When doing water changes do you...

[bigmac]

My routine is as follows:
1. Shut off my two return pumps; which then draws back some water into my sump.
2. Drop an alternate pump into my sump (which holds about 35 gallons at this point); hook up a hose an put the end directly into my floor drain.
3. Start pump and focus on all the crud on the bottom.
4. Then pump 35 premixed saltwater gallons into sump.
5. Restart return pumps.

This takes 5 to 10 minutes tops. Super easy. There are even more automated ways to perform this function; but it works for me.

[mark]

I change out about 100l at time.

-First is I'll close the valve off the return pump so don't drain the display, then turn off the return pump
-siphon ~60l from the display focusing to get any settled detritus
-open valve and turn return pump back on to get the corals back under water, then valve closed and pump off
-siphon the remaining 40l from the sump and fuge
-transfer the new 100l to the sump turning on the return pump after added ~50l

[Myka]

I turn off all the pumps, then use a small gravel vacuum to vacuum the top 1" or so of the deeper parts of my sand bed. I have to only let it suck for a second or two, then plug it with my finger to let the sand settle or it will just suck the sand right out. I get a lot of detritus out this way.

[new but handy]

Originally Posted by mark

I change out about 100l at time.

-First is I'll close the valve off the return pump so don't drain the display, then turn off the return pump
-siphon ~60l from the display focusing to get any settled detritus
-open valve and turn return pump back on to get the corals back under water, then valve closed and pump off
-siphon the remaining 40l from the sump and fuge
-transfer the new 100l to the sump turning on the return pump after added ~50l

your display drains without a pump running?
Or does it just drain a little

[mark]

Originally Posted by new but handy

your display drains without a pump running?
Or does it just drain a little

The return line (from the pump) is a couple of inches below the water line. My sump can easily handle a power outage, just go through this extra bit during a water change to hold the volume in the display to lessen the time corals exposed to air.