our tank, and i think something like your set up would work nicely. The only problem I see is that I will still loose water out of my display, uncovering corals as the water drops.

We would love to check our your set up one day and get some ideas for our own tank.

 

[Teaggs]

I have a 210, so it's 4" taller. Basically same size as you have, but a little more water (210 + 40 + 40 + 20). I USED to use (2) 44 gallon brute cans with wheels. Fill one with old water, pump new water back in to system with other one. What a pain that turned into.

Now, I have a 50 gallon vertical container that I keep filled with new SW ready and heated to go, with a valve at the bottom of it. (I have the same problem with space, so I wanted a smaller footprint for waterchanges) I don't know what kind of space your restrictions are, but if you can keep a vertical tank next to your display, that's by far the easiest, but not the cleanest looking. I use a 1 1/4" hose to drain the display right into the sink, then open a valve from my container to refill. Literally, takes less than 5 minutes to do a 40-45 gallon change. I ran a 3/8" poly from my tankless RO to fill the storage container. RO is under my sink, 15' away. Might take 2 hours to fill the container.

Storage container is from farm and fleet. 18"x18" footprint. Norwesco storage tank. I have an eheim 1248 or 1250, dont' remember the exact model, running in it all the time, with a 100 watt heater set at 81-82* (I keep my stuff 81-83*, most people don't like it that warm, set it to your choice of temp). Uses a whole bag, and then some, of reef crystals in a box (200 gallon box comes with 4 bags). Easy peasy.



I drain my display right into the sink next to it (you may need a brute on wheels if your sink is far enough). 1 1/4" hose. Drains quick!


I run the hose from the storage container to my sump, then open it and let my return do all the work.


Preparing the water takes more time than changing it.

Is the holding tank in an area that is higher than your tank or does it not matter? I am asking cause I could put one in my garage which is about 25-30 ft from my tank but its not going to be sitting higher than my tank. I would think the force of that much water once you open the valve would still push through the line anyways to the tank?

 

[E Rosewater]

Water will equalize to the lowest point. If your container is lower than your tank, your tank will drain and overflow the container.

I use a python, it hooks to the faucet and uses an aspirator to draw the water from the tank and down the drain, I've marked the tank to know how far down to take it. Then use a submersible pump to pump the water into the tank from a brute can.

 

[Teaggs]

I really like the idea of the holding tank. So, just put a heater and pump in there to keep it until use in the main tank? Thats it? How big of a pump for say a 55 gallon holding tank?

 

[GumbyIl]

You don't need a pump if the holding tank is above the sump. Just put a bulkhead fitting near the bottom with a ball valve on it.

Drill the sump for a drain if you have a floor drain or use one of those aspirator deals if you have a sink. Open the ball valve enough to replace the water as it drains. The water in the sump can go up and down a lot if you have overflows without effecting the water level in the tank dramatically.

I had water changes down to two ball valves and no more than 10 minutes on my 180. I did 20g a week.

 

[jfuka78]

I use a 55 gallon drum. My return pump is tee'd off with a valve to my sewer. Close the valve the tank open to sewer. Then top off with the barrel and pump. I never really did water changes untill I made it a quick ten minute job on my 180.

 

[ostrow]

Ostrow,

Why cant I just put a bulk head fitting at the bottom for a feed then a bulk head fitting at the top with a PVC pipe coming off the barb that leads back to the sump? as the water fills the container and reaches the top bulk head it should just spill into the pvc pipe and back into the sump.

Also, because of the kids in the room i would like to seal the garbage bin with a top to avoid miscellaneous object from finding there way into the reserve. Would sealing the container lead to a mildew problem?

Thanks

Not sure I get this....