Are water changes over rated?

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

It depends on your equipment, tank conditions, and lifestyle. I change about 120 gallons a month. Why? Because I don’t mind the maintenance, and the nitrates are always higher. My tanks always look better after water changes too. I always advocate for water changes, especially when an unknown problem arrises. A lot of times, it “resets” the tank. But as they say, “your mileage may vary”.

 

[shakacuz]

Moonshiners seems little complicated to me,,im lazy BUT theres a guy in one of the fall growout comps who does it and it definitely looks like it works. His stuff looks great!

ATI, Triton, and RMM (reef moonshiner method) are all similar "methods". depending where you stand is what will dictate if its worth it or not for you. upfront costs for sure outweigh buying salt, and as intimidating it could seem, its actually ridiculously easy to follow. but as explained by @JNalley, WC's superficially restore certain elements but not at the amounts desired in most cases to keep levels "in line with consumption". this is more of the reason i chose to not do WC's.

generally speaking, its geared/catered more towards BIG systems. smaller systems are usually still suggested to do WC's. for me, WC's are a chore and i rather spend that time and effort enjoying the tank or providing maintenance other things.

 

[Troylee]

ATI, Triton, and RMM (reef moonshiner method) are all similar "methods". depending where you stand is what will dictate if its worth it or not for you. upfront costs for sure outweigh buying salt, and as intimidating it could seem, its actually ridiculously easy to follow. but as explained by @JNalley, WC's superficially restore certain elements but not at the amounts desired in most cases to keep levels "in line with consumption". this is more of the reason i chose to not do WC's.

generally speaking, its geared/catered more towards BIG systems. smaller systems are usually still suggested to do WC's. for me, WC's are a chore and i rather spend that time and effort enjoying the tank or providing maintenance other things.

Just to play devils advocate here.. I can change 100 gallons in my tank in less than 30 min so it’s not a chore.. that’s why I built a huge water storage system in my garage lol.. I got those methods but I can’t justify the cost or waiting 2 weeks for a icp test when I can get instant results..

 

[shakacuz]

Just to play devils advocate here.. I can change 100 gallons in my tank in less than 30 min so it’s not a chore.. that’s why I built a huge water storage system in my garage lol.. I got those methods but I can’t justify the cost or waiting 2 weeks for a icp test when I can get instant results..

just to play devils advocate here..also? lol

the cost and labor to put that system in place could also be a deterrent to some looking to avoid that in the first place lol(or cost you just as much INITIALLY as some of these “methods”). overtime, it becomes marginal or nonexistent, IMHO. the exact same argument could go for “controller vs. manually dosing” — where controller = no WC/dosing trace elements via ICP testing, and manually = doing WC’s (whether manually or automated). do both work? absolutely. is one better than the other? probably, depending who you ask. is one more cost effective than the other? depending how you go about analyzing the costs, i also suppose it depends greatly on who you ask lol. up from costs of the reefmoonshiner method was expensive, and i have YET to need to buy another bottle of anything other than flouride(which is perhaps one of those elements some are still on the fence on if necessary for those amazing color enriched, eye catching, growth plagued systems)

if WC’s work for you and your reef that’s great. for some, WC’s don’t work at all(whether by choice or circumstances) or not as effectively as they would want them to.

 

[Rich Klein]

I've had a 30 gallon reef tank setup with all soft corals and 5 fish for almost 2 years. I think the best advice I got over this time was to stop doing routine water changes. The first year of my tanks life I was on a weekly water change schedule and was constantly battling fluctuations with readings and corals being happy and then unhappy. Then I stopped doing water changes, and my tank has flourished over the past year! Haven't done one in months and i just took readings. Nitrates are at 0 and the corals and fish couldn't be happier! So are water changes over rated? What do you think?

Just received my Triton ICP test back today after going on a year without weekly water changes. All parameters are good and steady since my last test a few months ago. I have a 9 YO 180 gallon mixed reef packed with SPS, LPS, urchins, anemones, fish of course, you name it. I have a Trident that I use to monitor the top 3 and keep my All 4 Reef dosing dialed- in. I control nutrients with chaeto and am able to feed my tank ~ 8.5 grams of frozen and a sheet of seaweed daily while keeping nutrients nice and low. My fish are fat and happy, with the biggest challenge being having to prune-back corals and anemones to keep them from overgrowing the tank.

 

[knockout]

I can only assume the no water change collective means, no water change as a form of regular parameter control and maintenance, I consider myself this as I don't typically do water changes as a form of letting my tanks be as I travel for lengthy periods, but I try to do a deep cleaning of the sump and overflow every 3 months, which requires a 20% water “replacement“

 

[zheka757]

for the price of salt now days, its over rated for me

 

[grumpyguppy]

I’m only 4 months in on my 70 gal and I notice when I do a water change things do not swing in a positive note corals aren’t a happy. Fish don’t seem to care and my parameters don’t really change much. When I go a couple weeks with out a water change everything is looking great. Not taking numbers into account. I believe it’s important to know one’s parameters but going forward the tank will tell me if I need to do a change by happy or unhappy everything looks. Naive perhaps but I’m tired of chasing numbers because it doesn’t always work for me.

 

[kenchilada]

So are water changes over rated? What do you think?

No.

 

[Peair]

It depends on your equipment, tank conditions, and lifestyle. I change about 120 gallons a month. Why? Because I don’t mind the maintenance, and the nitrates are always higher. My tanks always look better after water changes too. I always advocate for water changes, especially when an unknown problem arrises. A lot of times, it “resets” the tank. But as they say, “your mileage may vary”.

