Are Water changes necessary

[Ramon Estevez]

So I’ve been testing my tank my calcium is till high about 450, Alk still around 10, No3 1-2, Po4 .05. I dose Red Sea colors, and Nopox. Should I still do a weekly to Bi-weekly water change or wait until I noticed nutrients raising?

 

[hijinks7]

If you are dosing then they aren't needed unless you want to export something that is too high.

 

[navathehutt]

It's more a personal preference, used to do 10-20% weekly, I test more now and do not feel the need. ICP OES testing might help you establish a baseline for your tank and what it does. Some tanks do continous water changes , others never change

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you are dosing then they aren't needed unless you want to export something that is too high.

Such as something you cannot measure, including organic toxins.

 

[Greybeard]

Excepting salt water... nothing is 'necessary' in reefing

No matter how you maintain your tank, you'll find someone that is successfully running a reef _without_ doing what you do.

For many years, water changes were the primary means for 'watering down' anything that was building up in your tank. It's still a good method. Works as well as it always did. I still do water changes, 15% or so, bi-weekly. The latest front runners are doing automatic water changes... removing old water and replacing it with new water on a fairly constant basis, a small percentage every day. Seems to be gaining favor.

Regular water changes, using hoses and buckets, are probably the number one maintenance task that most reefers would skip, if they could.

There are several methods that allow you to eliminate, or greatly reduce, this task. They're all fairly new, but many are having good success with them. Triton is probably the leading method... water changes only when you need them, with regular, extensive water testing to insure that water quality remains high. It's not perfect... I was unable to make it work for me, but I _love_ the idea, and may well revisit it in the future.

There's more than one way to skin a cat... it's a very true sentiment when it comes to reefing

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I haven't done water changes for over a year on a 155 gallon tank. I was testing and dosing Ca, Mg, Alk, and Iodine. I was also carbon dosing and running an ATS. Target feeding reef roids 1-2x/week. All parameters were stable and "good". When I setup my new QT tank I ended up taking 40 gallons from my DT and replacing with new saltwater using Reef Crystals. I always had good PE, but the following day(s) of replacing 40 gallons of water I had insane PE. This made me believe that there is definitely some important trace element(s) that I am not dosing. I think if I continue to run with no WC everything will be fine and continue to grow as it always has. I also think doing water changes will take my tank to the next level. I am satisfied with my tank and do not plan on doing regular water changes, however I am aware that I most likely will not be taking the coral to their maximum potential.