AWC is it really worth it?

[andrecr]

Hey guys!

I have been hearing a lot latelly abou Automatic Water Changes and I would like to hear if it is really worth it.

Can someone give me feedback about it? Do you do minimal changes everyday or do you do 10-30% once a week?

Is the cost/benefit worth it?

 

[Ron Reefman]

AWC is done automatically, typically a very small amount of water is changed out very frequently (like every hour).

I suppose if you have the room for a spare container to hold saltwater and a way to transport it to the DT, it could be worth it.

I'll just do my 20g water change to my 110g system manually every 2 to 4 weeks.

 

[Cell]

It's mostly a convenience thing imo, though constant small daily water changes may provide some added benefit. Alternatively some people never or rarely water change and that can be successful as well. Personal preference.

 

[andrecr]

If I had the space to had one I would but then it would be a absolut mess on my sump!

I think the Idea of a 2-5 gallon water change everyday very good for your water quality

 

[schuby]

I perform AWC using an Apex DOS. It changes out 2 gallons-a-day (10% a week) on my 140 total gallon reef tank with sump. I planned and purchased a AWC system for my current, 2nd tank. My first tank, 2004-2015, went downhill over time because I slacked off on proper maintenance (life gets in the way). My AWC uses two 5-gallon jugs: one with new saltwater and one for the old. I swap them out every two days. It takes me a minute, at most. The DOS changes water every 15-20 minutes over the entire day. It is quietest using the longest duration (slowest pump speed = lowest noise). By using the two jugs, I can visually confirm daily that the AWC is functioning correctly (new is going down and old is going up).

I believe that making your reef tank maintainable gives it a higher chance for long-term success. This is a constant theme in my life and at work. Some refer to this as, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

 

[jda]

It is just a tool. AWC will not make or break your tank, but could fit well into your overall plan and personality. It is about how you use the tool, not the tool it's self.

I won't use them because a WC is too easy now and I don't want the risk of failure. Others love them. There is no universal answer here.

 

[Bay_area_reefer]

I personally feel its bit overrated. The pain and required fine tuning that comes with AWC overweight the marginsl benefit.

 

[andrecr]

I perform AWC using an Apex DOS. It changes out 2 gallons-a-day (10% a week) on my 140 total gallon reef tank with sump. I planned and purchased a AWC system for my current, 2nd tank. My first tank, 2004-2015, went downhill over time because I slacked off on proper maintenance (life gets in the way). My AWC uses two 5-gallon jugs: one with new saltwater and one for the old. I swap them out every two days. It takes me a minute, at most. The DOS changes water every 15-20 minutes over the entire day. It is quietest using the longest duration (slowest pump speed = lowest noise). By using the two jugs, I can visually confirm daily that the AWC is functioning correctly (new is going down and old is going up).

I believe that making your reef tank maintainable gives it a higher chance for long-term success. This is a constant theme in my life and at work. Some refer to this as, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Nice! If I manage to add It will mostly be the one from DD because I dont run a Apex on my system

It is just a tool. AWC will not make or break your tank, but could fit well into your overall plan and personality. It is about how you use the tool, not the tool it's self.

I won't use them because a WC is too easy now and I don't want the risk of failure. Others love them. There is no universal answer here.

There is no Universal question to everything in life

It is just a tool but in my opinion, if a tool is well worth the money it pays for themself
You can compare it to something like a auto top off, is it going to make your tank? No, but certainly will help create stabillity and will mantain your water lever with precision

 

[[Cameron]]

Only in tanks with sensitive livestock is fully automated water changes useful. By not introducing big chemistry changes, you have less chance of creating a shock situation for delicate SPS and the like.

That said when things go wrong with fully automated water changes it can be pretty serious. One example is the system removes a couple gallons of "dirty" water and the "clean" saltwater pump isn't working. In that scenario if your ATO kicks on it will dump in two gallons of fresh water throwing your salinity and other chemistry off. Another possible issue is if the ATO isn't turned off while you are draining the tank of "dirty" water. Then there are all the overflow and failed pump issues.

I have run a fully automated water change system and it was dreamy. I had a 240g reservoir in my garage and did 1.5g water changes daily. System ran for over 9 years without any crashes and it performed extremely well. Every four months I would mix up a new batch. I wrote my own program that basically checked two additional water level sensors. If any of the sensors were activated (water too low or too high), an alarm fired and the ATO and automatic water system shut off.

 

[Homer2020]

I'm in the process of setting up my Reefer 350 and decided to do an Apex AWC system mainly for convenience of not having to haul 5 gal buckets around. If I was doing a budget build, I probably couldn't justify the cost, but I kind of went all in on my new system so it was worth it.