55 Gal FWOLR to Mixed Reef - Water Changes?

[cpalminteri]

I have a 55 Gal FWOLR that gets about a 15% water change once a month, it's thriving no bacterial blooms and everyone is healthy. I have a Fluval 407 Canister Filter as well as HOB Filter because I feed heavy. Two weeks ago I moved over my Evo 13.5 reef into the FWOLR as I just want one mixed reef tank. So far so good but my question is this, do I now need to do weekly water changes or am I fine as long as I'm testing and parameters stay the same? I don't have a ton of corals but I'll keep an eye on alk, cal etc

 

[blaxsun]

So the FOWLR is now a mixed reef, correct? Yes, you may find that more frequent water changes are beneficial (10% every 2 weeks, for example). You may also find that with the addition of corals that even 15% once a month isn't needed. Was it just corals or did some fish get transferred over as well?

 

[cpalminteri]

Sorry that was a little confusing. You said more water changes will be beneficial but then that I may not even need the 15% every month. Fish were transferred over, that’s another reason why I’m over filtering but no problems so far I just want my corals to take off

 

[ElementReefer]

Sorry that was a little confusing. You said more water changes will be beneficial but then that I may not even need the 15% every month. Fish were transferred over, that’s another reason why I’m over filtering but no problems so far I just want my corals to take off

Do at least 10% monthly no matter what, and then more frequently if you’re trying to control parameters and/or if coral look unhappy.

The parameters on my 55 mixed reef are very stable and low nutrient, my coral always look happier after a water change even if the water “tests” perfect. There’s more to the ecosystem than what we test for.