Tap water or DI or RO water

[kelstorm]

hi,

just want to hear from u guys,

when u guys change water, (pls indicate the tank size) do u use the following methods and it does not include those chaps who buys solely NSW to do top up or change

1. using DI water with salt

2. RO water with salt

3. Tap water with salt

4. frequency of change?

i use method 3 coz i find it more convenient than having to heave buckets of 'mixed water(either RO or DI)" and emptying them into my sump.. i simply pour salt into the sump and water from tap.. mix.. and switch on the pump..

hehehe.. with no corals inside, i can afford to change my water every 6 months to 1 yr...but i conduct water parameters check for my 4 ft tank every 2 weeks.

ok.. above methods are not avocated but it sure helps to cut down time from 1 hour to 20 mins when replacing water.. and i get backaches each time i do that...

[Bluebeard]

hihi,

my tank is 2feet with just 3-layer top filter and protein skimmer.

no coral, just live rock with plants, small fishes, shrimps, crabs, starfish and snails.

me also doing method 3. change water every week, around 20%.

can i change water less frequent??? very scare cannot leh, so far what i am doing now is good enough for my tank.

[Adrianli]

Hi

I use method 3 also. I change water only when I measured my nitrate level, to see if the level is high. Salt expensive leh. I change abt 50% of water each time, using half a bag of salt liao.

I just dump half a packet of salt into my reservoir, mix with tap water for 1 hr. I then drain water in the main tank and then switch on the auto water top-up device.

[Morgan]

I use method 3 before I switch to NSW.

I mix 50 gal and circulate for half a day before it goes into the tank. No problem encountered using mrthod 3 but have to switch to NSW becos of cost.

[kelstorm]

morgan,

care to elaborate how u can save $$ as compared with your last use of salt mix?

[Morgan]

Hi kelstrom

I use to buy coral life saltmix in a box about $50. This will made 150 USgal of water. I posted the vol of my tank in another thread, anyway it more than 500 USgal.

I currently get NSW by the truck load (~ 400 gal) delivered to my house for only $60.

The water is not filtered, straight from the sea.

[SULPHER-X]

Hi

I use method 3 also. I change water only when I measured my nitrate level, to see if the level is high. Salt expensive leh. I change abt 50% of water each time, using half a bag of salt liao.

I just dump half a packet of salt into my reservoir, mix with tap water for 1 hr. I then drain water in the main tank and then switch on the auto water top-up device.

Hi Adrain,

Wondering where u got this auto water top up device from? Keen to buy one but dun no where. TKS.

[kelstorm]

sulphur-x,

all u need is just a float switch.. and a pump and a small tank..

morgan,

500 USgal, how big is your tank?

anyway, IMO, i really hesitate on NSW... with all the unknown stuff inside.. unfiltered somemore.. how u use it.. just dump the water straight in?

[Morgan]

..anyway, IMO, i really hesitate on NSW... with all the unknown stuff inside.. unfiltered somemore.. how u use it.. just dump the water straight in?

Hi kelstrom

You guessed it..........

so far no problems accept that it take 4~6 hours for the sediment to clear.

I used about 2/3 of the water and stored the balance.

Anyway better get back to your topic RO/DI water.

[Adrianli]

Hi Adrain,

Wondering where u got this auto water top up device from? Keen to buy one but dun no where. TKS.

Hi

Go to the auto top up topic, I post my DIY pics there.