reeffirstaid
Active Member
It’s the most basic task required in any aquarium. It is typically, a quick and easy way to remove nutrient build up, and replace essential trace elements. When compared with other reef aquarium maintenance tasks, it’s fairly inexpensive. Yet, this one simple practice has been worked around by aquarists for years. The partial water change is an age old way to maintain a reef aquarium. The idea of simply removing some of a system’s water, and replacing it with new water, has been around as long as aquariums of all kinds. So why then, are aquarists often working to dodge this simple maintenance tool, replacing it with a bevy of controllers, reactors and dosing systems?
Grab your siphon hose and bucket, it's time for a water change!
Dodging water changes:
There are several reasons to dodge water changes. One, they take time. Preparing saltwater, to the exact specifications of your main system requires testing and patience. While they are cheaper than many of the reactors, or controllers on the market, water changes aren’t cheap, by any means. They require a RODI unit, a place to house freshwater and a system in which to convert it to marine. Just waiting for a RODI unit to purify enough water, can be time consuming, let alone bringing that water to perfect marine specification. Keeping salt mix on hand can be a hassle, and when space is tight, an entire separate system for water changes just eats up more room. Did I mention, they were time consuming?
Water changes also play with our aquarium’s chemistry. When we work so hard to achieve a stable balance, of so many elements, removing some of the water (filled with our sweat and time) seems almost like madness. So why are water changes so crucial, in an age where technology has perfected many reef aquarium related tasks?
Devices like the RENEW, allow for a continuous water change in reef aquariums.
An essential element to a healthy aquarium:
Technology has made life easier for reef aquarists, but it’s far from perfecting the art of aquariums. Most of the technology we use, is aimed at reporting data back to the aquarist about water quality and chemistry. We are responsible for interpreting that data, and making decisions about how to act. The ocean is an open system, dependent on the water cycle. The water cycle constantly flushes the ocean clean, and maintains balance on sensitive coral reef ecosystems. It’s for this reason, that runoff and pollution are so detrimental to ocean health. There is a saying, “Every drop of water goes into the ocean.†It’s true, whether it runs into a river feeding the ocean, evaporates into thin air, or is dumped in an international waterway, all water reaches the sea.
In the aquarium, we turn the open ocean system on its head. We place sensitive animals in a closed system. There is no continuous water cycle, there is no constant replenishing and flushing of nutrients. Sure, we mimic the bacterial processes that take place in nature, cultivating both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, but even then, we are missing a vital component of reef ecology. To make up the difference, to truly create an open system, similar to the ocean, we conduct water changes. This allows nutrients to be flushed out and removed, while replacing stale water with new, just like the natural water cycle does on wild coral reefs.
Using some brain power, it's possible to create a constant water changing system.
How much, how often, all that jazz:
A common argument on forums and in aquarium literature, is how often should partial water changes occur, how much should be changed, and what steps should be taken. To answer all these questions, I say consistency is key. A water change can only function when it’s done consistently. That consistency stretches from how often it’s done, to what type of salt mix is used. Using a proper water change schedule, the volume of your aquarium water is always changing, providing your inhabitants with a constant healthy environment.
In a perfect world, the salt we used to set-up our aquarium would carry through with each water change. Since some systems are years old, and aquarists evolve and learn, that may not be possible. If you started your aquarium as a fish only with live rock tank, and now keep a densely populated reef, naturally the Instant Ocean salt you used on set-up, will no longer meet your tank’s needs. Though, once you have selected your salt brand of choice, stick with it. This will create a stable set of parameters, that you can become accustom to and won’t hit your inhabitants with any major shift, or addition, of some element. For what it’s worth, I use Red Sea’s Coral Pro salt. It’s not the cheapest salt mix, nor is it the most expensive. I’ve found over the years that it strikes a good balance of key trace elements, and pays attention to sometime overlooked values, such as potassium and iron. Whatever your salt of choice is, stick with it.
How often should we change our aquarium water? I support the constantly changing approach. In nature, the water cycle never stops. In your aquarium, you should seek to replicate that. Instead of doing one massive water change a week, or a month, it’s far better to tread the path nature has laid, and make small continuous changes. I personally change 10% of my system’s volume each week, over the course of two days. That’s a simple 5% water change mid-way through the week, and a 5% change at week’s end. It keeps the water within the aquarium always changing, and breaks out a small water change, into easy to administer segments. While this schedule might not work for every aquarium, it provides a good path to remove nutrients and replace trace elements.
When conducting water changes, testing is key. You need to make sure the water going in, is the same as the water going out. Monitoring temperature and salinity is a no-brainer, but you should also be checking ph as well.
A good RODI unit is a key component to a healthy reef aquarium
The basics:
Water change water, naturally, must match the salinity of your system’s water. Also, it’s good to let it sit for at least several hours before adding it, as salt mixes have a plethora of elements that need to stabilize. A cheap heater can make sure the water temp is identical to your systems. There is argument about whether or not to vacuum your sand bed with a siphon when doing a water change. This is an effective way to remove debris, but it also causes sedimentation which is very disruptive to corals, especially SPS species. With the rise in popularity of bare bottom tanks, removing detritus is easy, as it can be vacuumed off the bare tank bottom stirring up very little and removing nearly all of it.
