skimmerless tank with no water changes

[jared graves]

Just wondering how many of you have\ or have had a reef tank run with no skimmer or water changes? That's the direction I have taken my tank and just wanted to see how many others do this.

 

[twilliard]

Is this a trick question?
no water changes, no export
is it even possible without growing every macro in the DT?
I will follow this one!

 

[StevenBell]

 

[Cleo642]

Water changes are important in any aquarium I believe.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Hold on, that tank will work just fine with plastic corals and artificial fish!

 

[Reefing Madness]

I don't do water changes but twice a year, but I do have to run a Skimmer.

 

[jared graves]

Is this a trick question?
no water changes, no export
is it even possible without growing every macro in the DT?
I will follow this one!

I haven't done a water change in 6 months and havent had a skimmer for a year.
I have a 90gal display tank with a 35gal sump. system has about 150-170 pounds of live rock (90 in display, 60-80lbs in sump) and about 60 lbs of live sand. i feed once every two days a cube of brine shrimp (I melt the cube and wash off the cloudy excess in water before it goes in the tank) it is an sps dominated tank that is getting respectable growth. right now I am dosing reef fusion 1 and 2, kent coral vite, and kent essential elements everyday. I have seen a few posts about tanks like mine in other forums.

 

[jared graves]

I don't do water changes but twice a year, but I do have to run a Skimmer.

whats your set up? whats your feeding like?

 

[Reefing Madness]

I haven't done a water change in 6 months and havent had a skimmer for a year.
I have a 90gal display tank with a 35gal sump. system has about 150-170 pounds of live rock (90 in display, 60-80lbs in sump) and about 60 lbs of live sand. i feed once every two days a cube of brine shrimp (I melt the cube and wash off the cloudy excess in water before it goes in the tank) it is an sps dominated tank that is getting respectable growth. right now I am dosing reef fusion 1 and 2, kent coral vite, and kent essential elements everyday. I have seen a few posts about tanks like mine in other forums.

Now everyone knows the reason why we advise people to run a ton of Live Rock in their tanks!! It does what we say it does!! Very nice job!!

 

[twilliard]

Ahh a fuge is involved

 

[redfishbluefish]

Interesting! Might I ask what your nitrates and phosphate numbers look like? Also, are you running a sump/refugium....and if so....what's in there?

 

[Cleo642]

How do people get away with rare water changes? Maybe in a very mature system I can understand but I would consider still doing a water change about once a month. A new system would be weekly changes.
I am just learning about saltwater, but I have read that some people do rare or no water changes. Just topoffs.

 

[jared graves]

Ahh a fuge is involved

no macro algae though

 

[jared graves]

Now everyone knows the reason why we advise people to run a ton of Live Rock in their tanks!! It does what we say it does!! Very nice job!!

thanks people think I'm crazy but i say let nature do its job!

 

[jared graves]

Interesting! Might I ask what your nitrates and phosphate numbers look like? Also, are you running a sump/refugium....and if so....what's in there?

I tried to start feeding once a day for a few weeks and it spiked my numbers ( nitrates 10-15, phosphates 4-5) i started getting cyno but moved feeding back to once every two days and its come back down nitrates 5 and phosphates less than 2. still needs to come down some but its on its way. maybe one day i can start feeding daily and not spike it

 

[jared graves]

Interesting! Might I ask what your nitrates and phosphate numbers look like? Also, are you running a sump/refugium....and if so....what's in there?

nothing but live rock and sand

 

[eric3316]

Got a pic of your tank?

 

[maroun.c]

how are your corals doing with this level of phosphate?
any info about what fish and how many you got?

 

[Russ265]

skimmerless here as well. no water changes except for sand siphoning. (10 gallons in a 300 system every month)

i dose no3. my ats cant grow algae either

 

[jared graves]

how are your corals doing with this level of phosphate?
any info about what fish and how many you got?

with my levels at less then 2ppm phosphate they are great. I have two clowns, sixline wrass, sailfin blenny, 2 damsels, small yellow tang, and a large pajama cardinal.