Semi automated water changes

When it comes to water changes in smaller tanks it can be kind of a pain for me. I shut down the system completely except for lighting, syphon out 15 or 20 gallons, bring over the 5 gallon jugs that have had a heater in them overnight and slowly pour the water back into to sump, bottle by bottle right after turning the main pump back on. Isn't there an easier way? I read how large tanks just open a valve, I assume on the return line from the tank and another valve from a source of fresh water. Is that the full story or am I missing something?

 

Why not just get a small rubbermaid garbage can mix your water,heat it.Then pump it back into the tank??No good??

 

I try to let the water set for a few days in a 55 gal plastic drum, too heavy to carry in by the tank PLEASE a silver spoon! How do you do it?

 

When I had a larger tank I would place a towel under the can.Then simply slide it over to the tank.We had tile floors so it would slide easily.

 

I'm planning a semi automatic water change right now. The idea is to keep the new water ready in a shed outside, flip a switch by the tank to turn on the pump that delivers the new ware into the DT. THe draining will be manual

 

I've been looking into doing this myself the past 2 days and watching a bunch of YouTube video's to get some ideas. I've been wanting to set up my own RO/DI & Saltwater mixing station since because going to my LFS is turning to be too much of a hassle. The one closest to me seems to be shutting down or downsizing the store (they owners tell me they're not closing but workers don't know so they're looking for other jobs) and I lose time going to the LFS when I can have it all here. The real reason, I believe the past 2 months since they started to downsize I don't think they have changed the filters in either their RO/DI system or premixed saltwater tank (maybe both?) I'm getting more algae (hair algae) then ever before and I believe it might be from he water from my LFS. So I'm FINALLY going to invest in a RO/DI unit! I have a small 36 gallon tank and my wife has told me the past few days she seen me work less on our old 100 gallon then this 36 gallon tank. I do a water change on the 36 gallon every 2 weeks (sometimes 1x per week) along with having in my hands inside the tank 1x to 2x a week for something compared to doing a water change 1x a month when I had the bigger tank.. So she's been telling me maybe we should get a bigger tank!!!!! Woooooo Hooooooooo!!!!!

So I told my wife I'm done driving back and forth losing an extra hour doing a water change going to LFS when I'm going to build my own system at home. I'm thinking of getting two 32 gallon Brute trash cans and doing all the plumbing so I can have one being filled with RO/DI and other premix my own saltwater the night before I do a water change. I can have the system so I can fill jugs/buckets and eventually invest in a strong pump to eventually connecting a 50' to 100' drinking water safe hose that I can connect to saltwater system and pump out to the tank directly instead of lugging jugs/buckets from garage to living room.

I currently use is a DIY syphon system I made out of PVC to a hose & syphon water out to buckets. When its time to add saltwater, I connect the hose to a small pump and pump the water out to the tank. The only problem is I still have to carry the filled buckets/jugs out and in the house. I thought of getting a small 20 gallon Brute trash can and putting it on moving cart and mixing my salt the night before and just pushing the can on wheels to the tank BUT I'm really afraid in time that the wheels would ruin our hardwood floors.

I hope this video gives you a better idea what you might want to do... Hopefully you can have it closer then I do??

 

Good post Oryo. Should there be concern with the brass?

 

I'm doing a similar thing but I'm taking the whole water mixing/making station closer to the tank, behind a wall outside, in a little insulated shed

 

That looks like it would work pretty well for you A couple of issues come to mind, do you drain the tank at the same time as your filling it? If so wouldn't that dilute the effect of the new water? I always thought you would loose much of the value of doing a water change if you mixed them. If the thinking is the dilution problem is not a big issue then maybe I could bury a pipe within reach of the tank. I live in Oregon where we get some cold winters and I don't have a location I could store the water closer than 5 or 6 hundred feet Draining isn't a big issue.

 

That looks like a very cool setup. I wish I had a wall close enough to do that.