NO water changes in 6 months

HB AL · Apr 18, 2018

So I like to experiment a little with all things pertaining to reeef keeping to see what might work better than others. Right now I stopped doing water changes 6 months ago, my tank is 92Cadlights and a 30g sump. I manually dose everything. The tank is filled with all types of corals, couple clams and 15 fish. I do mix up some Red Sea pro when I need to bring salinity up. The thing is I'm not sure what kind of fine line I'm walking but my corals and fish look better than ever. I'm not following any type of official program. I dose the big three, and trace elements. I dose Red Sea reef energy A and B once a week although at double the suggested dose. The fish eat Hikari frozen foods and once or twice a week I broadcast feed reef roids. Really wondering if I'm pushing it or if this might become a long term method. Was wondering who else has had long term success with no water changes and for how long?
For now since I haven't seen any ill affects I'm gonna just keep rolling with it.
The pic is from a few days ago.

P-Dub · Apr 18, 2018

If you take the time to document what testing you are doing, what values you are getting, precisely what and how much you are dosing at exactly what intervals, what your maintenance schedule is and what is involved, and what equipment you are using, etc., it might very well become a "method". Until you do that, you are just cruizing with no one able to join you. It is more work to document the process, and let's face it, reefing can be work enough already, but to see if this really is a "method" others have to be able to duplicate said method and results. Allow us to go on the same ride because your tank looks fantastic.

pharazon · Apr 18, 2018

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Tank looks incredible. Like an actual piece of the ocean!

I think the waterchange-less systems have a lot of merit if you have good filtration and get your elements dialed in.

I’m not sure if you saw the post about Jamie Cragg’s induced acropora spawning experiment, but he utilized the Triton method. To me that speaks volumes about the validity of these types of reefkeeping methods. Of course there are many reefers like yourself who are having success with it, but getting to corals to spawn takes it to another level.

Darryl · Apr 18, 2018

pharazon · Apr 18, 2018

P-Dub said:
If you take the time to document what testing you are doing, what values you are getting, precisely what and how much you are dosing at exactly what intervals, what your maintenance schedule is and what is involved, and what equipment you are using, etc., it might very well become a "method". Until you do that, you are just cruizing with no one able to join you. It is more work to document the process, and let's face it, reefing can be work enough already, but to see if this really is a "method" others have to be able to duplicate said method and results. Allow us to go on the same ride because your tank looks fantastic.

Huge plus one on this. Your tank is truly awesome, and I think many of us would aspire to be where you’re at!

sweendog87 · Apr 18, 2018

Would love to know how your keeping nutrients down and minor major and trace elements up what are you using to dose the major 3

rickybrooks05 · Apr 18, 2018

Looks great man

HB AL · Apr 18, 2018

Ok nobody laugh, here's all I'm doing and none of it is etched in stone.
As far as dosing the big 3, I use the Seachem powders.
The reef builder for alkalinity and keep it between 7 and 9.
The reef advantage for calcium and keep it above 400.
The reef advantage for magnesium and keep it above 1400.
As far as replacing trace elements I use Kent marine essential elements and coral vite, I add around 40ml of each once a week sometimes 50ml of each.
I also add Red Sea reef energy A and B once a week using 40ml of each.
That's all I've been dosing for the 2+ years the tanks been setup but since I stopped doing water changes I settled on the amounts above.
For nutrient control in my sump I have a Vertex 130 skimmer, a bag of Kent marine carbon and a bag of Seachem phosgaurd, I also dose 20ml of Red Sea no3 po4 every few days or so.
I have a ton of live rock so I'm sure that helps things out overall.
Also I have a uv sterilizer.
I have a lot of fish which I honestly enjoy more than the corals so I figure if the corals are growing and colored up especially the Acros then the water is in good shape for the fish.
I have 15 fish, some would say too many and my tank is overstocked, but they are all healthy and get along great. In my mind I'm maxed out on fish and haven't added one in about 8 months.
1- gold spot rabbit
1- yellow tang
1- purple tang
1- blonde naso
1- hippo tang
1- red coris wrasse
1- green coris wrasse
1- sargassum trigger
1- blue jaw trigger
1- maroon clown
1- tomato clown
1- bangia cardinal
1- large damsel of some sort
1- squirrel fish
1- bicolor blenny

