How often do you do a water change?

[Shaggymc]

I’ve been talking to more and more experienced reefers who do very few to no water changes! Are we changing the water too much?

(full disclosure, my last two major issues have happened during water changes)

 

[Zach B]

I change out about 1.5% daily on a 170-180g system with a dos

 

[adamlodge14]

I’ve been talking to more and more experienced reefers who do very few to no water changes! Are we’re changing the water too much?

(full disclosure, my last two major issues have happened during water changes)

I change about 15% weekly
sometimes 10%

 

[LAReefer4Life]

20% every other month only because I am lightly stocked and DOS the balling method.

 

[a.t.t.r]

1/2 gallon everyday in my 20gallon

 

[X-37B]

Went 18 months with zero wc from day one on my 120.
The plan was to run a no wc system.
Did a 12 gal 10% and saw no difference.
I then started 10% every 3 months then every 2 and now 10% every 4-6 weeks.
My wife noticed when I started doing them every 2 months. She said what did you do the tank just looks better.
She was right as corals seemed to like the water after a wc.
I just added a 30 gallon remote fuge to my system so I have a 150 gallon total system now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

this will be a rhetoric question in which you will get 40 different water change schedules from every 100 persons. I change 2-3X per year. Obviously the more aged and balanced a system becomes, the lesser the need for water changes.

 

[MaxTremors]

I think that until your tank is mature and nutrients are kept in check organically, water changes are a necessity, once nutrients are organically kept balanced and low, water changes become less necessary (still need to replace/maintain trace elements, alkalinity, and calcium, and if you’re running a skimmer you will need to periodically add small amount of new salt water to keep salinity stable).

 

[hart24601]

Should probably add daily for awc users. It’s what I have done for years.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

I have a hard enough time getting any nitrates, no water changes for me.

 

[Duffer]

20% every two weeks...i tried to do 10% weekly but my corals seem to not like it..

 

[shakacuz]

0 WC since Feb 28, 2021.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Never

 

[Haacheew]

15-20% water change every 10 days (1st, 11th, 21st of the month)

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I change out 2-3 buckets of water weekly for my 120 and 70. I use about a bucket of the tank water each to rinse out the sponges in the baffles then drain the rest mainly from the sump. By doing that, it removes a lot of detritus.

 

[Gtinnel]

I change out roughly 1.5% daily using a Masterflex pump

 

[Timfish]

The general target of 20% - 30% has been recommended for a few decades now and I haven't seen a reason to change it. Depending on the cryptic sponges in a system, water chagnes may be the best way to get rid of hydrophilic DOC that promotes pathogenic shifts in coral microbiomes and arguably is also the best way to remove the refractory DOC that can build up in systems which under the right conditions can be a food source for heterotrophic bacterial blooms.

 

[Duncan62]

0 WC since Feb 28, 2021.

0 WC since 1981. Lol.

 

[PeterC99]

Used to WC every week but now change 15% of the water every 2 weeks. Thinking about changing to monthly WC’s.

Finding that the more mature my aquarium becomes the less the water changes are needed.

 

[tharbin]

I do 16% water changes weekly right now because it is a young tank. After it matures I will move to every other week, then every month and then every other month changes. I don't like to do too many changes on a seasoned tank but I do like to freshen it from time to time.