TrialandError
Well-Known Member
I do a 5 gallon WC when I remember. Sometimes once a week or every other week or once a month. I have a mixed reef. Zoas mushrooms acans sps and other lps. It's an 80 display and 40 sump.
The Ultimate Water Change??
- Thread starter Diesel
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deedeesdaddy
Active Member
20 gallons, 3 h.o.b. filters, t5 lighting and 2 heaters for redundancy oh and a couple power heads for flow is my entire hardware list. I change 5 gallons every two weeks with red sea coral pro salt. I use carbon and phosphate media but been buying way to many corals lately and haven't went to the store for more carbon and stuff and that just came obviously apparent just now looking at the pic with the brown junk on the rack...With that salt I haven't tested the water in months cuz honestly it just got too monotonous. Ca, alk and mag is always spot on as advertised on the bucket. No more buying corals cuz the tank is obviously at capacity and now it's time to take a Lil better care of it to protect my investment in terms of filter media.... The tank is just about two years old
racin2438
Active Member
We a 150g tank with 110 sump but it's only has about 50g of water, we 60 g WC every 3 weeks but I alternate with 80g WC every other 3rd week.
Our 30g JBJ nano get 5g WC one week then 10g WC the next week
Our 20 g Frag tank with a 15g sump gets the same...5g one week then 10 the next week.
We have 55 of RODI at the ready
And 60g of pre-mix at the ready all the time.in case of a sudden need to do a WC.
Our 30g JBJ nano get 5g WC one week then 10g WC the next week
Our 20 g Frag tank with a 15g sump gets the same...5g one week then 10 the next week.
We have 55 of RODI at the ready
And 60g of pre-mix at the ready all the time.in case of a sudden need to do a WC.
I feed every day, and use seachem plus and trace every 2nd day. Phos is never over 0.02 nitrates always around 0.025.
I test alk mag cal every week and dose accordingly. I have mostly LPS and medium stock of fish.
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whixley101
Well-Known Member
I have a 180 gallon display and a 80 gallon sump. I change 40 gallons once every 30 days along with my carbon. I also run bio pellets and feed my fish often, so I top off my bio pellet reactor at the same time. My tank is 60% SPS and 40% LPS with 17 fish.(3 Tangs, 8 anithis, 2 wrasse, 4 Clowns) My current tank is roughly five years old and is in balance. It likes this method and bio load.
very interesting thread. Quite a lot of varability. I have a 65 gallon tank and 20 gallon sump. I change 10-15% every 3 weeks to every 6 weeks....it varies.....I keep a lot of fish and love to feed well. Corals are mainly lps and softies along with a RBTA.
gpdno
Community Member
Now I will say that the amount of my water change is DIRECTLY related to my control system. If I were doing it the old fashion way... Hose, bucket, siphon, more buckets... I would hardly ever do a water change. Honestly, in the past I believe that was my biggest downfall and why my tanks were never as successful as I would have liked.
My current tank has both an auto-top-off and an automatic water change, both controlled by my Apex. The tank controller takes the hassle and trouble out of a water change and so for me a water change is no big deal.
My current tank has both an auto-top-off and an automatic water change, both controlled by my Apex. The tank controller takes the hassle and trouble out of a water change and so for me a water change is no big deal.
ssdawood
Valuable Member
Red sea blue bucket
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I disagree and I am sure everyone else here dose as well.
Not doing water changes is bad very very bad.
racin2438
Active Member
I would NEVER risk my 9K investment on this type of maintenance plan....as i said b4...
I do 60g WC every 3 weeks then 80g WC the next 3rd week..
Daniel@R2R
Living the Reef Life
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Actually, there are a growing number of reefers that run their tanks this way. I know a guy who almost never does water changes, and he has run a very nice SPS dominant mixed reef for many years. So...it can be done.
Maybe pipe it in from the ocean????????
Why would you spend $$$$$$ and take a chance on losing everything because your water qualities went south?
Water changes aren't the cure all. Your system can go south with religious water changes just like it can with hardly ever doing any. I didn't do a change in six months. I have started changing the water again and have found better color and better polyp extension since starting back with them.
I have noticed my parameters hold a lot more stable and for longer since I have been using natural sea water. Less dosing elements and more water changes because it's free gives you more $$ to spend in other things.
Yes I agree with its not a fix all but if you ask any expert aquarist they will tell you that this one of the most basic fundamentals in reef keeping and growing corals. As Diesel explained that when he spoke with Mike Paletta he strongly believes this is one of the keys to his success.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
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I'm sold on consistent WCs ever since I serviced tanks for a LFS. Those tanks flourished for the 6-7 years I cared for them and they are still flourishing today 4 years later. No crashes or heart ache stories-just fish living and thriving decades instead of months or years.
I have noticed better colors and pe with doing water changes. I can get behind it being a good idea. Some people have great success without them though. I see a common thing now days with water changes being advised for every problem you can think of. This is what I meant in my previous post.... Fish have ich, water change.... Hair algae, water change... rtn, water change...
