No dose tank pics

BRS
Jump to Last
I’ll be honest, water change Wednesday is so routine to me that it’s become basically second nature. I think if I were to complicate the routine by dosing and chasing parameters I would be many steps backwards with little progress forward.
 
Water change Wednesday - now that is unique! I'm pretty sure you have a system dialed in that it takes no time at all. I just did my first water change on the new 210 I set up and it was a bit of a hassle. Then again I've not set it up to be any easier so that is my fault. Something I'm working on though - so room for improvement :D

On the dosing - dosing != chasing numbers or parameters to be fair. I think there is sweat equity for sure at the beginning to see how much of x, y, and z your system is consuming in any given time. Initially I can see testing, then dosing, then testing again, adjust dosing, then measure to confirm. Then it is pretty much routine much like your Wednesdays. Maturity, much like Groot, will change things because things will be used up faster but that is probably why spot testing for checks and balances occur.

I'm no expert - this is my first 200+ (ok, 210 gallon) gallon tank and it was an eye opener for sure.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Dan McNertney said:
Great question(s).
One very large Coral Vue Diablo DCS Series In-Sump DCS250 protein skimmer in my refugium with a nice large section for cheato.
No filter sock, no algae reactor, no carbon reactor, no reactors; really nothing, pretty simple setup.
Click to expand...

I see this so much - ppl go back to the old school rock plus skimmer method let nature take its course and get rid of the tech toys
 
My first reef tank was a 55 gallon. I don't want to shy away from the fact that I was once a beginner. As all beginners, I was always chasing numbers, I was dosing all sort of different products, if the lfs said I needed this, I bought it. I was testing weekly. I would stop in the lfs and compare my notes with theirs, then they would say alk is low, try this product and so I did. All while doing weekly water changes. After getting more experience and knowledge, I found myself getting away from all of this. When I upgraded to my 220 I tried to experiment with kalk in my ato, but this also had more cons then pros and stopped doing it. Everything resorts back to the KISS method and all is well.
 
FYI this was my 55 setup some will remember, Cheryl. ;)
IMG_4094.JPG
 
WWC
I think the weekly water change only methods works as long as you don't have too much of a load. For years I did weekly water changes and dosed via a calcium reactor and a kalk reactor. I would never have been able to maintain the tank with just water changes. Dosing also allows you to leave home for a while and not worry about the tank parameters changing much.
 
This was my tank with 10% water changes weekly and 1tsp per gallon of top off water. I felt like I had a decent amount of sps and lps coral and the tank was very stable. This was before I decided I needed to test and add additional supplements to get better color and growth. I lost a significant amount of these corals and almost just took the tank down.

DSC00057.JPG
 
Ecoscape Reef Rock
ReefWithCare said:
I imagine water changes frequently is more expensive long term to dosing?
Click to expand...

Yes, if the only purpose for water changes is to effectively dose, then it is far, far more expensive than dosing just what is needed.

But if you want to do water changes for other reasons anyway, then it is "free". :D
 
Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Yes, if the only purpose for water changes is to effectively dose, then it is far, far more expensive than dosing just what is needed.

But if you want to do water changes for other reasons anyway, then it is "free". :D
Click to expand...

Ah, I have been waiting for your comment(s) on this subject.

The way I see it, coming from a guy who doesn't go the 'no water change, only dose route', the water changes are a necessity for both replacing lost minerals and to keep the big three in check. In my case, water changes are cheaper then having to buy all sorts of extra additives, then the test kits that come along with that, in addition to the time spent to dose and test. Water changes are part of my weekly maintenance and don't really have a lot of time spent on this. This technique has always been great for me and am anxious to see what others think.
 
Dan McNertney said:
Ah, I have been waiting for your comment(s) on this subject.

The way I see it, coming from a guy who doesn't go the 'no water change, only dose route', the water changes are a necessity for both replacing lost minerals and to keep the big three in check. In my case, water changes are cheaper then having to buy all sorts of extra additives, then the test kits that come along with that, in addition to the time spent to dose and test. Water changes are part of my weekly maintenance and don't really have a lot of time spent on this. This technique has always been great for me and am anxious to see what others think.
Click to expand...

If you replace the big three without testing via water change, it would be much cheaper to add those same big three in exactly the same amounts also without testing (just test once to see what the tank levels are at a water change, and figure out how much alk/ca/mg is being added and add that at the same time you would have done a water change). :)

Almost certainly, your alkalinity will run quite low in such a system (assuming you have significant hard corals or coralline algae) and hard coral growth will become limited by alkalinity.

This negative feedback loop, where lower alk means lower demand due to lower growth, is what allows this to work at all. :)
 
Tidal Gardens
Interesting as my alk levels in my tank has always ran quite low. I recall back when my 55 was running, I lost quite a few larger sps colonies due to low alk. I've learn quite a bit since then and haven't made that mistake again.
 
Water changes will alleviate dosing in most part.
I do both and do see growth, color changes and reproduction making my tank a jungle. PH and Ni,No, and Po4 are important factors to monitor.

360n.png
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what parameters you mean by that list? Ni? No?
Click to expand...

Im on phone and may be that dog gone worthless spell correct. . .. . . . Nitrite and Nitrate
 
Y'know, I just got done doing a water change and tank maintenance and was pretty happy with how my tank looked and then I see these tanks and I'm thinking "I've got along way to go"... lol
 
Deltec
vetteguy53081 said:
Im on phone and may be that dog gone worthless spell correct. . .. . . . Nitrite and Nitrate
Click to expand...

Thanks. I personally would not bother measuring nitrite. It is never a concern in any established reef tanks. :)
 
For those of you doing water changes instead of dosing how often are you changing water?
 
BRS

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
See comments…

New Posts

Deltec
Dinkins Aquatic Gardens
Top Shelf Aquatics
Tidal Gardens
Chewy.com
World Wide Corals
TCK Corals
Nutramar Foods
New Posts
Back
Top