How often do you water change if nutrients controlled and you dose?

[BringingThatDottyback]

Basically the title, if your nutrient levels are controlled by refugium and skimmer. You dose 2 part or something similiar, for the corals needs. For people in this situation how frequently are you still doing water changes?

 

[Sean Clark]

Loaded question, this should be fun to watch.

 

[Gogi]

10% weekly (and two part and refugium)

 

[Trouble1375]

ummmm - when my settling pond section of my sump looks like it needs vacuuming...

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Loaded question, this should be fun to watch.

Agree..it's like throwing a bloody lampchop in the dog pit!

Let's get this party started. If I have everything under control and am not dosing anything other than kalk, nutrients, etc...I am for 10% once a month. If I notice a build up of detritus, corals looking unhappy or any other excuse, I will do it a second water change during the month..but only if needed

 

[Duncan62]

Basically the title, if your nutrient levels are controlled by refugium and skimmer. You dose 2 part or something similiar, for the corals needs. For people in this situation how frequently are you still doing water changes?

No water changes.

 

[Dkmoo]

If only dosing 2 part. Then the answer is easy - you should still do regular water change. Maybe at a slower frequency, but should still do it to replenish trace elements, esp in heavy stocked systems where calcification rate is high.

If also dosing trace elements, then you will have more reason to not do water change. Thats more of an eye test. If everything seem doing well then feel free to skip.

I'd suggest tho to do ICP every few months just to make sure things are in line.

My 30g heavy mixed reef I have not dont wc in 6 months. Everything growing and healthy.

Another minor consideration is that, in addition to replacing water chemistry, WC may also replace harmful bacteria/parasites with clean water so in a way acts as a small deterrent. Adding a UV will address this concern.

 

[Brucealmighty]

Am wondering what will be the most agreed with and most contested points of view here, am keeping an eye on this thread, fair play to Mr Duncan62 for saying 0 water changes, I am similar I am in the three month book for that job just to replace anything I'm not thinking of.

No water changes.

Let's see how many reactions are bit like this

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Every 60 minutes or so, changing 0.04% each time.

 

[Duncan62]

Am wondering what will be the most agreed with and most contested points of view here, am keeping an eye on this thread, fair play to Mr Duncan62 for saying 0 water changes, I am similar I am in the three month book for that job just to replace anything I'm not thinking of.


Let's see how many reactions are bit like this

Question answered. Details weren't requested.

 

[EakTheFreak]

I DOS Nopox & keep phosphates @ .05-.10 & Nitrates from 5-15 PPM. I dose Brightwell to hold the following parameters

Alk - 9.10
Calcium - 445
Mag - 1410

I change the water once monthly & do about 30%. I like to clean portions of my sand bed to keep it white in front & also believe it keeps trace elements where they need to be.

I may switch to 10% monthly and see how things do!

 

[BringingThatDottyback]

Thanks for the answers, defintly not trying to start an argument! I was just curious because in my past tanks were low tech with tap water and no dosing. I noticed that even if I skipped water changes for a couple weeks - month I didn't really notice an issue. Now trying a more high tech tank where I as going to dose two part and aim for mostly sps I was curious how religious other people are about their water changes.

 

[ZoWhat]

if your nutrient levels are controlled by refugium and skimmer.

Only half the story.... experts know how to balance good nutrifying bacteria that consume no3/po4 and are changing and cultivating every day.

Refugium = what? Macro algae? Growing Macro algae is a constant consumer of trace elements before corals consume

No or WCs with months in btwn is just cheating yourself
.

 

[Arego]

On a 250, after every 100g of top off used a 50g change is done. It has only a single function, to disturb and clean the sand bed thoroughly.

 

[Reefin Aint Easy]

Let me throw a little more curve into the mix.

What if you're dosing everything that needs to be replenished including trace elements. Then what? Are water changes just a waste of time and money at that point?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Let me throw a little more curve into the mix.

What if you're dosing everything that needs to be replenished including trace elements. Then what? Are water changes just a waste of time and money at that point?

As most people know even though those main levels are on point but changing out 10-15% just make thing that much happier. Sometimes you just can’t explain it why.

I personally like water changes 10-15% if there’s no problem. I use the tank water to clean the sponges in the baffles and my hands before messing with the tank.

I just did a 35g on my 120 because I am having some issues.

 

[Reefin Aint Easy]

As most people know even though those main levels are on point but changing out 10-15% just make thing that much happier. Sometimes you just can’t explain it why.

I personally like water changes 10-15% if there’s no problem. I use the tank water to clean the sponges in the baffles and my hands before messing with the tank.

I just did a 35g on my 120 because I am having some issues.

Absolutely agree with you. But you do see a ton of reefers that don't do a single water change and have an absolutely stunning show tank full of corals. It really is a catch twenty two and it will always be one of the most debated topics in reefing lol.

 

[Sean Clark]

I've had a pretty nice reef and I've also killed GSP... there are so many variables and so much yet to be learned. Things don't just die (especially basicly immortal colonies of coral polyps) for no reason. I kept my no water change tank for years but it was a battle of attrition. Only the strong survived. Those that did looked great. Now I try to do better and keep less forgiving corals that demand more care.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Let me throw a little more curve into the mix.

What if you're dosing everything that needs to be replenished including trace elements. Then what? Are water changes just a waste of time and money at that point?

Same answer.

No amount of dosing can deal with accumulating organics and inorganics.

 

[Reefin Aint Easy]

Same answer.

No amount of dosing can deal with accumulating organics and inorganics.

In the water column or in the sand bed and/or on the rocks? Because what if you're vacuuming your sand bed and blowing off your rocks frequently for maintenance?