How do YOU do water changes?

I have 2 used fiberglass 35 gallon brine tanks form old water softeners systems. One is for my Rodi water and the other holds my saltwater for water changes. I have a Mag 4 pump that is hooked to a 3/4 inch garden hose with a cheap plastic ball valve shut off on the end (no more salt water showers).

I drop the pump into my sump and pump out the desired amount of water, side of tank is marked 5, 10,. 15, 20 gallons. I then drain the old water out of the hose and turn it around and drop into the saltwater tank and refill my sump.

After I use the same pump to refill the salt water tank with RO. All nice and neat and no buckets to carry! and a 20 gallon water change take me all of about 15 minutes. I also have a 200 watt heater and a maxi jet 600 pump in the salt tank for circulation and to keep water at same temp as tank.

 

Yup. I have mine down to about 15 minutes too. It's nice.

 

I do something similar:
3reef.com - Reef Aquarium Articles and How To's - Water Changes

 

my water change takes all of about 0 minutes. i dont do any.

 

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I have a water python that I connect to my kitchen sink. when the water is running it pulls/suctions the water out of the tank/sump. I have a 50 gall drum in the garage that holds ro salt water that is ready to go. When the old is out I take the pump from the barrel in the garage fill a bucket and fill my sump!

 

I don't do them anymore. I test and dose what needs dosing (Cal, Mag, Buffer mostly) and keep it topped off with RO. The only time I take water out of the tank is when I'm acclimating something new.

My Nitrates are 0, Phosphates are 0, Silicates are 0 and the algae (diatoms) that I've been fighting for months is gone. The Poly-Bio-Filters are slowly starving the hair algae and the clean-up crew is doing the rest. Also, my fish are way less stressed by me not being "in" the tank all the time.

 

Im not knocking anyones methods but i cant see how dosing a couple elements and not doing water changes is healthy for any reef. What is there? 70 elements in natural seawater? How many test kits would u need to know what your tank is lacking and u need to add.

The way i do my water changes is i take a stand that i set next to my 90 gallon tank, use a piece of 3 feet quarter inch airline tubing ( i use masking tape to attach secure it to tank frame and put other end in jug)and siphon out 1 gallon into an old one gallon spring water jug. I then replenish the sump with a 32oz bottle of saltwater 4 times (1 gallon), i do this everyday after work....thats 7 gallons every week, dont need no pumps, no worrying about heating the water or temp changes and fish are never distrurbed with turning off skimmer return pump or cirulation pumps. Phosphates are at 0 nitrates are 0 mag stays at 1400, calcium is at 425-450 alk is perfect. I have 12 fish including a sohal and hippo tang. Most importantly my tank stays consistant (isnt that what makes a reef successful? stable consistant conditions?) and there are no weekly calcium or mag swings due to one large waterchange once a week or bi weekly.