Do I NEED to do a WATER CHANGE without fish/corals?

[Ocean’s Piece]

I have had my tank running for 3 months and I have been doing weekly water changes. All I have are snails in my tank, no fish or corals, meaning none/barely any calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, etc are being taken in and need to be replenished. I have been putting fish food in there a nitrate source for I don’t get Dinos. Do I need to do a water change?

 

[Jekyl]

Water changes will be to manage phosphate and nitrate. Once coraline starts forming the others will be affected also.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Water changes will be to manage phosphate and nitrate. Once coraline starts forming the others will be affected also.

I started with live rock and I have had a coraline growth surge over the past few weeks. Starting to get on walls. I plan to get a few fish/corals very soon. That’s what I was thinking about with nitrate and phosphate

 

[HB AL]

I haven't done a water change in 4.5 years with a tank full of fish and corals but I wouldnt suggest it unless you've been running tanks for a long time. Heres a pic and vid .

 

[Pistondog]

I started with live rock and I have had a coraline growth surge over the past few weeks. Starting to get on walls. I plan to get a few fish/corals very soon. That’s what I was thinking about with nitrate and phosphate

No need until more bioload, or nitrates test high

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

No need until more bioload, or nitrates test high

They’re only testing at 2 and at the max 5. Phosphate around 0.

 

[blasterman]

I have a 20L thats almost wall to wall SPS and no water changes in close to a year.

I have to occasionally add nitrate and phosphate. Why the hell would I dump it down the drain?

 

[BostonReefer300]

They’re only testing at 2 and at the max 5. Phosphate around 0.

You're good for now. Why are you waiting so long to add fish and coral? Not criticizing, just curious because right now you're running a very expensive snail hotel

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

You're good for now. Why are you waiting so long to add fish and coral? Not criticizing, just curious because right now you're running a very expensive snail hotel

It was a few factors: I was waiting to move it to another location and I didn’t want to stress anything out. Didn’t buy enough rock and I need to get more. Some things I didn’t buy in the beginning that I’m buying know and the consequences of my actions are prolonging me getting fish. It’s technically ready for fish and corals but I have been planning to get more rock and so I didn’t want to add rock while there were fish in there and there be problems. But to sum it up, I just didn’t plan a lot of things and so now adding fish and corals is being prolonged.

 

[BostonReefer300]

Well I commend you for being so patient and careful. I could use bigger doses of both in my own reef keeping.