Should we size our tanks based on water changes?

[Caleb123]

So I currently have a IM 50 gallon AIO. A 10 gallon, 20% water change is quick and easy on a tank this size. However, I’ve already run out of room and am planning an upgrade. As I was considering a size, one question stuck with me:

Should I pick a tank size based on the size of water change I can perform?

I use a 44g Brute trash can for mixing saltwater. So realistically if I were to get a 180 gallon display I could only do about 20% max water change at one time. While I can fit a 6’ tank, I do not have the space to go with a larger mixing station.

Would you consider a 20% max water change capacity as good enough or setting yourself up for failure?

 

[fish farmer]

Are you set on always doing water changes?Many folks with larger tanks manage their tanks with less water changes and other methods to do the job of a water change.

With that said I based my current tank on the premise of effective water changes and other maintenance tasks, so I went with a 29 gallon.

 

[CoralB]

So I currently have a IM 50 gallon AIO. A 10 gallon, 20% water change is quick and easy on a tank this size. However, I’ve already run out of room and am planning an upgrade. As I was considering a size, one question stuck with me:

Should I pick a tank size based on the size of water change I can perform?

I use a 44g Brute trash can for mixing saltwater. So realistically if I were to get a 180 gallon display I could only do about 20% max water change at one time. While I can fit a 6’ tank, I do not have the space to go with a larger mixing station.

Would you consider a 20% max water change capacity as good enough or setting yourself up for failure?

It’s a personal decision based on what you can afford as well as maintain plus the type of inhabitants you wish to keep . A 180 would be way too small to house a 9 foot hammerhead shark

 

[X-37B]

I only do 10% a month to remove the things I cant test for.
10% a week is really not needed imo anymore.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I believe your ability to make and store SW is Absolutely a limiting factor for what size is appropriate for someone.

If for No other reason, in an emergency, you may need to do a 50% WC RIGHT NOW.

I just had a catastrophic failure on a new 180. If I wasn't diligent about having at Least 100g on hand mixed at all times, I would not have been able to get the fish and coral out and keep them alive. That's the extreme, but plan for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[X-37B]

I believe your ability to make and store SW is Absolutely a limiting factor for what size is appropriate for someone.

If for No other reason, in an emergency, you may need to do a 50% WC RIGHT NOW.

I just had a catastrophic failure on a new 180. If I wasn't diligent about having at Least 100g on hand mixed at all times, I would not have been able to get the fish and coral out and keep them alive. That's the extreme, but plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Yea I have a 275g tote for ro/di.
I also have 3 55g drums if needed.
One always has salt water so around 55g's.
With 3 systems/4 tanks my total is just over 200g's.
I just dont do weekly anymore.

 

[t5Nitro]

I haven't changed water in close to a year now I bet. Find a volume you're comfortable exchanging, or not exchanging, and go with it.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Yea I have a 275g tote for ro/di.
I also have 3 55g drums if needed.
One always has salt water so around 55g's.
With 3 systems/4 tanks my total is just over 200g's.
I just dont do weekly anymore.

My 215g system got 45g water changes, 60 gallon system gets 20, 40b Qt gets 15 so I'm at 80g needed just for WC days. The Ooh Crap I have to set up another tank right now, is why I keep 150g on hand and 100 minimum.

 

[Caleb123]

It’s a personal decision based on what you can afford as well as maintain plus the type of inhabitants you wish to keep . A 180 would be way too small to house a 9 foot hammerhead shark

What if I get the hammerhead as a juvenile and let it grow out? Lol just kidding. Yes, the reason for the larger tank is so that I will not be as limited on what I can and can’t keep. I love my corals, but the fish really do it for me!

 

[X-37B]

My 215g system got 45g water changes, 60 gallon system gets 20, 40b Qt gets 15 so I'm at 80g needed just for WC days. The Ooh Crap I have to set up another tank right now, is why I keep 150g on hand and 100 minimum.

I get it. Thats one reason I only do once a month.
Systems are:
20g nano cube
45g-65g total frag system
80g growout with 30g fuge
120g total so I only change 20g's a month.
I also feel my systems stabilty is more consistant with less WC's.
I do dose trace on all systems and run a carx on the larger system.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I get it. Thats one reason I only do once a month.
Systems are:
20g nano cube
45g-65g total frag system
80g growout with 30g fuge
120g total so I only change 20g's a month.
I also feel my systems stabilty is more consistant with less WC's.
I do dose trace on all systems and run a carx on the larger system.

Makes sense. We are different strokes. I run high bioload, high input, high output systems. WC/s are one of a few prongs of reduction.

 

[Caleb123]

I believe your ability to make and store SW is Absolutely a limiting factor for what size is appropriate for someone.

If for No other reason, in an emergency, you may need to do a 50% WC RIGHT NOW.

I just had a catastrophic failure on a new 180. If I wasn't diligent about having at Least 100g on hand mixed at all times, I would not have been able to get the fish and coral out and keep them alive. That's the extreme, but plan for the worst and hope for the best.

I did fail to mention I have an additional 32g brute can in the closet and my RODI reservoir is another 44g so I could technically change 70 ish gallons in an emergency.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I run a 550, and change 50 gallons a month IF I'm not lazy. Water changes are a pain in the rear and I don't have time to be doing that crap constantly for little to no reward.

 

[X-37B]

Makes sense. We are different strokes. I run high bioload, high input, high output systems. WC/s are one of a few prongs of reduction.

I run the same high in/out with high bio load too.
My systems are very basic.
Oversized skimmer for no3 control. Fuge for po4 control.
Carbon and filter socks.
Many ways to control your system but after 30+ I keep it as simple as I can.

My latest tank the 20g nano cube.
It only runs carbon and is the easiest system I have ever ran.
It gets 2g's a month and is now 7 months and counting.

 

[PatW]

You can do that. With 45 gallons of salt water, you can easily go to a 200 gallon + system. It just depends on how many water changes you do over a time interval.

It also depends on your husbandry system and how much you depend on water changes for maintaining your system. If you have multiple nutrient export systems and dosing and skimming and so on, you can rely less on water changes. On smaller systems, it often makes sense to rely more on brute force water changes because skimmers, controllers, and so on make less sense for nano systems.

 

[Uncle99]

So I currently have a IM 50 gallon AIO. A 10 gallon, 20% water change is quick and easy on a tank this size. However, I’ve already run out of room and am planning an upgrade. As I was considering a size, one question stuck with me:

Should I pick a tank size based on the size of water change I can perform?

I use a 44g Brute trash can for mixing saltwater. So realistically if I were to get a 180 gallon display I could only do about 20% max water change at one time. While I can fit a 6’ tank, I do not have the space to go with a larger mixing station.

Would you consider a 20% max water change capacity as good enough or setting yourself up for failure?

I’d say 10% is fine.
Get the tank YOU like.
I have a 180g, using 20 gallons for water change every 2 weeks + 20 gallons RODI freshwater top up weekly.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

No. Get a display as big as possible.
Get a tank that allows you to keep the animals you want to raise.
If the pocket and bill can flip it of course lol
D

 

[X-37B]

Here is a end shot pic of my 120 before I took it down. I ran this the first 18 months with zero water change. I started doing them every 2 months then every one and settled on that.
I did notice a visual difference in the system after I started doing them. The tank just looked brighter/healthier?
This is at 33 months when I took it down.