First Water Change

Planning to do a water change what do i exactly need to do?

i got ro/di

do i need to let the ro/di water sit 24 hours with a power head and heater before i dump in the tank (which salt should i buy been using oceanic instant salt mix)

do i need to remove any livestock before i siphon

i really just need to know how to maintain a saltwater tank

any help would be great

 

Mix up a little more than you plan on changing an use a PH to circulate it for at least 24 hours so it's good and oxygenated. Make sure the sg is the same as your tank water. Also use a heater and get the new water to within a degree or two of the tank water.
You dont have to worry about your livestock, they'll get out of the way lol.
What I do right before the change is take a PH and blow all the settled junk off of my rocks and then use a turkey baster to blow up the top layer of sand. But if you do this don't blow so hard you put sand into the water column just the light powdery junk..detrius.

 

Forgot the salt..

That's a matter of personal preference and everyone will tell you the salt they use is the best. IMO stay away from generics like PetCo and you'll do alright.

I change brands at every water change because formulas provide different amounts of elements. Right now I have Kent's, Instant Ocean, RedSea and SeaChem in the rotation.

 

i have a power head and a hydra fan inside my 75 gallon tank facing each other on oppasite sides hydra fan tilted downwards

can i remove the power head and put it to my ro/di so i can do my water change or do i have to by a new one

 

always usefull to have at least 1 spare IME phong86

removing one from the tank might not do any harm for a short period
but getting a cheap maxijet for use in the bucket is a better option

a quick check under my cabinet reveals about half a dozen various sized power heads and wavemakers

if one fails in my tank - I can replace it as soon as I spot it (may not be identical, but it would be better than nothing IMO)

Having a spare that you can use weekly in the bucket and press into service in the tank should you need to is a better option IMO

Steve

 

really good point since you put it like that am going to get new one for my tank and old for the spare

any idea of a brand or where i should buy online?

 

When I do a water change, I start by preparing my water 24 hours before. I pour 5 gallons of RO/DI water into a 5 gallon bucket. Add my salt mix (Instant Ocean Reef 1/2 cup per gallon), and place a RIO 2100 pump and let it mix for the full 24 hours). I then add a heater and bring the temp up to 1-2 degrees from the tank temp. I always check the SG of the new water to ensure I mixed properly. Once the water is done, I remove 10% of the tank water and try to pick up any deitrus I can see. I then put a power head with a 5-6 foot hose attached in the bucket and send water back into the tank (avoids spilling all over the place and knocking corals / stressing fish). I do these water changes weekly.

Good luck!

 

kelley11 damn now i have an exact idea how to do this thanks

 

Nice reply Kelley, that is pretty much exactly how I do my changes also. Except I leave the heater in with the PH overnight to mix the 5g of water+salt. Using a PH and some tubing to take water out into a 5g bucket and then getting the water back in is so convenient.