Water Change question.

[k-rok]

Ok, I guess I'm feeling a bid lazy here. I've had fresh water tanks for a few years now and the water change has been made a lot easier by using a Python syphon hose. Now that I am into the saltwater scene, I can't use the python - I have to revert to using the old syphon tube/gravel cleaner and syphon into a bucket instead of the sink. This is messy and time consuming. (even more than usual!) Plus, when it comes to saltwater tanks, you have to mix salt in a bucket of water and then dump it in which stirs everything up in the tank. Am I making this too difficult? Is there an easier way? How can I make my water changes easier???? btw, I have a 75gal. tank with 55lbs of LR and 9 fish - has been cycled for over a year. :thinking:

 

[jdboy]

Why can't you use your Python to pull the old water out of the tank? That's the same product I use. I hook it to the sink to reclaim the old water and then unscrew the hose from the faucet fixture and put that end into the tank. Then I remove the gravel vac tube and place that end of the hose onto a barb fitting on the pump that I use to pump the fresh saltwater back to the tank. I use a 20g Rubbermaid container to mix up new batches of water and make sure you let it set with a powerhead or air pump going overnight to let everything stabilize. Hope this helps!

 

[jakebtc]

I have those 5 gal buckets with handles that most lfs have/sell/loan I own about 5 of em
I turn off my top off unit and take out 5 gallons of water while vacuuming the gravel into a 5 gal bucket
then take my pre mixed 5 gal of salt water from the lfs and siphon it back into my sump and plug my auto top off unit back in

 

[jakebtc]

I think I know what you meant by this.. lol
if you mark the tank or sump with a chaulk line where the 5 gal "or whatever you take out per water change" is on your tank, then you can still use the python to just dump the water down your drain and you know when to stop "when it gets to the set chaulk or tape line
I use the containers because this is what I'm taking out and putting right back in
and if you do the mix your own water method, you may want to buy a rubbermaid garbage can or whatever size suits you for your size tank and just put ro/di water in it and your salt and let a power head or some sort of circulation pump (and maybe a heater) run in it a day before you do a water change

 

[sagxman]

If you don't want to dump from the big bucket into your tank and stir up the sand, why not siphon the new water into smaller containers like milk jugs and pour them in? Much easier to control.

 

[jokerj]

try this.
I use 10 rubber maid tubs. I use one with a small power head and heater to mix my salt water. when I go to do my change I have another rubber maid tub of the same size and use the power head with a peice of tubbing i got from home depot and hook that to the power head. I put the power head into the tank and pump water out to tub and then use the same power head and tube to pump water mixed up back to tank. If you get a long enough tube then you should be able to reach a sink or something to pump it out. I hope this may make things easier than trying to dump a bucket into the tank and you are not having to shiphon water either. This may not work for everyone but it works for me!! I hope this is a help.

 

[jokerj]

sorry it is 2 rubber maid tubs not 10. supposed to be 2 10 gal tubs!! Sorry about that.