Water Changes

Okay so when do I do the first water change.. and how do I go about doing it? I know it's not like FW that's why I am asking hehe.

 

depends on how mature your tank is. There is no one straight answer.

 

It sounds like his tank is still cycling..I did my first pwc as soon as my ammonia and nitrIte reached zero and nitrAte began to climb

 

Yep Branmanners tank is almost out of cycle based on the params he posted most recently

as stated above wait until you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite and then do a 5% or 10 % water change

there after opions vary as to how much and how often - some do 5% weekly others do 10% every other week some do more on a monthly basis

Mix the RODI / salt water at least 24 / 48 hours in advance - use a large food safe bucket equal or greater than the amount of water you want to mix

stick in a PH to mix the salt with the water
depending on the ambient temp of the area you live in, you may or may not need to consider a heater in the mixing bucket (I dont need one)

I think you will be using old fashioned method - syphoning out water from the DT or fuge? and then adding the new/ stood for 48 hour water

Steve

 

like 10acrewoods said it definatly depends on how mature your tank but good luck

 

i just think thats hilarious.. im imagining some one trying to put 15 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket.


if you have a sizeable tank you may want to use a plastic trash can(new ofcourse)

i have a long hose(1/4 inch i think) i siphon the tank in to the sink(becareful if you have small fish as theres no safety bucket). then i fill it back up with a bucket. when i had a larger tank i would use a maxijet with a hose on the end to pump it from a trash can.

 

just proving my category E status - with a tale of the absolutely obvious

Steve

 

When you mix your saltwater if you have a powerhead use it in the water for the 24 or 48 hours that you let it set. I do 24 hours. And also do about a 15 to 20 percent water change every two weeks. Get the water temperature and specific gravity as close as you can to the water in the tank. You should be good to go. If your cycling read above they covered the good stuff this is just the rest......
Danny

 

Thanks guys, I was just asking, I'm going to do probally a 15% change once the tank has been up for 6weeks. The guy at the LFS said when you topoff the tank not to use saltmixed water.. because evaporation doesn't take the salt out, so that was mainly the question I was needing to ask if I make remixed saltwater or not lol. But you guys answered it you do use remixed salt water

 

nope you need to use fresh for evap. i guess with in reason a lil salt does evap and become saltcreep. that creep is all the salt you lose as i dont think the majority of it stays airborn for long