No Water Changes - FarmerTy Reefing Method

[FarmerTy]

May I just say that I'm not doing anything novel here. There are plenty of other tanks doing this.

We struggle with replacing foundation elements, and keeping nutrients at acceptable levels. Water changes used to help us achieve all those things.

Now we have calcium reactors that put back alk, Ca, Mg, and some trace elements. We have carbon dosing, for me in particular biopellets, that maintain a respectable nitrate level. We have GFO to maintain an acceptable phosphate level.

Until my corals let me know that I am lacking in something they need, I'll just continue down this route, feed my tank like crazy, export waste like crazy, send in an annual Triton test, test my water, and let mother nature tell me what she's missing when she's missing it. Until then, I don't intend to do any water changes and save my money on salt and my back from lifting buckets and enjoy what I have created.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Ok, right on. I think I rinsed my spheres like 10 times prior to installing in my current system. I didn't realize you just tossed her in there

 

[FarmerTy]

Ok, right on. I think I rinsed my spheres like 10 times prior to installing in my current system. I didn't realize you just tossed her in there

Sadly, I stay true to my laziness sometimes. [emoji17]

 

[john.m.cole3]

I am going to be running this sump setup for my 72 re-build along w/ a GAC/GFO reactor. No biopellets... you think this would work if I dose kalk and trace elements (LPS/softie system)

 

[Squamosa]

May I just say that I'm not doing anything novel here. There are plenty of other tanks doing this.

We struggle with replacing foundation elements, and keeping nutrients at acceptable levels. Water changes used to help us achieve all those things.

Now we have calcium reactors that put back alk, Ca, Mg, and some trace elements. We have carbon dosing, for me in particular biopellets, that maintain a respectable nitrate level. We have GFO to maintain an acceptable phosphate level.

Until my corals let me know that I am lacking in something they need, I'll just continue down this route, feed my tank like crazy, export waste like crazy, send in an annual Triton test, test my water, and let mother nature tell me what she's missing when she's missing it. Until then, I don't intend to do any water changes and save my money on salt and my back from lifting buckets and enjoy what I have created.

Yeah mate, there are more and more like us, just ask GlennF

We're not reinventing the wheel here.

Here's my methodology

 

[FarmerTy]

Yeah mate, there are more and more like us, just ask GlennF

We're not reinventing the wheel here.

Here's my methodology

Haha, glad you agree!

How's your experience with the microbubbles? Have you been doing that for a long time?

 

[Squamosa]

How's your experience with the microbubbles?

Hands down the best thing I've ever done, for growth and general health and vigour

Here's my thread on the journey; https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-and-nano-bubble-tank-treatment.231894/

I've been creating the bubbles in my tank for a year now

 

[Squamosa]

year

My bad, for a month now

 

[FarmerTy]

Hands down the best thing I've ever done, for growth and general health and vigour

Here's my thread on the journey; https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-and-nano-bubble-tank-treatment.231894/

I've been creating the bubbles in my tank for a year now

I'll have to give it a read. Thanks for the link!

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Following.

But also have a question what is your salinity and how do you keep it stable ? Don't know if I missed that read kind of fast lol

 

[FarmerTy]

Following.

But also have a question what is your salinity and how do you keep it stable ? Don't know if I missed that read kind of fast lol

1.025. I'm not sure if you are confusing no water changes meaning I don't top off for evaporation. I still have an ATO that tops off to compensate for evaporation.

With not actually doing water changes, I contend that I have more stable salinity than those that do water changes and it eliminates variability from mixing new saltwater with the old saltwater.

 

[evmibo]

Almost a year since the last post, how's going @FarmerTy ?

 

[FarmerTy]

Almost a year since the last post, how's going @FarmerTy ?

I just update my build thread now as this thread was an offshoot discussion.

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/207702/

Still going strong but bought a new house and have to figure out how to move this bad boy in a month. [emoji51]

 

[becks]

I've always thought regular water changes are an old Method of nutrient export/element replenishment. As longs your nutrients are at a low level and you dose all the required elements I don't see the point in doing water changes. Periodic icp tests can be used to see if theirs a build up of anything.

I stopped siphoning my detritus as at night my pods were swarming over it and so far my scooter blenny, peacock wrasse, adorned wrasse and chyrus wrasse have not made a dent on my pod Populations....my amphipods are huge and look well fed. My scooter blenny had a pinched stomach when I first got her and now she's nice and fat.

 

[FarmerTy]

I've always thought regular water changes are an old Method of nutrient export/element replenishment. As longs your nutrients are at a low level and you dose all the required elements I don't see the point in doing water changes. Periodic icp tests can be used to see if theirs a build up of anything.

I stopped siphoning my detritus as at night my pods were swarming over it and so far my scooter blenny, peacock wrasse, adorned wrasse and chyrus wrasse have not made a dent on my pod Populations....my amphipods are huge and look well fed. My scooter blenny had a pinched stomach when I first got her and now she's nice and fat.

Fully agreed. It's worked well between my last 2 systems. 6 years of success.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've always thought regular water changes are an old Method of nutrient export/element replenishment. As longs your nutrients are at a low level and you dose all the required elements I don't see the point in doing water changes. Periodic icp tests can be used to see if theirs a build up of anything.
.

Nutrient reduction is not why I do water changes.

Your method does not account for accumulation of undesirable organics that may be toxic or yellowing, and expensive ICP testing tells you if some things are accumulating or depleting, but does nothing about it. Regular water changes help limit problems from these issues without the expense of testing and the lack of even knowing what to do about some of them if you find accumulations (which are not at all unusual if you read the ICP reports posted online).

 

[becks]

Nutrient reduction is not why I do water changes.

Your method does not account for accumulation of undesirable organics that may be toxic or yellowing, and expensive ICP testing tells you if some things are accumulating or depleting, but does nothing about it. Regular water changes help limit problems from these issues without the expense of testing and the lack of even knowing what to do about some of them if you find accumulations (which are not at all unusual if you read the ICP reports posted online).

I assumed my skimmer, carbon and purigen would take care of that.

 

[Lonely reefer's]

Wow Update video to provided that the tank still kicking without wc

 

[FarmerTy]

Wow Update video to provided that the tank still kicking without wc

All videos are in my build thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/207702/

She is still rocking. Here is the latest video just in case you don't want to go through my build thread.

 

[Elder1945 Verified Sponsor]

Tank looks great and not having the grind of water changes is nice and your results are hard to deny.

I some times wonder how much the industry pushes water changes as a constant flow of income. If the hobby in general cut down on water changes most LFS and sites would feel it instantly as the foot traffic or online traffic would slow. Most hobbyist walk into a LFS or order from a site end up with more then what they originally set out to buy i.e. salt.

I have no clue if this is even a factor on how much water changes are pushed... I have done water changes every 2-3 weeks and will keep doing this as it has worked for me.

Just wanted to share what I was thinking about while reading this post.