How do large aquariums do water changes?

[Miami Reef]

I use natural seawater for my water changes. The water gets delivered to my house once a month for my 300-gallon tank.

I'm doing a rip clean, so right now my system doesn't have ich, but now I want to permanently eradicate ich.

My only problem is that NSW is a possible way ich can make it in my tank.

How do those giant aquariums with corals manage ich? Do they do water changes? Do they quarantine their fish? If they use NSW, does that mean ich is in their tanks?

Do they not do water changes?

 

[Miami Reef]

I'm talking about tanks this size:

Preforming 15% water changes once a week is too costly with RODI and salt mix. They either use NSW or don't preform any water changes.

A tank my size will most probably always have ich from the NSW. Should I not even bother with quarantine if I'm going to use NSW?

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

Mis read lol

 

[Miami Reef]

Forget it. I'm going to use the NSW and purchase high-quality fish. I'll feed them good and they'll be fine.

 

[snorklr]

saw a show a while ago that showed the tanker trucks full of nsw that were regularly being brought to a public aquarium...maybe it was tampa bay?...on the other hand the georgia aquarium uses instant ocean in one ton bags

 

[o2manyfish]

Forget it. I'm going to use the NSW and purchase high-quality fish. I'll feed them good and they'll be fine.

That;s like saying I'm going to take a real good shower and go to the cleanest ***** house in town, and I'll be fine. There are no 'clean' high quality fish. There are very few facilities to who truly do a complete 6 week QT treatment on each individual fish. Keeping fish stock in a copper treated system is NOT a high quality clean fish. And does not guarantee you a disease free system.

And ich is not a death sentence. Feed a fish and keep it healthy and ich is just something that makes a more sensitive fish - Like an Achilles or Powder Blue tang less photogenic on certain days of the week.


As for your original question - what do large aquariums do -- They treat. The Aquarium of the Pacific is on the ocean, but all there water goes through intensive ozone, UV, and sand filtration before ever being used. I have been to other facilities which actually pump in fresh ocean water into holding vats and then treat it with chlorine to sterilize the water, and then dechlor the salt water - Also with heavy filtration.

Also, once you get the proper nutrient export, and with proper dosing - water changes are less critical. It comes down to replacing evaporation. If you have a huge refugium, and high levels of mechanical filtration - then you aren't building up any excess nutrients. If you are replacing the elements the live stock is consuming - with dosing - then your reason to change water is gone. With a fish only tank this is much easier because you don't care about trace elements and it's just a question of filtering out all the fish poop.

Dave B

 

[DaneGer21]

When I was at the Georgia Aquarium, I asked this question while we were in a behind the scenes tour.

They use instant ocean salt, in 2000lbs sacks, multiple multiple pallets worth. I’ll see if I still have a pic.

 

[Miami Reef]

That;s like saying I'm going to take a real good shower and go to the cleanest ***** house in town, and I'll be fine. There are no 'clean' high quality fish. There are very few facilities to who truly do a complete 6 week QT treatment on each individual fish. Keeping fish stock in a copper treated system is NOT a high quality clean fish. And does not guarantee you a disease free system.

And ich is not a death sentence. Feed a fish and keep it healthy and ich is just something that makes a more sensitive fish - Like an Achilles or Powder Blue tang less photogenic on certain days of the week.


As for your original question - what do large aquariums do -- They treat. The Aquarium of the Pacific is on the ocean, but all there water goes through intensive ozone, UV, and sand filtration before ever being used. I have been to other facilities which actually pump in fresh ocean water into holding vats and then treat it with chlorine to sterilize the water, and then dechlor the salt water - Also with heavy filtration.

Also, once you get the proper nutrient export, and with proper dosing - water changes are less critical. It comes down to replacing evaporation. If you have a huge refugium, and high levels of mechanical filtration - then you aren't building up any excess nutrients. If you are replacing the elements the live stock is consuming - with dosing - then your reason to change water is gone. With a fish only tank this is much easier because you don't care about trace elements and it's just a question of filtering out all the fish poop.

Dave B

This is super smart!

I plan to keep fish and soft corals...maybe LPS too.

I want to ask, if doing copper doesn’t make a fish high quality, then what does?

I restarted my tank and did a rip clean. I had ich in the system, but now all the fish I had are out of the tank except one small cardinal. The cardinal fish was exposed to the ich.

I also have inverts in the tank.

I can either remove the cardinal and do a proper fallow and quarantine fish inverts etc.. this includes me making my own saltwater too.

Or I manage the ich.

What would be the best option? You said that copper does not make a fish healthy. That’s true. A proper diet, low stress and luck make a good healthy fish.

 

[kzenoni]

We had ich brought in from a new fish once in our 200 gallon reef tank. So I started with polyp lab medic treatment. Started adding in some fresh minced garlic juice with feedings and bought a uv sterilizer. Once we got that going I started using Kent’s marine garlic instead of the fresh garlic on occasional feedings. Haven’t seen any signs of ich since. Not to say it’s not still lurking around the corner but we haven’t lost any fish, invertebrates, coral, etc.

 

[2Sunny]

In 20 years I have never quarantined a fish and never lost a fish to ich. Nor do I drip acclimate corals or fish or invertebrates. It is my experience that if your system has stable parameters, healthy biology, is not stressful (meaning your choices of livestock are all compatible) then fish will thrive, and ich will not be a problem. I even introduced a Hippo Tang with ich, and it has now been with me almost 5 years. No ich.


2001

2004

2011

2017

2019

 

[Miami Reef]

In 20 years I have never quarantined a fish and never lost a fish to ich. Nor do I drip acclimate corals or fish or invertebrates. It is my experience that if your system has stable parameters, healthy biology, is not stressful (meaning your choices of livestock are all compatible) then fish will thrive, and ich will not be a problem. I even introduced a Hippo Tang with ich, and it has now been with me almost 5 years. No ich.


2001

2004

2011

2017

2019

Do you run a UV?

 

[kzenoni]

Do you run a UV?

Yes, I do now.

 

[Miami Reef]

Yes, I do now.

Do you run it for algae or for parasite?

 

[KrisReef]

Do you run it for algae or for parasite?

How can he target only one?

Great thread btW!
No QT or uv for me, smaller system but same good results.

 

[2Sunny]

Do you run a UV?

Definitely NO UV. In my opinion that kills healthy bacteria along with the bad. I had to run UV once for 2 days because I over dosed Red Sea NoPox and turned my water milky white with bacteria, but I took it off as soon as the water was clear.

I try to keep my system as simple as possible. I am quite fortunate in that I have a basement sump room so I can double the volume on my system. It has a total volume just over 500 gallons of which the display is 240. I run a skimmer, dose B-I, have a refugium, and keep a cup of carbon and GFO in the overflow which I change monthly. The top off is gravity fed by drip from a Brute garbi can. I have to add a little RO by eye once a week or so. I do believe overskimming is actually good.

I also tried my hand at a nano last year for the first time and am following the same K.I.S.S. principle with great results so far. It has a skimmer, carbon & GFO, a 'fuge with chaeto, and an AI Prime. Thats it.

 

[KrisReef]

I also use both NSW (Scripps Hose!) and mix using RODI. I change water at random for cleaning. Use a Calc Reactor and skimmer and ATO and a chiller "good" lights (LED & MH & T5) and lots of live rock (the only true "secret" to success that I acknowledge beyond good micro fauna)

 

[kzenoni]

Do you run it for algae or for parasite?

Parasites