Bpb · Apr 18, 2018

I like seeing this work for some people. I’ve known some people to go years between water changes. My acros draw in their polyps and get brittle tissue and spots of necrosis if I go more than 1 month without at least a 10% water change. They must be soaking up some trace element super fast that the food and calcium reactor is not providing. It’s not a nutrient issue. I have my PO4 export and carbon dosing dialed strict at 8-10 ppm NO3 and 0.03-0.06 ppm PO4

pharazon · Apr 18, 2018

HB AL said:
Ok nobody laugh, here's all I'm doing and none of it is etched in stone.
As far as dosing the big 3, I use the Seachem powders.
The reef builder for alkalinity and keep it between 7 and 9.
The reef advantage for calcium and keep it above 400.
The reef advantage for magnesium and keep it above 1400.
As far as replacing trace elements I use Kent marine essential elements and coral vite, I add around 40ml of each once a week sometimes 50ml of each.
I also add Red Sea reef energy A and B once a week using 40ml of each.
That's all I've been dosing for the 2+ years the tanks been setup but since I stopped doing water changes I settled on the amounts above.
For nutrient control in my sump I have a Vertex 130 skimmer, a bag of Kent marine carbon and a bag of Seachem phosgaurd, I also dose 20ml of Red Sea no3 po4 every few days or so.
I have a ton of live rock so I'm sure that helps things out overall.
Also I have a uv sterilizer.
I have a lot of fish which I honestly enjoy more than the corals so I figure if the corals are growing and colored up especially the Acros then the water is in good shape for the fish.
I have 15 fish, some would say too many and my tank is overstocked, but they are all healthy and get along great. In my mind I'm maxed out on fish and haven't added one in about 8 months.
1- gold spot rabbit
1- yellow tang
1- purple tang
1- blonde naso
1- hippo tang
1- red coris wrasse
1- green coris wrasse
1- sargassum trigger
1- blue jaw trigger
1- maroon clown
1- tomato clown
1- bangia cardinal
1- large damsel of some sort
1- squirrel fish
1- bicolor blenny

No Fuge/ATS/Reactor?

DesertReefT4r · Apr 18, 2018

Wow nice! Just keep it up. Maybe send some water to triton to be tested. I was surpised to see you using Kent elements to dose. Old school.

HB AL · Apr 18, 2018

pharazon said:
No Fuge/ATS/Reactor?

No

User1 · Apr 18, 2018

Nice tank - virtual "high five" to you!

P-Dub · Apr 19, 2018

I'm not laughing. It works and looks great. Keep records and if this continues to work long-term, make an article out of it. Surely worthy of others following in your path.

saltwaterpicaso · Mar 7, 2019

do you have any problems with the red coris wrasse eating your clean up crew

SDK · Mar 7, 2019

Your tank looks great!

I'm curious as to why you are dosing 20ml of PO4 every few days and running Phosguard at the same time. Are you using it to remove silicates???

HB AL · Mar 7, 2019

SDK said:
Your tank looks great!

I'm curious as to why you are dosing 20ml of PO4 every few days and running Phosguard at the same time. Are you using it to remove silicates???

I have 14 fish and feed them 8 to 10 cubes of Hikari frozen a day, that’s a pretty high bioload. I now dose alternating days 5 or 10 ml of nopox, it keeps my nitrates between 10 and 20, I don’t test phosphates but since the tank is clean and the corals all look fine, so I figure the phosgaurd bag in the sump isn’t hurting anything.

Mical · Mar 7, 2019

Awesome tank!

AlexG · Mar 7, 2019

Does a 100 gallon water change actually count as a water change in a 1600 gallon system? If not then I have been over a a year and a half without a water change. Most of the corals are doing well but on occasion I have a few issues with certain coral species mainly montiporas and occasionally an LPS coral. I am planning to start monthly 100 gallon changes and I am about to send in an ICP test to see how everything is doing. I run a calcium reactor and I dose some potassium and strontium as they were testing low on my test kits. I know potassium and strontium test kits are not the most accurate but I dose low levels of these elements. I am hoping the ICP test provides more accuracy.

saltwaterpicaso · Mar 7, 2019

are you still going without water changes im at about a year and my nitrates are threw the roof po4 is low I just started a fuge and bought a n18 reactor a few months ago so far not impressed with how much it was