Water Changes
- Thread starter kevin34
- Start date
hot883
Active Member
Mix RO/DI water with the required amount of salt in a clean container. Mix it with a powerhead and a heater for 24 hrs.
Remove desired amount of tank water and replace with newly mixed aged sw.
Top offs should be done daily to compensate for evaporation and is done with RO/DI NOT SW.
Water changes should be either weekly 5-10% OR 20% everyother week.
Remove desired amount of tank water and replace with newly mixed aged sw.
Top offs should be done daily to compensate for evaporation and is done with RO/DI NOT SW.
Water changes should be either weekly 5-10% OR 20% everyother week.
lion_crazz
Active Member
Originally Posted by Travis89
Reverse Osmosis/Distilled water.
That is not what it stands for. RO/DI stands for Reverse Osmosis De-Ionized.
When I do a water change, here is my process.
I have 2 trash cans. A good water bucket, and a bad water bucket. The two are never mixed. I have "good" on one, and "bad" on the other. Since I do 40 gallon water changes, I use a 45 gallon trash can.
Fill up a trash can with water. Pour the salt in. Guess-timate it the first time. Put a heater in, and heat it to the exact temperature of the tank. For the first 24 hours, put a powerhead on the bottom of the bucket/trash can to mix the water with the salt. Salt will fall to the bottom, so this is where you want your powerhead. After 24 hours has passed, bring the powerhead closer to the top to increase the oxygen. Dissolving salt with water uses the oxygen up in the water, so you need to replace this. You could use an airstone, but I just use a venturi powerhead because it sucks air in (I run 2 poweheads, one at the top, and one at the bottom, since I have such a huge trash can - you only need one). After the first 24 hours has passed, check the salinity and pH and adjust accordingly. If it is too high, add regular water. If it is too slow, add more salt. If your pH is different from your tank, check your alkalinity. Many times, you need to buffer alkalinity because there are some salts that you give a low alk level.
Once the salinity, pH, kH, and temp are EXACT to your tank, you are ready to do a water change.
When I do a water change, I never dump water into the tank. I have a 5 gallon bucket that I use to take water from my trash can. I put the five gallon bucket on the floor and pump water from the 5 gallon bucket to my sump using a small powerhead and some tubing. This way, the fish are not getting stressed out by you adding a lot of water to the top of the tank. They do not even realize that you are adding water to the tank because it is calm, plus all the water levels are identical to that of the tank. (Plus, this way is a lot less messy).
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.
Reverse Osmosis/Distilled water.
That is not what it stands for. RO/DI stands for Reverse Osmosis De-Ionized.
When I do a water change, here is my process.
I have 2 trash cans. A good water bucket, and a bad water bucket. The two are never mixed. I have "good" on one, and "bad" on the other. Since I do 40 gallon water changes, I use a 45 gallon trash can.
Fill up a trash can with water. Pour the salt in. Guess-timate it the first time. Put a heater in, and heat it to the exact temperature of the tank. For the first 24 hours, put a powerhead on the bottom of the bucket/trash can to mix the water with the salt. Salt will fall to the bottom, so this is where you want your powerhead. After 24 hours has passed, bring the powerhead closer to the top to increase the oxygen. Dissolving salt with water uses the oxygen up in the water, so you need to replace this. You could use an airstone, but I just use a venturi powerhead because it sucks air in (I run 2 poweheads, one at the top, and one at the bottom, since I have such a huge trash can - you only need one). After the first 24 hours has passed, check the salinity and pH and adjust accordingly. If it is too high, add regular water. If it is too slow, add more salt. If your pH is different from your tank, check your alkalinity. Many times, you need to buffer alkalinity because there are some salts that you give a low alk level.
Once the salinity, pH, kH, and temp are EXACT to your tank, you are ready to do a water change.
When I do a water change, I never dump water into the tank. I have a 5 gallon bucket that I use to take water from my trash can. I put the five gallon bucket on the floor and pump water from the 5 gallon bucket to my sump using a small powerhead and some tubing. This way, the fish are not getting stressed out by you adding a lot of water to the top of the tank. They do not even realize that you are adding water to the tank because it is calm, plus all the water levels are identical to that of the tank. (Plus, this way is a lot less messy).
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.
lion_crazz
Active Member
A sump is a tank under your display tank where you can store your heater, skimmer, pumps, etc.
There is a pump that is inside your sump or is drilled to your sump that pumps water up to your tank. There is a box inside or on the back of your tank that drains water down to the sump.
There is a pump that is inside your sump or is drilled to your sump that pumps water up to your tank. There is a box inside or on the back of your tank that drains water down to the sump.
barchtruong
Member
40g a week or 2?
if it's every 2wks at 20% then you have a 200g tank? that a good size sw tank.
I bet the tank keeps you busy everyday huh?
if it's every 2wks at 20% then you have a 200g tank? that a good size sw tank.
I bet the tank keeps you busy everyday huh?
lion_crazz
Active Member
Yep, I either do 20 gallons once a week or 40 gallons every two weeks on my 210.
A sump is very easy to manage. The best way to go is to make your own. It is much cheaper. They can be bought though.
A sump is very easy to manage. The best way to go is to make your own. It is much cheaper. They can be bought though.
lion_crazz
Active Member
Most LFS' carry them. All you really need is a fish tank and some acrylic to make baffles to separate things inside of it.
I have a 30 gallon fish tank under my 210. There are two overflow boxes in my tank that drain down to the 30 gallon. I have drilled a hole in my 30 gallon that leads to a pump. The pump then takes water from the sump (30 gallon) and pumps it back up to the overflow box where it is shot out of the overflow box.
I have a 30 gallon fish tank under my 210. There are two overflow boxes in my tank that drain down to the 30 gallon. I have drilled a hole in my 30 gallon that leads to a pump. The pump then takes water from the sump (30 gallon) and pumps it back up to the overflow box where it is shot out of the overflow box.
lion_crazz
Active Member
No problem! Post any questions that you might have or are wondering about.
lion_crazz
Active Member
You do not need a sump. You will be perfectly fine without one. That will just mean you have to look at your heater, filter, skimmer in your tank and on the back of the tank.
barchtruong
Member
Does the sump act as a filter also? do you put any fiber pads in the sump to filter out the debris and large particles? do you have any plants in the sump?
What if the power is out while you are at work and the pump stops working, water still continue to drain into your sump and soon, DT will be bone dry by the time you come home from work.
What if the power is out while you are at work and the pump stops working, water still continue to drain into your sump and soon, DT will be bone dry by the time you come home from work.
1
1tang2nemo
Guest
If you are using overflow boxes than you will only lose water until the water line drops below the overflow box, about 4-5 in. If you have a large enuff sump and leave room in it in case of a power outage than you will be fine.