Water Changing Drums

[DavidM]

Hey All,

I am sure this topic has been covered over and over again but couldn't find anything on my specifste ic question, Just bought myself a big 200l plastic food grade drum for water changes (also for drinking water when we go camping) , The guy at my local produce said it contained olives but smells more like cocktail onions to me, Much of a muchness really . Anyway i just rinsed it out a few times and the smell has mostly gone away but still abit there . I filled it up abit with water and it tastes fine no cocktaily .

Also how do people do there water changes, I have heard of people just putting the hose straight into the tank and adding the conditioner in as they fill . I have also heard the other extreme of people filling up there bucket adding conditioners buffers etc and leaving it for a day or 2??

I used to do it bucket by bucket and add ager each bucket .

I am thinking now i got this barrel ill fill with water day before water change , Add water conditioner and buffer and throw my spare heater in to heat the water temp up and then pump it in when its at temp ?

Any tips or tricks .

Edit : Forgot to ask my main question, With it still having a mild smell will this affect things? Or should i clean it further?

[spedwards]

You could try to remove the smell with some bi-carb, works for fridges

As far as the change process goes, you've pretty much got it right. Fill drum, add salts/conditioner, empty tank, add Prime to drum and fill tank. I have a cheap 1200L/hr pump which I use to fill back up.

I normally try to fill up 2 days before the change, I recall there was something about adding the salts and and buffers on different days however I've been lazy recently and just lumped them in at the same time.

[chuin]

I used a strong vinegar solution to clean my drums, couple of washes got rid of the smell.

My routine is to fill the tank with hose water, add salts and conditioners and leave it sit for at least a few days ( typically a week, as I empty and refill the same day). I leave a small power head to keep the water circulating, a few days before water changes turn on the heater to bring it to right temperature.

I then use a another pump to pump it in to tank , I drilled a hole in the floor to empty and refill the display tank. Water changes in 20 mins, no buckets, no hoses in house , my wife loves it.

[Sloory]

I actually re fill my drum straight after the water change and add the salt n buffer too. Well and truely aged by the next week!

I add the prime the day before the change and also cerculate with the pump the day before too.

[Jim]

I actually re fill my drum straight after the water change and add the salt n buffer too. Well and truely aged by the next week!

I add the prime the day before the change and also cerculate with the pump the day before too.

Same....instead of a pump i circulate the water with an air stone

[Ducksta]

I actually re fill my drum straight after the water change and add the salt n buffer too. Well and truely aged by the next week!

I add the prime the day before the change and also cerculate with the pump the day before too.

Same....instead of a pump i circulate the water with an air stone

yep - when I had many tanks I only switched the pump on when it was time to move water. An air stone did the job for me.

My regime was - dump tank water on to garden or in to outside drum for later gardening.

Pump water from aged drum in to tank.

Fill aging drum from hose through the window - add whatever chems needed to be added. Aerate for a week or whenever I did my next changes (sometimes only one or two days if I had loads of fry tanks running at the time.)

[DavidM]

Awesome Thanks everyone, If i don't get all the smell 100% out will it affect the water quality? or is it just a personal preference thing, I am going to give the bi carb a go because i got plenty of that on hand if not ill try the vinegar.

[Sloory]

Mate don't worry about the smell. Mine was the same as yours and I just rinsed it thoroughly still smelled of olives but didn't effect quality. The smell goes away in time.