Simplifying my water changes?

[fermentedhiker]

Not a new idea by any means, but in getting ready to setup my first reef tank I wanted to somehow simplify the water changing process since I can't just run my python like I would for my freshwater systems.

What I'm thinking of(and hope get your opinions on) is having the first stage of the sump be a bucket. I got the idea from looking at the RDSB folks. I would use a 6 gallon bucket(from wine/beer making supply place) and drill it for bulkheads at the 5 gallon mark. Water from the display would drain into the bucket and then from the bucket overflow into the actual sump. The connection between the bucket and sump would be via some sort of quick connect/disconnect fitting(still researching what to use for these).

When I wanted to do a water change I would simply shut the return pump down and let this system drain into the sump until it ceased to siphon from the DT. Then disconnect the bucket from the system and dump it. Refill 6 gallon bucket from a 5 gallon bucket with premade NSW and reconnect it in the system and turn the pump back on. Then mix up a new batch of NSW in the now empty 5 gallon bucket and store for the next water change.

I realize this is nothing special. Also that people are doing similar things with remote NSW container and a combination of valve and a pump to do the same job, but I don't really have space for a remote container and it's associated plumbing.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[tanker]

What size tank??

 

[fermentedhiker]

Not completely decided at this point. Looking at either a 60 or 93 gallon cube at the moment.

 

[tanker]

The you will only be looking at less then a 10% WC at a time.

 

[OrionGirl]

Agreed--that's a very small water change. However, the concept is feasible, I'd just recommend that you repeat it to be doing 20%+ water changes at a time. A larger mixing container shouldn't be too difficult to obtain.

 

[Hr0th9ar]

+1^ or do water changes every day but that would end up being counter productive of what you're trying to accomplish.

Sent from my SGS4 Active

 

[greech]

Sure, it will work but agree you will want larger volumes changed on that size tank. At least throw in some 15 to 20% changes once a month or so. Also, your going to want to do some water changes directly from the DT and/or sump at times. Lots of detritus build up in these tanks and it really needs to be siphoned out (once and a while at least).