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Old 12-15-2017, 02:49 PM
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Saltwater shouldn't be poured outside. If it's not diluted it will kill off almost all vegetation in that location if poured there regularly. It shouldn't go in storm drains - those are for rain water, not saltwater. It is illegal to dump water into storm drains.

Since I own a maintenance company, here are some options I use depending on what clients have available:

Gravel vac waste: I always siphon into a bucket. Always goes into a toilet - if there is lots of sediment I will scoop the bottom of the bucket into a waste bag. In the case of commercial locations where a toilet may be nowhere near then I pour off the water into a sink, and scoop the sediment into a waste bag.

Draining clear water from the tank: If I put the gravel vac buckets into the toilet then I'll put a full 5-gallon bucket of clear water down the toilet afterwards to flush it really well. Bathtubs are a decent choice for the bulk of the clear water because they are low to the ground, and will drain faster. Make sure no sediment goes down a bathtub or sink drain. For larger tanks I use a hose to go wherever the draining happens - sometimes it is not an option, and I just pack buckets, sometimes up and down a flight of stairs. It is what it is. Easier to do when you're getting paid for it though.

I carry a Quiet One 4000 pump hooked up to a 25' hose, and it's good for draining or refilling.

If there is very low carpeting (commercial carpet), or hard floors then a rolling platform dolly works very well. You can get them at Princess Auto - they go on sale 50% off so watch for those. There are some that go up to 600 lbs I think, but good luck pushing that around! I use these in commerical locations for mixing tubs and move the tubs from water stations to the tanks where I then pump out of the tubs into the tank sump.

I'm sure if I think long enough I'll come up with more... haha
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Old 12-15-2017, 03:06 PM
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Great info Myka -thanks!
I always thought other people must have an awesome easy way to do maintenance & I was just not wise to it, but I guess I wasn’t far off and a bit of elbow grease is required no matter what.

I have a laundry tub, toilet, 2 sinks and a shower in reasonably close proximity so I think I can figure something out haha.

Anyone have an old pump to sell?
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Old 12-15-2017, 03:55 PM
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I know some people have fancy fish rooms with drain valves and top up valves. This is so sweet because a water change is with ease. However this is not the case for the majority. I’m with you! I lug 5 gallon Pails for dirty saltwater and rift in to the toilet. I then use a small pump to fill the sump with the fresh saltwater. It’s a pain sometimes, but with my 150g I am only changing 30g biweekly.
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Old 12-15-2017, 04:57 PM
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And I only do a change once a month
(Although, every time husband will still say: what, again so soon? He is not a pet guy and yet I’ve filled the house with animals galore. He is quite tolerant I have to admit. And useful when I need pipes glued and lights hung)
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Old 12-15-2017, 08:28 PM
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I no longer deal with buckets. It cost a fair amount but my back is happy not hauling 7-8 buckets both ways. Below I talk about hose. I used 1/2" as it's softer so easier to work with than 3/4", but flows much slower. It's a trade-off I'm OK with.

You may not be able to use 'all' of my method/hardware, but maybe this will give you some ideas.

I have an Eheim Compact 3000 pump with Female Unions; the inlet is threaded and the outlet is connected with a short length of hose, a barb fitting and clamps.
I have 1/2" clear poly hose long enough to reach from the back of the house (RO Station/draining toilet) to my fish room.
This hose has Male Unions on both ends. This makes all the other parts a 'universal fit' and allows me to only need lay out and coil up the hose once during use.
My RO drum drain hose connects to the pump, then the hose goes to either my holding drum or my mixing tank, using a Female Union on a 'U' pipe.
My mixing tank has a bulkhead and valve on the bottom. When it's time it gravity feeds the sump.
I use a Quiet One 4000 with 1" hose for draining directly from the sump. 25 gallons takes mere minutes. It pumps into a drum with marks for my WC amount.
Then I put the Compact 3000 in the drum and, with another (dedicated) 'U' pipe on the toilet and held in place for safety by the seat and lid, well, you get it.
After I've pumped all the old SW out of the drum, I pump 2-3 gallons of RO to rinse the drum, pump and hose. Then I coil up the hose, letting it drain down the toilet as I go.
1 flush of the toilet and all is done.

I've been doing it this way for, I think, over a year and the hose is still clean and soft.

Last edited by gregzz4; 12-15-2017 at 08:32 PM.
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Old 12-15-2017, 09:30 PM
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See, this is the type of thing that makes my bucket feel very inadequate...
I’d love to whip up something similar though
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