water changes

[ktkreegs]

The search is not working for me.

I was wondering if anyone could help me with my water changes. Do you have a specific technique for doing water changes. How much salt to add to the water? How long to let it sit before adding to the tank?

Is there a thread with step-by-step instructions.

I seem to always mess up, and add to much salt. Was hoping to find measurements to gallons type of directions.

 

[Mish]

As a starting point, you want your new water to match the water currently in the tank. Temp and salinity should be the same. I use Reef Crystals and I mix 1/2 a cup per gallon, or 2 1/2 cups per 5 gallons. I then add 1/4 cup to the 5 gallon mix to make my salinity 1.024. Then let mix for 24 hrs.

 

[Yose]

I generally pump water into a 30G trash can which has a Mag 7 mixing pump and a heater. I add salt and measure SG with a refractometer until the water is 1.026. It generally takes me 3 days of slowly adding salt to get the SG up to spec. Some people mix their water and immediately add it to the tank. I like to let the water stir for at least 3-4 days before doing a change.

Once the water is up to SG and temp, and has had some time to age, I start the change... I use a power head to pump water out of the display. While water is being pumped from the display, the Mag 7 stirring pump is pumping water back into the sump. This method works well for me.

There are a lot of opinions on water changes... This is just one.

 

[ktkreegs]

See the problem that I seem to have is that I just think to much.

I have a 30 gallon tank.
Say my tank salinity is at 1.026.

I make a 5 gallon bucket of water change = 1.026

I take out about 2 gallons from my 30 then add 2 gallons from my water change bucket.

Should my salt level increase in the tank? or stay the same?

Why is it that if I add top off water everyday, about a gallon every two days, that it doesn't lower my salitity?

Not sure if you understand me because I really don't understand me.

 

[Yose]

Assuming your sg in the bucket and your tank match and you aren't replacing evaporated water with salt, the SG shouldn't shift on a water change.

When water evaporates, trace elements are left behind... Hence evaporation will shift SG upward. Adding fresh makeup water should pull the SG back to your baseline. Adding too much freshwater will shift your SG down.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6536431#post6536431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ktkreegs


Why is it that if I add top off water everyday, about a gallon every two days, that it doesn't lower my salitity?

Not sure if you understand me because I really don't understand me.

The reason is that when the water evaporates, just the water itself evaporates. Leaving the salt behind. So when you put topoff water back in ( fresh water ) it brings the salinity back to normal.

HTH

 

[kamil5000]

The salt in your tank stays in your tank and does not evaporate with H2O, so when you add top-of water to replenish evaporation you are bringing Salinity back to its normal levels (i.e. 1.026).

If you did not add top-off water, your salinity in the tank will keep on increasing (as water evaportaes) until eventually all you have left is the salt and no water.

I hope that clarifies your question a little.

Also, a hint on adding salt to freshwater to make new Saltwater for water changes; add the salt into the fresh water in stages as too much salt added in one go will cause calcium to parcitipate which is not too good - but that's another story. Also this way you add, mix, test salinity little by little so as not to over shoot the target.

Good Luck.

 

[kamil5000]

LOL, you beat me to the answer Todd.

 

[Pandora]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=754906

As I said there, I use a Python No-Spill to empty the tank into the sink through the faucet. I premix SW in a 20 gal rubbermaid with a heater & pump inside. Then I attach hosing to the pump and pump it back into the sump. No lugging buckets at all, and it takes me about 40 min total, including 30 min of mixing time that I can go do something else in.

 

[Fast Fred]

You should add salt slowly to the 5g bucket, mix it well, then check the salintiy, and add more salt if nessisary, mix it well again and retest. Repeat this until your salinity in the bucket is 1.026.

Your tank should also be at 1.026.

Only fresh water evaporates from your tank. Top offs are done with fresh water only.

For a 30g tank, you should be changing 3-5 gallons per week. Easy to do...get a second bucket and vacuum out detritus from your tank until the bucket is near full. Then add your new water to the tank. Done.

 

[ktkreegs]

Thank you for all your help. I understand now.

I love reefcentral! So easy to get questions, answered fast!

 

[Pandora]

Sorry, that was the wrong link. Here's the one:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=754305