Question About Water Changes

[Joe Tony]

Hello, I just had a question about water changes. I know everyone says how important it is to do consistent water changes, but in my 2-3 year system, I haven't done a water change in nearly two months, and the tank looks great. Corals are all vibrant and open. The sponges love it. I've got a deep sand bed of about 5-inches. There's no algae blooms, and my three fish are happy, alongwith invertebrates. I know eventually I'll have to do a water change, but I

It's a 30 gallon tank with a little duncan and candy cane coral, both of which have been branching out, a purple candelabra gorgonian, yellow polyps, green star polyps, a monti frag, and most recently a big toadstool leather coral. I also have no protein skimmers, filters, ozone, refugium, etc. just a powerhead, heater, and light

My question is simply if anyone whose had established saltwater tank systems manages to do without water changes at all, and if so, how do they deal with nitrates and providing trace elements for their coral.

 

[BlennyTime]

Some people get there, definitely. You can export nitrates with chaeto, and there are supplements that replace trace elements (Red Sea makes an ABCD program, as one option).

 

[alxrosco]

Two products from Red Sea, NoPox and A,B,C,D Trace colors. But I am wondering if they are more work than just doing a 5 gallons water change every other week.

 

[ZoWhat]

I only do two-to-three 50% WCs a year and my zoas paly 180g dominated tank is thriving

I dose home cultivated tetraselmis phyto nightly that has been a MAJOR GAME CHANGER for me.

I dose Brightwell Replenish to cover minor elements

I dose Iodide and test for it

I dose SeaKlear PO4 remover that has lanthanum chloride ( i chase po4 numbers to stay under 0.3 however I don't chase no3 bc phyto controls that. Don't care if my no3 is 5 or 50)

I test for calc, alk, mag and dose if there are depletions

Really not seeing the need to burn thru salt mix every week.


.

 

[parkwaytrash]

I only do two-to-three 50% WCs a year and my zoas paly 180g dominated tank is thriving

I dose home cultivated tetraselmis phyto nightly that has been a MAJOR GAME CHANGER for me.

I dose Brightwell Replenish to cover minor elements

I dose Iodide and test for it

I dose SeaKlear PO4 remover that has lanthanum chloride ( i chase po4 numbers to stay under 0.3 however I don't chase no3 bc phyto controls that. Don't care if my no3 is 5 or 50)

I test for calc, alk, mag and dose if there are depletions

Really not seeing the need to burn thru salt mix every week.


.

Thanks for this!! I was wanting to try something very similar on my new 125 when its up and running. Ive talked to some local reefers and a couple of them do very similar to you. So I appreciate the post!

 

[Gup]

40 years ago & now my Reef, I find that water changes are a basic cure-all. If you don't Overstock the tank with fish, who expel the most ammonia & very careful feeding, water changes on less frequent, especially with a refugium

 

[X-37B]

I ran my 120 with no scheduled water changes for almost a year.
I now do 12 gallons every 2 months on my 120 and can say that it looks better after one.
It also allows me to remove detrius from the bottom every 2 months.
My system is 25 months old and supports 15 fish.
The water changes remove anything that may be bad or builtup.

 

[Timfish]

There's hydrophylic DOC that is generated in systems that promotes pathogenic shifts in coral holobionts. Only sure way to get rid of it is with water changes. Can systems go long times without water changes? Sure, but our systems and many of our fish and corals should live decades to centruries. I don't see how how they'll live that long without water chagnes.