First-Time Skimmer Owner - How Often to Change Water?

[nickkohrn]

So, I received my first skimmer today, which is a Reef Octopus eSsence 130. I am waiting on my Waterbox 100.3 to be delivered in a couple of weeks. I’ve never had a tank large enough that would benefit from a skimmer until now. I would like some advice on how often I should be changing water. I won’t have a heavy bio-load, as in only 3, maybe 4 fish. I’ll be running an LPS/softy tank, and maybe try SPS in the future when I get the bug after the system has been stable for a while.

How often should I change water?

Thank you!

 

[Retro Reefer]

You will get a million opinions but I change approximately 10% each month in my tanks sometimes a little more frequently if necessary.

 

[nickkohrn]

I would like to get away with less-frequent water-changes simply because we are moving into a three-story apartment, and my tank will be on the first floor, where we don’t have any hose hookups or sinks. I could use the kitchen sink on the second floor, but I don’t want to haul full five-gallon buckets down the stairs often.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I would like to get away with less-frequent water-changes simply because we are moving into a three-story apartment, and my tank will be on the first floor, where we don’t have any hose hookups or sinks. I could use the kitchen sink on the second floor, but I don’t want to haul full five-gallon buckets down the stairs often.

I’m just lazy.. lol. I have a 40b and change 5 gallons each month just because that’s what fits in my bucket and in my 14 gallon I change one gallon monthly, sometimes every other month.

 

[mtraylor]

I don't perform water changes unless I have an issue that warrants one. If you keep your water clean via your mechanical filtration methods, etc and provide supplements to replenish vitamins, minerals, etc,.... Then you will not have to worry about them. That is what I have been doing for many years and have no issues.

 

[mtraylor]

Good luck with your decision. I forgot to say that, the way you setup your ecosystem will probably make the decision for you. If you don't have things setup properly to stay away from water changes then you will have to do them.

 

[Nick30G]

10% Weekly if your using the water change as your primary ALK/Cal/Mag replenishment method

 

[Pntbll687]

I made the transition to a larger tank, 40g to 190g, and transitioned to not performing water changes unless needed. Below are tips that I would give if you want to go that direction

1. Take your time. You may want to perform some monthly or bi-weekly changes to start
2. decide if you want to run a refugium, I just run chaeto in the first chamber of the sump
3. Have enough biological media for a complete nitrogen cycle. Can be achieved using marine pure or similar product in sump
4. dont over stock the tank

 

[Ron Reefman]

I'm in the opposite place from Pntbll687 on tank size moves ( I've gone from big to small). But I agree with all his points. I had 2 big systems and they had BIG refugiums and I very rarely did water changes. Now I've downsized to a 50g cube with a 40g sump/refugium. I test water weekly for Ca, alk, salinity and maybe once every 2 months for Mg and Nitrates. I manually dose Ca and alk every week when I test. I'm not very inclined to do water changes even though they are so much easier now than when I had the big systems. But then I feed kind of heavy and I think that helps to keep up some of the trace elements.

BTW, I had a 120g DT that was 75% sps corals. It was cool until my chiller thermostat stuck and it ran all night and dropped water temp to below 60F. All the branching and platting sps corals were white skeletons by the end of the next day. The encrusting sps and all the zoas and anemones, even a dozen super tiny rock flower anemone babies survived. So my new tank is 75% zoas with a few lps and sps corals and a bunch of super colorful rock flower anemones. The tank looks like a 1960's hippy poster under a blacklight when the house is dark and the blue leds are on.