Water change reservoirs?

[snakeblitz33]

Hello all...
I've seen this on another forum here and there... so I wanted to get your opinions.
Anyone ever heard of a water change reservoir? Lets say you have a 100g plastic container that drains from the bottom. You circulate tank water through this reservoir - which increases the stability of the water by adding much more water volume. Then, when you get ready for a water change, you empty this water from the reservoir, shut it off from the main system using ball valves and let your tank go on and run like nothing happened. Then, you let your RO/DI Unit auto fill your reservoir... mix in your salt with an external pump, test it for the correct parameters and match it to your display tank... and then put it back online. The reservoir then starts to circulate the new salt water into the system at a rate which you set.
So... what do you think?
I personally think it's a great idea for larger systems... 180+g tanks... especially if the tank has a fish room or a place to set the reservoir. I believe if I set up a large tank with a fish room - like I intend to do... I will take this approach.
So... How small scale do you think you could do this? I think with the proper planning - this could be done with any size system... But then again, at which point is small too small or too large too large?

 

[acrylic51]

Curious.....Any pics.....Don't see a real advantage to having a mixing station.....

My big question is how do you get the reservoir inside the larger container.....

 

[snakeblitz33]

The reservoir is not inside the larger container. It's just one container.
The container is used to add water volume to the tank - it's put "online" with a pump. Then, for a water change, the reservoir is taken "offline", drained and topped up with RO water and then you mix your salt in it. Once the new salt water is the correct consistency - you put it back "online" and it continues to add water volume to the tank. The display tank never has to have the power shut off to it.
You essentially could increase the volume of your aquarium by X number of gallons without having it attached to another aquarium or sump. It's just a display tank water holding container until you drain it and mix new saltwater in it while it's offline.
No pics, but I could draw something up in paint for yah if you would like...

 

[snakeblitz33]

I re-read my original post and changed it. The way I worded it - it made it sound like there were two containers. Sorry. lol

 

[acrylic51]

I was baffled Seth.....I understand what your getting at, kinda like my water mixing station where I have a 160 gallon vat and a 65 gallon vat.....Still don't see the real gain.....If you have room for the vat why not just run a large sump in the space or yet bigger tank......

 

[snakeblitz33]

One of these reservoirs could add additional water volume to the system... more than what a normal sump could hold. Especially if it is a large upright round plastic container.
While your water change station is not in use - you could hold tank water in it.... It would be maximizing space and water volume...

 

[acrylic51]

This is my 160 gallon vat.....Don't know if I have a pic of my 65 gallon, but not quite as tall.....The 160 gallon vat I had to remove the door from the hinges to get it inside the house......Would you honestly see any real gain from the added water volume......

 

[snakeblitz33]

If you had that vat on a 100g display tank - yes.
If you had that vat on a 600g tank... probably not.

 

[acrylic51]

So I take it your looking at the dilution end of things.......

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/391723/water-change-reservoirs#post_3475705
So I take it your looking at the dilution end of things.......

Dilution and stability...
It takes a lot more energy to heat up and cool down larger bodies of water... so temp is more stable.
It takes a lot of fish waste to fowl a larger body of water.
You utilize the space you have with it - kinda like having a dual use for a water mixing station.
You never have to turn your tank off for water changes.
You can use the water in the reservoir as saltwater top off if you are gravel siphoning sand, rocks or your sump... You never have to turn the tank off to operate.

 

[reefkprz]

its basicly an empty sump with the ability to be shut off from the main system. I dont see anything wrong with it. in a medium to small system the added water volume would be nice. it would make draining and refilling easier. IMo for it to be an effective water change system it would have to total about 30% (give or take) of the volume of what its attached to.
say you used a 5 gallon bucket for a 5 g nano you would be doing spectacular 50% water changes everytime, now that would be sweet.
the only major flaw I can spot is by doing that your not removing any detritus from the display tank by stirring it up and blowing off your rocks or spot siphoning.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by reefkprZ http:///t/391723/water-change-reservoirs#post_3475784
its basicly an empty sump with the ability to be shut off from the main system. I dont see anything wrong with it. in a medium to small system the added water volume would be nice. it would make draining and refilling easier. IMo for it to be an effective water change system it would have to total about 30% (give or take) of the volume of what its attached to.
say you used a 5 gallon bucket for a 5 g nano you would be doing spectacular 50% water changes everytime, now that would be sweet.
the only major flaw I can spot is by doing that your not removing any detritus from the display tank by stirring it up and blowing off your rocks or spot siphoning.
You could set it up to where you have a vinyl hose line that is connected to the input of the pump... The vinyl hose can have any kind of attachment to it that you can use to gravel vac the sand, sump, rocks, etc. and the detritus and everything can be kept contained in the reservoir. Once it is completely filtered out, you can turn a few valves and flush the reservoir out and start a new salt mix. There would be a few technical things that you would have to do though. You might have to empty half of the container into the sump and turn the pump off, then replace the stand pipe and let it fill again with the waste from the tank. Simple - and not a lot of work involved.

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by reefkprZ http:///t/391723/water-change-reservoirs#post_3475784
its basicly an empty sump with the ability to be shut off from the main system. I dont see anything wrong with it. in a medium to small system the added water volume would be nice. it would make draining and refilling easier. IMo for it to be an effective water change system it would have to total about 30% (give or take) of the volume of what its attached to.
say you used a 5 gallon bucket for a 5 g nano you would be doing spectacular 50% water changes everytime, now that would be sweet.
the only major flaw I can spot is by doing that your not removing any detritus from the display tank by stirring it up and blowing off your rocks or spot siphoning.
The problem I see with your major water change 50% on a 5 gallon is excessive depending on how it's run.....At times larger changes aren't always better.....The tank would never stabilize if you performed this feat IMHO every 2 weeks.

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391723/water-change-reservoirs#post_3475799
You could set it up to where you have a vinyl hose line that is connected to the input of the pump... The vinyl hose can have any kind of attachment to it that you can use to gravel vac the sand, sump, rocks, etc. and the detritus and everything can be kept contained in the reservoir. Once it is completely filtered out, you can turn a few valves and flush the reservoir out and start a new salt mix. There would be a few technical things that you would have to do though. You might have to empty half of the container into the sump and turn the pump off, then replace the stand pipe and let it fill again with the waste from the tank. Simple - and not a lot of work involved.

Your just tempting me to go back to Chemtainer and buy more vats aren't you..........

 

[snakeblitz33]

:flame:   Your just tempting me to go back to Chemtainer and buy more vats aren't you..........
Hah. I dunno. I'm just talking and theorizing about my own personal dream tank in the future. Trying to work out kinks in the system theoretically before I start putting it together.
Use the info however you wish!

 

[snakeblitz33]

Oh, and the thing we are theorizing with the 5g tank,... It would be a 5g tank with a 5.5 g sump and a 5g water reservoir totaling about 12.5g total. Then a 5g water change outta the reservoir wouldn't be too bad. Plus, you could control just how much new water was introduced into the system over time and the actual tank and sump never have to be turned off. Corals never have to be exposed to air. I think that would be one of the main benefits.
Hah, I figured out how to suck detritus outta the system and sump just now- quickly and efficiently without having to turn the display or sump off. !!!