Water changes

[RTKBA308]

Currently, I use the 5G HD buckets for water changes. I have a 32 gallon RM brute, I would like to keep all my salt water in there, instead of the 5 gallon buckets. My question is, if I take 5G out of my tank for the water change. How would I know when I've siphoned 5G out of the RM Brute and into the tank? Just eyeball it?

Hope this makes sense, I just reread it and confused myself .

 

[SDguy]

Just fill the brute with 5g, mark a notch. Another 5. Mark a notch. That's wht I did, in both my new mix can and drain old water can.

hth

 

[InLimbo87]

you could use something like a post-it note to mark the level of the tank before you start draining water... Something like that...

 

[RTKBA308]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9285617#post9285617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Just fill the brute with 5g, mark a notch. Another 5. Mark a notch. That's wht I did, in both my new mix can and drain old water can.

hth

I was thinking that, mark it with a sharpie marker. But, do you think the marker would eventually wear off and into the water? Would it do any harm?

 

[RTKBA308]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9285624#post9285624 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by InLimbo87
you could use something like a post-it note to mark the level of the tank before you start draining water... Something like that...

I guess thats true, maybe use blue painters tape.

 

[SDguy]

Or just scratch the mark with the edge of a razor blade or knife.

 

[suasponte2/75]

hmmmm...maybe this sounds too obvious but why can't you siphon it back into the 5G bucket that you used for the WC (after you've dumped it of course)?

I have a 40G Brute and do this myself. Am I missing something?

Minh

 

[RTKBA308]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9285969#post9285969 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by suasponte2/75
hmmmm...maybe this sounds too obvious but why can't you siphon it back into the 5G bucket that you used for the WC (after you've dumped it of course)?

I have a 40G Brute and do this myself. Am I missing something?

Minh

Well, thats what I'm trying to eliminate. Right now I do it from the 5G buckets. I want to be able to just roll the Brute to my tank and siphon directly to my tank. If I siphon from the Brute to the 5G bucket, it defeats the purpose(eliminating the bucket process).

 

[Froggy]

Do you use a sump? If so, just mark the sumps water level with something when the tank is running. Drain 5 gallons when you change the water and refill from the brute until the sump fills to the full mark with the tank running.

If no sump, you can do the same by marking the tank itself.

This way no matter how much you drain with the water change, you will always replace the same amount of fresh saltwater to the fill/full line.

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

yeah, I go by my sump level too, then the container du jour makes no difference. (I use the return plumbing joints as my markers actually since the initial level chosen was arbitrary)

 

[illal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9285638#post9285638 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RTKBA308
I was thinking that, mark it with a sharpie marker. But, do you think the marker would eventually wear off and into the water? Would it do any harm?

mark it on the outside of the tank :hammer: if it wheres off do it again...

 

[suasponte2/75]

OOH... got cha . I have a 2x40G (Fresh/Salt) Brutes that are in my garage but I wouldn't be able to lift them filled past the garage door lip to my tank so I just use my old 5G buckets.

I also agree with the others to mark your sump if you have one. That's what I do even though I use the 5G buckets since I sometimes miscount how many gallons I've gone through so far after about the 5th bucket (I get easily distracted ). I also do 40-50 gallon changes on my monster.

Minh