Big water changes

[380reef]

if you have a 300 gallon plus tank how do you do 25% water changes!!!!!!???????

 

[f1shman]

siphon the water out... then add it back in. im not sure what your asking, could you clerify? :joy:

 

[380reef]

ok so lets say I build a 500 gallon in wall tank in the middle of my living room... how do i do water changes for 100 gallons or more???? Do I need a pump that rund threw my walls to the outside???? How would I move or change that much water??

 

[f1shman]

Aha. Good point. That I Don't know the answer for

biggest tank i have at the moment is a 75 so i just siphon the water into 5 gallon buckets, and then slowly add the new water. I'm sure someone will know!

 

[f1shman]

OR maybe you don't have to with a tank taht big? I mean they don't do big water changes at say.. the Shedd Aquarium in chicago, i don't think lol

 

[jon321]

perhaps do smaller water changes more often?
Jon

 

[f1shman]

Jon = Genius

 

[ophiura]

Yup, they do water changes at public aquaria! Sometimes tens of thousands of gallons at a time :yes: In many cases it is one of the only forms of nitrate export available to them. There might be some restrictions on whether they can just pump the water down the drain. But they do them.

 

[f1shman]

Sweet

 

[tthemadd1]

I think that boston just pumps theirs in and out of the ocean.....It is on the water almost. As long as they test it I would imagine that would be the best method....

 

[380reef]

ok... but what about for my house... What would the best way be for me to move that much water and then replace it????

 

[ophiura]

Is this a free standing tank or do you have a fish room in back or something? Suppose in its basic form it comes down to having a pump and a hose and pumping it down the drain. In more advanced situations, it may be like a pool filter where you backwash the filter or drain water out through it.
The other thing would be to do several smaller changes. A single 100g change may seem like a lot but 4 25g may be more manageable.

 

[thangbom]

...how is your tank set-up?? there are many ways to do things... fishroom?? fishroom w/sink?? where do you get your replacement water and stor it?? i dont have a big tank like u do but it's a 155.. but it's something.. i do 45 gal wc orso every month..so.. well let me just tell your how mine is done and u can give more info on yours as u go..
ok tank is on the main floor.. and about 6'' from the house main door.. i have 2 big trashcans
i bought the i only use for tank stuff and nothing els ever go's into them.. i harvest the ro/di water in the kitchen that is way on the other side of the house.. when done i drag the 2 cans over to the 155... add and mix the salt for 1 day or so.. next day i get my 25' garden hose i specifically bought for wc's.. i use the hose and shyphone the water out the front door and into the street .... (this is the part that u can change.. like if u have a sink or u can even cut your main plumbing line if it's anywhere close and run a drain somewhere in a fishroom if u have 1... or use a window instead of the front door )anyhow.. from there i use a power head and pump my new salt mixed water from the cans into the sump... and then let the main return pump bring it back to the man display...

 

[stessman]

i dont think that he actually has a tank that big he is just wondering how you would do it if he did.

 

[380reef]

I dont have a tank that big. My current tank is 75 gallons... I just want a tank that is 300 gallons+ very soon so i wanted to know how to change that much water.
Thanks for all the help.

 

[moraymike]

Originally Posted by ophiura
Is this a free standing tank or do you have a fish room in back or something? Suppose in its basic form it comes down to having a pump and a hose and pumping it down the drain. In more advanced situations, it may be like a pool filter where you backwash the filter or drain water out through it.
The other thing would be to do several smaller changes. A single 100g change may seem like a lot but 4 25g may be more manageable.
I gow with the more frequent smaller water changes... :yes:

 

[philgmiami]

Originally Posted by 380Reef
if you have a 300 gallon plus tank how do you do 25% water changes!!!!!!???????
thats 75 gallons :yes:

 

[triggered]

We have a 125 gal. and ThaNgBom does what we do. We have two 45-50 gal. Trash cans with rollers on one side. One holds the new water, the other holds the old water. We use a vacuum to siphon off the old water from the tank into one can. Then we use a pump to put the new water into our sump. We then wheel the old water outside and dump it.
We just had to find a place to put the cans while they are not in use. It isn't that difficult. It only takes us about 8 to 10 minutes from start to finish. Peace

 

[fishnerd]

Originally Posted by ophiura
Yup, they do water changes at public aquaria! Sometimes tens of thousands of gallons at a time :yes: In many cases it is one of the only forms of nitrate export available to them. There might be some restrictions on whether they can just pump the water down the drain. But they do them.
I just did a 43,000 gallon water change last week. The exhibit is 215,000 gallons. Yes, public aquariums do LARGE water changes.
We must report any spills/dumps to the bay over 1,000 gallons to the DNR. If its going to the sewer there are no restrictions on volume.

 

[ophiura]

LOL, you are lucky on that capacity. We were severely restricted because we only had storage capacity for something around 10,000g at a time. Yet another significant design flaw where I once worked.