I'm new to the saltwater game and have been playing around with my first nano tank for a year or so. I think I've been bit by the saltwater bug. This stuff is so much more addictive than freshwater. I currently have a 300 gallon freshwater tank in my living room which I am thinking about converting to saltwater. My question is....how do you do large water changes on a tank this large? Currently I just hook my python up to the tank and drain about 30-40% per week and fill it back up, right from the kitchen sink. I have well water so no need to worry about chlorine. How do you guys mix and store such large quantities of water? Is it worth the effort with a tank this large?
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Advice from Big Tank Owners 200+
- Thread starter ChocolateStarfish
- Start date
Our system is about 500g with a sump in the basement. We plumbed our tank into our waste line so that when we need to do a water change we just drain 100g from the basement system and replace it with well mixed SW. We store the 100g in 2 55g drums during the water change and have another 55g drum setup to hold RO/DI.
Otherwise, yes. We'd just drain 20% of the tank volume every 2 weeks.
Welcome to NJRC (and to the addiction)!
Otherwise, yes. We'd just drain 20% of the tank volume every 2 weeks.
Welcome to NJRC (and to the addiction)!
Definately think you should still get RODI.
Also I'm not sure how your Fresh water tank is set up. But just know that the silicon that is used to join the corners will absorb any copper if you've used copper in your fresh water stystem. It will seap out over time into yor salt water tank. This is just something I've heard so I'm not too sure on how accurate the info is.
Also I'm not sure how your Fresh water tank is set up. But just know that the silicon that is used to join the corners will absorb any copper if you've used copper in your fresh water stystem. It will seap out over time into yor salt water tank. This is just something I've heard so I'm not too sure on how accurate the info is.
Thanks for the replies guys. I will definitely get a RO/DI system if I convert it to SW. I've never treated the tank with copper or any other meds for that matter. Guess I've been lucky. Thanks for the tip, I didn't know about copper leaching back. I'm still thinking about the logistics of the whole thing. I don't have a basement (only a crawlspace) so I don't know how I would store all that water. It would be FOWLR; can anyone give me an estimate of how much water I would have to store, how often I would have to change it, and how to store it? I don't want to do anything crazy, (not yet)just a simple community type SW tank. I have a spare bedroom; maybe a plastic drum or two in the spare bedroom?
Hi ChocolateStarfish, welcome to NJRC.
There is a member here (Raskolnikov) who frequently has access to these really nice 55g drums with snap down lids. He sells them at a very reasonable price and they go like hotcakes whenever he has them. If you could get hold of one of those, or something similar, I think you'd be in good shape. Depending on where the spare bedroom is in relation to your water source, you may even be able to hook your RO/DI into it with a float switch so that it stays full all of the time.
How ever you go, you should get a used Mag pump or something and some 3/4" hose to make moving water efficient and with minimal mess.
Just out of curiosity, where are you located?
There is a member here (Raskolnikov) who frequently has access to these really nice 55g drums with snap down lids. He sells them at a very reasonable price and they go like hotcakes whenever he has them. If you could get hold of one of those, or something similar, I think you'd be in good shape. Depending on where the spare bedroom is in relation to your water source, you may even be able to hook your RO/DI into it with a float switch so that it stays full all of the time.
How ever you go, you should get a used Mag pump or something and some 3/4" hose to make moving water efficient and with minimal mess.
Just out of curiosity, where are you located?
Get a 55gallon Rubbermaid or Brute garbage can and fill turn your RODI on the night before a water change. Depending on which RODI untit you can be filled by the next afternoon. Then wipe out the garbage can, put the lid back on, and store it in a garage until the next time you use it. It's really not that much work.
Not that's it's a big difference but I personally think doing 10% weekly changes is more healthy overall then 20% every two weeks as the water is more stable. It's also easier in that you don't need as much water made up at any one time and this does seem to be a concern for you. Do you have anywhere you could keep a 32 gallon brute trash can full of SW near the tank?
If not near the tank, someplace else? You could use the python to remove water as you do now and then connect the python to a pump in the made up water container and pump it back to the tank from a more distant location.
I know you mentioned you didn't add any copper to the system but since you were running well water it would be wise to run coppersorb (or similar product) the first couple month if you convert to SW as it will remove any metals that leach back from the tank. After a couple of months (one jar full) you should be fine. This might not be important but it's probably worth doing just to make sure any potential metals aren't present...
Carlo
If not near the tank, someplace else? You could use the python to remove water as you do now and then connect the python to a pump in the made up water container and pump it back to the tank from a more distant location.
I know you mentioned you didn't add any copper to the system but since you were running well water it would be wise to run coppersorb (or similar product) the first couple month if you convert to SW as it will remove any metals that leach back from the tank. After a couple of months (one jar full) you should be fine. This might not be important but it's probably worth doing just to make sure any potential metals aren't present...
Carlo