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How To Factor & Perform
10% Weekly Water
Changes
10% water changes are
factored by adding your total tank gallons plus your
sump gallons - round that number up to the next whole
number. Example: 75 gallon tank with a 22
gallon tote for a sump = 100 gallon system = 10 gallon
water change per week. Do not consider water
displacement in your tank from the rock & sand.
Use your total tank capacity to factor your 10% needs.
How To Perform a Water Change:
-
Take the cup off your skimmer
-
Shut down the system
main/sump pump
-
Siphon or pump out your
10% gallons of water from the tank itself. I slip a
1/2" ID hose onto the outflow of a MaxiJet powerhead
to pump out. The very first time I do a water
change on a new system I use a 5 gal pail to measure
my gallons needed & when done...
-
Mark the tank glass on a
back corner to show where the water line is
-
Refill with prepared
saltwater (for more info on saltwater preparation
see "Water
Changes")
-
Turn pump/system back on
-
Once the sump is back to it's
operating level, replace the cup on your skimmer
The next week you'll follow
the same steps but won't have to "pail" the water. Just
slip a 1/2" ID hose onto the outflow of a MaxiJet
powerhead & the other end of the hose goes into a drain
(some even go out a window! :c) Pump your water down to
your tank mark then refill.
Many ask me whether to
refill into the main tank or sump. I like to refill in
the sump so the cooler new water mixes with warmer sump
water. Once the sump is nearly full I turn on the main
pump until the pump is about to suck air then I turn it
off again & continue filling until the tank & sump are
back at it's normal operating level.
Tip #1: Put
your pump on a dedicated power strip so you can just
flip the switch to turn on & off your pump. Some choose
to plug their heater into this power strip as well so
when lowering the sump water level the heater never
accidentally gets exposed to air while running & hot
which can ruin the heater. :c)
Tip #2: If you
have algae, detritus, cyano etc. you can start your hose
siphon & suck up any nuisance material. Do NOT
siphon down into your sand bed ever! If needed
only siphon the very top sand grains to remove target
material like cyano & never try to reuse the sand
removed.
Tip #3: I like
to insert a 12 - 24" length of 1/2" rigid tubing
(depending on tank depth) into my hose end to give me
more control and it also works great to help pick off or
scrub stuck on materials like picking off Bubble Algae.
AquaCorals has
the awesome Python tubing, rigid tubing & more water change tools in store!
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