It’s not stupid if it works

[GratefulAlpaca]

My hatred of water changes runs deep. My last ICP test from Triton indicated I need to change the tank water over the next week. I’m on a septic, so I don’t want to run 120 gallons of salt water into it. And I HATE hauling 5 gallon buckets. So here’s my hacked up water change system! I have a cheap Jaebo dosing pump pull water out of the first chamber of my sump and put it in the black bin. While that’s happening, fresh salt water is pulled from the blue 15 gallon rolling container and dumped into the skimmer chamber. Once I’ve drained the blue container, I’ll just pump the waste water back to the rolling one and haul it out.

Could have used a rolling brute trash can, but it always sloshes water out and makes a mess while moving it into the house. And my fish room is small for putting two big trash cans in there.

 

[jcook54]

Shoot, that there looks like a solution to an annoying problem!

 

[CherylG]

Also on septic here. We use 2 brute cans on wheels (with lids). I make 15gal at a time which leaves enough room that it doesn’t slosh out. Pump old into one then pump the new into the tank. Then I go back to the brute with the old water and pump that out the window into the grass

 

[GratefulAlpaca]

Also on septic here. We use 3 brute cans on wheels (with lids). I make 15gal at a time which leaves enough room that it doesn’t slosh out. Pump old into one then pump the new into the tank. Then I go back to the brute with the old water and pump that out the window into the grass

Glad I’m not the only one chasing that problem! So many mixed experiences from some people saying “toss it in the septic and don’t worry” vs “never ever put it in the septic!” We are fortunate enough to be on a lot of land, so no reason to gamble when I can spread it over a wide area.

I’ve also got a couple 50 gallon brutes in the garage. One for RODI, and one for mixing. They are on wheels for moving around out there if needed, but don’t easily roll into the house from the garage. I wanted to do a simultaneous new in and old out, so I didn’t have to put the controller into “maintenance mode.” Also, I was looking for a solution that would let me do the change slowly and avoid any sudden changes.

 

[The Quilted Reef]

I guess I am lucky. My tank is in my basement sewing room right next to doors. I bought a python with 100 ft of tubing so I pull it out to the gravel road just inside our fence and drain it away from our septic tank, drain field, and plants I like

 

[siege]

Ugh. I too am on septic, and I just have no good place to drain my tank or dispose of the water without lugging buckets 100'+ and down a set of stairs... so down the drain into the tub it has been going :/

 

[project1004]

Dang, you have your tank on the 2nd floor?!? That’s extra dedications and skill I don’t want.

I’m also on septic tank. I don’t mind draining 5Gal of used saltwater into 1000Gal septic isn’t too bad, but I do use them as weed killer. I add some dish soap and use it down the driveways. Good organic way to maintain unwanted weeds. (Still need to be pulled out once dead weeds).

 

[siege]

Dang, you have your tank on the 2nd floor?!? That’s extra dedications and skill I don’t want.

I’m also on septic tank. I don’t mind draining 5Gal of used saltwater into 1000Gal septic isn’t too bad, but I do use them as weed killer. I add some dish soap and use it down the driveways. Good organic way to maintain unwanted weeds. (Still need to be pulled out once dead weeds).

No, it's the main level with the front and garage door, it's just down hill (and thus a set of concrete stairs downhill, or a longer flight of deck stairs out the back porch) to anywhere I could possibly dump it.

 

[project1004]

Maybe you can use 100' hose from the house and syphon it down the hill or to the street drain?

 

[civics14]

I'm on a septic. I was put putting 30-40g of saltwater into it a week for 6 years. Recently got it pump and inspected, no issues. Maybe older septic tanks? My home is only 6 years old.

 

[Reid]

I like the look of that system. The purp and white tubes are nice.

 

[noobie]

What is that 15 gal blue rolling container?

 

[GratefulAlpaca]

What is that 15 gal blue rolling container?

I stumbled across it somehow. Here’s the amazon link for it. They have a few different sizes. 15 seemed to be the sweet spot for me.

BARKER 11747 Tote-Along - 15 Gallon

 

[GratefulAlpaca]

I like the look of that system. The purp and white tubes are nice.

Thank you very much! I need to put an update in my build thread, but here’s a more current view of the room.

 

[noobie]

I stumbled across it somehow. Here’s the amazon link for it. They have a few different sizes. 15 seemed to be the sweet spot for me.

BARKER 11747 Tote-Along - 15 Gallon

Ah, an RV sewage tote. Neat

 

[siege]

Huh. I wonder if I could start some kind of outdoor brackish water pond

I'm on a septic. I was put putting 30-40g of saltwater into it a week for 6 years. Recently got it pump and inspected, no issues. Maybe older septic tanks? My home is only 6 years old.

Good to know! Mine is 20 years old, but I had it pumped and inspected when I bought the house last year and is in fine shape.

 

[siege]

Maybe you can use 100' hose from the house and syphon it down the hill or to the street drain

The street would just flow back into my yard, through a drainage culvert under the driveway, and into the neighbor's yard.

Into the back yard, there's technically a place that could run into a rain gutter that would fall into a section of drain out into the back yard, but... I dunno, I only have 64 gallons of total volume, so my weekly 10% is still just 5-some gallons, and I'm not sure it's worth all that effort.

 

[siege]

Ah, an RV sewage tote. Neat

Yeah... and I was interested right up until I saw what it cost, sheesh.