Reasons Why Im Not Doing Water Changes Anymore.

[Chefzilla]

I have been running the triton system in my tank for roughly 9 months. No water changes only top off with ro/di. I'm up to 190 mls a day and going strong. I run gfo, large refugium and large skimmer. The skimmer pulls what I need and the cheato pulls the rest. So far I'm hooked. I do hand dose amino acids and extra vitamins. Tank is roughly 13 months old and everything started from frags between .5" and 1"

 

[Squamosa]

Hi all

Its been almost 2 years since I stopped water changes.

I started off practising the DSR method as set out by GlennF but have slowly refined the process to suit me and my system (I guess that was Glenn's goal to make you think and educate yourself about the dynamics of a reef tank).

I have an sps system with a medium-high fish bio-load and I carbon dose (vodka), skim and use GFO aggressively. A calcium reactor is also used.
Aquavitro fuel, together with a home made AA blend and reef pearls are fed almost on a daily basis. I also add a vial of Biodigest bacteria to the system every 2 weeks.

I monitor many different parameters on a weekly and/or monthly basis and have noticed an increase in metals such as Al and Pb (over the course of 2 years), so once a month I run cuprisorb on the tank for a week and together with the rowaphos I keep the metal concentration down low.
I also see a drop in salinity (from skimmer export) over time and monitor this carefully.

My tank ran fantastically for over a year until I had a massive outbreak of AEFW and removed all the corals but didn't change the water, with a subsequent restart 8 months ago using frags donated and rescued by myself. The tank ran fallow for months without sps corals.

Once again the system is taking off and in 6 months I think it will be a showstopper again

I seriously can't see any reason for doing a water change, not one...ever!!!

Unfortunately, this is not a method you can employ if you suffer from LARS!!!!

Also I have started using nano-bubbles and the results are mind blowing, but that is for another thread.

Before AEFW

Frags growing well 8 months in

 

[Xtremeclownfish]

Fascinating information, going to follow also.

 

[FarmerTy]

Firm believer in no water changes.

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/208435/

 

[jetmaker]

I also cut back on water changes, everything seems to do better with less change. The problem I ran into about 4 years down the road was high nitrates that I cannot seem to get rid of (due to not physically removing them). I do not have macro algae and it is a predator tank so there is heavy pooping. I have read there are certain single chamber reators that can remove the nitrates through an anaerobic process, is this true? Please forgive me, I am still learning the science behind some of the equipment. Or would you have any other suggestions that keep in line with the less water change theory. The fish can handle the nitrates, but I would love to get some corals other than mushrooms and keep a healthy environment for everything. Thank you.

Yeah get some chaeto put in fuge that will bring it down I personally don't care for sps but I do keep lps and softies and zoas I don't do water changes but dose you will be OK little nitrate but I mean little.

 

[hyperionfall]

The triton method is a very good system to run if you wish to forego water changes. It is not the only method but it has a proven track record. I use the system with one small difference. Instead of a fuge I run a Algae scrubber (waterfall type home made). I have a CS2 skimmer running as well. I run phosban on a 8 hour on 8 hour off cycle and run carbon every other day, I could probably do without the carbon. I dose triton elementz per the test results I do every other month. Fill a bottle, send it in and then get the results and adjust doses. Every 2 weeks I test cal, mag and alk with home test kits and then compare to what Triton says. The skimmer pulls enough water that the ATO adds just enough fresh water to keep the salinity spot on as the salts build up from dosing. The ATS removes all my organics as well as provide a good growing spot for pods. Triton also tells me what trace elements I need to hand dose if any. It also checks for any heavy metal build up. If in the very rare case you do get some metals then a water change is called for, so it is not 100% water change free but in 2.5 years I have done one to get rid of an overdose. The wife loves it because she no longer has to do water changes when I am offshore working.
Look it up and see if it is something that would fit your lifestyle and ideals of reef husbandry. It is not for everyone but I love it.

