Saltwater in mouth, how do you do your water change?

I did my first water change in my 75. Getting saltwater in the mouth is never fun, but sometimes it comes with this hobby. It was just a little on my lips and some in my mouth, I spit it out right away. Still, just the thought of whats in the water...

And how do you do your water change? I turned off my skimmer and return pump. Is this a correct way to do this? Or is there a way to keep everything running?

 

You shouldn't be doing it that way - you could end up getting sick from it. People usually pump the hose in the water to start the siphoning. Though I went with a different method and routed a vinyl tube from the return pump to a nearby sink. I just switch it with the regular tube that goes to the display and turn the pump back on. Makes water changes much faster. Even if you don't have a drain nearby, getting a bit of tube to go from the pump to the bucket would still be faster.

 

The only thing I turn off is my ATO. I just set a bucket on a chair and siphon the old out of the DT. Then I set the bucket with the old aside and replace in the chair with a bucket of new. Then I siphon the new into the sump. I only do 5 gallons at a time so that the water level never lowers enough to expose any pumps to air.

 

Corals have sex in the water...

 

LOL....I really don't think you're going to get sick from a small amount of saltwater in your mouth. If there is a way to pump it out, then that would be preferable obviously. Curious as to how to pump with a siphon?

 

Attach a bulb to the middle of a hose so you can start a siphon by pumping it.

I've never gotten saltwater in my mouth. Just suck real hard for under a second and that will be good enough.

 

I shut every thing off but the lights when I pull my 5 gallons out. And I seem to drink a little of the water every week.

Forgot to unplug a heater one time and after it went dry it went boom and broke all over the tank.

 

its homeopathic!! and it doesnt kill your fish. LOL

seriously though, you could get a bulb to start the syphon. Or pay close attention to when the H2O is over the side of the tank and on its way down. Use a pump. there are many options out there. Use what works. Heck im still cave manning it, like im stealing gasoline!! LOL

but, if you continue to do as you are doing, just be a bit more diligent on watching the flow, then no more water mouth!

 

I'm a commercial diver here in San Diego and I'm sorry but I would much rather prefer to have the water in my tank in my mouth than the water from the bay here. Like previously posted just suck till the water is coming over the tank and on its way down and you have yourself a good siphon. Make sure the hose your sucking is below the top of the waterline.

 

Oh that sucks. Yeah I've been dreaming big lately and was sketching up how I would do a ~500 gallon dt, 120 sump/refugium, and 120 frag tank. I'd prefer to do a water change without shutting anything of at all with the exception of the ato. Basically that means having a return section large enough to hold your wc percent and then some. So at least another 100. But again I'm just dreaming (for now).

As mentioned, best method is via pump and after lights go out. As long as your not drinking it you should be fine with a Lil on your lips though. Fwiw I do it via siphoning right now as well. In the process of modding my setup to go via plump straight into a drain bit due to location, lack of space, and plumbing it'll be a while.