No water changes???

[Peter Dietz]

Hi all im wonder two things. One being is it possible to not do any water changes if i supplement the required chemicals and such.

Second question is what should i use to be able to control all of this away from home as i am a truck driver and i am rarely home for more than a day every 2-3 weeks

Thank you

 

[JerSaint]

Hi Peter,
Check out the @ReefNewsNetwork Podcast (great to listen to while you are on the road). Pardon the shameless self-plug but I really do think you could grab some great info from it.

As far as No or Infrequent water changes you can achieve this with proper testing and dosing, look at the Triton method as well. You will need a few weeks of regular testing to know exactly what your tank consumes so you can dose properly.

I highly suggest a controller for time away from the tank Apex and GHL are the current industry standard with eKoral being newer to the market.

Even with these step towards automation, you will likely need someone that can help if something goes wrong and you are not local.

Best of luck!

 

[brokereefing]

I do Triton no water change

 

[Peter Dietz]

I do Triton no water change

Can you explain this Triton method

 

[Peter Dietz]

Hi Peter,
Check out the @ReefNewsNetwork Podcast (great to listen to while you are on the road). Pardon the shameless self-plug but I really do think you could grab some great info from it.

As far as No or Infrequent water changes you can achieve this with proper testing and dosing, look at the Triton method as well. You will need a few weeks of regular testing to know exactly what your tank consumes so you can dose properly.

I highly suggest a controller for time away from the tank Apex and GHL are the current industry standard with eKoral being newer to the market.

Even with these step towards automation, you will likely need someone that can help if something goes wrong and you are not local.

Best of luck!

Okay ill look into Apex and see what I can find. Maybe there will be a vendor at FFM.

 

[JerSaint]

There should be a few, there is usually a rep at the show with one of the shops and Tank Breakers are vendors

 

[Peter Dietz]

Never heard of these vendors....kind of been out of the loop. Id really like to have my tank filled with clowns and some nice size corals for me to enjoy when i come home

 

[Skydvr]

I believe that the Berlin method was based on no water changes and dosing trace elements. The Triton method is based on the Berlin Method.

With the ICP tests that are available now, the estimative dosing of trace elements can be verified so levels can be properly adjusted over the long term.

Apex is the most popular on the forums at the moment, but there are other controllers out there. Apex does seem to have the best support and widest range of components currently. I have been considering developing my own system based off of PLCs, which would allow for more monitoring and control options, but without some serious UI development, would be too complicated for most reefers.

Neptune makes the Apex, they will be at FFM. They can give you details on the capability of their systems. Just verify what they claim it is capable of so you don't get oversold and find it isn't capable of accomplishing what you need.

 

[Peter Dietz]

I believe that the Berlin method was based on no water changes and dosing trace elements. The Triton method is based on the Berlin Method.

With the ICP tests that are available now, the estimative dosing of trace elements can be verified so levels can be properly adjusted over the long term.

Apex is the most popular on the forums at the moment, but there are other controllers out there. Apex does seem to have the best support and widest range of components currently. I have been considering developing my own system based off of PLCs, which would allow for more monitoring and control options, but without some serious UI development, would be too complicated for most reefers.

Neptune makes the Apex, they will be at FFM. They can give you details on the capability of their systems. Just verify what they claim it is capable of so you don't get oversold and find it isn't capable of accomplishing what you need.

Ive looked online on the website and it does basically what im looking for. I did notice id have to get a salinity probe i think and was wondering how or even if its possible to monitor element levels as i do want to add a doser

 

[Skydvr]

There are some things that are supposed to be coming out soon to automate testing. Jeremy (JerSaint) and Peter were talking about them a little bit on this week’s episode of The Reef News Network podcast.

 

[Peter Dietz]

There are some things that are supposed to be coming out soon to automate testing. Jeremy (JerSaint) and Peter were talking about them a little bit on this week’s episode of The Reef News Network podcast.

How do i get podcasts on an andriod?

 

[dwest]

Hi all im wonder two things. One being is it possible to not do any water changes if i supplement the required chemicals and such.

Second question is what should i use to be able to control all of this away from home as i am a truck driver and i am rarely home for more than a day every 2-3 weeks

Thank you

IMO, I would only recommend no water changes to very experienced reefers.

 

[Skydvr]

If the system is set up from the beginning with the intent of running with no water changes and adheres one of the systems, I see no issues with it. Peter’s system is going to require a lot of automation as it is with his schedule, designing the system to support no water changes may actually help him to be more successful as he would be limited to one water change every two to three weeks with limited time home. The tank would be subjected to large parameter swings from that regimen. There would also be the very likely scenario of missing a water change or two (in a row) due to extenuating circumstances during his brief periods at home.

I was told that I shouldn’t run anything less than a 55 for my first tank, and going bigger would be better. I was also told that there was no way for me to be successful with a nano tank without years of experience. I successfully ran a sumped half gallon cube for over three years. It was actually easier to maintain than the 20 I am running now. Research and setting the system up properly will allow for a sucessful reef.

Sorry if that comes off as negative or dismissive. I don’t find blanket comments like that helpful or constructive. Making someone aware of reasons why you think that or suggest why another approach might lead to more success is better than dismissing something you don’t have experience with just because it is different from what you do or what have been told. No water changes is a new concept in the United States, but has been common practice in other countries for decades. It requires a very different approach and doesn’t fit in with the standard American mentality, but is achievable and can be done from the start.

 

[Skydvr]

The podcasts are available on iTunes, Spotify, or you can stream directly from the website. Not sure if you can download them from the website.

https://reefnewsnetwork.com/category/episodes/

@ReefNewsNetwork would be able to tell you where else the podcast is available.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

Editops wrong thread lol.

 

[Skydvr]

To dwest’s comment, you will need to make sure you study up on a few of the methods to determine what will work for you. Every step of each system doesn’t necessarily need to be followed exactly to the letter, but if you are leaving something out, you need to know why you are leaving it out, what the effect will be, and how you are accounting for it. Cost can’t be the sole reason for not doing part of the method. It can be a factor in looking for other ways to accomplish something, but it can’t be the sole reson.

I looked into running a no water change method briefly way back, but the cost of starting it up wasn’t reasonable for the size system and space I was limited to (ICP tests weren’t available then either, so I was blindly trusting that the system worked and kept everything in ballance. Blind trust isn’t something I am good at, nor do I want to be). I know there are some things you can scale back on, but I don’t remember enough about the system to know what those are.

 

[JerSaint]

How do i get podcasts on an andriod?

Check out stitcher for Android