Water Change Bucket

I am looking for a bucket to use for water changes. I currently have a 5 gallon bucket and I had to manual slice the levels that would show 1-5 gallons. I just ordered a 20 gallon Eagle 1650 bucket for water changes and the initial set up of the tank in March. I was just curious what others did for water changes. It would make things a lot easier if I could run my RO/DI line into the bucket and know the exact amount of salt that would need to be added without having to fill 1 gallon jugs up and marking the level for each gallon.

 

To be honest, I have always just used a 5 gallon bucket filled to 1" below the rim. I have a 46g, so I do this twice for roughly a 20% water change. Since my water amount is consistent, so too is my salt addition, though I always test the salinity anyway before adding it to the tank.

 

I always test before and after I have placed it into the tank. I will probably just mark the barrel up with 1 gallon marks to make it easier. I am OCD like that and like to know exactly what I am replacing

 

Understood. I always have 2 identical buckets on hand for a change. I remove the "waste water" into another bucket to the same level as the replacement water and then I know that I am replacing the exact amount that I took out.

 

I do the same. That way I can prepare the water a day before and then siphon up some cyano or anything else sitting on top of the sand into the dirty bucket.

 

I use a 15 gallon potable water container

Here the is my ro/di unit feed and waste line


Here is my unit over the mixing container I have a mj 1200 to mix the water and move the water to the 5 gallon pails.




This is the switch and plug I use to power the maxi jet in the water room( me and my dad installed this)



The container only holds about 13 gallons because of the float valve variance and what not. I use exactly 6 x 1 cups and 1 x 1/2 cups in my mixing container to contain the correct salinity.

 

If you have the room and budget, get a tank like the 55g from Aquatic Ecosystems.

Aquatic Eco-Systems: Aquaculture Supplies - Graduated Tanks

Then what you can do is fill up 50 gallons, use a 50 gallon bag of salt and be done with it. I do it on a bigger scale with my 250 gallon container. I fill it to the 200 gallon mark and drop in a 200 gallon tub of salt then have a couple water changes worth of water.

 

I use a 30 gall plastic water tank, I have a small mark on the DT and one on the plastic tank, I fill the tank to the mark with RO and weigh the salt out and pour it in, I worked the weight out many years ago, thats then left mixing with a power head, 12 hrs before the water change I heat the water up to the same temp as the DT.

Its then a case of syphoning the DT out to the mark on the glass then refilling.

Just in case you wasn't aware a 25 kilo bucket of salt holds 5 galls of water, so when empty can be used for an ATO bucket, water changes etc.

 

I use a 5 gallon bucket for the ATO I have on my pico aquarium. I am going to use a 7 gallon Aqua Tainer jug for the ATO on my 40 Breeder. I am getting a new salt for the new tank so I don't know the exact weight. I'll have to measure it out for now. Aqua Vitro Salinity

 

I have a 30g plastic garbage can where I mix my saltwater and heat it up during the week. When it comes time to do the water change I take my pump and fill up 2 buckets of saltwater and take it over to my tank. I then take the pump and pump out 2 buckets of water from my tank and just pump the other 2 buckets in.