Doing super frequent water changes.. what can go wrong?

[kien]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Yeah that's why I recommended daily automated/semi-automated water changes. Makes very little sense to do water changes often if you're doing them manually, the whole point is based on automation.

Only problem is not everyone can flip a switch and have water magically poor out of the/a tank and flip another switch and have water magically poor back in. My tank sits on the main floor in the middle of the house so their is nothing near the tank that I can drain water to easily. Water station is in the basement. I do avoid buckets though, as my changes go something like this..

1. Premix salt in 25g garbage pale a few days prior.
2. Turn off return; water drains into the sump to a safe level.
3. Long hose runs from the basement (drain in the furnace/water room) to the tank/sump.
4. A utility water pump is hooked in and pumps water out of the sump into the basement drain.
5. Take the utility pump into the basement and stick one end into the new saltwater reservoir. Pump now pumps new saltwater from the basement into the sump.
6. Turn return pump back on.
7. clean up.

It isn't automated but I'm also not hauling buckets around. It is still a bit of work though to pull out that hose, the pump, lay down towels, roll the hose back up, wipe the floor, store hose. Then there's the whole issue of dosing the new saltwater mix to make sure everything is up to spec..

[sphelps]

There are lots of ways to automate and it can be done in almost any situation. Many people run small 1/4" water lines to and from the tank to remote water stations somewhere else in the house. I've also run these kinds of lines in many houses with completely finished basements, electrical fish tape is a good tool for the job.