New Water Change Method?

While I can't call myself an inventor, innovator, bringer of new ideas, etc; I can't imagine that nobody has ever tried this.

I started my "new" 90, which completed its cycle about the end of December. All is well, and I'm doing my best to keep parameters where they should be.

Water changes are important, and I've done them differently over the years. It's always been either a small one weekly, or a large one monthly.

Well, it occurred to me recently: why not drain a gallon a day and let the auto top off valve do the rest?

So 10 days ago I began draining a gallon of water per day from the tank. It's convenient, because with my float valve att'd to the RO/DI system, in about 15 min's the water I've removed is replaced by new RO/DI water.

I'm carefully monitoring my salt levels, and incredibly, after 10 gallons of water removed and replaced by RO/DI water, the salinity has only started to decline.

I figure once I get into the routine, and figure out exactly the degree of salt depletion, I can probably dump a tablespoon of salt a day, or something like that to keep levels where they should be.

Has anyone else ever done this?

Even if I get lax, I'm still doing nearly a 50% water change monthly--and better still, it's gradual, so there's no shock to my inhabitants.

Is this the best of all worlds, or is there a downside?

 

wow man props I like this idea it seems like it works perfectly ima start doing one gallon changes every day for 5 days...your method is more like topping off your aquarium with a small dose of salt thats sweet

 

When I did my last change I did 15 gallons over 8 hours. Corals never even noticed it, They where open the whole time and temp. did not move .1 of a degree.

I think just doing it slow is the key rather than taking 15 gallons out and then just dumping 15 more back in.

 

I have a local friend in another forum that take two dosing pumps and runs one from a holding tank of SW to the display and one pump from the tank to the drain. This way he has a revolving water change. The pumps will push about 10g a day but he is feeding a 1000g system. He runs it like this for 3 weeks and then he fills the container back up and mixes salt the 4 week and then starts the cycle all over again. Pretty neat set up.

 

I've thought of a continuous water change system that would sort of "leak" tank water to a drain, while the tank would be filled at the same rate by saltwater, or by RO/DI water supplemented by a spoonful or so of salt mix daily. I think anything that adds an element of autopilot to the mix is a good thing, so long as it's easily observable.

 

What are you measuring your SG with?

 

I would think that by changing the water everyday, the benefit could be that your parameters don't go down so much over the (typical 2-week period) and spike back up so much when you do the w/c. If you have a 100 gallon system, and you do a 20% w/c every 2 weeks, then you throw out water that has been used for/depleted of elements over 14 days, and the levels are lower than they would be after only one day.
However, I think that it's more wasteful in a sense that you're throwing away a gallon of 99% good water everyday, rather than throwing away 20 gallons of much more element-depleted water every 14 days.
Just my 2 cents, Sparky. I like the innovation though, and that it's not as invasive to your tank inhabitants as a 10-20g w/c.

 

A refractometer, Peredhil.

That's a valid point, Bogie. It's been a topic of debate since SW became popular.

Changing a lot of water, but infrequently (like a monthly 50% water change)--subjects the tank's inhabitants to wider fluctuations in water chemistry. The downside being, perhaps it's not so good for certain parameters to change so suddenly. The pro is that any bad items like nitrates, phosphates, a Martini. . . are diluted proportionally to the change.

On the other hand; changing a small amount regularly (like 10% every Friday), subjects the livestock to a less of a swing in water chemistry. However-- a greater percentage of that water you're changing has recently been changed itself.

I wonder what the best solution is. :-/

 

I have heard of it, but have not known anyone that practiced the method. IMO a very good idea. Creates the most stable environment compared to the other methods.

 

Randy Holmes Harley, Anthony Calfo, Eric Borneman and many others have made/done every day automated w/c machines if you will. I "came" up with the idea about a year ago and posted it on RC and was told it has been done for years and was sent plans of how to automate it 'better'. Its a good idea but like I was told, its been done.... for a while now!

Happy expirementing!