You definitely need water changes, just check your parameters on a regular basics and make adjustments.

 

[apb03]

Water changes are just the easy path to success. Putting thought into making water changes easy and painless is time well invested.

 

[VintageReefer]

You definitely need water changes, just check your parameters on a regular basics and make adjustments.

Not if you practice/implement other methods of filtration, nutrient control, and trace element replacement

Opinions are welcome but please be mindful they aren’t presented as absolutes or facts. This may be your experience and the experience of others, but it’s not a requirement to be successful in this hobby.

 

[apb03]

Not if you practice/implement other methods of filtration, nutrient control, and trace element replacement

Opinions are welcome but please be mindful they aren’t presented as absolutes or facts. This may be your experience and the experience of others, but it’s not a requirement to be successful in this hobby.

This is true, but it's fair to say the no water changes method takes serious dedication to parameters and a ton of know how. What bugs me is how liberal folks are suggesting these methods to anyone except the most dedicated experts.

 

[Troylee]

This is true, but it's fair to say the no water changes method takes serious dedication to parameters and a ton of know how. What bugs me is how liberal folks are suggesting these methods to anyone except the most dedicated experts.

Agreed… find a tank of the month that doesn’t change water……………..

 

[VintageReefer]

This is true, but it's fair to say the no water changes method takes serious dedication to parameters and a ton of know how. What bugs me is how liberal folks are suggesting these methods to anyone except the most dedicated experts.

For me:
Serious dedication to parameters - sort of - My tank self maintains its phosphate and nitrates and self corrects if one spikes.
I do maintain calcium and alkalinity, but via All for Reef added in my top off, which I manually add weekly

Ton of know how - don’t flatter me haha but yea I’ve been doing this a while and have learned a lot over the years. I think experience is important. I admit I only know what I’m experienced with. And I learned what works for me, and have been using basically the same methods and strategies for years successfully. I couldn’t tell you how to setup a co2 reactor or treat a sick fish. Those things and many others I would ask for help.

Suggesting it to others - personally I don’t suggest anyone stop what they are doing. If they want to switch over to my methods I would guide them and it would be incrementally and take several months at a minimum

 

[Sneaks]

I've found that as my tank has matured, reducing water changes has given me stability. Water changes swung this out of sync and I was always looking to correct. LFS water doesn't match my parameters so it gave too much fluctuation and stability. Currently doing monthly water changes. Immediately after, do an ICP and dose trace elements to bring back in line. Not densely stocked with corals yet but will be setting up Alk/calc/ mag dosing. Dosing NOPOX to manage nitrates. Run ozone and GFO. Plan to uograde skimmer and set up UV. My ideal goal is have an RODI set up at home, mix salt myself (with a brand that has the parameters close to what I want) and do automated water changes. Until then, monthly water changes, ICP, adjust through dosing

 

[CKW]

IMO, better advice would be to do water changes in a way that did not mess with your basic parameters. That can be accomplished in at least two ways:

1. Use a salt mix matching your tank
2. Dd very frequent small water changes, such as by AWC.

I seldom do a 30% change. More often I add about 2 gallons a week which offsets evaporation. It’s a 40 gal bow front.

 

[schooncw]

I view water changes much like an oil change in a car: The easiest and most economical way to keep the system running smoothly and to me, this proactive task is essential. If I ask myself what the potential harm of regular water changes are, as opposed to the potential benefits, the answer to me, is obvious.

 

[Northern Flicker]

I mean OP has a softie tank, then takes what he feels is success, and applies it to the entire hobby.

There are obvious flaws with this. The best softie system I've seen is basically run like a high end SPS tank and would have filled out OPs tank 20x over in the same time span.

Like all things in this hobby, I feel like this axiom is directly tied to your expectations and goals. As @Troylee mentioned, not many high performance tanks out there not doing w/cs. It's much easier to clean the slate and dose up, a lesson I learned in the planted tank side of the hobby.

 

[Doctorgori]

So, just to check here, is the benefit of small, frequent water changes just the stability of the water parameters, or are there other noteworthy benefits as well?

(I suppose the constant dilution of any potential "pollutants" would be a benefit, but I don't know if it would be a substantial/meaningful benefit or not).

I've been wondering how small, frequent changes (such as weekly) would compare with large changes (either prolonged over a few days/weeks or all at once) every 6 months provided the main parameters stayed stable.

Thinking about it also

I can only assume the no water change collective means, no water change as a form of regular parameter control and maintenance, I consider myself this as I don't typically do water changes as a form of letting my tanks be as I travel for lengthy periods, but I try to do a deep cleaning of the sump and overflow every 3 months, which requires a 20% water “replacement“

basically I’m sorta following this line now as I have big tanks and the sump need cleaning so R&R of the water is just easier while you are at it

Not if you practice/implement other methods of filtration, nutrient control, and trace element replacement

Opinions are welcome but please be mindful they aren’t presented as absolutes or facts. This may be your experience and the experience of others, but it’s not a requirement to be successful in this hobby.

this is a good statement as oft time it easy to confuse testimony as absolute fact vs it being just another data point … this water change vs no water change is really a long running survey with no hard conclusions from the available data, and that’s even if we have 30 yrs of sampling, moreover that’s especially so since technology, equipment and procedures keep evolving

another point is which doctrine is procedurally more cost effective, easier or yields better results or more importantly mitigates tank crash risk …

I can say unequivocally water changes “brighten up” my tanks but who’s to say others w/o doing water changes have found a method to keep their stock looking spiffy all the time ….

edited