Confession Time: I've been a terrible reefkeeper

[JLynn]

I just need to get this off my chest and hopefully the shame of confessing this will force me into action. But I haven't done a water change for a month. Like, not even a tiny one. And I don't dose 2-part or kalkwasser.

Now, my tank is a softy tank, so it's not as monstrously neglectful as it could be, but I bet you my calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels are atrocious.

Nitrates and phosphates aren't an issue in my tank, though, thankfully. Or maybe not thankfully , because if my Purigen didn't effortlessly keep them at 0, I would not have gone this long neglecting a water change.

My corals and fish are okay (except that my ricordeas died), so it's not like, abuse. But there's still no excuse for it.

 

[Reeferdood]

Only a month without a water change?? You are a saint in that regard, as for not checking your parameters and dosing accordingly.... Guilty as admitted..
We have all and still sometimes neglect our systems at one point or another, key is not to make a habit out of it. Bottom line is, if you feel like you don't have the time for it, be fair to the livestock and give them to someone who can give the animals the chance to survive and flourish they deserve.

 

[JLynn]

See the thing that makes it really bad is that I have more than enough time to do it! I'm going to get back on the horse, now, but there truly was no good reason for my letting it lapse.

Thanks for trying to make me feel better about it, though.

 

[Reeferdood]

Just the fact to came to confession today shows that you care. Get back on that horse and start enjoying this amazing hobby again.
The more you put into it the more you will enjoy it.

 

[Twisted_Blenny]

a month lol i haven't done a WC in almost a year

 

[TatorTaco]

I'd think you should be fine not doing a water change in a month for a softy tank, depending on your fish load. Anything you can think of to get back on the wagon of regular changes if that's your goal?

 

[cracker]

I admit my interest comes & goes . It's gone at the moment . iv'e been doing this for a long time & it always comes back & the tanks look better . Never as nice as I wish .

 

[JLynn]

I'd think you should be fine not doing a water change in a month for a softy tank, depending on your fish load. Anything you can think of to get back on the wagon of regular changes if that's your goal?

It's really just a matter of making it part of my routine again. The first year I had my tank (good lord, I'm coming up on two years now!), it was really easy for me to keep that routine, because I didn't have an RO/DI and had to drive an hour every week to a larger city to get RO/DI water and saltwater for a water change. I didn't always do the water change the day I got the water, but I was faithful about doing it every week because I had that routine. Since I've moved back home, I haven't settled into any kind of routine with maintenance. It's clear to me in retrospect that I need to find a new routine, because having one in the past made it really easy for me to be consistent about these things.

 

[fish farmer]

I consider myself a neglectful reefer. My WC had been monthly at best, testing..my kits had expired by 2014...dosing...yeah working on it...this was last year. My softies didn't care...I added a tiny hammer frag which started growing like a weed. I started getting back into a rountine last winter, and bought some new test kits...yep phos and nitrates are a little high. The hammer expands to the size of my fist now. I've struggled with a few new additions, but that will get better. I've shot my alk up around 12 DKH...so I do very light dripping now, since my needs are low.

 

[Katrina71]

Say 4 hail Marys and watch an episode of SpongeBob. All will be forgiven my child.