Maintenance - Water Change

Welcome to this training video on how to complete a water change in your Living Oceans aquarium.

We recommend changing approximately 25 to 50% of your aquarium water every 8 to 12 weeks.

Regular water changes help replenish important trace elements and keep your ecosystem healthy and balanced over time.

Before starting:

• lay towels around the aquarium to protect surfaces
• collect a water sample if required before disturbing the tank
• turn off power to the aquarium
• wash hands and wear aquarium-safe gloves
  

Remove the light and let it hang safely from the cable, then remove the mesh lid.

As part of routine maintenance, replace the filter media.

Remove the top filter basket and replace:

• black carbon media
• white phosphate remover media
  

Rinse new media under tap water before returning it to the filter.

Leave the bio-media baskets untouched as they contain beneficial bacteria.

If bubbling occurs afterward, gently adjust the basket to release trapped air.

Next, remove water from the aquarium.

Set up the siphon and buckets, ensuring the valve starts closed.

Prime the hose, begin the siphon, and remove waste while draining.

Important:

• never leave the siphon unattended
• stop each bucket at approximately 15 litres
• repeat until your target water volume is removed
  

Now prepare fresh saltwater.

Using filtered tap water:

• add water conditioner
• mix marine salt
• aim for salinity around 1.024
• adjust temperature to approximately 24°C
  

Once ready, refill the aquarium slowly.

Fill to the overflow grating and allow water to move through the filtration chamber.

When complete:

• stop the pump
• close the valve
• remove the hose
  

Restore power.

Leave the ATO unplugged initially, then:

• top up approximately 3 litres of saltwater
• ensure the green water level sensor is submerged
• adjust the circulation nozzle horizontally toward the centre
  

Do not angle the nozzle upward as this can increase noise and salt creep.

Once stable, reconnect the ATO.

A flashing green light followed by solid green confirms stable water level.

Finish by:

• replacing the mesh lid
• securing the light cable beneath the auto feeder
• wiping away any water spills
  

After maintenance, expect the aquarium to appear cloudy for a few hours.

Corals may stay closed temporarily and usually reopen over the next few hours or days.

Thanks for helping create a world of living ecosystems.