 

[jetmaker]

I have been running the triton system in my tank for roughly 9 months. No water changes only top off with ro/di. I'm up to 190 mls a day and going strong. I run gfo, large refugium and large skimmer. The skimmer pulls what I need and the cheato pulls the rest. So far I'm hooked. I do hand dose amino acids and extra vitamins. Tank is roughly 13 months old and everything started from frags between .5" and 1"

Looking great.

 

[Tangchaser]

This is really great! I'm so amazed at seeing how the hobby matures!

 

[jetmaker]

This is really great! I'm so amazed at seeing how the hobby matures!

Or just seeing how lazy I am lol.

 

[tristanfish]

Following

 

[OGFrenchHorn]

I went 2 years with no water changes. As long as your parameters are in order you should be ok. Just add trace elements and iodine. I think a really good skimmer is required. I was running an Alpha 200.

 

[Tangchaser]

I went 2 years with no water changes. As long as your parameters are in order you should be ok. Just add trace elements and iodine. I think a really good skimmer is required. I was running an Alpha 200.

It's funny that you say that. I have watched different elements dwindle without having drastic effects. I have seen strontium stay stable with no dosing, I believe I have seen iodine and potassium at undetectable range.

 

[Tommy's Reef]

What I do a 80 percent water change ever month bro. My corals and fish love it the next day ever thing is opened huge they love it. I just play with my mixed water for a day until it's the exact dosage as my tank. Dude its fine I've never seen a negative

 

[Tommy's Reef]

Going with no water changes seem crazy

 

[Tangchaser]

What's great is with all the technology we can now push limits and learn more about what's going on.

 

[Tangchaser]

What I do a 80 percent water change ever month bro. My corals and fish love it the next day ever thing is opened huge they love it. I just play with my mixed water for a day until it's the exact dosage as my tank. Dude its fine I've never seen a negative

I see a lot of water change responses like this. Thing is we dose and test more elements than average and keep them stable. It's essentially a different format of import and export. Your corals could be enjoying the water change for many reasons but have you ever thought why? What is my reef getting from this water change that im not providing on a consistent basis.

 

[OGFrenchHorn]

It's funny that you say that. I have watched different elements dwindle without having drastic effects. I have seen strontium stay stable with no dosing, I believe I have seen iodine and potassium at undetectable range.

This was back when I started experimenting with zeolith rock and carbon dosing. I forgot what lead me to believe that a skimmer pulled iodine. Anyways, I'm now doing full zeovit and I do water changes once in a great while and I get the same results.

 

[jetmaker]

If it ain't broke don't fix it

 

[FranklinDattein]

"No water changes" has to be the most desirable achievement of any SPS reefer.

Unfortunately, a lot of people get it wrong and very few come back to report the issues.

In my opinion, if you just stop water changes and don't adopt a method to back it, you are starting a time bomb. The bomb wick is just as long as the volume of the tank.
More volume equals to more time to deplete or saturate trace elements. Reason why, large tanks go well a long time without WC, whereas small tanks not so much.

Secondly, water changes causing instability is easy to fix and I wouldn't use it as the driver to stop WC entirely. Adjust the new water parameters to match the tank's water, do it slowly and the problem is solved.

Having that said, it is amazing what Triton and DSR are bringing to the hobby and hopefully thechniques like these will become more accessible shortly.

 

[jetmaker]

"No water changes" has to be the most desirable achievement of any SPS reefer.

Unfortunately, a lot of people get it wrong and very few come back to report the issues.

In my opinion, if you just stop water changes and don't adopt a method to back it, you are starting a time bomb. The bomb wick is just as long as the volume of the tank.
More volume equals to more time to deplete or saturate trace elements. Reason why, large tanks go well a long time without WC, whereas small tanks not so much.

Secondly, water changes causing instability is easy to fix and I wouldn't use it as the driver to stop WC entirely. Adjust the new water parameters to match the tank's water, do it slowly and the problem is solved.

Having that said, it is amazing what Triton and DSR are bringing to the hobby and hopefully thechniques like these will become more accessible shortly.

It can be done now.