akfirefighter
FrozenReefer
Hi I was woundering how everyone does their water changes? Do you buy sea water from the local fish store or mix your own? When mixing your own is there a standard amount of salt you use for a 5 gallon bucket of water?
water changes
- Thread starter akfirefighter
- Start date
shanet1975
Reefing newb
None of the lfs' around me sell mixed water. I have well water so I purchase the Walmart drinkng water (reverse osmosis filtered) and mix my own. I have found that it is about 1/2 a cup of salt to every gallon. You'll want to get a hydrometer to measure the saltwater. I bought the cheapo 6 dollar Instant ocean one and it works great.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I used to buy the water pre-made from the LFS. Then I'd just change the water out. I recently bought an RO unit, so now I'm making my own. The amount of salt you add depends on the brand you are using. Most brands have directions on the package, but you will still need to let it mix for a while then measure the salinity, then add fresh water or salt to correct it.
If you are making your own, prepare it at least 24 hours ahead of time in a bucket or tub. Add a small heater and a powerhead and let it mix. Before you add it to your tank, try to get the temperature within a couple degrees of your tank water. And make sure the pH is acceptable before you add it too.
If you are making your own, prepare it at least 24 hours ahead of time in a bucket or tub. Add a small heater and a powerhead and let it mix. Before you add it to your tank, try to get the temperature within a couple degrees of your tank water. And make sure the pH is acceptable before you add it too.
fishbait
I found Nemo
i mix my own using ro water from wal-mart. how much it takes depends on how strong you want your'e salinity to be.
RigoSharon
LIVING REEFS INTERN
i mix every week..using coralife sea salt..
Rcpilot
Reef enthusiast
I keep about 20g mixed all the time. I store it in a 24g rubbermaid tub.
I have been using Oceanic salt. Dump it in and turn on the powerhead. I keep a little 50w heater in there to keep it at 78F.
I have been doing a 5g--8g water change every week. My tank is new. I test weekly -- BEFORE I change the water. I might start going once every 2 weeks with water changes. If it all checks out and the fish are healthy, I'll stretch to once a month. Still only doing 5g--8g though.
I want to change my water as little as possible. It's a pain in the ass. Turn off all the pumps so they don't suck air and run dry. Move the lights. Fish are freaked out. I'm freaked out. Checking salintiy and double checking salinity and temp so I don't shock the tank.
My tank isn't using much calcium right now. My refugium is taking care of the phosphates and nitrates. I have some trace elements that I dose at 25% strength once every 2 weeks. Not much, just a little kicker for the inverts. Don't want to overdose them, but no way to test for all the trace elements in the tank.
I'm actually quite amazed at how stable my tank has been so far. It's so new and I've really been impatient with stocking it. I went from ZERO rocks to 27lbs and then a couple weeks later I added another 21lbs. Not a single spike or hit or nothing. Just stable. 20yrs ago this would have been nothing but an expensive disaster. We knew nothing of live rock, refugiums or macroalgae.
Ain't it fun?!?!? :^:
I have been using Oceanic salt. Dump it in and turn on the powerhead. I keep a little 50w heater in there to keep it at 78F.
I have been doing a 5g--8g water change every week. My tank is new. I test weekly -- BEFORE I change the water. I might start going once every 2 weeks with water changes. If it all checks out and the fish are healthy, I'll stretch to once a month. Still only doing 5g--8g though.
I want to change my water as little as possible. It's a pain in the ass. Turn off all the pumps so they don't suck air and run dry. Move the lights. Fish are freaked out. I'm freaked out. Checking salintiy and double checking salinity and temp so I don't shock the tank.
My tank isn't using much calcium right now. My refugium is taking care of the phosphates and nitrates. I have some trace elements that I dose at 25% strength once every 2 weeks. Not much, just a little kicker for the inverts. Don't want to overdose them, but no way to test for all the trace elements in the tank.
I'm actually quite amazed at how stable my tank has been so far. It's so new and I've really been impatient with stocking it. I went from ZERO rocks to 27lbs and then a couple weeks later I added another 21lbs. Not a single spike or hit or nothing. Just stable. 20yrs ago this would have been nothing but an expensive disaster. We knew nothing of live rock, refugiums or macroalgae.
Ain't it fun?!?!? :^:
yote
In Memoriam
I usually start 15 gallons mixing on sunday evening.Use just a tad over a 1/2 cup of Oceanic salt per gallon for a salinity of 35ppt.Drop in my Rio 1700 to keep the water churning and let it mix untill the next weekend.
Rc,
Thats the beauty of buying all cured rock.A lot of times you'll completely skip the cycle.
Rc,
Thats the beauty of buying all cured rock.A lot of times you'll completely skip the cycle.
Piggy
Reef enthusiast
I have a RO unit so I make my own water. My hubby makes beer so I had him get me one of the 5 gal bucket with spout. Make 2 batches. Store in gal jugs and use as needed. Also i do warm it to tank temperture or close.
hibye
Reef enthusiast
I do a water chage every month while syponing the gravel. i should do it once every two weeks but to much work. I do ten gals every month
Doc
I don't work for anybody
I do 10 gallons weekly. I just mix it, swirl it around for a bit and then dump it right into my tank. I don't heat it or anything. I tend to be a bit more lazy than the rest of the rest of the crew here in LR.
-Dr Marco :sfish:
-Dr Marco :sfish:
tizapolgar
Zymurgist
Like Dr. Marco, I'm a bit more lazy -
I mix with RO water from Wal-Mart or Publix (using Red Sea Coral Pro salt - mixes with great parameters), stir it up, then drop in a powerhead for a day or so. I don't heat it because usually the temperature in our apartment is within a couple degrees of the tank water.
We have a strange system - I remove three or so gallons from my 25 gallon reef, then replace with new water. The three gallons from the 25 go into the 40 gallon kind-of-reef-with-a-leopard-puffer tank, usually along with another 3 gallons of new water. Then, some of the water removed from the 40 are put into the 10 gallon random-tank-with-some-rock-and-hermit-crabs-from-the-Keys tank, which desperately needs a good cleaning right now :mrgreen:
Seems to work out okay, since the water I remove from the 25 is usually a-ok as far as parameters go, anyway.
I mix with RO water from Wal-Mart or Publix (using Red Sea Coral Pro salt - mixes with great parameters), stir it up, then drop in a powerhead for a day or so. I don't heat it because usually the temperature in our apartment is within a couple degrees of the tank water.
We have a strange system - I remove three or so gallons from my 25 gallon reef, then replace with new water. The three gallons from the 25 go into the 40 gallon kind-of-reef-with-a-leopard-puffer tank, usually along with another 3 gallons of new water. Then, some of the water removed from the 40 are put into the 10 gallon random-tank-with-some-rock-and-hermit-crabs-from-the-Keys tank, which desperately needs a good cleaning right now :mrgreen:
Seems to work out okay, since the water I remove from the 25 is usually a-ok as far as parameters go, anyway.
DesoShade
I'm a noooooob
Hmmm. I havn't done any water changes yet and my tank isn't fully established yet, but I'll be mixing it myself. I got distilled water from walmart and that's what I'll be using for my tank. Knowing me, I'll chang emy water every month. lol should be 2 weeks I know,but I'll go with 3-4 weeks.
Piggy
Reef enthusiast
Just make sure your paremeters are ok. I do a water change about once a month and my two fish and inverts are doing great. Got another fish in QT so it'll be awhile before he gets moved over to MT.