A water change station can be set-up for a slim cost, and saves you time in the long run, especially when conducting multiple weekly water changes
Final Thoughts:
A 32 gallon bucket, spare heater and power head, should be staples of all reef keepers equipment, along with a good RODI unit. Starting with high quality freshwater, leads to high quality marine water. It’s important to remember, that with all the technological innovations in the hobby, salt remains one of the big ones. Salt mixes today pack the right amount of trace elements and dissolve to create perfect synthetic seawater. This gives us the ability to create a water cycle for our aquarium, right at home.
Grab your siphon hose and bucket, it's time for a water change!
Dodging water changes:
There are several reasons to dodge water changes. One, they take time. Preparing saltwater, to the exact specifications of your main system requires testing and patience. While they are cheaper than many of the reactors, or controllers on the market, water changes aren’t cheap, by any means. They require a RODI unit, a place to house freshwater and a system in which to convert it to marine. Just waiting for a RODI unit to purify enough water, can be time consuming, let alone bringing that water to perfect marine specification. Keeping salt mix on hand can be a hassle, and when space is tight, an entire separate system for water changes just eats up more room. Did I mention, they were time consuming?
Water changes also play with our aquarium’s chemistry. When we work so hard to achieve a stable balance, of so many elements, removing some of the water (filled with our sweat and time) seems almost like madness. So why are water changes so crucial, in an age where technology has perfected many reef aquarium related tasks?
Devices like the RENEW, allow for a continuous water change in reef aquariums.
An essential element to a healthy aquarium:
Technology has made life easier for reef aquarists, but it’s far from perfecting the art of aquariums. Most of the technology we use, is aimed at reporting data back to the aquarist about water quality and chemistry. We are responsible for interpreting that data, and making decisions about how to act. The ocean is an open system, dependent on the water cycle. The water cycle constantly flushes the ocean clean, and maintains balance on sensitive coral reef ecosystems. It’s for this reason, that runoff and pollution are so detrimental to ocean health. There is a saying, “Every drop of water goes into the ocean.†It’s true, whether it runs into a river feeding the ocean, evaporates into thin air, or is dumped in an international waterway, all water reaches the sea.
In the aquarium, we turn the open ocean system on its head. We place sensitive animals in a closed system. There is no continuous water cycle, there is no constant replenishing and flushing of nutrients. Sure, we mimic the bacterial processes that take place in nature, cultivating both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, but even then, we are missing a vital component of reef ecology. To make up the difference, to truly create an open system, similar to the ocean, we conduct water changes. This allows nutrients to be flushed out and removed, while replacing stale water with new, just like the natural water cycle does on wild coral reefs.
Using some brain power, it's possible to create a constant water changing system.
How much, how often, all that jazz:
A common argument on forums and in aquarium literature, is how often should partial water changes occur, how much should be changed, and what steps should be taken. To answer all these questions, I say consistency is key. A water change can only function when it’s done consistently. That consistency stretches from how often it’s done, to what type of salt mix is used. Using a proper water change schedule, the volume of your aquarium water is always changing, providing your inhabitants with a constant healthy environment.
In a perfect world, the salt we used to set-up our aquarium would carry through with each water change. Since some systems are years old, and aquarists evolve and learn, that may not be possible. If you started your aquarium as a fish only with live rock tank, and now keep a densely populated reef, naturally the Instant Ocean salt you used on set-up, will no longer meet your tank’s needs. Though, once you have selected your salt brand of choice, stick with it. This will create a stable set of parameters, that you can become accustom to and won’t hit your inhabitants with any major shift, or addition, of some element. For what it’s worth, I use Red Sea’s Coral Pro salt. It’s not the cheapest salt mix, nor is it the most expensive. I’ve found over the years that it strikes a good balance of key trace elements, and pays attention to sometime overlooked values, such as potassium and iron. Whatever your salt of choice is, stick with it.
How often should we change our aquarium water? I support the constantly changing approach. In nature, the water cycle never stops. In your aquarium, you should seek to replicate that. Instead of doing one massive water change a week, or a month, it’s far better to tread the path nature has laid, and make small continuous changes. I personally change 10% of my system’s volume each week, over the course of two days. That’s a simple 5% water change mid-way through the week, and a 5% change at week’s end. It keeps the water within the aquarium always changing, and breaks out a small water change, into easy to administer segments. While this schedule might not work for every aquarium, it provides a good path to remove nutrients and replace trace elements.
When conducting water changes, testing is key. You need to make sure the water going in, is the same as the water going out. Monitoring temperature and salinity is a no-brainer, but you should also be checking ph as well.
A good RODI unit is a key component to a healthy reef aquarium
The basics:
Water change water, naturally, must match the salinity of your system’s water. Also, it’s good to let it sit for at least several hours before adding it, as salt mixes have a plethora of elements that need to stabilize. A cheap heater can make sure the water temp is identical to your systems. There is argument about whether or not to vacuum your sand bed with a siphon when doing a water change. This is an effective way to remove debris, but it also causes sedimentation which is very disruptive to corals, especially SPS species. With the rise in popularity of bare bottom tanks, removing detritus is easy, as it can be vacuumed off the bare tank bottom stirring up very little and removing nearly all of it.
A water change station can be set-up for a slim cost, and saves you time in the long run, especially when conducting multiple weekly water changes
Final Thoughts:
A 32 gallon bucket, spare heater and power head, should be staples of all reef keepers equipment, along with a good RODI unit. Starting with high quality freshwater, leads to high quality marine water. It’s important to remember, that with all the technological innovations in the hobby, salt remains one of the big ones. Salt mixes today pack the right amount of trace elements and dissolve to create perfect synthetic seawater. This gives us the ability to create a water cycle for our aquarium, right at home.
